Introduction

The Kontron SMARC-sAMX6i Computer-on-Modules exceed the traditional scale of longevity with their availability of at least ten years. Furthermore, they support the extended temperature range from -40°C to +85°C by-design. Thus, the new SMARC module family is ideal for market sectors demanding highest ruggedness and long-term availability, such as for example transportation, medical and military.

On the extremely compact footprint of the smart short form factor (82 mm x 50 mm), the Kontron SMARC-sAMX6i integrates all core components including non-volatile memory for a rugged, closed system design without any moving components. The standardized SMARC pin-out of the MXM 3.0 connector is optimized for ultra-low-power applications. Dedicated I/Os, which are not available on x86 chipsets, are for example Serial Peripheral Interface, I²S, MediaLB and CAN-Bus. In this way, the new modules meet the requirements of the most widely differing application scenarios – from Outdoor KIOSK -through automotive applications up to robust battery-powered handheld devices with graphic user interfaces. The built-in Watchdog timer even enables the use in mission-critical applications with the most demanding levels of reliability in the medical, security and military markets.

The new Kontron SMARC-sAMX6i Computer-on-Module family is available with 800 MHz single, dual and quad core processors of the Freescale iMX6 series. On a project basis, further variants with additional versions from the extensive range of these long-time available processors are possible. Depending on the SoC model, they integrate one or two independent graphics engines with up to four 3D shaders for vivid 3D visuals and video de- and encoder, which can process HD videos up to 1080p @ 60 Hz. Dual independent displays are possible via parallel 18/24 bit LCD or 18/24 bit single-channel LVDS and HDMI. In addition, two MIPI-conforming camera inputs enable the use of device-specific video sensors. Application-specific extensions can be integrated via up to three PCI- Express lanes, 3 x USB 2.0, 2 x SPI, 5x I²C and 2x CAN. For multimedia, interconnect developers can rely on 1 x Media Local Bus 150, 2 x I2S and SPDIF. Storage media can be connected via SATA, SDIO and eMMC. For networking, there is a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port. The input voltage ranges from 3V up to 5.25 VDC. In this way, it can be directly powered via a single-cell lithium-ion battery as well as the classic 3.3 VDC or 5 VDC power supply, which in addition simplifies the system design.

The Kontron SMARC-sAMX6 family operates seamlessly with the Kontron SMARC Evaluation Carrier so that developers can immediately start with the application development. Kontron is offering comprehensive operating system support for the application-typical Linux, Android and later Windows Embedded Compact 7 operating systems.