New EPC solutions from Arrow

3rd March 2011

ES Admin

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At Embedded World 2011 in Nuremberg, Arrow presented various new solutions for the Embedded Platform Concept (EPC) that can be used to support numerous industrial applications and markets. The new components include the VIPAR Internet Chip, an Intel Tunnel Creek Board and a range of adapters to connect EPC hardware with modules from the semiconductor manufacturers in Arrow's portfolio.

VIPAR Internet Chip

The VIPAR Internet Chip offers the opportunity to give any application based on a simple microcontroller or single board computer network compatibility. It is currently demonstrated as a prototype and will be sampled from the middle of this year. Parallel to this, evaluation boards will also be released. The availability of the series is planned for the third quarter in 2011. In particular, VIPAR enables the extremely efficient development of Web 2.0 functionality with completely individual Web front-end and plug-and-play networking without having to adapt the host processor's firmware.

Bulldog Board in collaboration with Xyco

Together with the technology specialists Xyco Technologies AG, Arrow has developed the Bulldog Board. It is based on the Intel Tunnel Creek processor with Atom processor core, and supports the industrial temperature range. All the complexities of the Bulldog Board design can be incorporated into client designs as IP blocks. This enables a completely individual form factor with significantly reduced costs. Xyco offers a comprehensive range of services for client-specific embedded x86 design.

EPC adapters

Alongside the Embedded Platform Concept from Arrow, some semiconductor manufacturers have also started to develop their own modular board concepts. The interfaces used can now be adapted to the EPC via a series of new adapters. At Embedded World, Arrow presented EPC adapters for Silabs RF Test Cards, NXPresso modules, Freescale Tower Boards and Circuits from the Lab from Analog Devices. With an Altera FPGA which acts as a cross-matrix connection between the EPC add-on-board plugs and numerous SDP plugs by Analog Devices, the Circuits from the Lab adapter offers particular flexibility. It was displayed by Analog Devices and Arrow in an embedded Linux demo.