Diamond Systems Athena

Introduction

Athena utilizes the VIA Eden processor family to deliver Pentium-III performance in a small (4.2" x 4.5"), low-power, high performance, single-board embedded CPU. Originally designed and utilized for a harsh-environment military vehicle application, Athena dissipates only 10 watts and operates over the -40 to +85°C extended temperature range.

Athena provides these outstanding benefits for demanding embedded systems:

• High level of ruggedness: Memory soldered on board, operation tested and guaranteed over the full -40 to +85°C temperature range, and jumperless configuration capability ensure your system will operate reliably in any environment, including mobile, military, and aerospace.
• High level of integration: 4 serial ports, 4 USB ports, ethernet, video, audio, and a complete data acquisition subsystem are all included on one compact board, reducing size and cost and eliminating problems with multi-board configurations.

Two processor configurations are available: 400MHz fanless with 128MB RAM and 660MHz fan-cooled with 128MB RAM. Both versions include 4 RS-232 ports, 4 USB ports, LCD and CRT video, 10/100Mbps Ethernet, AC97 audio, IDE port for hard disk or board-mountable solid state flashdisk module, programmable watchdog timer, full-featured data acquisition including analog and digital I/O, and PC/104 expansion.

Athena uses the same I/O connector types, locations, and pinouts as the Prometheus PC/104 CPU. This makes it easy for Prometheus users to upgrade to higher performance without having to make any changes to software, hardware, or cabling. Athena even fits inside the Pandora enclosure system to provide a compact, rugged, wall-mountable industrial CPU.

Operating System Support

The Athena supports DOS, Linux, RTLinuxPro, QNX, Window 98/NT/XP/2000, Windows CE.Net & VxWorks.

Data Acquisition

The optional data acquisition circuit provides high-accuracy, stable 16-bit A/D performance with 100KHz sample rate, wide input capability, and programmable input ranges (the board is also available without DAQ). It includes 4 12-bit D/A channels, 24 programmable digital I/O lines, and two programmable counter/timers. A/D operation is enhanced by on-board FIFO with interrupt-based transfers, internal/external A/D triggering, and on-board A/D sample rate clock. Placement of the analog circuitry away from the high-speed digital logic ensures low-noise performance for critical applications. All data acquisition features are fully supported by our Universal Driver software for DOS, Linux, RTLinuxPro, QNX, Window 98/NT/XP/2000, Windows CE.Net & VxWorks to simplify application.

Athena Development Kit

A development kit is available with all the hardware you need to get started on your Athena embedded design project. The kit contains a flashdisk module, cable kit, AC power adapter, and USB floppy drive.

Athena II Cable Kit

The Athena /Athena II cable kit includes cables for Athena II input and output. All cables are also available individually.

CPU Enclosure

The Athena can be mounted inside the Pandora enclosure with cable-free panel I/O board to form a rugged, compact, completely self-contained industrial computer system. Click here for more information on Pandora.

Solid State Storage

Athena is compatible with the Diamond Systems solid state IDE flashdisk modules. These modules provide mass storage that is fully IDE compatible and requires no drivers to work with your operating system. They mount directly onto the board's IDE connector and are held in place with a mounting screw for extra ruggedness. Click here for more information on flashdisk modules.