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        HMI PC moves up to 17-inch screen

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Dec 14, 2010 | Comments: 1


        Kontron has expanded its family of Intel Atom-based HMI (human machine interface) devices with a 17-inch offering. The fanless Micro Client IIA 170 features a resistive touchscreen with 1280 x 1024 pixel resolution, both CompactFlash and hard disk storage, two gigabit Ethernet ports, and one or two serial ports, the company says.

        Kontron's range of fanless Micro Client HMI devices, intended for applications such as building management, machine and system manufacturing, and transportation, first made its debut in December 2004, supporting Windows CE and Linux via a Marvell PXA255 processor. The devices switched to x86 CPUs in 2005, stepped up to 600MHz Celeron Ms in 2006, and moved to 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPUs in 2009 with the advent of the Micro Client IIA range.

        Kontron's Micro Client IIA debuted with screens ranging from seven to 15 inches ...
        (Click to enlarge)

        The IIA devices were initially offered with a seven-inch resistive touchscreen with 800 x 480 resolution; 10.4- and 12.1-inch touchscreens with 800 x 600 pixels; and a 15-inch touchscreen with 1024 x 768 pixels. Kontron's new Micro Cient IIA 170 (below) now steps up to a 17-inch touchscreen, sporting 1280 x 1024 pixels, but is apparently otherwise identical. (In fact, it shares a revised data sheet with the other models.)


        ... and now, there's a 17-inch model, the Micro Client IIA 170
        (Click to enlarge)

        Kontron again touts a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, but still doesn't say which specific model and supporting chipset are employed. Last year, we guessed the Micro Client IIA CPU might be the N270 (and, of course the usual 945GSE northbridge and ICH7M southbridge), basing this on the fact that previous Micro Clients were built around Kontron's ETX processor modules, and that the manufacturer employs the N270 in its ETX-DC module.

        Kontron doesn't specify power consumption for the Micro Client IIA 170, which might have provided an additional clue. But in any case, maximum RAM is again cited as (an N270-like) 2GB, while storage is said to include both a CompactFlash slot and a 2.5-inch drive bay.

      • Like its smaller siblings, the 170 has three USB ports (two on the rear, one on the front), an RS232 serial port, an optional second RS232/422/485 port, and two 10/100 Ethernet ports. And again, the device appears to include what looks like a VGA port, though a video output is not listed on the spec sheet.

      • Features and specifications listed or pictured by Kontron for its Micro Client IIA 170 include:
        • Processor -- 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor
        • Chipset -- n/s
        • Memory -- up to 2GB or RAM
        • Display:
          • 17-inch capacitive touchscreen
          • 1280 x 1024 pixel resolution
          • 380-nit brightness rating
        • Storage -- Compact Flash and 2.5-inch HDD (hard disk drive) bay
        • Expansion -- CAN bus and additional field buses (optional)
        • Networking -- 2 x 10/100 Ethernet
        • Other I/O:
          • 2 x rear-mounted USB
          • 1 x front-mounted USB
          • 1 x RS232
          • 1 x RS232/422/485 (optional)
        • Dimensions -- 18.14 x 15.7 x 2.2 inches (461 x 399 x 56mm)
        • Weight -- 17.2 pounds (7.8kg)

        Further information

        According to Kontron, the Micro Client IIA 170 runs Windows XP Embedded, Windows CE, and Linux. Pricing was not provided, but the device is available now in EMEA and will be offered in America and APAC late in the first quarter of next year, the company says.

        More information may be found on Kontron's product page for the device.


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