Built-in AMD® low power G-Series™ T56N Dual Core CPU with A55E Fusion Control Hub Chipset, Acrosser AMB-A55EG1 brings you a cost-effective All-in-One gaming solution among the industry. Take a look at Acrosser’s AMB-A55EG1 product film and see the various gaming features of AMB-A55EG1, including: Gaming I/O, Intrusion Detection, cc-Talk and Battery back-up SRAM. All of these allow game designers to customize their peripherals in order to maximize the utility of this AMD® Embedded G-Series™ gaming board.
Moreover, the integration of AMD® Radeon™ HD 6320 graphic controller guarantees satisfactory visual effects in an economic way. From 3D graphics performance to dynamic visual interactivity, AMB-A55EG1 has its own niche market both for casino gaming and arcade gaming manufacturers.
Since 2013, there has been one embedded board that has caught global attention. It was so popular that Acrosser had to make a product film just to let everyone get a closer look at it. Acrosser believes that its No. 1 embedded SBC, AMB-N280S1, is worth introducing worldwide. The AMB-N280S1 single board computer comes with an Intel Atom N2800 processor 1.86GHz and NM10 PCH chipset. There are three main features that explain why AMB-N280S1 stood out among other products.
Space-saving design with uncompromising graphic performanceThe debate over power consumption versus performance has been going on for a while, but Acrosser strikes a fine balance on AMB-N280S1. The adoption of an Intel Atom Processor allows for better graphic performance without consuming more power. Secondly, the large heatsink provides great thermal conductivity in the board for the most efficient heat dissipation. In addition, AMB-N280S1’s small form factor (dimensions: 146mm x 102mm) makes it a great mini embedded solution.
Rich I/O connector for diverse application
Given limited space, AMB-N280S1 takes full advantage of its 3.5” surface. The board offers one VGA port, one LVDS header and one HDMI port each for video output, with an uncompromised 1920 x 1200 (LVDS 1366 x 768) resolution that supports dual displays. We placed one Mini PCIe on both the top and bottom sides of the board, which adds versatility to the board’s application. Not only that, but 6 COM headers and 4 USB also allow for diverse peripheral connection and use.
Variety of usage for industrial application
Thanks to its small form factor, AMB-N280S1 has triggered vast business interest in the following applications: medical devices, kiosk, and automated vending machines. AMB-N280S1’s steady thermal structure has also won the hearts of lab researchers planning to integrate the board into environmental monitoring systems for analysis use.
With Intel reassuring customers of the longevity of its CPU supply, the product life of AMB-N280S1 can last at least another 5 years, making the board an economic option for system integration. Please do not hesitate to send us inquiries if you need more information about the board. No wonder Acrosser’s AMB-N280S1 is the most inquired-about embedded board of all time!
With the rapid advancement of mobile, cloud, and embedded technologies, it may surprise most that In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems are typically developed four to five years before the vehicles are release to the market. In fact, most 2014 models are running IVI systems from 2009. By most modern industry standards, a five-year development lifecycle is unacceptable. So how is it that one of our most valued commodities – the automobile – is subjected to such a technological lag?
Primarily, the bloated IVI development lifecycle can be linked to two factors: driver safety and vehicle longevity. Although most people associate IVI systems with just navigation and entertainment, these systems also interact with many critical vehicle safety components such as driver assistance, engine control, and vehicle sensors. This means that all IVI systems must go through significant testing, evaluation, security, and certification processes. In addition, vehicle manufacturers need to ensure that an IVI system will remain operational for the duration of a vehicle’s 10-15 year lifespan.
Unfortunately, even the sleekest of vehicles on the market today are equipped with IVI systems that contain old software and unattractive user interfaces. Furthermore, consumers do not currently have the option to upgrade their IVI systems through new software rollouts or third-party applications. And while some people do trade in their vehicles every two-to-three years, for most of us purchasing a car is a long-term investment. According to automobile information analysis firm R.L. Polk & Co., the average age of automobiles in the U.S. is rising. Assuming this trend continues, many consumers will be stuck with an outdated IVI system for the next nine-to-ten years.
Customizing the car
What if IVI systems could be customized and continuously upgraded like smartphones or tablets? What if drivers could listen to music through their Pandora account, share their location via Facebook, or take a call on Skype? What if online marketplaces like iTunes and Google Play started offering IVI-specific apps? With the rising demand for consumer device customization, it’s just a matter of time before these rhetorical scenarios become the new standard.
The Android platform is especially ripe for IVI customization efforts, as it is an open source wonderland for developers. Whereas iOS remains a proprietary Apple technology, Google has opened Android up to a wide variety of uses, which is why it is currently dominating in the mobile space.
However, Android does have some major drawbacks that must be addressed before it can be utilized for IVI applications. For example, from an automotive perspective, Android has a slow boot time and does not meet the industry’s strict security and stability standards. The average boot time on an Android-based device is 40 seconds. While this is an acceptable length of time for a mobile device that rarely gets shut off, it becomes a bigger problem in a vehicle. Since most people immediately begin driving after turning on the car, a long IVI system boot time would result in drivers pulling up a map or a play list while the vehicle is in motion – further adding to distractions while driving.
Furthermore, drivers cannot simply restart their vehicles if the IVI system crashes. An unstable Operating System (OS) is inconvenient in a mobile device, but it’s downright dangerous in a vehicle. And if a driver downloads a third-party IVI app whose settings override those of the vehicle’s operational components, it could seriously compromise the vehicle’s security and functionality, from altering diagnostics and sensor parameters to disabling emergency services.
While slow boot times and operating speeds can generally be resolved by modifying the Android OS distribution for an “automotive-grade” platform, the real challenge lies in balancing the innovation of Android with the stringent safety and reliability requirements of the automotive industry. How can a single system be flexible and modular for consumer customization while at the same time ensuring uncompromised security and reliability?
Hypervisor sandboxing splits safety-critical from software-upgradeable
The unfortunate truth is that there is no way to combine these two conflicting demands – nor should we try. Instead of managing one complex and potentially flawed OS, the goal should be to run two completely functional and sandboxed systems. By leveraging an open source, “bare metal” Xen hypervisor, developers could simultaneously run two different OSs on a single System-on-Chip (SoC) to provide:
Highly reliable automotive-grade Linux or Real-Time Operating Systems(RTOSs) like Autosar and QNX for mission-critical vehicle software
Highly customizable Android for infotainment software
A hybrid architecture that is based on a Type-1 hypervisor would allow developers to create an Android-based IVI system without compromising the functionality, security, or reliability of the vehicle’s operational software. Critical components such as vehicle sensors, diagnostics, and emergency services would never be impacted by third-party apps, as they would be completely enclosed within their own respective OSs (Figure 1). Sandboxed Linux and Android operating systems give developers the freedom to create truly customizable infotainment software without negatively impacting a vehicle’s security or reliability.
Figure 1: A hypervisor approach can effectively separate infotainment apps from critical automobile systems into a single hybrid software architecture.(Click graphic to zoom by 1.9x)
Although still a relatively untapped field, it’s only a matter of time before IVI systems become just as customizable as any other mobile device. While Android still has some issues around reliability, security, and speed to address before it can become truly “automotive grade,” it is an ideal OS for IVI customization. By modifying Android to accelerate operating and boot time speeds, and by leveraging a hybrid architecture to separate a vehicle’s mission-critical and infotainment components, developers can begin shaping a new and industry-changing market for automotive software.
