Specficially designed for users of the previous model of AAEON’s AMD LX800 3.5” subcompact board, this new entry provides almost identical configurations, such as rear I/O arrangements and design, ensuring users of the former board need minimum effort to upgrade their hardware.

One of the legacy technologies being incorporated into the board is the Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA) bus accessible via the PC/104 interface. Although released for more than two decades, the PC/104 interface is still a being widely used in industrial boards for its shock resistant, dust free potential, made possible through its rugged construction.

The bus is also preferred by most programmers, as it allows software code to be directly written into or read from the bus without the need for drivers, a necessity in newer systems. Test results have shown that ISA through the PC/104 on this new board is 100% compatible with that of the older boards. Other legacy support includes a power supply of 5V (compared to the present day 12V), the use of a CompactFlash card and support for all Windows Operating Systems since Windows CE 6.0.

Amidst supporting older technologies, the GENE-A55E also improved upon some of the older features, such as adding more COM ports (2x RS232, 2x RS232/422/485), increasing and supporting more advanced RAM (DDR3L 1066 SODIMM RAM of up to 4GB), implementing better Ethernet hardware for faster connection speeds (10/100/1000Base x2) and incorporating more flexible expansions (MiniCard shared with mSATA).

By adopting a fanless design, the board emits almost no sound and vibration during operation, making it suitable for applications in hospitals. Its high reliability may also extend its use from ordinary medical devices to specialized equipment in operating theaters, where any interruptions may have dire consequences to the patient. Furthermore, with a comprehensive list of onboard features as well as its fanless characteristic, the board can also be used in areas such as IoT as well as in the agriculture industry, where versatility, functionality and ruggedness are much sought after.

“Upgrading is an important concept in any field of computing and AAEON has designed the GENE-A55E to do just that,” said Jones Huang, Product Manager of AAEON’s Embedded Computing Division.

“Through offering support for legacy technology in conjunction with present day technology, we look to help our clients gain a competitive edge through combining the existing strength of old, with the added benefits of the new”.