Tuesday 23 July 2013

Prototype Sandy Bridge Server

Incorporating an i5-2400, 8GB 1333MHz DDR3, 64GB SLC SSD on an industrial Fujitsu D3076-S1 mainboard produced a 2U rack mount server with some serious horsepower.

With this server we paired a 3100MHz quad core CPU with an industrial grade SLC SSD which lead to a blazingly fast user experience, booting to Windows 7 desktop in around 15 seconds and loading applications in a flash. Of course, an industrial grade server has a lot more potential than booting into an OS, we selected this CPU in our build to provide outstanding performance in single and multi-threaded applications especially when the maximum Turbo Boost speed of 3.4GHz is utilized.

  • The real potential comes from the D3076-S1 Fujistu mother board:
  • ·         LGA 1155 Supporting Sandy Bridge i7 CPU
  • ·         2xSATAIII, 4xSATAII
  • ·         2xPCIe x16 Slots (Running at x16 and x4), 1xPCIe x8
  • ·         4 PCI Slots
  • ·         12xUSB 2.0
  • ·         8bit GPIO
  • ·         Dual Gigabit LAN

 With the expansion this mainboard has to offer, the components we used in this prototype are definitely something to build upon. As a guide to the systems capabilities PassMark Performance Test 8.0 was ran on the system.




The combination of raw power with an industrial roadmap makes this board a perfect option for power users who need real reliability for their application. For More information on this build, or any of the components used in the build feel free to comment on this post or contact info@review-displays.co.uk for more information.


Wednesday 17 July 2013



Increased design options for PCAP touch sensors that enhance the look and operation of a product


Review Display Systems ltd has recently increased its range of design options for  engineers looking to utilise PCAP touch technology  as the main operator input device for a system.

Manufactured by AMT, two construction techniques are available, for screen sizes from 8.4 inch and above Glass- film-film-film (GFFF) technology is used and for smaller screens Glass-film-film. The design concept behind this is that the GFFF structure features an extra EMI shield under the bottom of the touch to reduce noise from the LCD. The lighter, thinner GFF structure is designed to support Chip-on –Flex controllers for mobile devices with limited space. GFFF allows 87% light transmission and GFF is slightly better at 91% both are an improvement over resistive screens.

Both of the structures have glass as the surface layer, and options here include the thickness of the glass from 0.7mm creating a thin sandwich, ideal for handheld applications, up to 5mm for rugged applications. The standard finish for the top glass layer is clear/glossy however anti-glare options are also possible.

Another feature of the glass is the option to have a décor glass finish where the border area is printed black with slightly rounded corners, these are idea for applications requiring a flush finish. Standard screen sizes here are 7 inch, 10.4 inch, 12.1 inch and 15.6 inch with more to follow.

The controller can either be Chip on flex or on the larger panels a separate controller board is used.
A full range of standard panels are available from 3.5 inch to 15.6 inch, standard operating temperature is –20 to +70 degrees Centigrade, this coupled with the unlimited touch life offers much better long term performance over a resistive solution.

The other benefit of the PCAP technology is its ability to support single touch and dual-touch gesture recognition, common place in many of todays applications.

To talk through the best configuration options please contact our sales office on 01959 563345.



Thursday 11 July 2013

AAEON: product compliance with Intel Intelligent Systems Framework
AAEON has been recognized for its products’ compliance with Intel’s Intelligent Systems Framework (ISF). ISF is a standard for computing components introduced to create a set of inter-operable solutions designed to address connecting, managing, and securing devices and data in a consistent and scalable manner. It is able to reduce fragmentation by scaling across applications and bring together operating systems, tools and hardware in one ecosystem.
According to Intel, the ISF creates a set of interoperable solutions that can scale across applications and bring together the hardware, OSs and software that enable these devices to be remotely managed and provide useful analytics on the data that is being collected by these systems. This framework consists of profiles assigned to devices that outline a set of constituents for integration, with Intel providing a level of integration testing and validation to ensure that components can interoperate, as expected. If the components pass these tests, they then can be designated as ISF ready under the assigned profile.
This new approach has the potential to lower deployment costs, simplify integration and enable new and innovative services. The resultant effects on vertical markets will be that Machine (M2M), Internet of Things, and Big Data become more manageable for system operators and developers. Intel is working with system integrators and vendors such as AAEON along with software developers to create Cloud-to-Device services that use the ISF as its foundation.
AAEON’s Intel Intelligent Systems Framework readiness can be exemplified by these selected products, which offer a full spectrum of system wide connectivity and ease of integration. The FWS-7810 for instance, is a 1U Network Appliance featuring Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3 Series Processor with the Intel C226 Chipset. The FSW-7810 has been validated by Intel as being compliant with Intelligent Systems Framework 1.05 Gateway Profile requirements, and will be listed on the Intelligent Solutions Alliance Solutions directory as “Intelligent Systems Framework Ready”. In addition, AAEON has released several other ISF Client approved boards including the COM-QM87, a Type 6 COM Express CPU module with its 4th Generation Intel Core processor and mobile Intel QM87 Express chipset, offering low-power and enhanced graphics power over the previous COM Express CPU modules, the 3.5” GENE-QM87 fully functional single board computer, the IMBA-Q87A ATX industrial motherboard also powered by a 4th Generation Intel Core CPU, and the EMB-QM87A Mini-ITX form factor board with a 4th Generation Intel Core i7/i5 processor. These new ISF certified boards feature Intel vPro technology, which delivers unprecedented hardware support for vital security and management functions. For the Edge Profile, AAEON offers the ISF-ready GENE-TC05, an industrial temperature range single board computer powered by an Intel E620T to E680T processor.
For AAEON, these embedded ISF ready products represent the continued effort towards creating solution-centred products based on Intel architecture that can be used as modular building blocks in a highly integrated and interoperable real-time computing environment across a broad range of its client’s applications.

RDS are able to discuss any requirements you may have with you if needed and provide advice and support where needed. Get in touch, we may be able to demo some hardware and even allow you to test your software on a test platform to check suitability.