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        Automation computer targets industrial networking

        Eric Brown | Date: Sep 22, 2010 | Comments: 1


        Moxa announced a RISC/XScale-based embedded computer aimed at industrial networking and automation applications. The UC-8430 runs Windows CE on a 533MHz Intel XScale IXP435 processor, provides optional extended temperature support, and offers connectivity including three 10/100 Ethernet ports, eight serial ports, six USB 2.0 ports, dual VGA ports, and a CompactFlash slot, says the company.

        Moxa's UC-8400 series computers are designed as communications platforms for industrial applications, and have included an entry-level UC-8410, an UC-8416 model that offers eight Ethernet switch ports, and a UC-8418 model that adds dual CAN ports and up to 12+12 DI/DOs. The new, top-of-the-line UC-8430 adds dual VGA ports and six USB 2.0 ports, the company says. 



        Moxa UC-8430

        The UC-8430 incorporates the networking-oriented, circa-2007 Intel XScale IXP435 RISC processor, which is clocked here to 533MHz. The IXP435 is accompanied by a Silicon Motion SM502 graphics controller that drives dual displays via the computer's two VGA ports, with CRT resolutions up to 1024 x 768 pixels, says Moxa.

        The computer's memory allotment includes 256MB DDR2 SDRAM, 32MB NAND flash for data storage, and 32MB NOR flash pre-installed with either Windows CE 6.0 or Linux, says Moxa. A CompactFlash socket is said to be available for storage expansion.

        The UC-8430 is said to be equipped with three back-facing 10/100 Ethernet ports and eight front-facing RS-232/422/485 serial ports supporting non-standard baud rates, plus a console port. Two of the six available USB 2.0 ports are front-facing, says Moxa.



        UC-8430 port detail, front (left) and back
        (Click to enlarge)

        Additional I/O includes four digital input channels and four digital output channels. Four LEDs for system, LAN, serial, and communication reset are also said to be provided, as well as a watchdog timer and real-time clock.

        The DIN-rail and wall-mountable chassis measures 7.87 x 4.72 x 2.24 inches (200 x 120 x 57mm) and weighs an even kilogram (2.2 pounds), says Moxa. The 12 to 48 VDC power supply supports typical power consumption of 14 Watts, says the company.

        The UC-8430 is offered in both a standard model that supports operating temperatures of 14 to 140 deg. F (-10 to 60 deg. C), as well as an extended temperature version supporting -40 to 167 deg. F (-40 to 75 deg. C), says the company. Anti-vibration support is listed as 2 G rms @ IEC-68-2-34, and anti-shock at 20 G @ IEC-68-2-27.

        As with other Moxa embedded computers, the UC-8430 ships with a preinstalled OS, BIOS, middleware, sample code, and application development tools, says the company.

        Availability

        No pricing or availability information was provided for the Moxa UC-8430. More information, including a datasheet, may be found here.

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