Evaluation kit

The Kontron microETXexpress evaluation kit offers developers a fast introduction into the compact class of COM Express.

At the heart of the Starterkit are the company’s microETXexpress-SP or -DC computer-on-modules (95 x 95 mm) based on the Atom series of processors and the ETXexpress miniBaseboard.

Kits are also available for evaluation with other microETXexpress modules and are an all-round development platform for a wide range of embedded applications that require high-performance and processing density on a compact footprint with low-power consumption.

The kit is suitable for evaluating applications that are to be operated on small mobile devices that are battery powered or even solar powered and small embedded devices which have a compact format while offering a high level of features.

Developers working on applications in areas such as multimedia, test and measurement, medical, automation, energy, telecommunications or POS/POI can start developing on the target platform right away because the kit is supplied with the embedded hardware including the cables, a small power supply unit called picoPSU combined with a 12 V desktop power supply and an active cooler.

At the core of the kit is the ETXexpress miniBaseboard (170 x 155 mm). Due to its low profile height of about 44 mm - including the computer-on-module and the optional heat spreader - it can be integrated into embedded applications.

Despite its compact size, the carrier board offers a rich feature set and all interfaces: PCI Express x1, PCI, Serial ATA, PATA, CF card slot, gigabit ethernet, USB 2.0, COM pin headers, DVI and VGA, 2x LVDS, audio interfaces and a feature connector, which enables a direct connection from, for example, TV or video cards to the graphic card without encumbering the CPU or the data bus.

The HD audio codec and bringing down four video connectors from a COM Express Pin-out Type 2 module underlines the microETXexpress module’s multimedia features.

The kit is modular and can be ordered either with or without any microETXexpress computer-on-module. It is available for the company’s microETXexpress-SP computer-on-modules with 1.1 GHz or 1.6 GHz Atom Z5xx series processors and the System Controller Hub US15W, and for the microETXexpress-DC computer-on-module with 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processors.