(Click here for a larger view of Eurotech's Turbo G5 module)

According to Eurotech, its Turbo G5 module allows "comprehensive and quick development for multimedia applications." It will reduce the time needed to create embedded apps for handheld devices, transportation, and infotainment applications, the company claims.

The Freescale i.MX31 SoC occupying center stage here has become a key part of Microsoft's automotive technology, among other uses. The i.MX31 includes an ARM1136 processor core, a 2D/3D MBX graphics engine, Java accelerator, a vector floating point math coprocessor, a video processing engine said to support full-motion (30 frames/sec) 720 x 480 video encoding with MPEG-4 or H.264 formats, and numerous other functions and interfaces (see block diagram).

The Turbo G5 module employs a 2.9 x 1.8 inch form-factor that is apparently a proprietary Eurotech design. The module includes two 140-pin Hirose connectors for connecting it to a carrier board, 128MB or 256MB of soldered-on mobile DDR RAM, 32MB or 64MB of flash memory, and, of course, the i.MX31 -- clocked at 532MHz.


Eurotech's Turbo G5 module and carrier board
Eurotech lists the interfaces provided by the Turbo G5 module only in the context of the overall system, pictured above, so we'll follow in their footsteps. The Turbo G5 carrier board measures 6.5 x 4.5 inches (165 x 115mm), and incorporates real-world ports for 10/100 Ethernet, plus USB 2.0 On-The-Go and host ports. Other interfaces on the carrier, presumably provided via headers, are said to include CAN 2.0, PWM, SPI, three GPIOs, eight digital I/Os, plus support for separately available ZigBee and GPS modules.

According to Eurotech, the carrier board has LCD, camera, and 8 x 8 keypad interfaces. Also onboard are an SD/MMC slot, CompactFlash slot, and, optionally, a second SD/MMC slot, and four or five UARTS.

Features and specifications listed by Eurotech for the Turbo G5 module/carrier board combo include:

• Processor -- Freescale i.MX31 clocked at 532MHz
  
• Memory -- 128MB or 256MB of mobile DDR RAM, and 32MB of 64MB of flash storage
  
• Networking -- 1 x 10/100 Ethernet interface
  
• Other I/O:
  • 2 x USB 2.0
    
  • 4 or 5 UARTs (optional)
    
  • Keypad
    
  • AC '97 audio
    
  • CAN 2.0
    
  • 2 x PWM
    
  • 1 x I2C
    
  • 1 x SPI
    
  • 3 x GPIO
    
  • 4 x digital inputs and 4 x digital outputs
    
  • LCD interface
    
  • Camera interface
• Expansion:
  • CompactFlash
    
  • 1 x SD/MMC slot (standard; second SD/MMC slot is optional)
    
  • GPS and ZigBee modules (optional)
• Power supply -- n/s
  
• Dimensions -- 2.9 x 1.8 inch (74 x 46mm) module, with two 140-pin connectors to 6.5 x 4.5 inch (165 x 115mm) carrier board
  
• Temperature range -- 0 to 70 deg. C

Further information

Eurotech did not release pricing for the Turbo G5 module and carrier board, but the devices appear to be available now. Both Windows CE (5.0 and 6.0) and Linux are supported, the company says.

More information may be available from the Eurotech website, here.

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