ECHING, Germany, 29 Jan. 2010 Kontron engineers released the new Kontron microETXexpress -XL featuring the Intel Atom processor Z520PT and Intel System Controller Hub US15WPT for mobile warfighter and industrial applications.

The device has a compact form factor COM Express Type 2 Computer-on-Module specifically designed for use in the industrial temperature E2 range from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius.

The Kontron microETXexpress-XL with the robust COM Express Type 2 connector is specifically designed for applications under extreme environmental conditions ranging from very high to very low temperatures, and especially stressful cycling thermal conditions such as in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which experience high temperatures on the ground and extremely low temperatures at their operational altitude.

Possible other applications include rugged manpack PCs for networked field operators, electronic flight bags for pilots, and in-vehicle PCs for navigation and fleet management (telematics).

ThemicroETXexpress-XL also has a shock- and vibration-resistant design with soldered processor, chipset, and RAM. An optional, on-board solid-state drive also ensures reliable storage in extreme conditions.

The new device supports as much as 2 gigabytes of soldered DDR2 system memory and even offers room for an optional on-board 2 gigabyte solid-state drive (SSD) on the module. It also offers 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x Serial ATA, 1x PATA, and 8x USB 2.0, as well as 2 PCI-Express x1 Lanes and PCI for customer-specific extensions. With the SDVO port for DVI, SDTV and HDTV along with 24-bit single channel LVDS, the Kontron microETXexpress-XL offers connectivity options for various displays and monitors. Intel High Definition audio rounds out the feature set.

The Kontron microETXexpress®-XL is now available globally and supports Linux, QNX, VxWorks, as well as Windows XP, XPe and CE.