Competitive pressures have long suggested using off-the-shelf board-level computers to increase the efficiency of developing embedded system products. Instead of “re-inventing the wheel” by developing and debugging an embedded computer and porting a BIOS or RTOS, companies can focus on developing applications specific hardware and software, resulting in fasttrack development of highly differentiated, competitive end products.

The advantages of using off-the-shelf, board-level embedded computers are further enhanced by utilizing an “embedded PC” architecture, which combines well-known operating systems and tools with familiar hardware components. Trying to piece together a solution for an application can lead to challenges with integrating boards from different suppliers.

With two of the industry leaders now under one roof, OEMs can eliminate the headaches caused by multi-vendor sourcing.

Products

The strengths of Ampro and ADLINK combine to bring you a wide portfolio of products in various form factors and ruggedness using the latest Intel processors and chipsets. Imagine an AdvancedTCA® solution with blades, switch, CMM and chassis, all from one vendor. But the solutions do not stop there. ADLINK also offers single board computers and computer-on-modules for a multitude of environments, hardware and software DAQ products, industrial motherboards, CompactPCI® processor and chipset upgrades and more.

Software

Just as there have been numerous advances in the hardware technology, similarly platform-level software technology has evolved. Examples include operating systems such as Linux® 2.6, Windows® XP Embedded, Windows CE 6.0 and VxWorks 6.x; filesystem technologies such as journaling, encryption, flash memory management and RAID; OS extensions such as virtualization, hypervisors and real-time performance; and protocol stacks for wireless communications, multimedia, DRM, security, etc…

Because most OEM applications require more than what a desktop BIOS offers, BIOS extensions are added that support the development and deployment of embedded systems. Additionally, with a proven track record of offering BIOS customizations, Ampro can meet a customer’s unique requirements providing them with a competitive edge.

Ruggedness

Many commercial board manufacturers claim that they offer “ruggedized” products which give the impression of durability under tough conditions. The term “ruggedized” often refers to desktop grade designs which are screened at high temperatures, with high yield fallout. Do not be fooled by these claims. With a large customer base of Fortune 500 companies, Ampro understands that ruggedness should be inherent in the design.

In addition to specific size constraints, embedded systems must often meet stringent environmental factors including fanless operation either to eliminate or to protect the electronics from dust, dirt or moisture. To meet such requirements, Ampro offers single board computers and computer-on-modules designed and tested to comply with the three environmental profiles tabulated below.

Table 1: Environmental Profiles

Ampro rugged and extreme rugged products are designed from the ground up, not simply lot screened. In order to support extremes of shock, vibration, humidity and temperature, utmost care is given to component selection, circuit design, PCB layout and materials, thermal solutions and manufacturing processes. The Highly Accelerated Life Tests (HALT) are used to locate and correct weak spots in the design to assure a proven and reliable product is delivered to the OEM.

Global Manufacturing and Support

The joining of Ampro and ADLINK is also paying dividends for their customers in other ways. Ampro’s customers are able to take advantage of ADLINK’s low manufacturing costs, whereas ADLINK’s customers have Ampro’s extreme rugged expertise and resources available to them.

Finally, one of the most important factors for OEMs is now more accessible – support. With a complete global network, Ampro now has local support and RMA centers easily accessible worldwide. Recognizing the critical need for OEMs to maintain consistency throughout the life of their products, Ampro works tirelessly to ensure long-term availability and stable configuration of its board-level products.