While most people don't bother about questioning the platforms behind some of the systems they encounter during their daily lives (such as automotive computers, fleet management, telematics, telecommunications, industrial, healthcare, media and digital signage), the truth of the matter is that this field is a pretty complex one, quite a fair number of manufacturers preparing all sorts of devices specifically for this purpose.

One such manufacturer is Eurotech, which has just announced the availability of the brand-new Intel Atom-based embedded platform, the Catalyst FX. The platform is built around an Intel Atom processor (ranging between 1.1GHz and 1.6GHz), accompanied by 533MHz DDR-2 RAM memory - up to 2GB. The platform also offers an CompactFlash or SD slot option, supports a 2.5-inch SATA disk drive and can be equipped (optionally) with eight GB PATA flash of on-board memory.

The Catalyst FX offers high speed USB, serial ports, SATA drives, and much more. Expansion boards, supplied by Eurotech's design or from a third party, offer multimedia capabilities such as audio, XVGA, LVDS, or HDMI video, and is easily expanded for additional I/O ports. The Catalyst FX supports several wireless options, as well as a u-blox GPS receiver. For fleet management and tracking applications, vehicle power provides trouble-free integration. In addition, the Catalyst FX system supports the Eurotech Everyware Software Framework, a Java-based middleware platform that minimizes time to market and facilitates future expansion.

"The flexibility of the Catalyst FX system makes it stand out as an ideal solution for industries ranging from fleet management to healthcare," said Hilary Tomasson, vice president of marketing for Eurotech Inc. "Eurotech has extensive expertise in delivering application-ready solutions for our OEM customers, and the Catalyst FX system extends that value-add. The Catalyst FX embedded system is perfect for OEMs who need quick and flexible application development options, all within a small form factor and low power draw."

Eurotech's not providing any pricing-related details, so those parties interested in integrating such a system into their various solutions will most likely have to contact the company directly.


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