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New Nano-ITX 12cm Motherboards
Kris_J writes "mini-itx.com have exclusive pictures of VIA's new 12cm x 12cm motherboard standard they're terming 'Nano-ITX'. VIA have removed the legacy ports, moved to mini-PCI and SODIMMs and now a new batch of custom PC projects can be produced where previously there wasn't quite enough room for the motherboard. I already have an idea..."
The idea is pretty interesting. I can only hope that it turns out better than this article suggests.
The pics are arranged in a three by three grid, but don't bother. Pics one and two are decent, three is okay, and nine is passable, but the rest are so blurry that once you've heard the board is 120 mm square, they're nothing you can't get from just viewing the thumbnails.
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Mom says my
From the Website:
The secret of Nano-ITX is the Nano-BGA (Ball Grid Array) package, which has allowed VIA to squeeze a 1Ghz C3 CPU into just 15mm square
I guess we would see the 800Mhz and 1 GHz Via C3 chips to start
While not the full specs, the screenshot page says...
The secret of Nano-ITX is the Nano-BGA (Ball Grid Array) package, which has allowed VIA to squeeze a 1Ghz C3 CPU into just 15mm square.
So, yep.
Mini-itx was 17x17 centimeters, this is 12x12, so 5cm (or about 2 inches) smaller than a mini-itx.
The RAM slot looks like it takes laptop ram, not stadard desktop DIMMs.
The cpu is a 1Ghz C3 processor, hardwired in (no upgrading that once purchased).
3 sound jacks, ethernet (mini-itx vias are 10/100, i assume this is), 2 USB, video out, PS2 keyboard jack, and a TV output. mouse would have to be via USB.
I love my mini-itx server, which is completely silent running, this thing is even tinier, but with a 1ghz cpu i'll be interested to see if they can make a fanless model. the 1ghz mini-itx boards don't passively cool without gluing on a Zalman flower heatsink.
[/itx-geek]
"You worthless post!"
-Shakespeare, 2 Gentlemen of Verona, 1. 1. 147
here ya go:
TerraSoft's briQ
Been around for a long time, based on powerpc (350 or 800mhz G3, or 500mhz G4), 168pin DIMMs, VFD display included, and runs linux to boot!
Don't sweat the petty things. But do pet the sweaty things.
Mirror!
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use a keyspan usb-to-serial adapter.
that's what mac users have been doing for years...
three can keep a secret, if two are dead - benjamin franklin
Actually, that's exactly the size of a CD jewel case.
Pretty nifty, huh?
Txurlo
Google - it's not just for breakfast any more.
Erik
According to this page, the shown Nano-ITX board got the following details:
- VIA CN400 Chipsatz (FSB 200 Support)
- 1 GHz VIA C3
- VIA VT8237 Southbridge (support for S-ATA)
- Mini-PCI on the back (maybe for WLAN)
- 1x SODIMM RAM Slot
- 1x S-ATA (one Channel)
- 2x IDE (ATA 133)
- TV-Out
- 6-Channel Sound
- DOC (disk-on-chip)
- Size: 12x12 cm
- CPU-Size: 15x15 mm
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One by one the penguins steal my sanity...
There are solid state external power supplies, (usually 55 watt) for sale, and many low-profile cases ship with these as well. You can even buy ones that will run off of a car cigarette lighter. It's only 5 and 12 volts to run everything you need.
That's room for console access, small serial LCD & serial GPS unit. Hmmm..That's one extra serial slot! w00T. BTW, Axion is cheaper than Idot.
LFS. Have you built your system today?
RTFA you idiot, what do you think the small blue connector here is ?
hey just don't come with serial anymore, which makes remote maintenance of headless machines something you'll only be doing with your trusty legacy notebook...
Or with a USB->serial dongle, which are pretty much universal now and bug free.
If you're trying to do magic with the serial port (e.g. - trying to raise specific lines in order to talk to some esoteric device -- been there, done that) then it may not work, but if you're using standard interfaces then they work just fine. Really. They've improved the hardware and drivers since they first appeared and a lot of the issues with the first generation stuff is gone now.
It's a bunch of hardware that very few use, and slashing costs and razor-thin margins dictate that un-needed components will eventually be eliminated.
Eventually, but I'd be surprised if that was widespread in less than 5 years. Quite a few people use the hardware, actually. There's a freaking ton of keyboards and mice out there that use PS/2 ports, legions of switches and UPS's that rely on serial, and a few bazillion printers that use the parallel port. Hell, there are still printers available that only do parallel.
The Abit MAX series hasn't been the runaway favorite that Abit was hoping for. In fact, much of the community it targets - the high end case modders/gamers/geeks shun it because of the lack of older interfaces. After all, it costs nothing extra to get a different board that has just as many IDE controllers, USB ports, firewire, etc. and still has the legacy stuff on board. So why castrate yourself?
The BTX form factor still shows the legacy connectors present in the sample motherboard, and so they're likely to continue for at least one more generation of MBs/cases. I'd bet they'll be in the successor as well.
You obviously have never had to use a PC as a serial console for a headless server.
utter rubbish
This board has two USB 2.0 connectors.
Buy a LinkSys/D-Link/etc. USB ethernet adapter, and you are set to go. They are supported in Windows AND Linux.
--- Generation X: The first generation to have SIG lines inferior to their parents... ---
This company makes several models targetted at routers/firewalls: Soekris Engineering
James
Via does. It's the EPIA-CL. When the mini-itx link comes back online, scroll down the page and you'll find it.
Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor - Ovidius