DFI ADN171-CB-N50 Intel N50 (Alder Lake-N) Mini-ITX Mainboard with Dual 2.5GbE and Dual DP

Gateways that poll Modbus meters, log sensor data or translate between serial and Ethernet networks rarely stretch a processor. What they need is ports, low heat and a supply that is already in the cabinet. The ADN171-CB-N50 is the entry build in the DFI ADN171 family of Mini-ITX mainboards, pairing a dual-core processor with the full serial and network I/O of the range.

The Intel Processor N50 runs two Alder Lake-N cores at up to 3.4 GHz in a 6 W TDP, with Intel UHD Graphics for a local display and hardware video decode. Memory is a single DDR5 4800 MHz SO-DIMM of up to 16 GB. If the gateway later picks up analytics or a local HMI, the quad-core ADN171-CB-N97 adds headroom at 12 W, and the ADN171-CB-x7213E keeps two cores but raises memory support to 32 GB.

Six COM ports on internal headers, two RS-232/422/485 and four RS-232, sit alongside an 8-bit DIO and two Intel I226V 2.5GbE ports, which can keep a plant network and an uplink apart. The rear carries two DisplayPort outputs, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 and one USB 2.0 Type-A, with four more USB 2.0 on headers. An M.2 B-key with Nano SIM suits a cellular module for remote sites, and the M.2 E-key, two SATA 3.0 ports and a PCIe x4 slot at x2 Gen3 cover wireless, storage and expansion.

The ADN171-CB-N50 takes 12 V DC on a barrel jack or 4-pin connector and runs fanless from -5 to 65 °C. DFI lists CE, FCC, UKCA, RoHS and KC compliance, and the board supports Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB, Windows 11 and Linux, with a dTPM and a watchdog timer for unattended operation.