Kontron accelerates Power Architecture implementation with versatile Computer-on-Module Starterkit

The Kontron COMe-QorIQ Starterkit comes equipped with the Kontron Evaluation Carrierboard for QorIQ and all the necessary components including the power supply and adapter cards for the individually configurable SerDes lanes. The versatile, option rich Starterkit can be pre-configured to specific demands to improve the customer’s power start experience. Options include a preinstalled QorIQ-based Kontron module, pre-configured SerDes lanes and a Linux or VxWorks operating system and BSP. Developers can immediately launch into the evaluation of their desired QorIQ platform.

Computer-on-Modules with 32 bit Freescale QorIQ P2020 or 64 bit Freescale QorIQ P5020 processor are currently available. These are mechanically compatible with the COM Express specification, they offer long-term availability of more than 10 years and, as an option, the 32 bit variant is even designed for the extended temperature range of -40 °C to +70 °C in a convection cooled environment. Application areas of Power Architecture-based Computer-on-Modules range from embedded data processing systems in harsh outdoor and onboard environments, which require a particularly high performance per watt right up to systems with high bandwidth for data processing in telecommunication networks with up to 10 GbE (XAUI SFP+), 4x 1GbE (SGMII) or Serial RapidIO performance.

Main application areas of the 64 bit Kontron COMe-basic module with 18 configurable SerDes lanes are to be found in, for example, communication networks with 3G, WiMAX and LTE base stations, RNCs, gateways as well as in ATM, TDM and IP equipment. Applications with the 32 bit Kontron COMe-compact module with four SerDes lanes can be found, for example, in the transportation sector as AUV and UAV controllers, motion control systems or event recorders as well as embedded routing, switching and security appliances and in industrial SAN and NAS devices.

The Kontron COMe-QorIQ Starterkit features a Micro-ATX evaluation carrierboard, which carries all the relevant interfaces of the Freescale QorIQ-based Computer-on-Modules. In addition, there are three different SerDes adapter cards for SRIO, 10 GbE SFP+ XAUI and 4x 1GbE SGMII included. For configuration and debugging, there is a USB client interface as well as JTAG and Aurora interfaces. A further feature is the SPI/LPC firmware HUB socket which supports external BIOS connection. Among the interfaces which are executed directly onboard are up to 16 SerDes lanes, which are mechanically executed via four PCIe x4 slots, 3x Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 1588, 3x USB and 2x UART to DSUB-9 (RS232 or RS485), 1x UART (TX/RX) as well as to 2x I2C and 12 GPIO. 2x SATA interfaces for connecting storage devices and a microSD card slot are available. The Power Architecture evaluation carrierboard supports ATX power voltages. A corresponding power supply is also included.. The documentation comes on a USB stick which rounds up the feature set of the ready-to-use Kontron Power Architecture Starterkit, which is available now.