Diamond Systems ZETA : ZETA-E3940-8G064A Rugged Ultra Compact Type 10 COM Express SBC with DAQ

Vehicle and airborne systems often need analogue sensor inputs alongside the computer, but rarely have room for a separate data acquisition board in the stack. The ZETA-E3940-8G064A puts both on one assembly. It is the Atom E3940 data acquisition build in the Diamond Systems ZETA series: a COM Express SBC made of a COM Express Mini Type 10 module, a same-size carrier board and a heat spreader, supplied pre-assembled.

The Intel Atom E3940 is a quad-core Apollo Lake processor at 1.6 GHz, with 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC on the module for the operating system and application. Because the COM is an industry-standard module, a later processor can replace it in the same form factor with little or no redesign of the system around it. Graphics drive VGA and single-channel 24-bit LVDS, and a watchdog timer is built in.

The data acquisition circuit gives 16 single-ended or eight differential 16-bit analogue inputs at up to 100 kHz aggregate, four 16-bit analogue outputs with a waveform generator, 27 digital I/O lines at 3.3 or 5 V logic, eight 32-bit counter/timers and four 24-bit PWMs, all programmed through Diamond’s Universal Driver library. System I/O covers two Gigabit Ethernet ports, four RS-232/422/485 ports, four USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port, a MiniCard/mSATA socket and a Micro SD socket. The ZETA-E3940-8G064D swaps the analogue circuit for 16 digital I/O lines, and the ZETA-E3950-8G128A pairs the same circuit with an Atom E3950 and 128 GB of eMMC.

Input is 6 to 36 V DC, which suits vehicle supplies directly. The ZETA-E3940-8G064A runs fanless from -40 to 85 °C, measured at the external surface of the bottom heat spreader, which conducts heat into the enclosure and leaves the top side free for expansion. An expansion connector carries two PCIe x1 links, SATA, HD audio and USB 2.0 to Diamond’s optional daughterboards, which add a second MiniCard socket and an M.2 SATA socket. Diamond supports Ubuntu Linux 16.04 LTS and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB.