Make Or Buy: Module Mania

July 10, 2008
Make it low-power. Buying off-the-shelf parts to meet these criteria is still a challenge, but the latest crop of modules makes the job easier. Modules let designers develop custom configurations with minimum moving the design of th

Make it low-power. Buying off-the-shelf parts to meet these criteria is still a challenge, but the latest crop of modules makes the job easier.

Modules let designers develop custom configurations with minimum moving the design of the critical aspects of the system to the module vendors. This includes the processor and memory subsystem and usually most, if not all, of the peripheral interface. A carrier board typically contains connectors and devices not found on the module, such as storage or higher-performance video.

In many cases, vendors deliver a range of modules for their own interface standard, like Rabbit Semiconductor’s RCM4300 RabbitCore (Fig. 1). It includes a flash memory slot for removable storage, 512 kbytes of SRAM, an additional 1 Mbyte of SRAM, and 2 Mbytes of flash. The 100BaseT Ethernet interface is on the module. Five serial ports and a 12-bit, eight-channel analogto- digital converter (ADC) are available via a carrier board in addition to GPIO.

Small modules aren’t limited to low-end micros. General Micro Systems’ GMS P70x packs the latest Intel 2.16-GHz Core 2 Duo into a 4- by 4-in. package (see “Tiny Carrier And SBC Keep Cool,” right).

Several module standards do exist. COM Express provides support for PCI Express and other high-speed serial interfaces (see “COM Express: A New Standard” at www.electronicdesign.com, ED Online 8780). The latest variation on the standard introduces the 84- by 55-mm Nano form factor.

Check out MEN Micro’s XM50 for a more rugged environment (see “Module Targets Rugged Spec,” right). It is completely encased, providing EMC protection and conductive cooling. In terms of formfactor size, it is similar to COM Express

SMALL STACKS Keeping it small doesn’t necessarily mean module/carrier combinations. Boston Engineering’s 2.5- by 2.5-in. FlexStack starts with a single-board computer (SBC) based on Analog Devices’ 32-bit Blackfin digital signal controller (Fig. 2). The dual connector bus provides a rugged stacking mechanism. The stack can run uCLinux. It also supports National Instruments’ LabVIEW. Even small packages like FlexStack can utilize high-end development tools.

For more mobile requirements and prototypes, try the BUGbase from BugLabs (see “Proto Heaven,” ED Online 18089). BUGbase has an ARM135JF-S-based microcontrol ler plus sockets for Bug modules, including peripherals such as LCDs and digital cameras.

BOSTON ENGINEERING
www.boston-engineering.com

RABBIT SEMICONDUCTOR
www.rabbitsemiconductor.com

About the Author

William G. Wong | Senior Content Director - Electronic Design and Microwaves & RF

I am Editor of Electronic Design focusing on embedded, software, and systems. As Senior Content Director, I also manage Microwaves & RF and I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, programmers, developers and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

You can send press releases for new products for possible coverage on the website. I am also interested in receiving contributed articles for publishing on our website. Use our template and send to me along with a signed release form. 

Check out my blog, AltEmbedded on Electronic Design, as well as his latest articles on this site that are listed below. 

You can visit my social media via these links:

I earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Masters in Computer Science from Rutgers University. I still do a bit of programming using everything from C and C++ to Rust and Ada/SPARK. I do a bit of PHP programming for Drupal websites. I have posted a few Drupal modules.  

I still get a hand on software and electronic hardware. Some of this can be found on our Kit Close-Up video series. You can also see me on many of our TechXchange Talk videos. I am interested in a range of projects from robotics to artificial intelligence. 

Sponsored Recommendations

Comments

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Electronic Design, create an account today!