Ampro Answers the Call for a Low-End ETX® Replacement Module
Ampro Extends the ETX® Market to 2GHz with Intel® Core™ Duo Module
ETX® 610 with Geode™ LX 800 CPU fills the void created by non-RoHS end-of-life (EOL) notices
SAN JOSE, CA, April 3, 2006. — Ampro Computers, Inc., a leading supplier of standards-based computer systems and modules, announced today a cost-optimized solution for commercial-grade embedded systems that were left stranded due to a number of non-RoHS ETX® modules that have reached end-of-life (EOL) status. Using the new RoHS-compliant AMD Geode™ LX 800 single-chip integrated processor and Northbridge, Ampro's ETX® 610 drops into existing ETX® baseboard designs to keep OEMs in production. In the low $200's in production volumes, the ETX® 610 targets a wide range of high-volume commercial applications ranging from building automation to electronic voting machines. For product information visit, www.ampro.com/Products/ETX-XTX/ETX_610/.
"In some cases, RoHS is causing price increases in the form of new compliant components or due to the installation of new equipment and assembly processes," said Joanne Mumola Williams, president and CEO of Ampro. "Ampro continues to deliver new products which are optimized for low price in spite of the general trends. Plug-compatible ETX® module availability is becoming a key issue during the industry's RoHS transition, and complete baseboard re-designs for other form factors is unacceptable to OEMs."
The ETX® 610 module comes with a 500 MHz AMD Geode™ LX 800 processor, which is integrated with 2D graphics, memory controller, and PCI bridge. The Geode LX 800 CPU is inexpensive and has a low Thermal Design Power (TDP) ratings of 3.9 Watts to facilitate fanless system designs. DDR SODIMM RAM to 1GB provides additional cost savings compared to legacy single data rate memory such as PC133. The module also contains USB 2.0 ports, EIDE and Serial ATA (SATA) interfaces for migration, 10/100 Megabit Ethernet, ACPI power management, PCI expansion, and ISA bus expansion for custom circuitry on the ETX® baseboard. LVDS flat panel LCDs are supported.
RoHS, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2002/95/EC, was adopted by the European Union and pertains to all imported electronics beginning July 1, 2006. The RoHS Directive restricts the use of lead (Pb) and other substances that are harmful to the environment. As non-RoHS components and assemblies go out of production, affecting the entire world and not just Europe, Ampro is making a substantial investment to develop new products and convert existing products to RoHS in a timely manner to ease the transition.
The ETX® 610 QuickStart Kits include drivers and Board Support Packages (BSPs) for Windows® XP, Windows XP Embedded, and Windows CE 5.0, as well as a full Linux® 2.6 distribution (FedoraT Core 3).
Pricing and Availability
RoHS-compliant ETX® 610 modules begin shipping by late May, 2006. Prices start in the low $200's in moderate production quantities.
For product photos, please use the following link: www.ampro.com/html/ETX610.gif.
About Ampro Computers, Inc.
Ampro Computers, Inc. is the leading global provider of modular embedded computing solutions for OEM applications. Ampro's mission is to provide time saving solutions for embedded systems designers that accelerate the product deployment process. Ampro pioneered the embedded PC industry creating the popular PC/104 and EBX standards, and recently co-invented the new EPIC and EPIC Express standards. Ampro offers the ReadySystem, ReadyPanel, and MightySystem Computers as complete turnkey industrial computer solutions, ETX and XTX computer-on-modules, PC/104-compatible CoreModule CPUs and MiniModule I/O expansion products, EBX form factor LittleBoard single board computers, EPIC form factor ReadyBoard and Mini-ITX form factor MightyBoard single board computers. For more information about Ampro Computers, please visit http://www.ampro.com.
AMPRO is a registered trademark and CoreModule, LittleBoard, Little Board, MightyBoard, MightySystem, MiniModule, ReadyBoard, ReadyPanel, ReadySystem and MightySystem are trademarks of Ampro Computers, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contacts:
Ampro Computers, Inc.
Victoria Kostka
Tel: 1-408-360-4324
Email: vkostka@ampro.com
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