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        Advantech spins medical tablet

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Mar 17, 2009 | Comments: 1


        Advantech announced a Windows tablet PC based on Intel's MCA (mobile clinical assistant) platform. "Designed to enhance the quality of patient care," the "MICA-101" has a sealed, easily sanitized case, a 10.4-inch touchscreen display, an Intel Z5xx processor, a two megapixel camera, and an RFID...

        reader.

        (Click here for a larger view of Advantech's MICA-101)


        Intel's Paul Otellini with the first MCA device, Motion Computing's C5
        (Click image to enlarge)
        Intel first devised its MCA (mobile clinical assistant) reference platform in 2006 [PDF link, here], specifying a touchscreen tablet device with sealed buttons and ports, an integrated carrying handle, an integrated fingerprint reader, an RFID reader, WiFi, a two megapixel camera, and a separate docking station. The design was first brought to market by Motion Computing with its C5, being shown off by Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini at right, and the closely related F5.

        Since then, three additional vendors have released MCA devices (see later in this story for background). All the products look similar, all claim to shrug off being dropped, and all are IP54-rated for water and dust resistance. In general, the MCA tablets do not include slots for removable flash storage, apparently because apertures in their cases could harbor germs, and the devices are said to tolerate sanitizing washdowns with alcohol and other chemicals.

        Advantech's new MICA-101 follows the formula faithfully, offering a 10.4-inch touchscreen display with 1024 x 768 resolution, a two megapixel camera, an RFID reader, an optional 1D/2D barcode scanner, and an optional fingerprint scanner. The screen on this device offers both resistive and digitizer technology, so that it can be used either with a digital pen or gloved hands, the company says.

        The MICA-101 is equipped with Intel's 1.1GHz Z510 or 1.6GHz Z530 processors, plus the SCH US15W combination northbridge/southbridge chip (aka "Poulsbo"). These components allow the device to run fanlessly for up to six hours using its standard 3760mAh lithium-ion battery, Advantech claims.

        According to Advantech, the MICA-101 comes with 2GB of DDR2 RAM, plus either a 1.8-inch hard disk drive (HDD) with 60GB capacity, or a solid state drive (SSD) with unspecified capacities. The tablet also includes 802.11a/g/n wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.0, and an optional "3.5G" module, though the company provided no further details of the latter.

        The previously released MCA devices generally have no wired interfaces except for power connectors, plus flush pins designed to make contact with their optional docking stations. The MICA-101 includes both a docking connector and a mini-USB port, while an optional "VESA cradle" has a VGA port, a Ethernet port, and additional USB ports, Advantech says.

        Finally, the MICA-101 has two programmable function keys, a five-way controller, plus buttons to trigger snapshots, barcode scans, and RFID reads. The device is said to be compatible with Windows XP Embedded, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Vista.

        Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of Intel's digital health group, said, "Intel is pleased to see further innovation based on the MCA reference architecture, designed with extensive feedback from clinicians to help improve workflow. MCA products, now available from several companies in markets around the world, continue to generate positive feedback from the marketplace."

        Features and specifications listed by Advantech for the MICA-101 include:
        • Processor -- Intel Atom Z510 or Z530, clocked at 1.1GHz or 1.6GHz respectively
        • Memory -- 2GB of DDR2 RAM
        • Display -- 10.1-inch touchscreen display with 1024 x 768 resolution
        • Camera -- 2 megapixel
        • Keys -- Directional pad, camera, RFID on/off, barcode reader on/off
        • Storage -- 60GB HDD or SSD in unspecified capacities
        • Wireless:
          • 802.11b/g/n
          • Bluetooth
          • RFID
          • Barcode scanner (optional)
        • Other I/O:
          • Docking connector
          • Mini-USB port
        • Battery -- 3760mAh battery with operating time up to six hours
        • Operating temperature -- 0 to 40 deg. C (32 to 104 deg. F)
        • Dimensions -- 10.17 x 10.1 x 1.68 inches (258.4 x 258.3 x 42.75mm)
        • Weight -- 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg)
        Background

        As mentioned earlier in this story, all the MCA devices released to date look very similar, and offer near-identical functionality.


        Arbor M1255, Motion Computing F5, Panasonic Toughbook H1, and TabletKiosk MCAi1040XT
        (Click any for details)


        Differences between the four previous MCA tablets can be summarized briefly, as follows:
        • Arbor's M1255 has a 12.1-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution, an Atom N270 processor, dual batteries offering a total of seven cells, and Linux support (the other MCAs are Windows-only)

        • Motion Computing's C5 and F5 have a 1.2GHz Core Solo U1400 processor, 10.4-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution, up to 2GB of RAM, a 40GB HDD (hard disk drive) or optional 32GB SSD (solid state drive), and an optional cellular modem

        • Panasonic's Toughbook H1 has a 1.86GHz Atom Z540 processor, a 10.4-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB HDD, plus cellular and GPS options

        • TabletKiosk's MCA i1040XT has a 1.06Ghz Core Solo U2100 processor, a 10.4-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution, 2GB of RAM, an 80GB HDD or 32GB SSD, and an optional cellular modem
        Availability

        Advantech did not cite pricing or availability for the MICA-101, but the device appears to be available now. Additional information may be found on the company's website, here.


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