Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - (Page 36) boards Small form-factor boards continue to evolve to meet the increasing demands of embedded systems. Boards may shrink but performance doesn’t BY CHRISTINE VAN DE GRAAF t’s well-known that no universal computing solution exists that satisfies all the unique system requirements of today’s varied embedded applications. As personal and industrial computers continue to raise the bar for users, users expect their off-the-shelf embedded systems to operate at a similar performance level. Achieving this nirvana for the end user of an embedded system is daunting for the embedded system designer who now faces powermanagement issues in addition to new mechanical, thermal, and electrical considerations when designing a physically smaller system. Reducing a system’s size without compromising performance is no small achievement; it’s a good thing the potential rewards aren’t small either. While many challenges have yet to be tackled, one issue is slowly remedying itself over time – board size continues to shrink, while performance either maintains a certain level or increases. If you look at the history of embedded single-board computers (SBCs), they’ve gone from very large to very small over the last 25 years. Although those ‘very large’ units still exist, they are few and far between, replaced by much smaller and more efficient models. For example, the stackable PC/104 boards can handle the applications that a few years ago required much more space. In most cases, size reductions come thanks to the evolution of just about every technology on the board, including the memory, the processor, and the I/O. Essentially, they’re all smaller and perform better. Small form-factor boards have provided much-needed relief to embedded system designers by letting them focus 36 AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2007 | embedded systems design europe | www.embedded.com/europe I 036-037-038-039_ESDE.indd 36 6/09/07 11:57:24 http://www.embedded.com/europe
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 Contents News Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market DSP Serves the Convergence Needs of Small Business Embedded Test Offers Unique Value for Serial I/O The Software Detective: First-Fault Data Capture Boards May Shrink But Performance Doesn't New Products Advertising Contacts Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - (Page 1) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - (Page 2) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Contents (Page 3) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Contents (Page 4) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Contents (Page 5) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - News (Page 6) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - News (Page 7) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - News (Page 8) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - News (Page 9) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - News (Page 10) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - News (Page 11) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market (Page 12) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market (Page 13) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market (Page 14) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market (Page 15) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market (Page 16) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market (Page 17) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market (Page 18) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Cover Feature: Annual Study Uncovers the Embedded Market (Page 19) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - DSP Serves the Convergence Needs of Small Business (Page 20) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - DSP Serves the Convergence Needs of Small Business (Page 21) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - DSP Serves the Convergence Needs of Small Business (Page 22) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - DSP Serves the Convergence Needs of Small Business (Page 23) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - DSP Serves the Convergence Needs of Small Business (Page 24) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Embedded Test Offers Unique Value for Serial I/O (Page 25) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Embedded Test Offers Unique Value for Serial I/O (Page 26) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Embedded Test Offers Unique Value for Serial I/O (Page 27) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Embedded Test Offers Unique Value for Serial I/O (Page 28) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Embedded Test Offers Unique Value for Serial I/O (Page 29) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - The Software Detective: First-Fault Data Capture (Page 30) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - The Software Detective: First-Fault Data Capture (Page 31) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - The Software Detective: First-Fault Data Capture (Page 32) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - The Software Detective: First-Fault Data Capture (Page 33) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - The Software Detective: First-Fault Data Capture (Page 34) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - The Software Detective: First-Fault Data Capture (Page 35) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Boards May Shrink But Performance Doesn't (Page 36) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Boards May Shrink But Performance Doesn't (Page 37) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Boards May Shrink But Performance Doesn't (Page 38) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Boards May Shrink But Performance Doesn't (Page 39) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - New Products (Page 40) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - New Products (Page 41) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - New Products (Page 42) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Advertising Contacts (Page 43) Embedded Systems Design - Europe - August/September 2007 - Advertising Contacts (Page 44)
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