VEPD supports VxWorks RTOS

The VIA Embedded Platform Division (VEPD) has announced that they will be releasing a Board Support Package (BSP) for the VX900, Gigabit LAN chips and the VIA Nano X2, to support Wind River's VxWorks real-time operating system (RTOS).
"The VIA EPIA-M900 Mini-ITX board will be the first VIA motherboard to offer the BSP for VxWorks. Wind River’s VxWorks is a robust, reliable RTOS with a small footprint that offers fast booting and increased security suitable for resource-constrained environments critical in medical, industrial automation, transportation and other mission-critical applications."

More information is available from VIA's official Press Release.

VIA upgrades an EPIA board; a clever way to retain customer designs

VIA has been manufacturing their own branded embedded boards for ... let me think ... it must be close to a decade now? Many embedded designs have a long shelf life, but in the end all things need a replacement or upgrade. The VIA EPIA-LN design from 2007 has been upgraded to include the VIA VX900 media system processor, this upgrading several key features of the board. Re-named the EPIA-M720, this is a smart move by VIA, allowing embedded system designers to easily upgrade their EPIA-LN machines very easily.

"Combining a VIA 1.0GHz C7 processor with the VIA VX900 unified all-in-one media system processor, the VIA EPIA-M720 delivers a highly optimized platform that boasts comprehensive HD video performance, HD audio and HDMI support in a compact, power-efficient package to meet the broader scope of needs for today's advanced digital signage, POS, Kiosk, ATM, home automation, healthcare and media client system design applications."

More from the official Press Release.

Zotac ZBOX with VIA Nano arrives in Japan

In Australia, you can't seem to get the Zotac ZBOX with the VIA Nano processor. Although it was on display at Computex earlier in the year, the models in Australia feature AMD or Intel processors. Lucky Japan is getting the dual core VIA X2 version though, according to VR-Zone.

The quiet, fanless, low power consuming VIA model of the ZBOX is a lovely compact PC that's ideal for customer information terminals, media boxes, file storage, and even as quiet low profile desktop replacements.

The VIA AMOS-5001 modular chassis wins an award

The PC/104 and Small Form Factors Magazine has given the VIA AMOS-5001 chassis an Editor's Choice award out of appreciation for how well the product makes development easier.

“VIA Technologies has made prototyping hardware and software designs easier with the VIA AMOS-5001 chassis kit,” says Chris A. Ciufo, OpenSystems Media, Group Editorial Director, Military and Aerospace Group. “This flexible kit measures up to be tough enough to withstand harsh conditions but is moldable to many different applications.”
- More.

Small form factor Editor's Choice award

VIA's AMOS systems are customizable embedded chassis that are adaptable to a range of purposes, but as SmallFormFactors.com points out, it's also a great development kit.

"Getting started can be the hardest part of the design process. But VIA Technologies has made prototyping hardware and software designs easier with the VIA AMOS-5001 chassis kit. Whether or not the final design uses VIA’s x86 CPUs or the Em-ITX form factor, it’s still a useful platform to begin with and makes that whole getting started thing much more doable."

The VIA AMOS-5001 fits VIA Em-ITX form factor boards which have a modular design that lets you add new features as your development takes shape. For its adaptability and convenience, the VIA AMOS-5001 has earned an Editor's Choice award.

Home system integration interested in ZOTAC ZBOX

A site dedicated to home automation picked up on VIA's recent announcement about the ZOTAC ZBOX Mini-ITX system. They commented that "While perhaps they may not pack enough power for doing much beyond streaming content or surfing the web, often this is what most people are after in the first place when it comes to their Home Theater PC (HTPC) and leave the more CPU intensive applications for the beefier computers in the home."

Like home automation devices, the ZOTAC ZBOX offers a function, in this case of a lounge room entertainment device, rather than simply being a regular PC stuck in a lounge room.

New VIA VB8004 offers mutliplicity of display options

VIA has announced a new Mini-ITX board targetting the digital signage segment. The VB8004 can support up to four displays, but with all different sorts of connections if need be. This makes it super-adaptable.

To get the full four display support you actually need to add an S3 graphics 5400E module, and then you can hook up HDMI, LVDS and DVI.

The VX900 chipset on the board supports 1080p and DirectX10.1. - Press Release.