Advantech's First Phoebus Design 4" CPU Board in EPIC Form Factor

Irvine, CA, May 16, 2006 -- Advantech has introduced its first new EPIC form factor embedded CPU board for industrial computing. With a defined 4.53" x 6.50" (114.3mm x 165.1mm) footprint, which sits between the smaller PC/104 and the larger EBX form factor, PCM-4386 is the first Advantech EPIC Single Board Computer (SBC) that passes the stricter Phoebus Design Extended Temperature Testing (ETT) process, which guarantees reliable operation in extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C ~ 85°C and can resist the most severe shock and vibration.

Advantech SBC that passes the Phoebus Design ETT are guaranteed for thermal reliability and quality. All SBC are pre-tested continuously over a 36hr period and use military/Industrial grade components that must 100% pass the stricter thermal requirements. The new EPIC CPU board uses a fanless 800MHz ULV Intel® Celeron® M processor and up to 1GB DDR SDRAM memory that is a perfect match for low power economical applications. PCM-4386 does not require active cooling, instead the low power Intel CPU has passive cooling using a specially designed heatsink on the reverse of the board, allowing PCM-4386 to continuously operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -40 ~ 85 °C making it an ideal cost conscious solution for transportation and automation control in remote and austere locations.

PCM-4386 has PC/104plus expansion connectors, allowing for scaleable ISA and PCI modular expansion, this is an ideal connection for high shock and vibration. Additional Advantech communication, data acquisition and peripheral modules can be easily stacked-on. Furthermore, the board offers a dual channel LVDS panel support up to UXGA (1600 x 1200) panel resolution; a popular display solution for POS terminal applications. The EPIC specification defines a unique external I/O coastline zone for easy access and expansion, and the flexibility to implement internal I/O connectors as either pin headers or box header connectors. PCM-4386 is also European Union RoHS compliant.

PCM-4386 is Advantech’s first PC/104plus embedded SBC in the EPIC form factor that combines all the asked-for features of severe shock and vibration resistance, with Phoebus Design extreme temperature reliability. The PC/104plus EPIC form factor provides multiple I/O options and ultimate scalability, making PCM-4386 an ideal cost effective SBC for transportation, military and automation applications in the most severe and harsh environments.

Advantech Co., Ltd. (TAIEX: 2395) – Founded in 1983, Advantech is a global leading ePlatform service provider integrating web-based technology, computing platforms and customization services that empower the connected eWorld. Advantech cooperates closely with system integrators to enable them in providing complete solutions for a wide array of applications in various industries. Advantech delivers more than a thousand products and solutions under 3 main categories: Embedded & Applied Computing, Network Appliance, and eAutomation. With the combined talent of more than 2,000 people, Advantech operates an extensive support, sales and marketing network in 16 countries and 28 major cities to deliver fast time-to-market services to our worldwide customers (Corporate Website: www.advantech.com.tw).

Advantech Co. is an Associate Member with the Intel® Communications Alliance, a community of communications and embedded developers and solution providers. For more information, please visit www.intel.com/go/ica