Kontron’s X-board is a tiny (49 mm by 6 mm) SIMM-style module (see Fig. 1) that contains a 32-bit ARM-compatible XScale 80219 microcontroller with 32 kbytes of integrated instruction and data cache. It is available in a number of configurations, including 400-MHz and 600-MHz versions with up to 64 Mbytes of on-module flash and 128 Mbytes of PC200 DDR-SDRAM. It also supports off-module memory.
The module is extremely powerful. It supports a PCI Version 2.1-compliant bus as well as a range of peripheral interfaces (see Fig. 2). Some of the peripheral support is provided by Silicon Motion’s SM501 with 8 to 16 Mbytes of external SDRAM. Peripherals include a pair of serial ports, an I2C interface, an IDE interface, two USB 2.0 host interfaces, a USB 1.1. host/device interface, 10/100-MHz Ethernet, and parallel I/O. Multimedia interfaces include AC’97 audio and VGA or LCD (TFT or STN) video with resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 pixels. There is also an 8-bit video capture port. JTAG debugging is supported, but most developers can forgo JTAG for application-level debugging. The system also has DMA support.
The X-board modules come in a number of flavors. The common denominator is the connector that brings out the peripheral interfaces and the form factor. As with most modules, the X-board is designed to plug into a host or base board that provides additional hardware or peripheral connectors. In this case, the eval board (see Fig. 3) is delivered as part of the kit.
The eval board supports the range of peripherals that an X-board can handle. There are two PCI slots, but make sure they are only 3.3-V cards, not the 5-V boards. This is, after all, for delivering a low-power solution.
Multimedia support includes an on-board amplifier with the usual collection of audio input and output jacks. There is also a simple buzzer if that is all that is required. The VGA connector handles VGA monitors and LCD displays while an LCD cable connection is for more conventional TFT or STN embedded solutions. Composite video output is also provided. On the communication side are three RS-232 serial ports (one for debugging), a 10/100 Etherenet RJ-45 jack, and an I2C header. There is no patch area, but most of the signals are easily accessible via headers so it is relatively easy to cable the board to another with custom hardware.
The entire package comes in a hard-plastic carrying case that fits the board and the power supply. The latter is a small, standard AT-style power brick. You can see the standard AT power-supply connector on the eval board. The eval board is designed for installation within a case, but you can add plastic feet if it will be used without a case.
Getting Started: Windows CE
The kit comes with support for Windows CE 5.0 and Linux 2.6. The CD includes only the board support files and documentation, so you need to supply your own development and diagnostic tools. Most developers can use the on-module monitor (RedBoot) and bypass JTAG support unless low-level device drivers or operating system customization is being performed.