The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech introduces the EKI-1121L and 1122L ARM-based Industrial Communication Controllers, which feature a pre-installed embedded Linux operating system for user-developed communications, monitoring and control applications.

These devices are based on an ARM7 SoC (System on Chip), featuring dual 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports, and one or two serial ports, which are software configurable for RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485. The standard configuration includes 16MB of SDRAM, 8MB of flash, and uClinux (an embedded Linux distribution) pre-installed.

"We've developed the EKI-1121L/1122L in response to customer demand for a cost-effective user-programmable platform for remotely monitoring and control of serial connected assets", said Paul Wacker, Advantech's Product Manager for Industrial Communication products. "The inherent networking capabilities of Linux mean these devices are ideal for protocol conversion and store-and-forward data collection gateways".

Compared to x86 based systems, the ARM-based design provides excellent performance and extremely low power operation at the same clock speed. Maximum power consumption is a mere 2.5W.

The EKI-1121L/1122L are also Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Class 1, Division 2 (groups A, B, C, and D) approved, allowing them to be utilized in environments where flammable liquids, gasses and vapors may be present, common to oil & gas, mining, and chemical processing industries.

Application development is supported by a GNU-based C/C++ cross-compiler and tool chain, which allows development on an x86 host running Linux or Windows. A dedicated RS-232 console port is included for direct access and debugging.

Ideal for demanding environments, these ruggedized controllers are designed to withstand extreme shock and vibration, 4,000 VDC Ethernet ESD protection, 3,000 VDC power line surge (EFT) protection, and they feature redundant 12 to 48 VDC power inputs for resiliency. The EKI-1221L an 1122L are packaged in a metal IP30 rated chassis and include DIN-rail and direct panel mounts for easy installation.

For more information or to purchase, please contact Advantech directly or your regional Advantech authorized dealer.