Standard features of the board include 4 USB ports (3 USB 2.0 and one OTG), Micro HDMI, Ethernet, and amplified audio outputs. The board also offers two 40-Pin connectors; integrated Dual Channel 24bit LVDS + I2C, and MIPI DSI/CSI + I2C + I2S for a variety touch screen, camera, voice control (Alexa like) setups, and RS232/485/CAN Bus connectivity via a terminal block for controller and vehicle applications. 8GB of onboard iNAND flash memory are expandable via an included microSD slot to offer plenty of storage for embedded application.

However, where the EMB-2230 really shines is in the integrated proprietary Raspberry Pi-like 40-Pin expansion header. Unlike those found on the maker boards, the expansion header found on the EMB-2230 has been tweaked for industrial applications with PCIe, suitable for CAN Bus, RS-232, UART, SPI, I2C, GPIO and POE uses.

Habey offers several modules to work seamlessly with the board via this port, including a PoE (Power over Ethernet) module, and a module to add the second Ethernet port, wide range voltage power input, light bars LED control, ambient sensors, and OS recovery functions. It’s also easy to use this connector to add PCIe devices, or specialized modules for controlling motors, switches, and receiving sensor input.

To help speeding up time-to-market, Habey offers two touch Panel PC kits for the EMB-2230, in 7” and 10.1” sizes available for order. By combining the Panel PC kits with POE or I/O expansion modules, the EMB-2230 can be ready to tackle virtually any project in no time.

The ease of acquiring and low price point of “Maker” boards like Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, and others, makes them an alluring option for production designs. However, such boards frequently don’t meet the needs of the real-world IoT devices and product roll outs. That’s where an industrial level embedded ARM board like the EMB-2230 comes in. Maker boards typically have an unpredictable life cycle, while industrial products are expected to be available for 5 to 10 years. And of course, embedded boards for IoT or industrial products may be exposed to harsh, demanding environments – elements that a maker board like a Raspberry Pi isn’t equipped to handle. The EMB-2230 is designed to Habey’s rugged, long lifespan specs.