VIA announces new Pico-ITX with HD and 2 Mini-PCIe

The new EPIA-P830 certainly packs more into the Pico-ITX form factor than ever before. Let's run over the checklist:

Latest VIA Nano processor - check, it has a 1.2GHz Nano E-Series
HD 1080p - check, the VIA VX900 delivers this
Expansion options - check, 2 mini-PCIe ports provides massive amounts of options
HD audio - check, including SPDIF, 6 channel and DTS capable
Advanced memory support - check, DDR3 supported
Networking - check, gigabit Ethernet, plus you've got those mini-PCIe for any other type of wireless connectivity you need
Ports - check, there's 1 channel LVDS display support, an additional 5 x USB 2.0 ports, an LPC connector, SMBus connector, PS/2 support, audio jacks, LVDS, 4 pairs of DIO and two UART ports

Anything more would be just greedy! The Press Release doesn't mention when it will be available.

VIA's dual core design angle

Semiaccurate.com has done a write up about the new VIA Nano DC platform. They give some clear information about the design route that VIA have gone for:

"Unlike most current multi-core processors, VIA has gone down a somewhat older route by sticking two CPU dies next to each other, this means that there's no shared cache and no direct data exchange between the two CPU cores and all core to core communication takes place over the system bus. It's worth remembering that this is very much set to be an Atom competitor and despite the basic dual core design, it should still be more than capable of keeping up with the Atom processors thanks to its superior out-of-order design compared to the Atom's in-order design."

Like many manufacturer-watchers, Semiaccurate.com are eagerly awaiting the VIA nano DC's availability in early 2011 ... not far off now!

The VIA Nano DC in pigeon English

Is pigeon English what you call broken English? Am I being offensive to anyone? Maybe pigeons?

When I was looking for VIA news I came across this very odd "review" of the Nano DC platform, which seems to have been published after taking a bad translator to a review in a language other than English ...

"These days everybody is articulate about graphics as great as VIA is no exception."

"The dual-core Nano which VIA forsaken off is architecturally matching to the existent Nano. Similar to the dual-core CPUs, DC Nano is literally twin Nano die placed to the single side the single another."

Mmmmm ... I think I'll go looking for another source of VIA news ...

ARTiGO pimped as a good Christmas gift idea

Networkworld has got on the Christmas gift list bandwagon early ... oh no hang on, there's only four weeks to go, so not so early ... and they've recommended the VIA ARTiGO builder kit for "true techies who enjoy a little light tinkering". I have to agree. In Australia you'd have to get one from Pioneer Computers, Tech Buy, Eyo, My Shopping, etc - just Google it and you'll find plenty of options.

Anantech gets a visit from VIA

As Anand Lal Shimpi notes, he hadn't received a visit from a VIA rep in many years, but he was happy and intrigued to get one recently, as VIA launches it Nano DC and VN1000 combo platform.

"Compared to Atom, Nano is a bit of a beast. Both Atom and AMD’s Bobat core can fetch and issue up to two instructions. Nano can do three. Like AMD’s Bobcat, Nano has a full out of order execution engine. Atom, for the time being, is in-order."

Without giving it all away, the review of the platform is actually very positive, with graphics performance, overall performance and power management all getting a good smattering of positives adjectives. Check it out.

A VIA history before the Nano DC

As the media take their turn at assessin the Nano DC and VN100 chipset - which will bring dual core VIA CPUs to market, PC Perspective have laid out a detailed introduction before they look at the hardware ... a history of VIA from the late 90's until now.

"Arguably VIA’s biggest success was the Apollo Pro+ chipset. This was a product well ahead of its time in terms of features and performance. During this period Intel was trying to push their 800 series chipsets with RAMBUS support, but that particular combination was unpopular due to the extreme price differences between SDRAM and RDRAM. Intel tried to rectify this situation with a Memory Controller Hub which supported PC100 SDRAM. Unfortunately, that hub had some real issues, one of which was corrupted data.

VIA came to the rescue with a true PC133 SDRAM based solution, which also supported (unofficially) the 133 MHz FSB that was used by the Pentium !!! processor. It also was paired to a southbridge which featured ATA-100 support, as well as plenty of USB 1.1 connections. VIA also had quite a bit of success in the AMD market as well with their KT series of chips for both the classic Athlon architecture, and the first examples of the Athlon 64. A combination of increased competition in the AMD market by NVIDIA and ATI, as well as constant legal battles with Intel over the use of their particular front side bus licenses, caused VIA to have a drastic shrink in their chipset business. "

If you're new to the industry or to VIA, it's worth a read. The overall conclusion of the review is good ... a "well designed and balanced setup", although released a little late :/

VIA doubles the cores and retains the same TDP

VIA has unvieled an upgrade to the VIA Nano processor. The VIA Nano DC, which obviously stands for dual core, upgrades from the VIA Nano 65nm process to a 40nm process whilst still keeping the max TDP at 25W (for the 1.8GHz version). Hand in hand with this launch is the new VN1000 integrated media processor which includes DX 10.1 support and just about every display output support you can think of. With this hardware platform, VIA will be aiming at "casual 3D gaming". Source: HotHwardware.

VIA strikes sweeping deal with Simmtronics

VIA has manufactured their own embedded motherboards for a very long time now, almost a decade. Technically they don't "manufacture" them, that's outsourced behind closed doors to a Taiwanese motherboard manufacturer, but the boards have carried the VIA EPIA brand name for a long time. Now VIA has struck a deal with Simmtronics Semiconductors Ltd to exclusively manufature VIA products for almost the whole world market. The list from the Press Release is:
"lndia, Srilanka, UK, USA, Thailand, Singapore, Bangladesh, Pakistan, UAE, Dubai, lran, lraq, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Africa, Algeria, Ghana, etc. "

I don't think that Australia is included in that etc - but you never know.

The boards feature specs like EPIA models but they're called SIMM-PCVN1000 etc. The Press Release has highlighted low cost complete desktop PCs with a green computing angle. I'd expect that these models would be quite attractive in developing countries. - Source

Looking for a 24/7 server?

The guys over at Overclockers Australia have been discussing kit for a 24/7 Linux server and one of the discussion group member's suggested the VIA ARTiGO A110. The ARTiGO is one of the easiest products to use for this sort of thing. Just add the HDD and RAM, install and OS and it's ready to serve!

VIA to release quad core Nanos by the end of next year

VIA's Nano processors are single core at the moment, they should be dual core by the end of the year and apparently they'll be quad core by the end of next year. When VIA released its monthly sales figures for August, the Press Release unsually included a few tid bits about future plans.
A VN11 chipset with DirectX support with support the new quad cores, providing more juice to the embedded computing space than ever before.
VIA's focus will still be on low power and I'd suggest the new chips will be aimed at enterprise level storage and server solutions and not at your next desktop.
Source: Thing.co.uk

Lian Li launches two new Mini-ITX cases

We all know that VIA invented the Mini-ITX platform, but Lian Li has been a huge supporter of it from the very beginning, offering quite a variety of case types.

This latest design has been made to fit behind a monitor making it ideal for point of sale, kiosks, etc. The VESA kit is just an option, however, as it can also be used as a desktop PC ... all be it a small one.

All VIA EPIA Mini-ITX boards would fit in the new Lian Li Mini-Q PC-Q09 and PC-Q09F chasis.

VIA releases new Mini-ITX board with HD everything

The new EPIA-M850 has HD audio, HD video playback and a HMDI port. It's not hard to tell that it's targetted at multimedia systems. Being in the Mini-ITX form factor, it's specifically aimed at embedded multimedia systems. At a consumer level, this board would also kick-ass for a lounge room PC.

Onboard is a 1.3 or 1.6GHz VIA Nano E-series processor and the VX900 single chip solution. The combination brings a lot of HD power to the table, whilst still retaining VIA's unique low profile, low noise and low power consumption traits.

"The VIA ChromotionHD 2.0 video engine boasts comprehensive hardware acceleration for the latest VC1, H.264, MPEG-2 and WMV9 HD formats at screen resolutions of up to 1080p without affecting CPU load. Display connectivity support includes onboard HDMI and VGA ports with pin headers for dual channel 24-bit LVDS.

The VIA VX900 boasts the VIA Chrome9™ HCM 3D integrated graphics core with full DirectX 9.0 support and a 128-bit 2D engine with hardware rotation capability. The VIA VX900 also features the VIA Vinyl HD audio codec. Storage includes ports for two SATA drives. "

The board can also handle up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. The EPIA-M850 sure does pack a HD punch! More from the Press Release.

Finding an ARTiGO bargain in Oz

A quick search on the net this week shows that Scorpion Technology Computers is listing the cheapest VIA ARTiGO for Australian etailers, at AUD 479. The A110 is the latest version of the ARTiGO, featuring a 1.2GHz VIA Nano processor and fully HD and HDMI support, making it a great all rounder and multimedia capable. For 60 bucks less, however, head on over to eBay where you can pick up the older A1000 model for USD 379.95. This features a 1GHz C7 processor and whilst it has HD audio, it can not support HD video, just MP4 and WMV9. As a tiny storage computer, however, it's ideal.

ARTiGO kit on video

If you want to get a better picture of the ARTiGO kit and what it's like to build a system with one, check out this video on PCPer.com. If you Google ARTiGO A110 you'll find quite a few options of where you can get them in Australia.

VIA announces new COM Express Mobule. Uses Nano processor

VIA usualy expend their efforts on promoting their own embedded platforms. Their Mini-ITX especially, but also the Pico-ITX, are now industry standards in the embedded industry. So to is the COM Express form factor, developed by the PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group).

VIA has just announced a new COM Express module which makes nice work of using the VIA Nano E-series processor and the VX800 digital media chip. The press release points out the products highlights:

* High performance, 64-bit VIA Nano E-Series processor
* 18/24-bit dual channel LVDS plus VGA support
* 3 PCI, and one x4 plus two x1 PCIe slots
* Up to 2GB of DDR2 SO-DIMM memory
* 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet
* Up to six USB 2.0 ports
* Up to two SATA devices plus 1 IDE

In some ways this new module is an upgrade to the COME7N80 which uses the older VIA Eden processor.

The COME8X80 is available for OEM and ODM clients now, and for Australian companies, that probably means going direct to VIA's head office.

VIA launch 3 AMOS-5000 development kits

The VIA AMOS-5000 is a chasis kit designed for VIA Em-ITX boards and it comes fitted with a VIA EITX-3000. Now Em-ITX boards can also work with modules that allow you to add more features. There's the EMIO-3110 for multimedia applications, the EMIO-3430 module for connectivity and communications and the EMIO-3210 for industrial applications. They pretty much cover the whole gamit of embedded system uses. Now VIA has put all of these into packages where a developer can get the AMOS-5000 with the Em-ITX board and the module they need. The kit names correspond to the Em-ITX add-on module name, so the one for multimedia has the EMIO-3110 is in the VIA AMOS-5110 kit and so on. Get it? What they've done is put together handy kits to target specific types of projects. Pretty nifty. More in the Press Release.

New Mini-ITX board targets intelligent industrial devices

I am straining to remember the last time VIA launched a new Mini-ITX board. It might even have been last year. There's been Em-ITX and Pico-ITX but it's been a while since there's been a new Mini-ITX. It's still the most popular embedded system platform.

The new EPIA-M840 "ticks all the boxes" for industrial and factory management applications.

"The VIA EPIA-M840 packs the latest 64-bit VIA Nano E-Series processor, dual Gigabit LAN, eight COM ports and support for two dual channel 24-bit LVDS displays, creating the ideal backbone for a range of embedded applications including intelligent industrial automation applications that integrate remote network access, network management and other advanced application management scenarios."

These industrial systems required quite a kick and the EPIA M840 delivers, with 1.2GHz and 1.6GHz options, DirectX9 capable graphics, HD audio, dual gigabit networking, 3GB DDR2 RAM support, 8 COM ports, four USB and 2 dual channel 24-bit LVDS support.

VIA ARTiGO A110: A DIY delight

The US site, Maximum PC, has reviewed the relatively new VIA ARTiGO A110 barebone PC. Like all of these embedded computing products, it's fantastic if you understand what it's good for and use it for that; dissapointing if you don't bother to understand its design point and try and do something silly like play a game on it. Productivity center - yep. Media center - nope. Media streamer - yep. Gaming PC - nope.

VIA Nano to be found in Lenovo home theatre PC

Lenovo have used the VIA Nano processor before in a laptop design. The IdeaPad S12 did quite well last year against an Atom version of the same model. Lenovo have now taken all of those good qualities of the Nano and designed a home theatre PC that's very small "the size of a small paperback". "It's capable of processing 1080p high-definition video using Via's VX900 chipset and has an HDMI port that can connect to a television."

The IdeaCentre Narue 2, according to an anonymous VIA source quoted on PC World, will be out in Q3.

Dual core Nano spotted at Computex

Aptly described as "a bit of a unicorn" the VIA Nano in dual core form was never the less on display in a desktop system at Computex last week. Engadget had this to say:

"The device utilized a VN1000 Digital Media Chipset and fully supported dual-channel DDR3 memory. A Chrome 520 GPU was helping to push out a 720p movie trailer on the demo system, and the innate compatibility with HDMI and DisplayPort should keep home cinema owners happy. The 65nm chip was clocked at 1.6GHz, and we were told that it wouldn't be venturing into mobile machines in its current form."

A dual core Nano could form the basis of a low cost desktop PC that would suit most people's computing needs ... and it would also give a boost to the computing power afforded to embedded devices, if it makes its way to EPIA boards.

Em-ITX gets thinner?

VIA have launched a new Em-ITX board which upgrades from the EITX 3000's VX800 chip to the VX855 and takes off one gigabit Ethernet port. The EITX 3001 is claimed to be "a slim-line Em-ITX form factor board" in the Press Release but there's no mention about that on the product specification page, nor any measurements to show a reduction in width, or any other measurement, over the only other Em-ITX board, the EITX 3000. They are both slim boards really, so the comment must have been just a general one about the Em-ITX form factor.

The EITX 3001 offers HD video support. Although HDMI output is supported, there's no HDMI port on the board so you must have to add in the EMIO-3110 board for that.

"The VIA EITX-3001 includes an onboard DC-to-DC converter that has both AT and ATX power modes, supporting a wide range of power input voltage from DC 7V to DC 36V, configurable through an onboard switch. An on board built-in 5-wire/4-wire USB Touch interface makes the EITX-3001 ideally suited for high-end interactive touch screen multimedia applications.

Dual I/O coastlines allow for a wealth of I/O ports including a HMDI port, VGA port, Gigabit Ethernet, dual COM ports, four USB ports, a USB device port, audio jacks and power and HDD activity LEDs. LVDS is supported through on board pin headers allowing for a range of multi-display options including CRT/LVDS, CRT/HDMI and LVDS/HDMI configurations.

The VIA EITX-3001 supports all 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows operating systems including the latest Windows Embedded Standard 7."

Computex is upon us

Computex, Taiwan's annual tech trade show kicks off next Tuesday. Held in Taipei, VIA's home town, VIA is always there, usually with more than one display booth or area. The Emebdded division has issued a Press Release about what they will be showing off. No new products are mentioned. The focus is on recently launched products like the Em-ITX and the AMOS-3001.

The quote in the Press Release was very well written as it highlights where VIA is at these days in the embedded space.

Daniel Wu, Vice President of VIA Embedded, VIA Technologies, Inc. “With crucial design innovations at processor, chipset, board and system levels, VIA is driving forward a new era in embedded device design.”

There are a whole lot of companies who display at Computex that take chips and motherboards from one company and then design a device, chassis, board, etc of their own. VIA use their own chips in their designs and I am sure that at times the chip doesn't come before the platform or the system - the chip is developed with certain features to fit in with an end product design. Interesting.

VIA Em-ITX board in racing car!

The VIA Em-ITX form factor is the embedded platform that I refer to as LEGO-inspired. You take the VIA EITX 3000 board and then, if you need to, you can plug in smaller boards to add more features. This project, however, proves that the EITX-3000 is just as valuable on its own.

Students from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Lakehead University in Canada, built a race car to compete in the Formula SAE competition. 2010 was there second entry and second car, and their design is impressive.

The Lakehead University car can go from 0-100km/h (60 mph) in just four seconds! The 600CC engine was designed for a Honda motorcycle but they adapted it for use with the steel tube space frame that the team designed and constructed. The drive train is 6 speed short geared, chain drive, with a spool differential. It’s also decked out with suspension.

What’s particularly unique about the car is that there’s a little VIA PC inside all hooked up for engine adjustments, fuel monitoring, driver communication, GPS tracking and more.

The VIA EITX-3000 has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two RS-232 and two RS-232/422/485 ports and six USB ports, giving ample room for all of the diverse connections the team needed.

Allan C. Pan who worked in the Electrical Team said that the VIA board was used for:

1) Real-time Engine control for both monitoring and on-fly perimeters adjustment
2) Real-time Air-Fuel Ratio for both monitoring and on-fly perimeters adjustment
3) Real-time GPS vehicle tracking over google earth and other map software
4) two Real-time Video and Audio feeds (one over see the the driver+road ahead and other one over see the suspension system)
5) two wireless networks, 1 for peer to peer connection using VPN, other one to connect other open/provided wifi netowrk for internet data access
6) WiMax network
7) dual Bluetooth PAN network, one for host system peripherals, the other one for data accessing
8) video streaming over LAN and WAN with compression

Many, many different crew members can be monitoring, tuning and communicating with the car and the driver, all at the same time, thanks to the VIA EITX-3000 board.

Earlier this month the team competed in the FSAE Michigan 2010 and they cam 39 out of 120 – not a bad showing at all!

You never know where you’ll find a VIA embedded board!

Logitec and VIA team up on NAS security

VIA's processors have had integrated security encryption at a hardware level for many years. The technology really is industry leading. Dell has taken advantage of it before in some cloud server products but it's good to see a consumer level product being launched that brings data encrytion to NAS.

Logitec will launch some NAS products that use VIA's in-built security, including AES disk encryption. VIA's Press Release highlights how closely Logitec and VIA's ACE-CNX team have been working together to build the new NAS designs.

“At Logitec we strive to employ the very latest security features across our range of data storage products,” said Tsugio Shimizu, General Manager, Business Solution Department, Logitec Corp. “Through working closely with the VIA ACE-CNX team we can now unlock the potential of VIA’s unique processor platforms, bringing seamless data encryption to our advanced NAS products.”

The new designs are being shown off at ESEC in Japan this week. There is no word on when they'll hit the market.

EPIA-M830: Getting to the specifics

VIA's EPIA range of motherboards are getting more and more targetted lately. Embedded computing is such a speciality field and VIA are pumping out Mini-ITX boards that meet the criteria for explicit uses, in this case POS, kiosk and POI applications.

"The VIA EPIA-M830 is designed to take the kiosk to this next phase, providing the backbone of devices that offer cashless purchasing and self service infrastructures in supermarkets and gas stations as well as more secure and interactive, multimedia-rich POI, lotto and gaming machines."

VIA are clearly thinking about the future here, although they must also be responding to demand. Somewhere out there are embedded developers dreaming up designs for embedded computers that will enhance our visit to the zoo, or streamline the process of getting a ticket for the train. I just hope they're a little bit smarter than the auto-checkout at Woolworths! - VIA

New VIPRO are HMI app ready

VIA, as you probably know, put their embedded motherboards into products, not only for sale under their own brands but also as an example to others to show what they can be used for. The VIPRO series of panel PCs have been around for a while now. I think I even saw one in a display at Computex with water gushing down it once!
This latest series are being pitched as future-proofed products. They are fanless and touchscreen - nothing new there, but they also have "an integrated two megapixel autofocus IP camera, microphone and speakers. These features make the VIA VIPRO series perfectly placed for next generation panel applications that include hospital patient terminals, home and building automation and advanced multimedia-rich security ecosystems."
I suppose that panel PCs with touch panel interfaces that control access to information and control over building functions like heating, lighting and security, are inevitable. I hadn't heard the term HMI or Human Machine Interface before this Press Release but a quick Google check shows that I am behind the times. HMI is a term used to define human and machine interface but according to Wikipedia it's "The user interface of a mechanical system, a vehicle or an industrial installation is sometimes referred to as the human-machine interface (HMI)."

VIA ARTiGO A110 intro video

Last week VIA announced a new ARTiGO kit, this time aimed at ... well, all sorts really, including PC enthusiasts who might like to build themselves a teeny tiny PC. The ARTiGO A110 kit is available for "retail" online sale in the US. I've been told that it will be available in Australia via the usual channels, by the end of the month.
There's nothing all that new being explained in this video, but it does give you a good look at the quality of the case - and it does look very solid and well finished.

Lian Li releases yet another Mini-ITX test bench

This is the third time in as many weeks that I've posted news about a new test bench from Lian Li that will make Mini-ITX development easier. The T7, as the marketing slogan goes, is "simple and stylish". Out of the three test benchs they've launched recently, this one looks to provide the most access.

Everything fits very neatly under the motherboard, leaving access to the motherboard, and a handle to move it around with ease. Very nice indeed.

Lian Li's Australian distributor is Mittoni.

VIA Nano-E to lead 64-bit revolution in embedded computing

Next week from April 27-29 VIA, and a whole lot of other players in the embedded computing market, will converge on Silicon Valley for the Embedded Systems Conference, an annual event that VIA has attended for many years now. This year they're getting in early with their announcements, launching five new SKUs of the VIA Nano E-Series processors.
As the Press Release points out, embedded computing will soon move over to 64-bit computing, with operating systems like Windows Embedded Standard 7 coming out soon, and VIA is ready to provide processors for that change, to "leverage a 64-bit software eco system that provides up to double the amount of data a CPU can process per clock cycle. This translates in to greater ease in manipulating large data sets and an overall performance boost compared to non-native x64 architectures."
In a very smart move, VIA is also taking care that the transition supports legacy software packages that are not 64-bit. The VIA VT virtualization technology will let such older programs run in virtual scenarios.

Classic Lian-li look for new Mini-ITX test bench

Lian-li have, for a long time, manufactured very clean looking case designs. Simple, with a lot of flat surfaces. I'm quite a fan really, preferring that classic look to heavy grills and bold inserts. Lian-li also make test bench cases for system integrators, developers and enthusiasts, where you can setup a test bed but in a secure "case" that gives easy access to all of the components. Today they've combined the two to release the PC-Q06 Mini-ITX/ATX test bench that looks like a shrunken down version of a classic Lian-li case.
If you're an embedded developer who is often tinkering with VIA EPIA mainboards, one of these new test benchs would suit you well.

New VIA ARTiGO targets consumers

The latest VIA ARTiGO system, just launched by VIA, is targetting regular consumers and enthusiasts. Previous VIA ARTiGO designs were aimed for use as servers. The ARTiGO A1100 would also be perfect for that but the new configuration also aims to appeal to general desktop use as well.
The new white chassis is pretty spiffy looking, complete with a little swirly design. It looks just as cute as the first ARTiGO but the white color is somehow more friendly than the black. The measurements are 14.5 x 10 x 5 cm and that makes it the smallest full featured PC kit available. It is full featured, with a 1.2GHz VIA Nano 64-bit processor and the VX855 digital media chipset which gives it HD playback support. Being so small, it doesn't have room for an optical drive but you could always plug in a USB optical drive.

As a media box for the lounge room, that compliments a DVD/Blu-ray player, and is responsible for playing DivX, AVI and other media file types, the ARTiGO A110 is really pretty awesome. The etail price, for US residents only, is USD 243. It has HDMI and VGA out (and audio of course). That's not a bad deal, especially when you look at how much space it would take up ... or more to the point, how much space it wouldn't take up. Having the audio ports on the front and the VGA and HDMI on the back is not ideal though as there would be no way to avoid having cables sticking out the front of it.

As a desktop PC it's also a very sweat deal. It would take up less room on a desk than you're average phone!! The specs are also more than capable of most people's working requirements.

The Press Release says that it supports Windows 7, Vista and XP but the product page on VIA's site omits Vista. Not sure what the deal is there but my guess is that it's on oversight on the website.

Sadly, no online sales place is listed for Australia. Mini-ITX.com do ship internationally though. You can also try and win one in VIA's ARTiGO A110 simile game. The competition is open until next Thursday 29th. The idea behind the comp is that people submit images of things that the ARTiGO A110's size reminds them of and then people vote for their favorite. My tip would be to go for something funny.

VIA EMIO-3210: Kiosk and Industrial Automation

The unlikely bed fellows of kiosks and industrial automation find themselves listed together as the target use for VIA's third Em-ITX I/O module announced last week. The EMIO-3210 looks to have the most ports out of all of the modules, with a dedicated LPC Super I/O controller that provides 6 COM ports, all of them configurable with RS-232/422/485, plus 9-pin D-sub configurable connectors and 2 parallel ports.

Like the other Em-ITX I/O boards announced last week, the EMIO-3210 connects with the VIA EITX-3000 board to provide developers with a scalable modulated platform. It certainly is a pretty looking board!

VIA EMIO-3430: Vehicle, Fleet Management and Logistics

The second Em-ITX I/O module announced this week by VIA will end up inside vehicles, probably taxis, courier vehicles and trucks. The EMIO-3430 has a 20 channel GPRS module which should be enough for any robust fleet management or logistical operation. Bluetooth class 2 will keep it all connected, as will 802.11b/g. And then there's also a PC card slot for PCMCIA and JEIDA4.2.

VIA actually recommend using with module with the EM-3110 which I covered yesterday.

Test your next Mini-ITX system on a spider!

Lian-Li has announced a 2010 edition of their Spider Test Bench. The PITSTOP PC-T1 Mini-ITX Spider Test Bench is a cool and also very convenient way to work on Mini-ITX boards.

"The dimensions stand at 227mm x 272mm x 345mm (Body Width, Height with legs, Body Depth). The chassis supports mini-ITX motherboards, one 5.25” slim CD-ROM, one standard 3.5” hard drives or one SSD drive using an adapter, and a standard ATX PS/2 power supply unit. At the bottom of the testing bench, there is the Lian-Li-patented cable management clamp, making it extremely easy for users to manage cables to ensure the good lucks of the system build."

So if your an embedded system developer and you often work with Mini-ITX boards, this quirky but well designed test bed might make your development process easier - and a little fun! Lian-Li's Australian distributor is Mittoni.

VIA EMIO-3110: Digital Signage, POI and Gaming

As I mentioned earlier in the week, VIA have now released 3 Em-ITX I/O expansion modules, each of them designed to provide what's needed for niche embedded products.

The EMIO-3110 is designed for digital signage, POI and gaming machines, with the focus being on high quality output, with lots of options in terms of the types of displays supported. The EMIO-3100 module fits in with the VIA EITX-3000 motherboard, which already has graphics provided by the VX800 media system processor, bit the EMIO-3110 has its own S3 graphics DX10.1 GPU as well. It can putput to six displays at once, with up to four streams of content showing at once! VGA, Dual HDMI and Dual DVI ports are on the module, plus TV-out and 8 channel audio. It's obviously capable of handling a high load of visual output.

VIA announce three Em-ITX I/O modules

I think I once described the VIA Em-ITX form factor as PCB LEGO. You start with an Em-ITX board and then add an I/O expansion board that has what your application/device needs on it ... and not what it doesn't.
The Em-ITX form factor is 12x17cm. This makes it a bit smaller than the Mini-ITX. Each of the 17cm sides can contain I/O. That means that cables can come off two sides instead of crossing over each other in a case design, which helps to not only reduce cable clutter, but also helps to keep the system cool.

The only Em-ITX board available at the moment is the EITX-3000, which features a VIA Nano processor and the VX800 media system processor.

VIA has today announced three new I/O expansion modules:

• VIA EMIO-3110: Digital Signage, POI and Gaming
• VIA EMIO-3430: Vehicle, Fleet Management and Logistics
• VIA EMIO-3210: Kiosk and Industrial Automation

I'll write one blog entry per day this week exploring these new modules.

M'SERV great product for VIA's server line up

Homes and offices are having to deal with more and more data and there are two options - 1) store your data in the cloud or 2) invest in your own server. The M'SERV from VIA aims to serve the latter. It can support up to 4TB of storage which should be enough for small to medium business and bit-torrent home users alike.
"The M’SERV S2100 from VIA is the perfect next step for the company in taking their barebones home and small business server solution forward. The S2100 retains everything that made the Artigo A2000 a success – (small footprint, low cost, ease of build) and solves its major achilles heel, replacing the C7 with the 64-bit Nano processor. That unlocks a much needed hardware compatibility path for those wishing to run Windows Home Server today and Vail when released." - WeGotServed.com

Yes it is fast - and we have a certificate to prove it!

The VIA VL700 USB 3.0-SATA controller that was announced a month or so ago has been certified by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). The chip, which can be included on motherboards, on add-on cards, or in notebooks/netbooks, allows you to connect a SATA HDD, SSD or optical drive to your computer using the new super fast USB 3.0 speeds. This certification basically gives a stamp of approval to say that this chip is as fast as VIA claims. Cool!
"Components that achieve certification qualify to use the SuperSpeed USB logo, designed to provide consumers with a way to evaluate a product’s quality. Additionally, certified products are added to an Integrators List of compliant SuperSpeed USB devices, which is available to manufacturers at www.usb.org/developers/compliance. The Integrators List enables manufacturers to quickly check for USB 3.0 components that have met the USB-IF Certification and Compliance Program criteria. " - more.

Microsoft and VIA heading to the cloud

Microsoft's Windows Server 2008 will support virtual desktop environments for enterprise level computing more than any other Microsoft-based software designed for clients and centralised computing has in the past. One of the features is called RemoteFX and VIA has announced plans to support the technology in their media system processor technologies.

VIA's chips have long been popular in thin client designs because of their low cost and power efficiency.
“As organizations plan to deploy a centralized computing architecture with virtualized or session-based desktops, IT professionals want to deliver a premium user experience to connected workers,” said Mike Schutz, director of product management at Microsoft Corp. “The Microsoft RemoteFX feature in Windows Server will allow remote workers to access any type of application or screen content, including rich media and 3D applications. Companies such as VIA Technologies are offering a path to the future by investing in solutions today that will increase the flexibility and performance of a centralized desktop environment.”

VIA ARTiGO around Oz

The VIA ARTiGO Pico-ITX builder kit, it has to be said, is a darn cute little PC. You can literally hold it on the palm of your hand and yet it's a complete PC with a 1GHz processor, HD audio, Ethernet and the VX700 chipset.

Of course the size of 15x11x4.5 cm makes it ideal for modding, it is of course designed for developing an embedded application using VIA's Pico-ITX platform. To get your project on the way, I've had a look around to see where you can pick one up in Australia ...

AusPCMarket has them for $568.70

Eyo will ship one to you for %531.93

TechBuy's price is $592

Enthusiasts like their lips at the VIA ART-3000

Didn't I say it? When I first mentioned the VIA ART-3000 I said it reminded me of a car PC. Slashgear has now made the same comment, in fact they go further, to say that it would make a good one. Liliputing also says the "little guy has enough oomph to function halfway decently as a low power, small form factor desktop." Let's review the specs again ...

• 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor
• VX800 media system processor
• 2GB DDR2
• SATA HDD support

That is more than powerful enough for most everyday tasks. Hell, netbooks have sold like hot cakes and they have less power than this thing!

New VIA ART-3000 embedded box PC - pint sized versatility

The Press Release announcing the VIA ART-3000 mentions a quote from VIA's Embedded Platform Division VP, Daniel Wu, that “The VIA ART series really underlines our strength in offering system level products that exceed expectations". This certainly suggest that this embedded box PC is just the first in a series, much like the ARTiGO products are also a series.

The look of this little unit reminds me of a Voom PC, a product that was originally designed for car PC applications. Although car PCs are not a target of this device, the ART-3000 could certainly end up in some diverse applications. It's being pitched for kiosk, POI, industrial automation and digital signage since it can be wall, table, reverse and VESA mounted.

The platform behind the box, so to speak, is the Em-ITX EITX-3000 with a 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor and the VX800 media system processor. The Press Release does also mention a fanless option although it's not specified what the spec would be for that.

8 screens at 1080p

VIA has a booth this week at the Digital Signage Expo in Vegas where they will be showing off an S3 Graphics Chome 5400E setup, of two cards diplaying 1080p playback on eight monitors at once. The configuration can show up to four different video streams at a time. Nice ... Press Release.

VIA announce Pico-ITXe expansion board for fleet management

The Pico-ITXe platform was launched by VIA in October 2008. The platform is in effect an expansion of the Pico-ITX form factor, with expansion boards that stack together like Lego to bring whatever I/O or extra features a developer needs for a particular project. VIA calls the bumps in the Lego building blocks SUMIT™ technology, which stands for Stackable Unified Module Interconnect Technology. The EPIA-P710-D expansion module that's just been announced is to first to use that technology.

VIA's miniature x86 platforms have been used in car PCs for a long time. What was once a DIY project, and not for the feint-hearted for ripping apart your dash and playing with wires, is now something manufacturers get done by professionals. Embedded computer designers install car PCs in corporate fleet vehicles, taxis, trucks, etc. This new module is designed for these fleet management in-car PCs.

Like a lot of VIA products now, the modular design is attractive for embedded developers since they are then presented with the hardware they need, without what they don't need-and the teent tiny form factor is an obvious boon for in-dash designs. - Press Release.

VIA announces Mobile-ITX actual product

VIA has announced what is being dubbed the world's smallest computer on module. It uses the moniker of Mobile-ITX which was a business card sized complete platform when it was first announced some years ago. Now it's a 6x6cm square. The module itself sports a specially shrunken VIA Eden ULV processor, the new VX820 media system processor and 512MB DDR2 system memory. That square PCB is then plugged into a carrier board that looks to be around the size of a Pico-ITX board, via very thin connectors. The carrier board then sports whatever I/O a developer needs, including USB, audio and all sorts of display connector options. So at the end of the day, the system itself is not 6x6cm, it's more like a Pico-ITX size. The advantage, however, is that developers can custom design their own carrier boards with only what they need, and then plug in the Mobile-ITX module and end up with a complete tailor made embedded system. The Mobile-ITX module is called the EPIA-T700 and it's being targetted for use in medical, military and in-vehicle applications. With the ability to withstand 5Gs, it could even end up in air force equipment. - Press Release.

This VIA video shows off the Mobile-ITX in comparison to previous small form factors. Watch out for the prlonged blooper in the middle when he tries to plug the board in backwards! Editing anyone?!

VIA sticks Envy audio chip in USB 2.0 connection

A demo board showing I/O options for the new controller

VIA has made audio codecs and controllers for, ooh, I'd say about ten years - possibly more. Their current line of mainstream controllers are called VIA Vinyl. Their high-end stuff that hasn't been updated for a while but did end up on some fine sound cards as of about four years ago, is called Envy 24. Today they've announced the VIA Vinyl Envy VT1730 controller, that merges the two name types together. It's a new breed of chip and not just for VIA. According to the Press Release, it's the world's first USB 2.0 audio controller. It actually uses the USB 2.0 bandwidth of 480Mb/s. Not that this is the first opportunity for audio to end up on USB sound cards and other products. That's been happening for years and I've been trying to get my head around this. An audio controller that's put onto a USB sound card really probably works in the same way as this audio chip on a USB sound card. Wouldn't it? Please enlighten me if you have a better understanding of this.

VIA offers new SOHO/SMB server

VIA loves making product with it's own product. And why not? They launch EPIA boards that are perfect for certain purposes, why not make the product as well as recommend it? The new VIA M'SERV S2100 looks like an ARTiGO. It's definitely the same box. Inside there a 1.3GHz VIA Nano processor, all the usual other specs, and enough storage space for up to four terabytes of storage.

"This makes the VIA M’SERV S2100 capable of addressing many traditional and next-generation server applications including sophisticated backup, cloud-intermediary service roles along with other storage oriented server applications such as NVR (Network Video Recorder) systems and Log servers."

The system is being pitched towards SOHO and SMB server needs. It reminds me somewhat of the Dell servers from last year that featured VIA Nano processors. The processors are often overlooked for the server market but are actually well suited to small business and home office server applications. The M'SERV offers a compact solution which is, as the Press Release title states, "Big on the Inside, Small on the Outside".

VIA really a first!

CES had vendors showing off new and upcoming products and there were many opportunities to get a look in at USB 3.0 products. Problem is that there aren't any motherboards out yet with USB 3.0 controllers.
"This will change soon as VIA also announced at CES the world's first integrated USB 3.0 controller. It's safe to expect other hardware vendors, such as Intel and AMD, to follow suit, and motherboards as well as computers with built-in USB 3.0 support will be available later this year." - Cnet CES
Yep, VIA beat the big boys to the plate with announcing their USB 3.0 controller. I commented in an earlier blog that I thought that CES was an odd space to make the announcement. I couldn't have been more wrong. A little coupe for VIA, but satisfying I'm sure.

VIA Labs cooking up USB 3.0 SATA controller

I find it odd that VIA have chosen the week of CES to announce this given all the press attention on innovative gadgets but they've launched a USB 3.0 to SATA controller. VIA just loves its subsibuaries, and it's VIA Labs that are responsible for the R&D on this one. The VL700 is a single chip solution that will allow you to connect your SATA, SDD or optical drive to your PC via a USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 is super fast, so data transfers using this connection will be awesome - up to 5Gbps.

"Developed by wholly owned subsidiary company VIA Labs, the VIA VL700 supports both SATA 3Gbps and 1.5Gbps data transfer rates and also Native Command Queuing (NCQ), which allows HDDs/SSDs to internally optimize the order in which received read and write commands are executed, thereby increasing performance. Additionally, data transfer to and from SATA-based DVD and Blu-ray Disc players is supported."

I guess VIA Labs will be selling this to motherboard manufacturer's including VIA's own VEPD section who make EPIA boards.

New Pico-ITX board with a Nano

Finally, VIA has released a Pico-ITX board featuring the VIA Nano processor. The 64-bit superscalar processor will give a performance boost to the platform. The new EPIA-P820 board can also be paired with a new VIA AMOS chassis, the 3001 model. The AMOS-3001 is the fifth in the series, all designed as IPC chassis that have thermal cooling properties, can withstand great temperature variances, and are shock resistant. The AMOS-3001 also offers various mounting options for industrial use and I/O ports on both sides.

But I digress, let's get back to the new Pico-ITX board. The Press Release states that
“Never before have developers had the opportunity to harness full 64-bit, superscalar processing in spaces as small as the palm of your hand ... " and although no company's Press Release statements should ever be taken at face value - they do have a point. It's pretty impressive that embedded hardware solutions have come this far.

The EPIA-P820 supports 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 1.2GHz U2500 Nano processor and the VX855 digital media processor which supports HD playback. This makes it ideal for billboards or information kiosks that need super graphics capabilities. But it's also suited to industrial applications that just need a bit more horsepower.

VIA processors get raw deal with Intel compiler

The Inquirer has reported that the US Federal Trade Commission is "interested" in the fact that Intel's compiler checks the ID of a processor before deciding which version of code to provide in its compiler. If it's not genuine Intel inside then the slowest code is provided - as is the case with VIA. AMD is reportedly having this fixed as part of their settlement with Intel, leaving VIA possibly stuck with the raw deal.