FEATURES 3-in-1 design reduces size and weight, increases reliability 550-750MHz Pentium-III class processor with on-board memory, video, ethernet, and audio On-board data acquisition circuit with autocalibration On-board DC/DC power supply with 5-28V input range PC/104 and PC/104+ expansion Extended temperature operation at no additional charge Rugged design ideal for vehicle and outdoor applications Feature Details VIA Eden Pentium III class 550-750MHz processor 128-256MB SDRAM soldered on board VGA support up to 32 bit per pixel and max resolution of 1920x1440 Integrated S3 ProSavage 4 AGP-4X graphics Advanced 3D rendering and 3D hardware acceleration LCD support any LVDS screen up to 1400x1050 AC97 audio with on-board codec and 2W per channel Hi-Fi stereo amplifier and DC volume control 10/100Mbps Ethernet with RJ-45 and pin header connections TV out feature - composite and S-video UDMA-100 IDE support IDE flashdisk module socket Compact flash socket 4 USB ports 4 serial ports - 2 fixed RS-232 or RS-485, 2 selectable RS232/485 PS/2 keyboard and mouse Programmable watchdog timer, 0 to 2 seconds Low power fanless operation at 550MHz PC/104-plus ISA and PCI expansion -40 to +85ºC operation Data Acquisition 32 wide-range analog inputs, +/-10V down to 0-1.25V 16-bit A/D resolution Single-channel, multi-channel round robin, and multi-channel scan sampling 250KHz max sample rate 2048 A/D sample FIFO with programmable threshold Interrupt-based A/D data transfer with FIFO support Programmable input ranges 4 wide-range analog outputs with simultaneous update capability 12-bit D/A resolution Multi-range autocalibration for highest accuracy 40 digital I/O lines with programmable direction 16-bit and 24-bit counter/timers 4 programmable pulse-width modulation (PWM) outputs Field-upgradeable logic circuit for performance upgrades or custom designs Power Supply 5-28VDC input range standard - direct connect to vehicle power systems 20-48VDC input range optional 40 watts output power (12-16 watts used by CPU) Switched auxiliary power for IDE drives and accessories

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DOWNLOADS Hercules Datasheet (.pdf, 149.7 kb) LG Electronics LP121X04.pdf (.pdf, 219.1 kb) Hercules EBX User Manual (.pdf, 7.9 MB) Universal Driver Reference Manual (.html, 0.6 kb) Autocalibration Technology Backgrounder (.pdf, 112.9 kb) Universal Driver 5.91 for QNX6 (.tar, 380.0 kb) Universal Driver 5.91 for RTLinux (.gz, 139.1 kb) Universal Driver 5.91 for Visual Basic .NET (.zip, 160.9 kb) Universal Driver v5.92 Software Manual (.pdf, 3.0 MB)

End of Life Item: Last Time Buy in Effect Through January 1, 2007
For replacement product see Hercules II

Hercules I EBX format CPU with integrated autocalibrating and DC/DC power supply

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Description System Block Diagram Data Acquisition Circuit Development Kit Cable Kit LCD Kit DAQ Demo Board Device Drivers Specifications AC Adapter Get an online quote

Features Benefits Low-power VIA Eden processor High computing power with reduced power consumption Fanless operation (550MHz) Memory soldered on board Increased reliability and ruggedness Guaranteed compatibility Integrated LCD, CRT, Ethernet, and system I/O Complete PC on a single board On-board DC/DC power supply Suitable for vehicle applications Reduced size and weight Integrated data acquisition circuit with autocalibration Single-board solution for increased reliability Increased measurement accuracy -40/+85ºC operation Compatible with vehicle and outdoor applications Ruggedization capability Customizable for harsh environment applications

Description

Hercules introduces a new level of integration in EBX format CPU boards. Combining processor, data acquisition, and power supply onto one board results in a thinner, lighter, more rugged, and easier to assemble embedded system. This 3-in-1 design addresses the needs of mobile and vehicle applications by offering the benefits of reduced size, weight, cost, and power consumption. The Hercules CPU design is based on the VIA Eden processor chipset, featuring Pentium III class performance with dramatically reduced power consumption. For example 550MHz board consumes only 12 watts max and requires only a small heat sink with no fan to operate at temperatures up to 85oC. The 750MHz version consumes 16 watts and uses a small cooling fan. The advanced data acquisition circuit features autocalibration and fully jumperless configuration feature for maximum accuracy and reliable performance. The built-in DC/DC power supply enables Hercules to be used in a wide range of applications without requiring a separate add-on supply.

Built-In Power Supply

Hercules contains a DC/DC power supply with 40 watts of output power, enough to power the CPU as well as peripherals and add-on boards. The standard input range of 5-28VDC means that Hercules is compatible with a standard off-the-shelf 5V supply as well as a vehicle, battery, or industrial power source. An optional 20-48VDC input range is also available. The on-board supply features ACPI compatibility for intelligent power management.

Advanced Multimedia Features

Hercules contains an integrated S3 ProSavage 4 video circuit. This advanced design provides hardware 2D and 3D acceleration with 32MB video buffer using shared system memory, 128-bit engine architecture, full internal AGP 4x performance, 3DNow! and MMX instruction sets, and high-quality DVD video playback. The video circuit supports CRTs up to 1920x1440 and LVDS LCD panels up to 1400x1050 resolution. Simultaneous CRT and LCD display is supported. Integrated TV-out can produce simultaneous Composite and S-Video out, NTSC or PAL encoding. Audio features include an integrated AC97 digital audio controller and codec. A built-in Hi-Fi stereo speaker amplifier provides 2 watts per channel output power and ultra low-noise sound (SNR > 87dB). Audio I/O signals include Mic in, CD in, Aux in, Line in / Line out, and speaker out. Speaker out is also equipped with DC volume level control for ease of integration.

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	System Block Diagram

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	Data Acquisition Circuit

Hercules includes a complete autocalibrating jumperless analog and digital I/O circuit superior to our top-of-the-line PC/104 board. It contains 32 analog inputs with 16-bit resolution and 250KHz sample rate, backed by a 2K-sample FIFO with programmable threshold. Programmable input ranges from a wide-range +/-10V down to 0-1.25V are provided. The analog circuitry also includes 4 D/A channels with 12-bit resolution and jumperless output range selection and simultaneous update capability. On the digital side, Hercules provides 40 digital I/O lines with programmable direction, as well as two counter/timers for A/D sample rate control, pulse counting, frequency generation, or other applications. Its advanced control logic has more features and flexibility to fit almost any application, such as internal/external A/D clock source, scan and single-sample modes, and our exclusive programmable FIFO threshold that lets you tune the board's performance to your application. Also four independent programmable Pulse-Width Modulation outputs (PWM) are available to users. The data acquisition circuit is fully supported by our Universal Driver software for a wide range of operating systems.

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	Development Kit

A development kit is available with all the hardware you need to get started on your Hercules embedded design project. The kit contains a Hercules CPU board, data acquisition test board, flashdisk module, cable kit, AC power adapter, USB floppy drive, and software CD.

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	Hercules Cable Kit

The Hercules cable kit includes cables for all Hercules I/O except LCD data and backlight, which are included in the LCD kit. A cable kit is strongly recommended for first-time buyers, as many cables are non-standard. All cables are also available individually. Once you know which cables your application requires, you can save money on future orders by purchasing only the ones you need.

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	Hercules LCD Kit

Diamond Systems offers a convenient LCD development kit for applications requiring LCD display. The kit includes a 12.1" diagonal LVDS LCD, a backlight power inverter, and cables for the LCD and backlight. Hercules provides power for the backlight inverter. The LCD cable is also available individually.

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	Hercules Data Acquisition Demo Board

The ACC-HRCDAQ provides a convenient way to test the data acquisition circuitry on our Hercules CPU, to assist in software development or system checkout. (It is not compatible with Athena or Prometheus CPUs.) The board provides an assortment of analog signals that drive the analog inputs of the board in both single-ended and differential mode. The Hercules analog outputs are also routed back to analog input channels for measurement.

Digital I/O signals on port A are looped back to port B, and C high is connected to C low. Pin headers provide access to most analog I/O signals, along with counter/timer and PWM signals, so you can monitor these signals with an oscilloscope or voltmeter.

ACC-HRCDAQ is the size of a PC/104 board and can mount directly on top of Hercules or sit off to the side. It does not use the PC/104 bus connectors. Mating 40-pin and 50-pin ribbon cables are included.

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	Specifications

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The AC adapter provides a convenient way to power your embedded CPU during development or demos. it contains the proper connector for direct connection to the CPU board. Each order ships with the correct power cord for the country for the country of destination.