Techsol New Product Announcement: TPC-43C Medallion "Green Tech" Touch Panel Computer

Delta, British Columbia, Canada (Vocus) December 3, 2009

Techsol is now offering a low carbon-footprint computer with a Color TFT LCD and Touch panel plus Power-Over-Ethernet, targeting Building Automation and factory HMI (Human-Machine Interface) applications. This standard, off-the-shelf, ARM-powered, wall-mount, product features:

• WqVGA (480x272) 4.3", Color, TFT LCD Panel in Landscape format, with 65,000 colors, adjustable LED Backlight, and Touch panel
• Powered by a standard Medallion CPU Module (an SA2410-650 is included) for flexibility, the 32-bit ARM9 processor features 32 kB of cache, 64 MB of SDRAM, and 128 MB of NAND FLASH, plus a separate NOR FLASH for reliable boot-loader and SW update options
• Power-Over-Ethernet (POE) dramatically reduces installation costs.

** Replace power cables with a single CAT 5 cable for both power and Ethernet.

• Power options: 10 - 30 VDC or 7 - 24 VAC or POE
• Low-power, Real-Time Clock (RTC) with Battery Backup included
• Hidden Memory Card Connector for SD and MMC cards (for user-upgradeable storage expansion)
• Full-speed, USB Host ports (USB Type A connectors) supports Wireless Expansion, such as 802.11 or Bluetooth
• 10/100-BaseT Ethernet interface with RJ-45 connector featuring integrated LED status indicators

all connections exit the rear, unlike PC-based products whose connectors point into the drywall

• SW-controlled beeper with frequency/tone control are standard
• RS232 serial interface on optional DE-9 adapter to accelerate SW development
• Ships with the proven Medallion Linux 2.6.3x plus drivers pre-installed.

Dimensions: Width: 178 mm, 7" Height: 100 mm, 3.9" Thickness: 9 mm, 0.4" from wall (Over all: 33 mm, 1.3")

Mounting: This unit sits in a recessed hole in the wall or instrument panel. It is held in place by magnets which clamp to a wall bracket (supplied). It requires a recess of only about 1" (25mm).

GUI options include:

• Linux Framebuffer (FB), operating in 16-bit, 65,536-color mode
• X11 (KDrive) on FB for standard Linux/Unix graphics
• FLTK on X, for a full-featured, extensible, yet free GUI
• GTK+ on X, for full PC compatibility
• Ask about Web Browser Support

"The rugged enclosure is made from recycled steel," said Brian Empey, P.Eng., CEO of Techsol, "It's welded and then powder-coat painted for a durable finish. Steel is also recycled in most North American cities, so the materials can be economically recycled again in the future. Compared to a plastic enclosure, this offers the advantages of sustainable materials and a reduced carbon-footprint, as steel production consumes less energy than alloys or plastics."

Another advantage of this production technique is that the customer has a wide choice of colors available, to match end-user preferences. But materials aren't the only green aspect. Power consumption is under 3 watts even with the backlight at its brightest setting, beating any x86 based products. In fact, when these products replace PC-based products, they can pay for themselves in a few years just based on energy savings. Saving energy is good for the planet, and for your bottom line!

Pricing for units with all options except wireless & debug cable:

Order Quantity      Unit Price (standard 200 MHz speed) in USD

10---------------------$425
100-------------------$385
1,000-----------------$345
10,000----------------$300 or better, contact us for a quote
*Standard configuration includes 200 MHz processor speed; 64 MB SDRAM; 2 MB NOR FLASH; 128 MB SSD; other configurations priced are prices accordingly.

Every unit is tested running Linux before it ships. Single units of the TPC-43C are available as development kits with full SW development tools and support. Call for pricing.
Development kits are available from stock. Production volumes are typically 6 to 8 weeks.

Embedded Engineering is the same all over the world. Engineers face the same challenges of having too much to do, and not enough time or money to do it with. Techsol's Medallion CPU modules address this issue and provide a solution that extends into the production stages of a product, not just the proof-of-concept stage like most SBCs.

Techsol's Medallion system is unique in the embedded computer world. Over time, the Medallion Single-Board Computer (SBC) product line will encompass more and more CPUs. However, the pin-out and form-factor remains the same. There will be one Medallion module that is best matched to your application.

By designing with the Medallion system, you are effectively out-sourcing your CPU design and Linux porting with no up-front NRE fees. That lets your team concentrate on the hardware and software portions of your product that your customers see. The result is that you can create a higher-quality product in a fraction of the time (and cost) of designing everything yourself from scratch. Plus, the interchangeable modules extend product life-cycle times.

For more details, or to request further information, please visit our Web site at http://www.medallionsystem.com, call 888 TECHSOL (888 832 4765) or 604 946 8324, or e-mail sales (at) techsol.ca.

Techsol is headquartered in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, where the mighty Fraser River meets the Pacific Ocean.

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