Ampro EBX single board computer Beats HALT Chamber and Lives to Boot!
Ampro EBX single board computer Beats HALT Chamber and Lives to Boot!
SAN JOSE, Calif., September 20, 1999. Ampro Computers Inc., originator of the PC/104, PC/104-Plus, and EBX standards, has announced the results of Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) on its EBX form-factor LittleBoard/P5x. The testing was performed by Qualmark Corporation at an Accelerated Reliability Test Center using a standardized procedure.
According to Al Drewke, Ampro Vice President of Product Development, "the intent of our HALT program is to subject the unit under test to progressively greater extremes of temperature, rapid thermal transitions, vibration (in six axes), and combined temperature and vibration until the unit fails and is ultimately destroyed. Data gained in this manner is used to improve the design of our products." "In actuality," continued Drewke, "we failed in our objective to 'break' the board - since the product ran flawlessly right up to the limits of the test equipment!"
During the HALT processes, the LittleBoard/P5x operated successfully at -100oC, the lower limit of the equipment, as well as at +140o, the top end. In addition to this temperature stress, the board was subjected to +/- 5% variation of its +5V DC power input, as well as to a series of five rapid thermal transitions from -50oC to +100oC at a rate of 70oC per minute. Once these tests were completed, the board was further subjected to broadband 6-axis vibration. This test found that the LittleBoard/P5x will operate at more than 50 GRMS, provided the I/O interface cables are locked in place using its optional latching clips, the DIMM memory module is secured by means of a tie wrap,and the RTC backup battery attachment is bolstered using RTV. Here too, the board made it to the extremes of the test equipment (50 GRMS). As a final step, combined thermal and vibrational stress up to the extremes was applied to the board.
About The LittleBoard/P5x
The LittleBoard/P5x is a complete single-board PC compatible system on an EBX form-factor (5.75 x 8.0 in.) PC board assembly. Included on the LittleBoard/P5x are: a 166 or 266 MHz Intel mobile Pentium* processor with MMX* technology; up to 256 megabytes SDRAM; IDE and floppy drive interfaces; a SCSI bus interface; a Chips 69000 based PCI CRT/LCD display controller subsystem; an AMD 79C972 based PCI "fast" Ethernet subsystem (100 and 10 megabit/sec); four serial ports and a bidirectional parallel port; and a PC/104-Plus (ISA and PCI buses) expansion location. Applications for the LittleBoard/P5x include system in medical, avionics, military, industrial, and commercial environments. Ampro offers the LittleBoard/P5x at a standard operating temperature range of 0 to 70oC and an extended operating temperature range of -40 to +85oC, and provides a 3-year limited warranty.
About Ampro
Now in its 16th year, Ampro Computers, Inc., is the leading manufacturer of PC-compatible computer modules for embedded applications. The company originated the PC/104 and PC/104-Plus standards, and co-authored (with Motorola) the EBX high-performance non-backplane single board computer standard (based on Ampro's popular LittleBoard form-factor). Ampro's extensive line of PC/104 form-factor CoreModule CPUs and MiniModule expansion products, and EBX form-factor LittleBoard single board computers enable OEMs to integrate PC-compatible architectures into their products while minimizing system size, time-to-revenue, and development costs and risks. Ampro's embedded computer modules are optimized for fixed, portable, and mobile environments and support extended temperatures, shock/vibration, and CE mark compliance. All Ampro embedded-PC products are manufactured per IPC-610A Class 2, in ISO9000-certified factories.
Media Contacts:
Ampro Computers, Inc.
Victoria Kostka
Tel: 1-408-360-4324
Email: vkostka@ampro.com
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