Reference Designer

In a small size of 3.75 inch x 3.75 inches fits a module from Aaeon Technologies that has 1.6 GHz intel N270 Atom processor with a socket that can have 2GB of DDR2 memory.

Aaeon’s computer on module uses  COM Express format. Its  has two surface-mount connectors, with 220 pins apiece, tha carry all signals to a development board or custom carrier board.

The board has Intel’s N270 Atom processor, 945GSE northbridge, and ICH7M southbridge. The three Intel chips has a total TDP of approximately 9 Watts. No fan cooling should be required with this board.

The module 82547L gigabit Ethernet chip. It also has EIGHT USB ports, two SATA II ports.

The board supports mirrored or independent dual displays. The two displays can be a CRT and an LCD, a CRT and a TV, or a TV and an LCD. Supported resolutions, via up to 224MB of shared video memory, are said to range up to 2048 x 1538 pixels for LCDs, and 1600 x 1200 pixels for CRTs.

Specifications

* Form Factor
COM Express compact module, Pin-out Type II
* Processor
Onboard Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1.6GHz, FSB 533MHz
* System Memory
200-pin DDRII SODIMM x 1, Max. 2GB (DDRII 400/533)
* Chipset
Intel 945GSE + ICH7-M
* I/O Chipset
ICH7-M
* Ethernet
Intel 82574L, 10/100/1000Base-TX
* BIOS
Award BIOS v8.0
SPI type, 2MB ROM
* EEPROM
Atmel AT24C02, save BIOS and configuration data
* Wake on LAN
Yes
* Watchdog Timer
Fintek F75111
* H/W Status Monitoring
Supports CPU temperature monitoring
* Expansion Interface
PCI-Express [x1] x 3 (82801GBM)
PCI-Express [x1] x 5 (82801GHM) (Optional)
32-bit PCI x 4
LPC bus x 1
SMBus x 1
I2C x 1
* Power Requirement
Wide DC input range, +8.5V to +19V
2-pin wafer for RTC battery
* Power Consumption (Typical)
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz, DDR II 533 512MB
1.17A@+12V
0.76A@+5V
* Board Size
3.75″ (L) x 3.75″(W) (95mm x 95mm)
* Gross Weight
0.55 lb (0.25 Kg)
* Operating Temperature
32oF ~ 140oF (0oC~ 60oC)
* Storage Temperature
-40oF ~ 176oF (-40oC ~ 80oC)
* Operating Humidity
0% ~ 90% relative humidity, non-condensing
* MTBF (Hours)
—

Display: Supports CRT/LCD, CRT/TV, LCD/TV simultaneous/ dual view displays

* Chipset
Intel 945GSE integrated
* Memory
Shared system memory up to 224MB/ DVMT 3.0
* Resolutions
Up to 2048 x 1536 (QXGA) for CRT
Up to 1600 x 1200 (UXGA) for LCD
* LCD Interface
18-bit dual-channel LVDS
* SDVO
Supports SDVO x 1
* TV-Out
Intel 945GSE integrated, supports NTSC/ PAL
Supports Composite Video, S-Video, Component Video (YPbPr) on carrier board

I/O

* Storage
PATA x 1 (Two devices), SATA II x 2
* USB
USB 2.0 x 8
* Audio
High definition audio
* GPIO
Up to 4 in or 4 out

Hardware Design microcontroller

Understanding a microcontroller programming requires not only knowing programming, assembly language, but also the underline hardware.

It requires knowledge of hardware, knowledge of C language and some familiarity with the applications that a Microcontroller can be used.

Why MSP430

MSP430 has good programming support from Texas Instruments. They have a wide range of microcontrollers and a good number of application examples. They have A/D converters integrated in most of their controllers. They have support for Serial Ports in most of their Microcontrollers

On  the other hand MSP430  is slightly expensive than their counterparts. Take for example the PIC microcontroller. They are way less expensive than the Texas Instruments microcontroller. If your application is very simple, you may like to take a look at PIC microcontrollers

Why I have Used MSP430

I have been using MSP430 for historical reasons. I was handed over an unfinished project of MSP430 while working at BL Healthcare.  The familiarity with MSP430 and available tools made me habitual for the microcontraoller.

The MSP430 Tutorial

I thought up of writing a tutorial so that any one who wants to jump start on  microcontroller can do so by following few pages of the  tutorial. For this reasons I have put up first 4 pages of tutorial today that can be accessed at MSP430 Tutorial. I will keep updating it as I get more time. For the time being it is enough for a beginner to get started.

By Vikas Shukla

Vikas Shukla is currently working as Senior Design Engineer at BL Healthcare. He has degree in Computer Science and Engineering from IT-BHU, Varanasi, India. Mr. Shukla has over 15 years of experience in design of microprocessor-based systems. His expertise includes signal integrity, architecture and design of remote patient monitoring systems. The views expressed are his own.

Disclaimer – The contents of this article and its use is only for academic purpose. Reference Designer is not liable for any damage arising out of commercial use.

Hardware Design, MSP430, Programming microcontroller