Diamond Systems ATHENA IV : ATH4-E3845-8G128A Extended Temperature PC/104 Single Board Computer with COM Express

Test rigs, vehicles and monitoring systems built on PC/104 often record measurements locally before anything is offloaded, and the storage has to cope with the same shock and temperature as the board. The ATH4-E3845-8G128A is the 128 GB eMMC build with data acquisition in the Diamond Systems ATHENA IV series, the fourth Athena generation, which keeps the board shape and most connectors of earlier Athena boards on a replaceable COM Express module.

Diamond lists this 8 GB and 128 GB eMMC configuration with an Intel Atom E3950, a quad-core Apollo Lake processor, on a COM Express Type 10 mini module with the RAM soldered on the module. The 128 GB eMMC is the largest on-module storage in the series, and because the COM sits on a carrier it can be replaced later with little re-engineering. Graphics output covers VGA and single-channel 24-bit LVDS for a local display or flat panel.

The data acquisition circuit gives 16 single-ended or eight differential 16-bit analogue inputs at up to 150 kHz, with fault-protected multiplexers and programmable gain, four 12-bit analogue outputs with simultaneous update, 24 digital I/O lines and two counter/timers, all autocalibrated through Diamond’s Universal Driver software. System I/O covers two Gigabit Ethernet ports, one USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, four RS-232/422/485 ports and HD audio, with an M.2 2230 SATA socket and a 7-pin SATA connector. The ATH4-E3845-8G064A is the 64 GB eMMC build, and the ATH4-E3845-4GA uses an Atom E3845 with 4 GB.

Power is 5 V DC. The ATH4-E3845-8G128A runs fanless from -40 to 85 °C under a heat sink, and I/O modules stack on the PC/104 ISA bus, preferably from the bottom so the heat sink keeps its airflow. Diamond’s ACC-HDDMOUNT accessory can mount a 2.5 inch drive on the stack where even more storage is needed. Windows 10 and Ubuntu Linux are supported, and the board suits both Athena upgrades and new PC/104 systems expected to stay in service for many years.