F&S Elektronik Systeme, a German embedded systems company, has announced their efus A9 Computers-on-Module (CoM) based on Freescale i.MX6, are now in mass production. The CPU comes in two variants A9V2 for i.MX6 Solo, and A9V3 with i.MX6 DualLite, both of which are certified for automotive and industrial applications, and support commercial, extended, and industrial temperature ranges.
eFuse A9 computer-on-module specifications:
- SoC – CPU Freescale i.MX6 Solo (eFus A9V2) or DualLite (eFus A9V3) @ up to 1.2 GHz + Vivante 2D and 3D GPUs
- System Memory – 512MB (Up to 1GB RAM)
- Storage – 256 MB NAND flash (Up to 1GB), 2 GB eMMC (eFus A9V3 only. up to 32GB), optional SPI NOR, optional I2C EEPROM
- Display I/F – 18-bit RGB, 2x 24-bit LVDS, and DVI
- Other interfaces available via 230 pins MXM-2 edge connector:
- 2x SD card I/F
- 1x Gigabit Ethernet
- 1x USB Host, 1x USB Device
- 2x CAN
- 4x UART
- 2x I2C, 2x SPI
- I2S
- Touch Panel ext. via I2C
- 1x digital camera interface
- 1x PCIe
- Power Supply – +5VDC/ ±5%
- Temperature Range – Operating: 0°C – +70°C, optional:-20°C – +85°C or -40°C – +85°C.
- Dimensions – 47×62.1x11mm
- Weight – 15 grams
eFus A9 modules come with BSPs for either Windows Embedded Compact 7, Windows Embedded Compact 2013, or Linux 3.3 operating systems. Wireless modules (Bluetooth, WLAN, ZigBee, Z-Wave, EnOcean) can also be connected to the CoM without changing the layout of the CPU area.
For evaluation and development, the company provides Starter kits composed of eFus A9 CoM and eFus Start Interface baseboard with the following hardware details:
- CoM Connector – 230-pin MXM-2 socket
- External Storage – 1x micro SD card slot, 1x SD card slot, 1x SATA (AFAIK not usable with i.MX6 Solo / DualLite modules)
- Video Output – DVI/HDMI connector, digital RGB connector, backlight, resistive and capacitive touch headers
- Audio I/F – HDMI, Line In, Line Out, Mic IN
- Connectivity – 2x Ethernet RJ45 ports
- USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x micro USB device port
- Camera – Analog and digital camera interfaces (analog not supported by current eFus A9 modules)
- Expansion Headers:
- 2×29-pin “feature” connector with SPI, I2C, PWM, UART, VBAT, etc…
- 2×5-pin CAN headers
- Three 2×5 serial headers
- Expansion slots – mini PCIe socket
- Misc – Reset button, RTC with battery slot
- Power Supply – 5V power barrel
There are four versions of the starter kit depending on the operating system (Linux or Windows), and the version (V2 or V3) or the eFus CoM. The kit includes the baseboard and module, as well as a cable kit, and access data to documentation and software. V3 kit also adds a 7“ WVGA TFT display.
F&S eFus A9 computer-on-modules are available now starting at 39 Euros, Starterkit efus A9 Linux/Windows (V3 module) for 399 Euros including the display, and Starterkit 2 efus A9 Linux/Windows (V2 module) for 169 Euros. The company commits to long term availability of the modules until 2027. Further details about the modules and devkits, including some publicly available hardware and software documentation, can be found on F&S Electronik Systeme’s eFus A9 product page.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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