AAEON EMB-KB1 AMD G-Series SoC based mini-ITX Embedded Motherboard

AMD announced their G-Series SoC combining CPU, GPU and chipset in a single chip nearly a year ago, but AAEON EMB-KB1 is the first mini-ITX board I’ve ever heard of using these embedded SoCs. The board features first generation AMD SoCs in dual and quad core configuration, with up to 16GB RAM, up to 9 USB interfaces, 2 SATA III ports, and 2 USB 3.0 ports.

AAEON EMB-KB1 hardware specifications:

• SoC
  • GX-420CA quad-core CPU @2.0GHz with AMD Radeon HD 8400E GPU @600MHz – 25W TDP
  • GX-217GA dual-core CPU @1.65GHz with AMD Radeon HD 8280E GPU @450MHz – 15W TDP
• System Memory – 2x SODIMM sockets for up to 16GB DDR3/DDR3L @ 1600MHz/1333MHz
• Storage – 2x SATA III (6.0Gb/s)
• I/O Chipset – Fintek F8186D-I
• Connectivity – 2x Gigabit Ethernet (Realtek 8111F)
• Video Output – 1x LVDS, 1x VGA, and 1x DVI up to 1080p or 1920×1200
• Audio – Mic-in, line-out, and internal audio for 2W speaker. Realtek ALC887 audio codec with amplifier.
• USB – 8x USB 2.0 ports (2 on rear panel, 4 on mid-board, 2 on mini card interface), 2x USB 3.0 ports on back panel
• Other I/O:
  • Serial – 5x RS-232, 1x RS-232/422/485
  • 1x PS/2 for keyboard/mouse
  • 8x digital I/O (4 in, 4 out)
  • 2x 4-pin fan connectors
• Expansion slots:
  • PCIe x4 slot
  • Full-size mini card (PCIe, USB, and mSATA) with SIM Card support
  • Half-size mini card (PCIe and USB)
• Misc – Watchdog timer, hardware monitors (temperature, voltage, fan)
• Power – ATX, compliant with EuP / ErP
• Dimensions – 170 x 170mm (Mini-ITX form factor)
• Operating temperature – 0 – 60°C

The boards are sold with a SATA cable, an I/O shield, and a product CD. A USB cable, Heatsink and CPU cooler are available in option. GX-420CA requires a fan, but GX-217GA is a fanless motherboard. The boards are said to support Linux, Windows XP, and Windows 7. A 64 Mbflash ROM is used to stora the AMI BIOS. You’ll notice mention of an I/O chipset (Fintek F81866D-I) which in theory should not be needed since there’s one in the SoC, so I’m not extra sure why it’s there unless it was required to add extra expansion connectors.

As usual for this type of product, pricing is not available, nor is availability. More information, including a “datasheet” and a user’s manual, can be found on AAEON EMB-KB1 product page.

Via Embedded Control Europe

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.

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