Kontron Microspace MPCX28: in-vehicle PC with Intel Atom Z530 processor

Its fanless design, easy expandability and high flexibility make the precision Swiss-engineered Kontron Microspace MPCX28 Box PC a perfect fit for various applications in busses, cars, trucks, and (automated) heavy-duty vehicles used in intralogistics. In cabs and busses it can be used for passenger infotainment, video surveillance, or ticketing systems. Typical truck applications include CAN-based trailer and goods management, GPS navigation combined with communication via GSM, and UMTS/GPRS for fleet management. For vehicles used in intralogistics, the applications range from the control of automated vehicles, to logistics for forklift trucks with WLAN and barcode/RFID interfaces.

Designed to work in the extended temperature range -25 to 70°C, the passively cooled in-vehicle Kontron Box PC is based on the Intel Atom Z530 1.6 GHz processor with 533 MHz FSB and supports up to 1 GB DDR2 RAM. The embedded graphics feature 256MB of memory DirectX 9 3-D and HDTV support with MPEG2 and H.264 decoders to process compressed HD videos to offload CPU usage. To accommodate storage devices, it provides front side slots for a 2.5 SATA HDD or SDD and Compact Flash media. Thanks to the externally-accessible slots, the change of storage media is quick and simple without the use of tools. This makes it particularly easy to swap out the hard drive within seconds to provide new content for, e.g., infotainment applications. The internal PCI/104 and 2x PCIe MiniCard expansion slots allow for various application-specific extensions, such as Dual-CAN, GPS, GSM/UMTS, and WLAN.

Furthermore, the new Kontron Microspace MPCX28 features a comprehensive set of interfaces to fulfill the demands of nearly all in-vehicle applications. On the front, two USB 2.0 interfaces and 3.5 mm jacks for stereo output and input are accompanied by a SIM slot for mobile communications. On the back, the new in-vehicle PC offers 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, 2 additional USB 2.0 ports, as well as an SATA port to connect additional storage devices. The DVI-I interface transmits analog or digital video signals to external monitors with a resolution of up to 2,048 x 1536. Two DSUB connectors for COM ports (RS232) and a parallel interface for digital I/O, which provide CAN-bus connectivity via an optional PCI/104 expansion card, round off the feature set.

Thanks to its wide-range power supply (8 to 58 VDC), Kontron's latest in-vehicle PC can be directly connected to the vehicle's power supply without additional converters. A plug-in power supply for 110/220 VAC is also available. The system supports remote power on/off and can accommodate customer-specific functions such as wake on ring, event wake up or a wake on LAN.

The fanless Kontron Microspace MPCX28 in-vehicle PC is scheduled to be available (with CE and E1 certification) in Q1, 2010. The new Kontron box PC supports Windows XPe/XP/Vista/7, and Linux.