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Still looking for a reliable in-vehicle computer? Acrosser offers a series of in-vehicle computers for your selection. As a frontier company in the vehicle PC market, Acrosser has been supplying the automotive industry with quality products for almost a decade. From the Intel® Atom™- based car computer AR-V6002FL, to the Intel® Core™ i7- based AIV-HM76V0FL, there are multiple options to satisfy every customer.

However, a tailor-made car computer can help you reach for your own niche market. Therefore, Acrosser offers systems integrators ODM/OEM services on large orders. For car PC ODM/OEM projects, we offer numerous customization options for software configuration, including GPIO, Watch Dog Timer, and Smart Power System. For each project, Acrosser works closely with clients and offers its 26 years of industry experience and expertise as promised. As a result, we have not only made a remarkable number of shipments, but also received TAITRA certification at the Taiwan Excellence Awards in 2013.

Acrosser’s In-Vehicle PC can multitask under the harshest driving conditions. For systems integrators, IT managers and logistics managers, each In-Vehicle Computer is an integrated, multifunctional platform that can handle infotainment, telematics, and fleet management applications. As for wireless communication integration, our In-Vehicle Computers can be designed with GPS, GSM/GPRS/HSPA/UMTS, Bluetooth, and WiFi, all in one machine. And don’t forget our smart power system, which offers customization of power delay controls for your unique demands! So, are you ready to optimize your business with our in-vehicle computers? With our enthusiastic sales team and wealth of professional experience, Acrosser is undoubtedly your first choice for an in-vehicle PC supplier!

Watch this video to learn more about Acrosser’s in-vehicle computers：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAwc5YWGAXA

Product Information：
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/In-Vehicle-Computer.html

Contact Us：
http://www.acrosser.com/inquiry.html

Developed by the PCI-SIG consortium in response to SSD’s increasing demands on data throughput, M.2, formerly known as Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) is a new specification for expansion modules in embedded systems with space limitations.

Slimmer and more flexible than the current Mini PCI Express (mPCIe)/Mini-SATA (mSATA) standard, M.2 does not introduce new signaling systems but rather allows for increased data throughput via multi-lane PCI Express (PCIe), and backward compatibility via SATA and USB signals. While driven by the demand for high-speed, high-capacity storage in ultrabooks, tablets and portable devices, M.2’s space-efficient form factor, backward automation, and flexibility mean it will have an impact on the embedded sector as well.

The unique needs and requirements of embedded systems make the adoption of M.2 a more complicated decision in this space than on the consumer side, but understanding the background of the technology, its specifications, and benefits can help embedded OEMs and system designers make the right choices now and prepare for the future.

The current automation of small form factor expansion modules for both storage and general peripherals uses a common 30 mm x 50.95 mm mPCIe card form factor (Figure 1). Designed originally for the notebook market as an evolution of MiniPCI, mPCIe is a physical and electrical specification for expansion cards allowing Wi-Fi, Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), and other add-on functionality via a miniaturized PCIe connector. mPCIe’s widespread adoption in consumer applications, small form factor and its use of the familiar PCIe bus meant it naturally became a convenient and space-efficient way to add functionality to industrial and embedded systems.

As demand for single board computer in notebooks and mobile devices grew, in 2009, the mSATA format was introduced as a small form factor for storage, utilizing the same physical form factor and connector as mPCIe with a miniaturized SATA interface. While physically similar to mPCIe in both form factor and connector, single board computer are electrically different from mPCIe and require mSATA host support to function. Being based on the tried and true SATA storage protocol, mSATA made it easy for manufacturers to implement small form factor storage and it was rapidly adopted in the client space. These embedded SBC have made mSATA attractive for embedded system storage and today it is one of the most popular small form factor SSD formats in both consumer and industrial markets.

As the client and automation markets pursue higher capacity embedded SBC and higher throughputs to match, the performance bottleneck for top-end single board computer has become the SATA protocol which is limited to 600 MBps. With increased capacities on embedded SBC, speeds go up as well and even the 600 MBps offered by SATA III is not enough for high-performance applications. At the same time, the automation which mSATA was based physically limited how much flash could be put on one mSATA card.

Single board computer strength as a small form factor lies not just in its potential for the next generation of high-performance SSDs, but also in its backward compatibility. While supporting high-performanced automation over multi-lane PCIe, M.2 also supports SATA, USB, and single-lane PCIe. As NVMe awaits adoption in the marketplace, SATA-based first-generation M.2 storage cards and M.2 peripheral cards can allow space-constrained systems to benefit from the smaller and more flexible form factor with the reliability and compatibility of SATA.

For general embedded system applications, mSATA and mPCIe are not going anywhere soon. Industrial applications have modest performance needs, emphasizing reliability and consistency instead. Even for performance-driven systems, the near-term value proposition is tenuous as the full performance benefits of M.2 SSDs require either NVMe support or proprietary drivers to realize native PCIe speeds. It will take time for the storage environment to support NVMe before embedded applications will be able to enjoy this level of performance, so current-generation M.2 embedded SBC may be a hard sell over mSATA modules in the embedded space. Meanwhile, mPCIe currently offers more than enough bandwidth for general embedded peripherals such as graphics cards or Wi-Fi modules.

refer to:
http://embedded-computing.com/articles/increasing-data-throughput/

At the ultra-clean and newly expanded MINOR’s food processing plant in Cleveland a forklift picks up a bin of their product and carries it into the next room along the line, entering through an airlock to minimize the entry of automation pathogens into the packaging area. But unlike most facilities the forklifts here never take a break other than for a battery charge because there is no one sitting in the driver’s single board computer.

Nor is there a driver activating door operation. The signal to open and close is generated by the same process management system directing forklift travel.

MINOR’S has joined the growing ranks of companies that are putting automation material handling (AMH) vehicles to work, seeking increases in productivity and lower operating costs. A recent article in Fast Company on embedded SBC pending reveals that scientists are developing a embedded SBC that has already logged 500,000 miles. So it’s no surprise in the more controllable world of the manufacturing plant and with industry’s growing need for efficiency, speed and reliability; embedded system will be acquiring minds of their own.

The recently released Material Handling and Logistics US Roadmap, complied by the national supply chain publications and associations, looks at the industry ten years into the future. Among the ten megatrends unfolding in the next decade, the report predicts that “autonomous control and distributed intelligence” could one day extend to driverless equipment in the warehouse and over the road.

Engine maker  envisions unmanned  embedded SBC cargo ships, though many in the industry don’t think they will be sailing any time soon. Nevertheless, these technological changes will be driven by a changing embedded system, the growth of e-commerce, mass personalization and of course never-ceasing competition – all of which have impact on the factory or single board computer.

Industry  automation isn’t waiting for 2025. A report published by the Priority Metrics Group detailed that AMH vehicle sales exceeded $15.5 billion world-wide in 2011, up 18% over the previous year. This represents roughly 15% of the investment in new equipment.However, these vehicles also cannot wait for the doors within the plant to get out of the way.

Within these plants are walls sectioning off rooms; and like walls, doors are supposed to preserve the integrity of the processes or the inventories in the room while allowing traffic to pass in and out of the room. Just about every room maintains its own microclimate with a proper temperature. Humidity and air flow are controlled for whatever process takes place or for the product handled within it.

Doors ensure that these areas maintain those conditions, protecting the room from pressure differentials, extreme temperatures sparks, fumes, drafts, noise or other conditions in the previous room that could adversely affect work in process, employee productivity and building energy costs. But if the doors can’t get out of the way in time, progress goes nowhere.

To keep pace with embedded system that demand this speed, the doors along the material path must be able to do the following:

Open and Close Rapidly – The lumbering automation panel door is a thing of the past. For any door to be a member of today’s material handling team it must be an overhead roll up style to get out of the way of vehicles and to attain the high speeds necessary for efficient product flow. These single board computer also take up minimal wall space to maximize these areas for shelving or machinery.

These doors now are capable of speeds of 60 inches per second and faster, and can be fully opened in under two seconds for a typical eight-foot high door embedded system. The rapid roll up door minimizes room exposure, giving practically no time for energy to escape or contaminants to invade.

At MINOR’S ultra-pure food processing facility, their specially designed automated single board computer from one room to another. The concern of process engineers at this operation is to minimize contaminants throughout the processing chain. To maintain product quality, entrance/exit is through an airlock

refer to:
http://www.automation.com/automation-news/todays-featured-news-headlines/opening-doors-to-automation

The gaming business has never been easy. Most game developers not only need time to find suitable hardware, but also to work on software programming. By time they have finished both, the best time-to-market has already vanished. Acrosser’s AMB-A55EG1 All-in-One gaming board can assist you in building up more security measurements, while also remaining highly flexible for your gaming business.

Security mechanisms
Through a design integrating iButton®, PIC and FPGA, the A55EG1 ensures that your business is safer than ever. The security function allows you to define the security key with your gaming machine, preventing anyone from breaking into the gaming system and changing stored information without authorization. As for AMB-A55EG1’s exterior look, Acrosser has also prepared one intrusion detection log on the top, and one on the bottom of the board, in case you need it for security purposes in a cabinet design.

Battery back-up SRAM and protected input/output
Unlike most other Mini-ITX boards, this board is equipped with Battery back-up SRAM, allowing you to save gaming data when playing the game. Alternately, you can also save the log into the SRAM when the cabinet is opened to secure authorized entry. Currently, Acrosser’s all-in-one AMB-A55EG1 also embodies 2 ccTalk protocols, as well as 17 golden fingers for protected input and 16 for output, all of which are the main focus of the current gaming industry.

Acrosser supplies stable gaming boards to our clients. With our steady commitment to quality, casino manufacturers and arcade game manufacturers can concentrate on building the best game and win the market!

Product Information:
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/Gaming-Platform/All-in-One-Gaming-Board/AMB-A55EG1/AMD-Embedded-G-Series-AMB-A55EG1.html

Contact us:
http://www.acrosser.com/inquiry.html

With the rapid advancement of mobile, cloud, and embedded technologies, it may surprise most that In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems are typically developed four to five years before the in-vehicles are release to the market. In fact, most 2014 models are running IVI systems from 2009. By most modern industry standards, a five-year development lifecycle is unacceptable. So how is it that one of our most valued commodities – the automobile – is subjected to such a technological lag?

Primarily, the bloated IVI development lifecycle can be linked to two factors: driver safety and vehicle longevity. Although most people associate IVI systems with just navigation and entertainment, these systems also interact with many critical in-vehicle safety components such as driver assistance, engine control, and vehicle sensors. This means that all IVI systems must go through significant testing, evaluation, security, and certification processes. In addition, in-vehicle manufacturers need to ensure that an IVI system will remain operational for the duration of a vehicle’s 10-15 year lifespan.

Unfortunately, even the sleekest of in-vehicle on the market today are equipped with IVI systems that contain old software and unattractive user interfaces. Furthermore, consumers do not currently have the option to upgrade their IVI systems through new software rollouts or third-party applications. And while some people do trade in their vehicles every two-to-three years, for most of us purchasing a car is a long-term investment. According to automobile information analysis firm R.L. Polk & Co., the average age of automobiles in the U.S. is rising. Assuming this trend continues, many consumers will be stuck with an outdated IVI system for the next nine-to-ten years.

Customizing the car

What if IVI systems could be customized and continuously upgraded like infotainment or tablets? What if drivers could listen to music through their Pandora account, share their location via Facebook, or take a call on Skype? What if online marketplaces like iTunes and Google Play started offering IVI-specific apps? With the rising demand for consumer device customization, it’s just a matter of time before these rhetorical scenarios become the new standard.

The Android platform is especially ripe for IVI customization efforts, as it is an open source wonderland for developers. Whereas iOS remains a proprietary Apple technology, Google has opened Android up to a wide variety of uses, which is why it is currently dominating in the mobile space.

However, Android does have some major drawbacks that must be addressed before it can be utilized for infotainment applications. For example, from an automotive perspective, Android has a slow boot time and does not meet the industry’s strict security and stability standards. The average boot time on an Android-based device is 40 seconds. While this is an acceptable length of time for a mobile device that rarely gets shut off, it becomes a bigger problem in a vehicle. Since most people immediately begin driving after turning on the car, a long IVI system boot time would result in drivers pulling up a map or a play list while the vehicle is in motion – further adding to distractions while driving.

Furthermore, drivers cannot simply restart their vehicles if the IVI system crashes. An unstable Operating System (OS) is inconvenient in a mobile device, but it’s downright dangerous in a vehicle. And if a driver downloads a third-party IVI app whose settings override those of the vehicle’s operational components, it could seriously compromise the vehicle’s security and functionality, from altering diagnostics and sensor parameters to disabling emergency services.

While slow boot times and operating speeds can generally be resolved by modifying the Android OS distribution for an “automotive-grade” platform, the real challenge lies in balancing the innovation of Android with the stringent safety and reliability requirements of the automotive industry. How can a infotainment system be flexible and modular for consumer customization while at the same time ensuring uncompromised security and reliability?

Hypervisor sandboxing splits safety-critical from software-upgradeable

The unfortunate truth is that there is no way to combine these two conflicting demands – nor should we try. Instead of managing one complex and potentially flawed OS, the goal should be to run two completely functional and sandboxed systems. By leveraging an open source, “bare metal” Xen hypervisor, developers could simultaneously run two different OSs on a single System-on-Chip (SoC) to provide:

Highly reliable automotive-grade Linux or Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOSs) like Autosar and QNX for mission-critical vehicle infotainment, Highly customizable Android for infotainment software .

A hybrid architecture that is based on a Type-1 hypervisor would allow developers to create an Android-based IVI system without compromising the functionality, security, or reliability of the vehicle’s operational software. Critical components such as vehicle sensors, diagnostics, and emergency services would never be impacted by third-party apps, as they would be completely enclosed within their own respective OSs (Figure 1). Sandboxed Linux and Android operating systems give developers the freedom to create truly customizable infotainment software without negatively impacting a vehicle’s security or reliability.

Although still a relatively untapped field, it’s only a matter of time before infotainment systems become just as customizable as any other mobile device. While Android still has some issues around reliability, security, and speed to address before it can become truly “automotive grade,” it is an ideal OS for IVI customization. By modifying Android to accelerate operating and boot time speeds, and by leveraging a hybrid architecture to separate a vehicle’s mission-critical and infotainment components, developers can begin shaping a new and industry-changing market for automotive software.

refer to:

http://embedded-computing.com/articles/ivi-sandboxing-next-frontier-in-vehicle-upgrades/