Kontron caters for extreme environments

Norbert Hauser: These boys take a hell of a beating

Specialist German board maker Kontron has launched a high-performance CPU board that system builders can use to create systems for knockabout industries – such as aerospace, defence, security and industrial automation – where computers need to survive in extreme environments.

Computer users in these industries expect rugged system layout and power-optimised performance, explained Norbert Hauser, Kontron’s marketing manager, because “these boys take a hell of a beating”.

The rail and maritime sectors might also be targets.

The component comes with a distinctly beatable brand name – the Kontron 308 – but Kontron said it spends more time on engineering than marketing. The system houses a high-performance 3U CompactPCI CPU board equipped with the 45nm Intel Core2 Duo processor, Intel GS45 Graphics and Memory Controller Hub and Intel I/O Controller Hub ICH9M.

The compactness of the boards is another selling factor, said Kontron. The scalable Kontron CP308 with 45nm technology excels over 65nm designs, boasted Hauser, with up to 50 per cent more L2 cache (6MB) and a 60 per cent faster FSB (1066MHz) with similar or lower energy consumption, he claimed.

Performance ranges from the high-end 2.26 GHz version with 1066 MHz FSB for compute-intensive solutions and the low-power 1.86 GHz version with 1066 MHz FSB for energy sensitive applications to the ultra low power 1.2 GHz version with 800 MHz FSB for applications where power dissipation is critical.