Kontron embedded motherboards utilize the 45nm Intel Core2 Quad processor Q9400 platform’s performance and high-end graphics features

At the Intel Developer Forum in Taipei, Taiwan, Kontron announced its latest-generation embedded motherboards that offer the 45nm Intel Core2 Quad processor Q9400 and the Intel Q45 Express chipset on the ATX and Flex-ATX form factors with 7-year long lifecycle support. The new Kontron embedded motherboards push the performance of compute-intensive applications such as medical, test and measurement, industrial vision, control systems and security and video surveillance systems while enabling cooler and quieter system designs.

“The 45nm micro-architecture is the most important improvement for embedded computer technology in 2008. The Intel Core2 Quad processor Q9400 is the ultimate high-end processor that brings even more horse power to applications that require relatively low thermal design power and outstanding energy efficiency”, declares Norbert Hauser, Vice President Marketing at Kontron.

“For the embedded market, the Intel Core2 Quad processor provides all the bandwidth needed for the next generation of highly-threaded real-time applications or image and data processing applications. At the same time it offers unprecedented power efficiency thanks to the new high-k metal gate technology of the 45nm Intel Core micro-architecture,” explains Ryan Parker, director of marketing, Embedded Computing Division, Intel. “Another benefit is the optional Intel Active Management Technology provided with the Intel Q45 Express chipset, which enables technicians to remotely isolate, diagnose and repair embedded systems, even when the system is shut down or the OS is unresponsive.”

The new Kontron embedded ATX and Flex-ATX motherboards feature the Intel processors up to the 45nm Intel Core2 Quad processor Q9400 with 2.66 GHz, 6 MB L2 cache and a FSB of up to 1,333 MHz. They are also equipped with the Intel 82Q45 Graphics and Memory Controller Hub and Intel I/O Controller Hub 10 (Intel ICH10DO) for 7-year long lifecycle support for embedded systems. Furthermore, the Kontron KTQ45/ATXE and Kontron KTQ45/FLEX motherboards support the latest Intel Active Management Technology 5.0 (Intel AMT 5.0) and an integrated Intel Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2). In addition, the latest integrated data protection engine ensures fast and secure hardware encryption of all transferred data without affecting system performance. Embedded applications benefit from the enhanced security and remote management for easier maintenance and higher system availability, therefore reducing total costs of ownership. System managers benefit from Intel AMT because they can remotely carry out tasks such as installation of a new OS or setting BIOS parameters without the need for additional remote management hardware or an on-site presence. Kontron’s rigorous testing and quality control measures reduce the potential of board failures and the need for system servicing. With a high-speed digital logic motherboard design using a multi-layer stacking PCB, Kontron ensures signal integrity, reduces radiation, improves signal quality and aids in the decoupling of the power bus, resulting in high quality electromagnetic compatibility and superior motherboard quality and performance for the Kontron KTQ45/ATXE and Kontron KTQ45/FLEX embedded motherboards.

The Kontron KTQ45/ATXE and Kontron KTQ45/FLEX embedded motherboards support up to 8 GB of DDR3 SDRAM to further boost the performance of data processing intensive applications. Graphic intensive applications in particular benefit from integrated graphics support for DVI, HDMI, SDVO and DisplayPort via the fast PCI Express x16. Hardware based video signal decoding routines for H.264 BluRay decoding are integrated into the northbridge. This significantly increases system performance by reducing the load on the processor. For applications requiring an extended range of interfaces the embedded motherboards offer PEG and 1x PCI Express x4, up to 4 x PCI as well as 2 x Intel Gigabit Ethernet, one with Intel AMT 5.0 support, and 12 USB interfaces. Data storage media are connected via 4 x SATA 3GB interfaces with RAID 0/1/5/10 functionality for enhanced data security. In addition, Intel AMT 5.0 provides remote access for easier maintenance, higher system availability and reduced total cost of ownership.

The new Kontron embedded motherboards support Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows XP Embedded and Linux and are available now.

More information about embedded motherboards
More information about ATX motherboards
More information about Flex-ATX motherboards