"The increasing availability of open and affordable hardware platforms is generating an explosion of exciting new concepts for innovation in connected devices, but taking a great idea from prototype to mass production remains the biggest challenge with these types of projects," says Epan Wu, Head of VIA Embedded Platform Division at VIA Technologies, Inc. "Our goal with VIA Springboard is to provide highly stable and scalable development platforms, backed by a comprehensive range of hardware and software support services that will reduce the development costs of new systems and accelerate their time to market.".
VIA Springboard provides a tightly integrated hardware kit platform, software development packages for Android and Linux, and support services covering all stages of development, including rapid system prototyping, application development, software and hardware customization, and pre-production testing and diagnostics. With a three-year warranty, customers can rely on VIA Springboard platforms throughout the entire product lifecycle.
VIA Springboard Kits:
VIA Springboard kits are now available worldwide in two configurations. The VIA VAB-600 Springboard kit includes an ultra-compact VIA VAB-600 Pico-ITX motherboard with an I/O expansion card, an AC power adapter, and COM and USB cables. The VIA VAB-600 Springboard kit also includes a USB Wi-Fi module.
VIA Springboard Software Development Packages:
The VAB-600 board can be configured with either Android or Linux software development packages, which are available for download from the VIA Springboard website.
The Springboard Android software development package is version 4.0.3 and includes code for the kernel and bootloader, as well as a Smart ETK comprising several APIs, including a Watchdog Timer (WTD) for system failure protection, GPIO access, COM port access, a real-time clock (RTC) for automatic power-on, and a sample app. The Springboard Linux software development package includes a pre-built Debian image, the kernel and bootloader codebase, and a toolchain to help with kernel adjustments for pin header leveling on the board, GPIO, I2C, and other hardware features.
VIA VAB-600
Based on the ultra-compact Pico-ITX format, with dimensions of 10 x 7.2 cm, the VIA VAB-600 integrates an ARM Cortex-A9 processor at 800 MHz and has advanced multimedia features, including an integrated multi-standard decoder for playback support of the most in-demand video formats with resolutions up to 1080p.
The VIA VAB-600 features a wide range of I/O functions, including a Mini HDMI port, two Mini-USB 2.0 ports, a 10/100 Ethernet port, and a 12~24V DC-in jack. Other integrated features include 4GB eMMC flash memory, 1GB DDR3 SDRAM, a DVO connector, two COM ports (one for TX/RX only), SPI, a USB 2.0 connector, a mini card slot, touchscreen support, line-in/out headphone and MIC-in inputs, I2C, and a GPIO header. Combining robust functionality across a wide temperature range of 0°C to 60°C with extremely low power consumption, the VIA VAB-600 is designed to operate in the most demanding environments.
VIA VAB-600-A I/O Expansion Card.
The VIA VAB-600-A I/O expansion card adds multiple input and output connections, including audio output and input jacks and two USB ports. Measuring 100mm x 20mm x 1.6mm (L x W x H), the card also features an LED power indicator and a power button, as well as three motherboard connectors and a motherboard-to-board USB connector.
VIA VNT9271 Springboard WiFi USB Module:
The VIA VNT9271 Springboard WiFi USB module allows for quick and convenient integration of high-speed wireless capabilities into the VIA VAB-600 board. Featuring the Atheros AR9271 control chip, this module is fully compliant with IEEE 802.11b/g/n standards, operating from 2.4GHz to 2.5GHz. Furthermore, the module can provide speeds of up to 11Mbps for IEEE 802.11b, 54Mbps for IEEE 802.11g, or 150Mbps for IEEE 802.11n to connect a WiFi client to a local internet network.
