Advantech RSB-3720 User Manual page 58

Thermal Solution Services
To provide customers with more flexible thermal solutions and designs, Advantech
offers thermal solution services that include consultations and customizations.
Standard thermal solutions

Customized thermal solutions

Embedded Software Services
Supports driver, software integration or customized firmware, root file-system and
Linux image. Customer can save lot of time and focus on their core development.
 Embedded Linux/ Android OS
Advantech boot loader Customization

With the spread of industrial computing, a whole range of new applications have been
developed, resulting in a fundamental change in the IPC industry. In the past system
integrators (SI) were used to completing projects without outside assistance but now
such working models have moved on. Due to diverse market demands and intense
competition, cooperation for (both upstream and downstream) vertical inte- gration
has become a much more effective way to create competitive advantages. As a result,
ARM-based CPU modules were born out of this trend. Concentrating all nec- essary
components on the CPU module and placing other parts on the carrier board in
response to market requirements for specialization, provides greater flexibility while
retaining its low power consumption credentials.
Advantech has been involved in the industrial computer industry for many years and
found that customers usually have the following questions when implementing modu-
lar designs.
General I/O Design Capability
Although customers possess the ability for vertical integration and have sufficient
knowledge and professional competence in the specific application field, a lack of
expertise and experience in general power and I/O design can cause challenges,
especially when integrating CPU modules with a carrier board.
Data Acquisition
Even if customers can obtain sufficient information to make the right decision for
specialized vertical applications, some customers encounter difficulties with platform
design in general and communicating with CPU or chipset manufacturers. This can
increase the challenge and risks of designing carrier boards and impacting the prod-
uct's time-to-market.
Software Development and Modification
Compared to x86 architectures, RISC architectures use simpler instruction sets;
therefore, the software for x86 platforms cannot be used on RISC platforms. System
integrators (SIs) must develop unique software for their system and integrate the
hardware and software themselves. Unlike x86 platforms, RISC platforms have less
support for board support packages (BSPs) and drivers. Although driver support is
provided, SIs are still required to integrate them into the system core. Moreover, the
BSPs provided by CPU manufacturers are typically aimed at carrier board design.
Thus, they may not be an appropriate environment for software development.
To address this issue, Advantech proposed the concept of streamlined Design-In
support services for RISC-based computer-on modules (COMs). With a dedicated
design-in services team, Advantech actively participates in carrier board design and
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