Techsol > Medallion System
$Id: hardware.xml 1392 2007-05-17 23:25:25Z brolin $
 
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Medallion Hardware Technology

Techsol's Hardware Technology Platform

Techsol is a world leader in Linux on ARM technology.
Leverage our off-the-shelf Medallion Computer Modules and development kits to accelerate your development projects. Whether you just need a Computer-on-Module for your own semi-custom design, or you need a turn-key solution, Techsol's focused Hardware and Software expertise plus superb support get you to market faster.
And our highly-integrated solutions provide the greatest value to maintain your competitive cost-advantage into production.

Medallion Hardware Technology

Techsol's products are based on processors running low-power RISC cores designed by Advanced Risc Machines (ARM) of England.
They are very advanced CPU modules, packing more features into a smaller space than other 32-bit processor families.
The older designs are based on ARM-720-T core processors.
The newer ones are based on ARM-920T core processors.
Every Medallion Computer Module contains:

  • NOR-FLASH for booting
  • NAND-FLASH for bulk storage
  • SDRAM
  • additional power circuitry
  • Audio input and output
  • USB hosts and device
  • LCD controllers
  • key-pad scan HW (up to 8x11 matrix)
  • touch screen controller
  • GPIO pins
  • reset controller
  • battery voltage monitoring (primary and secondary)
  • SD or MMC card interface
  • SPI 3-wire synchronous interface
  • I2C 2-wire synchronous interface
  • UARTs (one with modem control lines)
  • IrDA interface with power-management control lines
  • test-input and dedicated debug-LED output

Plus the one thing that any other Computer-On-Module this small doesn't have: a 32-bit bus with 64 mega-bytes of address-space on each of multiple chip-select lines.
Plus 4 "byte-lane" WRITE lines, READ line, Expansion Clock and Ready signals, and multiple interrupt inputs.
How can we offer all of this?
Simple: we have 240 pins connecting our modules to your I/O board.
And they are split across 2 connectors on opposite edges of the board, for maximum mechanical stability.
Plus there are a couple dozen Ground pins for maximum electrical stability too!
And our low-noise PCB layouts have passed FCC and CE emissions tests in many products.

Peripheral Hardware Technology

Since Techsol packs more features onto our computer modules, you'd also expect more support for peripherals on the I/O board too.
Well, you won't be dissappointed!
Here's a partial list of technologies that we have proven designs for:

Technology Proven Designs
Ethernet 10-BaseT: Low-cost, Low-power in Commercial and Industrial Temp. with Power Management. (Cirrus 8900a);
100-BaseT: Low-cost Commercial Temp. (SMSC 9118)
Wireless IrDA with Power Management (PM); BlueTooth; 802.11; Cellular with PM: GSM, GPRS, CDMA-1x
USB Host USB 1.1: Hosts, Hubs; USB 2.0: Hi-speed Host (Philips)
USB Device USB Storage: Thumb-drives, Hard-drives; Input devices: Key-boards, Mice, Key-board controllers; Wireless devices: BlueTooth, 802.11;
Audio CODECs: line-in, line-out; i-CODECs with PM: Mono, Stereo, Single-ended, Differential, Head-phone Amps, Speaker Amps
Displays Character: LCD; Graphic: STN, CSTN, TFT, LTPS, OLED; Custom LCDs
Inputs Buttons: Direct to CPU, Matrix-scanned; Keyboards: Lap-top direct-matrix keyboards (Fujitsu, Zippy); USB Keyboards
Sensors Analog: direct reading, 4-20 mA; Digital: 1-wire, 2-wire (I2C), 3-wire (SPI), 4-wire (USB including Lab-Jack support)
Power AC-DC: custom supplies; DC-DC: high-efficiency SMPS converters; Li-Ion Batteries: Power Supplies, Chargers, Gas-Gauges

Contract Design Services Options

  • If you need a low- to medium-volume product designed, or you need working protos to show your boss/partners, then take a look at our low-cost semi-custom design services.
  • If you need a high-volume product, or you must minimize product costs, even at the expense of greater engineering costs, then look at our fully-custom design services.