ARTiGO turns into ARMTiGO

VIA started manufacturing ARTiGO systems a few years back - small form factor complete systems designed for automation and digital signage applications. They featured VIA x86 platforms on the inside, with VIA processors and graphics chips offering a very flexible array of display options.

VIA has now announced a new line of systems that takes this small, robust, feature set and makes it smaller again by using an ARM SoC.

“VIA is leveraging its advanced SFF system design expertise demonstrated in its market leading x86 ARTiGO systems to create a new family of smaller, lower power ARM based systems,” said Epan Wu, Head of the VIA Embedded, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The introduction of the ARM-based ARMTiGO A800 allows us to provide our customers with a comprehensive range of solutions in both leading processor architectures.”

Developers have the option to use Linux or Android.

VIA's new APC Paper offers compelling value against Intel's Raspberry Pi

The UK's PC Pro website has pointed out that the VIA APC paper computer - a tiny full system running in a cardboard box - stands up brilliantly against the popular Intel Raspberry Pi.

VIA's solution runs Android, offering the consumer a vast array of easy to install apps. The Pi instead runs Linux, which may give it more flexibility, but also requires more skill to manipulate. The APC paper also uses SDD storage which, although it's more expensive, it's faster.

"The VIA APC runs Android 4 on an ARM Cortex-A processor with 512MB of RAM, features HDMI, VGA (Rock only), USB and microUSB ports, and supports 1080p. Its specs are similar to the Raspberry Pi, which runs a Linux variant and is less than half the price, but relies on SD cards for storage."

VIA APC 3D Boot Camp: Web Server team

The VIA APC Boot Camp was held over the weekend of the 19th and 20th January. It brought together a bunch of techie and DIY computer enthusiasts, popped them in groups and asked them to design ideas around the new VIA APC Paper computer - the VIA APC board presented in a carboard and aluminium box the size of a paperback. Write-ups about the weekend are just starting to roll in and here's one from "Avenger Mojo" who was posted to the web server team.

"I was assigned to mentor the Web Service team. We go thought the ideation process, about 8 different web services came up. And the team vote for the a karaoke platform for old people at the end. The platform is online service for old people to sing directly with APC without any other needs. The online subscription freemium and premium, professional signer can sell their air time on our platform. We are trying to resolve the problem of old people can't get to each other physically and not able to find people sing with them. We are still looking for graphic and interface designer and software developers, if you are interested please let me know! Total of 4 ideas were created this weekend. BioGuard to use APC to monitor your fish! Arts Presentation control system. Mood lighting control center."

Meanwhile, the weekend also included a "3D printing jam" and look at all the stuff they created:

A Paper PC - sort of

APC, a subsidiary so far as I know of VIA's, has released a complete little PC that is reminiscent of the first case mods done by enthusiasts with Mini-ITX boards. The tiny PC, measuring 204 x 98 x 28mm (W x H x D), looks like a book but inside is actually a VIA WonderMedia board loaded with Android 4.0. Dubbed the Paper PC, it will cost you $99 and can be pre-ordered in March.

Which one is the Paper PC?

This is a classy and clever way to present this pocket rocket to enthusiasts. It's a design that sleek and able to be customized by creating your own book cover.

"Documents or books can be piled up on top of the computer, or it can be placed on a bookshelf. It’s a computer that you could sandwich between a variety of objects."

Item	Description
Model	Paper
Software	Android 4.0 (PC System)
Chip	VIA ARM Cortex-A9 @800Mhz Processor
Memory	DDR3 512MB Memory 4GB NAND Flash
Graphics	Built-in 2D/3D Graphic Resolution up to 1080p
Input and Output	HDMI USB 2.0 (x2) microUSB (OTG) Audio out / Mic in microSD Slot
Network	10/100 Ethernet
Debug	20-pin ARM-JTAG header
Expansion	Extra GPIO, SPI and I2C busses on a header
Size	204 x 98 x 28mm (W x H x D)
Case	Recycled pressed cardboard with high-grade aluminum

VIA announces tough little PC

The new VIA ARMOS-800 is designed to go where PCs don't normally last. This tough little beast, looking like an animal ready to defend in spikey black, can operate at extreme temperatures, supporting a range of -40° up to 80°C. It's passively cooled and has a peak operating power drain of a mere 3.14W TDP. Being based on the ARM based VIA VAB-800 Pico-ITX board, the complete package is only 150mm x 46mm x 108mm.

"The VIA ARMOS-800 industrial system is an ultra-compact solution designed to take full advantage of the super power-efficient, ARM based VIA VAB-800 Pico-ITX board, making it easy to create a broad spectrum of easy to assemble, fanless system designs for a wide variety of embedded applications."

DIY hobbyist sticks with VIA 3 times in a row

William Wong from 'electronic design' has been building his own multimedia routers for many years. Using MythTV and a variety of VIA solutions, he has been forever improving on his previous designs. First with the VIA VM7700, then the VIA ARTiGO A1100 he is now giving away the secrets to his latest design using the sleek VIA ARTiGO A1200.

"Configuring the A1200 is a relatively easy task since it essentially comes assembled but does not include the memory had disk (Fig. 3). A nice feature of the A1200 is that it has a Compact Flash slot with a retainer. This allows a Compact Flash card to be used as the main disk."