Diamond Systems HELIX SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER User manual

HELIX SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER
PC/104 SBC with Vortex Processor
and Dual 10/100 Ethernet Switch
Rev A: December 2011
Revision
Date
Comment
A
12/15/2011
Released version
Copyright 2011
FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT Diamond Systems Corporation
PLEASE CONTACT: 555 Ellis Street
Mountain View, CA 94043 USA
[e-mail] Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.diamondsystems.com

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 2
CONTENTS
1. Important Safe Handling Information .............................................................................................................4
2. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................6
3. Functional Block Diagram ...............................................................................................................................8
4. Board Diagram ..................................................................................................................................................9
5. Connector and Jumper Lists........................................................................................................................ 10
5.1 I/O Connectors............................................................................................................................................ 10
5.2 Configuration Jumpers ............................................................................................................................... 10
6. I/O Connectors ............................................................................................................................................... 11
6.1 Multi-Power Input (J4) ................................................................................................................................ 11
6.2 +5V Power (J33)......................................................................................................................................... 11
6.3 Wide Voltage Input Power (J32)................................................................................................................. 11
6.4 I/O Power (J5)............................................................................................................................................. 12
6.5 Serial Ports (J8).......................................................................................................................................... 13
6.6 PS/2 Mouse and Keyboard (J3) ................................................................................................................. 14
6.7 USB (J15, J16) ........................................................................................................................................... 14
6.8 Ethernet (J11, J30, J31) ............................................................................................................................. 15
6.9 VGA (J10)................................................................................................................................................... 15
6.10 LVDS LCD Interface (J13, bottom side of board)....................................................................................... 16
6.11 LCD Backlight (J9)...................................................................................................................................... 16
6.12 IDE (J12)..................................................................................................................................................... 17
6.13 External Battery (J6)................................................................................................................................... 17
6.14 Digital I/O (J7)............................................................................................................................................. 18
6.15 Miscellaneous (J14).................................................................................................................................... 18
6.16 PC/104 ISA Bus (J1, J2)............................................................................................................................. 19
7. Configuration Jumpers ................................................................................................................................. 20
7.1 LCD Backlight Power (J18) ........................................................................................................................ 20
7.2 RS-422/RS-485 Configuration (J25, J26)................................................................................................... 21
8. System Resources......................................................................................................................................... 22
9. Video Features ............................................................................................................................................... 23
9.1 CRT ............................................................................................................................................................ 23
9.2 LCD............................................................................................................................................................. 24
9.3 Changing the LCD / CRT Resolution ......................................................................................................... 25
9.3.1 Modifying the BIOS with a New LCD Resolution............................................................................... 26
9.3.2 Updating the BIOS with SPIFLASH Software.................................................................................... 27
10. Installation and Configuration...................................................................................................................... 28
10.1 Quick Setup................................................................................................................................................ 28
10.2 Boot Device Options................................................................................................................................... 28
11. BIOS Functions.............................................................................................................................................. 29
11.1 Entering the BIOS....................................................................................................................................... 29
11.2 Restoring Default BIOS Settings................................................................................................................ 29
11.3 Setting the Date and Time.......................................................................................................................... 29
11.4 Built-In Flash Drive with FreeDOS.............................................................................................................. 29
11.5 ISA Bus IRQ Reservation........................................................................................................................... 29
11.6 Blue LED..................................................................................................................................................... 30
11.7 ISA Bus Speed ........................................................................................................................................... 30
11.8 Quiet / Quick Boot / Splash Screen............................................................................................................ 30
11.9 Boot Priority................................................................................................................................................ 30
11.10System Reset ............................................................................................................................................. 30
12. Dual Ethernet Switch..................................................................................................................................... 31
12.1 Overview..................................................................................................................................................... 31
12.2 Features...................................................................................................................................................... 31
13. Serial Ports and System Console ................................................................................................................ 32
13.1 Overview..................................................................................................................................................... 32
13.2 Serial port Configuration............................................................................................................................. 32
13.3 Console Redirection to a Serial Port .......................................................................................................... 33
14. Digital I/O Ports.............................................................................................................................................. 34
Vortex Processor Digital I/O Ports....................................................................................................................... 34
15. Watchdog Timer............................................................................................................................................. 36
16. FlashDisk Module .......................................................................................................................................... 38
16.1 Overview..................................................................................................................................................... 38

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16.2 IDE Flashdisk Models and Capacities........................................................................................................ 38
16.3 Configuration and Installation..................................................................................................................... 38
16.4 BIOS FlashDisk Configuration.................................................................................................................... 39
16.5 Using the FlashDisk with Another IDE Drive.............................................................................................. 39
17. Mass Storage Accessories ........................................................................................................................... 40
17.1 ACC-IDEEXT FlashDisk Programmer Board ............................................................................................. 40
17.2 ACC-CFEXT CompactFlash Adapter......................................................................................................... 41
18. I/O Cables ....................................................................................................................................................... 42
19. Specifications................................................................................................................................................. 43

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 4
1. IMPORTANT SAFE HANDLING INFORMATION
WARNING!
ESD-Sensitive Electronic Equipment
Observe ESD-safe handling procedures when working with this product.
Always use this product in a properly grounded work area and wear appropriate
ESD-preventive clothing and/or accessories.
Always store this product in ESD-protective packaging when not in use.
Safe Handling Precautions
The Helix board contains a high number of I/O connectors with connection to sensitive electronic components.
This creates many opportunities for accidental damage during handling, installation and connection to other
equipment. The list here describes common causes of failure found on boards returned to Diamond Systems for
repair. This information is provided as a source of advice to help you prevent damaging your Diamond (or any
vendor‟s) embedded computer boards.
ESD damage –This type of damage is usually almost impossible to detect, because there is no visual sign of
failure or damage. The symptom is that the board eventually simply stops working, because some component
becomes defective. Usually the failure can be identified and the chip can be replaced.
To prevent ESD damage, always follow proper ESD-prevention practices when handling computer boards.
Damage during handling or storage –On some boards we have noticed physical damage from mishandling. A
common observation is that a screwdriver slipped while installing the board, causing a gouge in the PCB surface
and cutting signal traces or damaging components.
Another common observation is damaged board corners, indicating the board was dropped. This may or may not
cause damage to the circuitry, depending on what is near the corner. Most of our boards are designed with at
least 25 mils clearance between the board edge and any component pad, and ground / power planes are at least
20 mils from the edge to avoid possible shorting from this type of damage. However these design rules are not
sufficient to prevent damage in all situations.
A third cause of failure is when a metal screwdriver tip slips, or a screw drops onto the board while it is powered
on, causing a short between a power pin and a signal pin on a component. This can cause overvoltage / power
supply problems described below. To avoid this type of failure, only perform assembly operations when the
system is powered off.
Sometimes boards are stored in racks with slots that grip the edge of the board. This is a common practice for
board manufacturers. However our boards are generally very dense, and if the board has components very close
to the board edge, they can be damaged or even knocked off the board when the board tilts back in the rack.
Diamond recommends that all our boards be stored only in individual ESD-safe packaging. If multiple boards are
stored together, they should be contained in bins with dividers between boards. Do not pile boards on top of each
other or cram too many boards into a small location. This can cause damage to connector pins or fragile
components.
Power supply wired backwards –Our power supplies and boards are not designed to withstand a reverse
power supply connection. This will destroy each IC that is connected to the power supply (i.e. almost all ICs). In
this case the board will most likely will be unrepairable and must be replaced. A chip destroyed by reverse power
or by excessive power will often have a visible hole on the top or show some deformation on the top surface due
to vaporization inside the package. Check twice before applying power!
Board not installed properly in PC/104 stack –A common error is to install a PC/104 board accidentally shifted
by 1 row or 1 column. If the board is installed incorrectly, it is possible for power and ground signals on the bus to
make contact with the wrong pins on the board, which can damage the board. For example, this can damage
components attached to the data bus, because it puts the 12V power supply lines directly on data bus lines.

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 5
Overvoltage on analog input –If a voltage applied to an analog input exceeds the design specification of the
board, the input multiplexor and/or parts behind it can be damaged. Most of our boards will withstand an
erroneous connection of up to 35V on the analog inputs, even when the board is powered off, but not all boards,
and not in all conditions.
Overvoltage on analog output –If an analog output is accidentally connected to another output signal or a
power supply voltage, the output can be damaged. On most of our boards, a short circuit to ground on an analog
output will not cause trouble.
Overvoltage on digital I/O line –If a digital I/O signal is connected to a voltage above the maximum specified
voltage, the digital circuitry can be damaged. On most of our boards the acceptable range of voltages connected
to digital I/O signals is 0-5V, and they can withstand about 0.5V beyond that (-0.5 to 5.5V) before being damaged.
However logic signals at 12V and even 24V are common, and if one of these is connected to a 5V logic chip, the
chip will be damaged, and the damage could even extend past that chip to others in the circuit.
Bent connector pins –This type of problem is often only a cosmetic issue and is easily fixed by bending the pins
back to their proper shape one at a time with needle-nose pliers. The most common cause of bent connector pins
is when a PC/104 board is pulled off the stack by rocking it back and forth left to right, from one end of the
connector to the other. As the board is rocked back and forth it pulls out suddenly, and the pins at the end get
bent significantly. The same situation can occur when pulling a ribbon cable off of a pin header. If the pins are
bent too severely, bending them back can cause them to weaken unacceptably or even break, and the connector
must be replaced.

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2. INTRODUCTION
Helix is an embedded single board computer in the PC/104 small form factor based on the DMP Vortex86DX
family of all-in-one 486 processors. Helix integrates a complete embedded PC plus an additional dual
10/100Bast-T Ethernet switch, and DC/DC power supply, into a single board.
The board includes the following key system features:
Processor and Memory
800MHz Vortex86DX CPU with integrated North Bridge/South Bridge, 10/100 Ethernet MAC/PHY, quad
UART, and flash memory with embedded BIOS
256MB DDR2 RAM system memory
Video Features
PCI interface XGI Volari Z9S chip
Dedicated 32MB video memory
High performance 2D accelerator
18-bit LVDS LCD interface, up to 1600 x 1200
CRT up to 1600 x 1200
Ethernet
2 port 10/100Base-T Micrel Ethernet switch with integrated transceivers
1 10/100Mbps Ethernet circuit integrated into the Vortex processor chip
On-board transformer and termination network for direct connection to Ethernet cabling
Standard Peripheral Interfaces
4 16550-compatible RS-232 ports (2 have RS-422/485 capability)
4 USB 2.0 ports
PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports
The BIOS supports a USB keyboard during BIOS initialization, and it also supports legacy keyboard
emulation via USB for DOS. The USB ports can be used for keyboard and mouse at the same time that
the PS/2 keyboard and mouse are connected.
Mass Storage
44-pin IDE connector for connection to UDMA-100 hard drive or solid state flashdisk module
Mounting spacer for rugged mounting of flashdisk in harsh environment applications
On-board 1.5MB virtual floppy drive in flash memory with FreeDOS pre-installed
Digital I/O
16 digital I/O lines
Bus Interfaces
The Vortex86DX processor generates both PCI and ISA buses for I/O expansion. The 33MHz 32-bit PCI bus is
used internally for the Ethernet circuit and is not brought out to a PCI-104 expansion connector.
The 8MHz 16-bit ISA bus is brought out to a standard PC/104 stackthrough connector, enabling 16-bit and 8-bit
modules to be installed either above or below the board. Interrupt and DMA performance is supported on the ISA
bus. Up to 4 I/O boards can be installed on the ISA bus on Helix, depending on the loading characteristics of the
add-on modules.

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Battery Backup
Helix contains a backup battery for the real-time clock and BIOS settings. The battery is directly soldered to the
board and provides a minimum 7 year backup lifetime at 25°C. For longer lifetime an external battery of 3.3V +/-
10% may be attached to the board.
Watchdog Timer
Helix contains a watchdog timer (WDT) circuit with a software-programmable timer. The time delay can be
programmed, and the timer can be retriggered with an I/O write command. When the timer times out, it will trigger
an IRQ or system reset depending on the user configuration.
Power Supply
Helix offers two options for input power, +5VDC or +7-14VDC. Only one supply should be connected at a time. If
a 5V supply is used, it can be connected to any of 3 different input connectors. Helix requires only +5V +/-5% for
operation.
Mechanical, Electrical and Environmental
PC/104 compliant form factor
-40°C to +71°C ambient operating temperature without a fan

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3. FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM
Functional Block Diagram

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4. BOARD DIAGRAM
The diagram below shows the board layout, including connectors, jumper blocks and mounting holes.
Board Layout

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5. CONNECTOR AND JUMPER LISTS
5.1 I/O Connectors
Connector
Function
J1
PC/104, ISA bus 8-bit connector (rows A, B)
J2
PC/104, ISA bus 16-bit connector (rows C, D)
J3
PS/2 keyboard/mouse
J4
Auxiliary power input
J5
I/O power
J6
External battery
J7
Digital I/O
J8
Serial ports COM1-4
J9
LCD backlight
J10
VGA
J11, J30, J31
Ethernet
J12
IDE
J13
LCD interface (LVDS format) on bottom side
J14
Miscellaneous signals
J15
USB 0/1
J16
USB 2/3
J22
Panel I/O board power input
J24
JTAG for Processor / BIOS flash (Factory Use Only)
J32
Wide voltage power input
J33
Fixed +5VDC input power
5.2 Configuration Jumpers
Jumper
Description
J18
LCD backlight
J25
COM1 RS-422/RS-485 configuration
J26
COM2 RS-422/RS-485 configuration

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6. I/O CONNECTORS
Note: Pins marked as “key” are cut away or removed.
6.1 Multi-Power Input (J4)
Input power may be supplied using either the input power connector J4, the I/O power connector J5, fixed +5V
input J33, wide voltage input J32, or directly through the PC/104 bus power pins, if a PC/104 power supply is
used with the SBC.
The board only requires +5VDC input power to operate. All other required voltages are generated on board. The
+12V, -12V, and -5V inputs are provided for convenience and are passed onto the PC/104 bus but are not used
by Helix. The +3.3V input is passed through to the LCD connector and may be used to power an attached LCD.
Multiple +5V and ground pins are provided for extra current carrying capacity. Each pin is rated at 3A max.
For applications requiring less than 3A, the first four pins may be connected to a standard 4-pin miniature PC
power connector, or the alternate power I/O connector may be used. For a larger PC/104 stack the total power
requirements should be calculated to determine whether additional power input wires are necessary.
1
+5V In
2
Ground
3
Key
4
+12V In
5
Ground
6
+5V In
7
-12V In
8
-5V In
9
+3.3V
Connector type: Standard .1” single row straight pin header with gold flash plating
6.2 +5V Power (J33)
Connector J33 provides a connection for fixed +5V DC input.
+5V
1
2
Ground
Connector type: Standard .1” single row straight pin header with gold flash plating
6.3 Wide Voltage Input Power (J32)
Connector J32 provides a connection for wide voltage input power within the range of +7 to +14VDC.
1
+Vin
2
NC
3
Ground
Connector type: Standard .1” single row straight pin header with gold flash plating

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 12
6.4 I/O Power (J5)
Connector J5 provides an alternate connector for either input power to the system or output power for use with
external drives. This connector mates with Diamond Systems cable number 6981006, which provides a standard
full-size power connector for a hard drive or CD-ROM drive and a standard miniature power connector for a floppy
drive.
1
+5V
2
Ground
3
Ground
4
+12V
Connector type: Standard .1” single row right-angle friction lock pin header

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6.5 Serial Ports (J8)
Connector J8 provides access to the four serial ports of the Vortex CPU. The PORT1 and PORT2 ports are,
independently, jumper-configurable for either RS-232, RS-485 or RS-422 protocol. Jumpers J25 and J26 are
used to select the protocol. The PORT3 and PORT4 ports are fixed RS-232 protocol. All four serial ports can be
independently enabled or disabled in the BIOS.
The following tables list the signal assignments on the pin header for each serial protocol.
In RS-422 and RS-485 modes, the ground on the 5th pin of each port exists only when the “485 GROUND”jumper
is installed on jumper configuration blocks J25 and J26. Otherwise these pins are unconnected.
RS-232 Configuration RS-422 Configuration RS-485 configuration
Port 1
DCD 1
1
2
DSR 1
NC
1
2
NC
NC
1
2
NC
RXD 1
3
4
RTS 1
TXD+ 1
3
4
TXD- 1
TXD/RXD+ 1
3
4
TXD/RXD- 1
TXD 1
5
6
CTS 1
GND *
5
6
RXD- 1
GND *
5
6
NC
DTR 1
7
8
RI 1
RXD+ 1
7
8
NC
NC
7
8
NC
GND
9
10
NC
GND
9
10
NC
GND
9
10
NC
Port 2
DCD 2
11
12
DSR 2
NC
11
12
NC
NC
11
12
NC
RXD 2
13
14
RTS 2
TXD+ 2
13
14
TXD- 2
TXD/RXD+ 2
13
14
TXD/RXD- 2
TXD 2
15
16
CTS 2
GND
15
16
RXD- 2
GND
15
16
NC
DTR 2
17
18
RI 2
RXD+ 2
17
18
NC
NC
17
18
NC
GND
19
20
NC
GND
19
20
NC
GND
19
20
NC
Port 3
DCD 3
21
22
DSR 3
21
22
21
22
RXD 3
23
24
RTS 3
23
24
23
24
TXD 3
25
26
CTS 3
25
26
25
26
DTR 3
27
28
RI 3
27
28
27
28
GND
29
30
NC
29
30
29
30
Port 4
DCD 4
31
32
DSR 4
31
32
31
32
RXD 4
33
34
RTS 4
33
34
33
34
TXD 4
35
36
CTS 4
35
36
35
36
DTR 4
37
38
RI 4
37
38
37
38
GND
39
40
NC
39
40
39
40
Connector type: Standard 2mm dual row straight pin header with gold flash plating
Serial ports are typically used with DB9 connectors. The PC / Helix side of the connection uses a male version of
the connector and uses the DTE (data terminal equipment) pin assignment. The connecting cable will use a
female version of the connector with DCE (data communications equipment) pinout. Diamond‟s cable number
6981166 provides 4 DB9 connectors with DTE pinout. The following diagram shows the DB-9 male connector pin
assignments for each protocol.
In RS-422 and RS-485 modes, the ground on the 3rd pin of each DB9 connector exists only when the “485
GROUND” jumper is installed on jumper configuration blocks J25 and J26. Otherwise these pins are
unconnected.
Pin# RS-232 RS-422 RS-485
1
DCD
NC
NC
2
RXD
TXD+
TXD/RXD+
3
TXD
Ground *
Ground *
4
DTR
RXD+
NC
5
Ground
Ground
Ground
6
DSR
NC
NC
7
RTS
TXD-
TXD/RXD-
8
CTS
NC
NC
9
RI
NC
NC

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6.6 PS/2 Mouse and Keyboard (J3)
Connector J3 provides the standard PS/2 keyboard and mouse signals.
+5V
1
2
Key
KB Data
3
4
MS Data
KB Clk
5
6
MS Clk
Ground
7
8
Key
Signal Definition
+5V System +5V power
KB Data Keyboard data
KB Clk Keyboard clock
MS Data Mouse data
MS Clk Mouse clock
Ground System ground
Key Key pin (missing on pin header, plugged on mating cable)
Connector type: Standard 2mm dual row straight pin header with gold flash plating
6.7 USB (J15, J16)
Helix features four USB 2.0 ports on 2 pin headers. Connector J15 interfaces to USB port 0/1 and connector J16
interfaces to USB ports 2/3. USB 2.0 provides a 480Mbps maximum data transfer rate. The shield pin on each
connector is tied to system ground. Diamond Systems‟ cable number 6981082 mates with these connectors.
J15, USB ports 0 and 1
Key
1
2
Shield
USB1 Pwr-
3
4
USB0 Pwr-
USB1 Data+
5
6
USB0 Data+
USB1 Data-
7
8
USB0 Data-
USB1 Pwr+
9
10
USB0 Pwr+
J16, USB ports 2 and 3
Key
1
2
Shield
USB3 Pwr-
3
4
USB2 Pwr-
USB3 Data+
5
6
USB2 Data+
USB3 Data-
7
8
USB2 Data-
USB3 Pwr+
9
10
USB2 Pwr+
Connector type: Standard 2mm dual row straight pin header with gold flash plating

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6.8 Ethernet (J11, J30, J31)
The 10/100 Base-T, full-duplex Ethernet interface is provided by connectors J11, J30 and J31. J11 provides the
Ethernet port signals driven from the Vortex CPU. J30 and J31 are the two Ethernet ports from the Micrel switch.
All three connectors have the same pinout as shown below.
TX+
1
2
TX-
NC
3
4
RX-
RX+
5
6
NC
Link LED
7
8
Ground
Key
9
10
100 LED
Signal Definition
TX+, TX- Transmit data from CPU
RX+, RX- Receive data by CPU
Link LED Indicates valid connection; referenced to VCC or 3.3V
100 LED Indicates 100Mbps data rate established; referenced to VCC or 3.3V
Ground System ground
Connector type: Standard 2mm dual row straight pin header with gold flash plating
6.9 VGA (J10)
Connector J10 is used to connect a VGA monitor. Although the DDC serial detection pins are present, a 5V power
supply is not provided, and the legacy “Monitor ID” pins are also not used.
RED
1
2
Ground
GREEN
3
4
Key
BLUE
5
6
Ground
HSYNC
7
8
DDC-Data
VSYNC
9
10
DDC-Clock
Signal Name Definition
RED RED signal (positive, 0.7Vpp into 75 Ohm load)
Ground Ground return for RED, GREEN, and BLUE signals
GREEN GREEN signal (positive, 0.7Vpp into 75 Ohm load)
BLUE BLUE signal (positive, 0.7Vpp into 75 Ohm load)
DDC-CLOCK/DATA Signals used for monitor detection (DDC1 specification)
Key Pin missing to match key pin in cable to prevent incorrect connection
Connector type: Standard 2mm dual row straight pin header with gold flash plating

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 16
6.10 LVDS LCD Interface (J13, bottom side of board)
Connector J13 is used to connect an LVDS LCD. The LCD panel power is jumper-selectable for 3.3V (default) or
5V via jumper J18. Helix does not support TTL LCDs.
If needed, the LCD backlight can be connected to connector J9.
1
Ground / D3+, depending on video chip
2
Ground / D3-, depending on video chip
3
Scan Direction (High = Reverse Scan, Low/open = Normal Scan)
4
Frame Rate Control (High = On, Low/open = Off)
5
Signal Ground
6
Pixel Clock +
7
Pixel Clock -
8
Signal Ground
9
D2+
10
D2-
11
Signal Ground
12
D1+
13
D1-
14
Signal Ground
15
D0+
16
D0-
17
Power Ground
18
Power Ground
19
Vcc 3.3V / 5V (jumper configured)
20
Vcc 3.3V / 5V (jumper configured)
Connector Part Numbers:
PCB connector: JAE part no. FI-SE20P-HFE or equivalent
Cable-mount socket: JAE part no. FI-SE20S-2-L or equivalent
6.11 LCD Backlight (J9)
Connector J9 provides the backlight power and control for an optional LCD panel.
1
LCD Power
2
LCD Power
3
Ground
4
Ground
5
Enable (GPIO output), 0 = off, open circuit = on
6
Brightness, 0-5VDC variable; 0V = max, 5V = min
The LCD power is jumper selectable for +5V or +12V. See the description for jumper J18.
The enable signal controls power to the backlight.
If 12VDC is needed for the LCD, it must be provided either on one of the input power connectors or on the 12V
pin (J1, B9) of the PC/104 connector. The board does not generate 12V internally.
The brightness control for the LCD backlight has a weak pull-down resistor to ensure maximum brightness when it
is not connected externally. This signal may be controlled by a GPIO pin on the CPU or by pin 6 on this
connector. A jumper selects the source of the brightness signal to this pin.
Connector Part Numbers:
Connector on CPU board: Molex 53047-0610 or equivalent
Mating cable connector: Socket: Molex 51021-0600 or equivalent
Terminals for mating connector: Molex 50058 / 50079 series or equivalent

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 17
6.12 IDE (J12)
The IDE connector is a standard notebook hard drive type 2x22 (44-pin) 2mm-pitch pin header. It mates with
Diamond Systems‟ cable number 6981004, and may be used to connect up to 2 IDE drives (hard disks, CD-
ROMs, or flashdisk modules). An IDE flashdisk may also be installed on this connector to provide rugged, wide
temperature solid state storage up to 4GB. Pin 20 is removed for keying to prevent incorrect cable installation.
RESET-
1
2
Ground
D7
3
4
D8
D6
5
6
D9
D5
7
8
D10
D4
9
10
D11
D3
11
12
D12
D2
13
14
D13
D1
15
16
D14
D0
17
18
D15
Ground
19
20
Key
DRQ
21
22
Ground
IDEIOW-
23
24
Ground
IDEIOR-
25
26
Ground
IORDY
27
28
Ground
DACK-
29
30
Ground
IRQ14
31
32
Pulled low for 16-bit operation
A1
33
34
Not Used
A0
35
36
A2
CS0-
37
38
CS1-
LED-
39
40
Ground
+5V
41
42
+5V
Ground
43
44
Not Used
Connector type: Standard 2mm dual row SMT straight pin header with gold flash plating
6.13 External Battery (J6)
Connector J6 is used to connect an optional external battery to replace the on-board backup battery. The on-
board battery provides about 7 years of lifetime at an ambient temperature of 25oC. For longer lifetime an external
battery of 3.3V 10% may be connected to this connector.
1
Ground
2
Battery+
Connector type: Standard .1” single row right-angle friction lock pin header

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 18
6.14 Digital I/O (J7)
Connector J7 provides 16 digital I/O lines from the Vortex CPU. These lines are buffered and have ESD
protection to protect the SBC from potential damage. The buffers enable the direction to be programmed in 8-bit
groups, using two additional GPIO lines from the Vortex processor. The direction may be set in the BIOS or by
programming the CPU I/O control registers.
DIO LCA0
1
2
DIO LCA1
DIO LCA2
3
4
DIO LCA3
DIO LCA4
5
6
DIO LCA5
DIO LCA6
7
8
DIO LCA7
DIO LCB0
9
10
DIO LCB1
DIO LCB2
11
12
DIO LCB3
DIO LCB4
13
14
DIO LCB5
DIO LCB6
15
16
DIO LCB7
+5V
17
18
Ground
Key
19
20
Ground
Signal Definition
DIO LCA7-0 GPIO port 0 from Vortex CPU
DIO LCB7-0 GPIO port 1 from Vortex CPU
+5V Connected to main +5V supply
Ground Digital ground
Connector type: Standard 2mm dual row straight pin header with gold flash plating
6.15 Miscellaneous (J14)
Connector J14 provides access to common miscellaneous signals used in a PC application.
Ground
1
2
Reset-
IDE LED
3
4
+5V
Key
5
6
Power LED
Reserved
7
8
LCD Backlight Ctrl
Speaker
9
10
+5V
Signal Definition
Speaker The signal on this pin is referenced to +5V Out. Connect a speaker
between this pin and +5V Out.
IDE Drive LED Referenced to +5V Out. Does not require a series resistor. Connect
LED directly between this pin and +5V Out.
Power LED Referenced to +5V Out. Does not require a series resistor. Connect
LED directly between this pin and +5V Out.
Reset- Connection between this pin and Ground will generate a Reset
condition.
LCD Backlight Ctrl User provided brightness control for the LCD backlight; 0V = max,
5V = min. This signal has a pull-down resistor to ensure maximum
brightness when it is not connected externally.
Reserved Not connected, reserved for future use.
Connector type: Standard 2mm dual row straight pin header with gold flash plating

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 19
6.16 PC/104 ISA Bus (J1, J2)
The PC/104 bus is essentially identical to the ISA Bus except for the physical design. It specifies two pin and
socket connectors for the bus signals. A 64-pin header J1 incorporates the 62-pin 8-bit bus connector signals, and
a 40-pin header J2 incorporates the 36-pin 16-bit bus connector signals. The additional pins on the PC/104
connectors are used as ground or key pins. The female sockets on the top of the board enable stacking another
PC/104 board on top of the board, while the male pins on the bottom enable the board to plug into another board
below it.
In the pinout figures below, the tops correspond to the left edge of the connector when the board is viewed from
the primary side (side with the CPU chip and the female end of the PC/104 connector) and the board is oriented
so that the PC/104 connectors are along the bottom edge of the board.
View from Top of Board
J2: PC/104 16-bit bus connector J1: PC/104 8-bit bus connector
Ground
D0
C0
Ground
IOCHCHK-
A1
B1
Ground
MEMCS16-
D1
C1
SBHE-
SD7
A2
B2
RESET
IOCS16-
D2
C2
LA23
SD6
A3
B3
+5V
IRQ10
D3
C3
LA22
SD5
A4
B4
IRQ9
IRQ11
D4
C4
LA21
SD4
A5
B5
-5V
IRQ12
D5
C5
LA20
SD3
A6
B6
DRQ2
IRQ15
D6
C6
LA19
SD2
A7
B7
-12V
IRQ14
D7
C7
LA18
SD1
A8
B8
0WS-
DACK0-
D8
C8
LA17
SD0
A9
B9
+12V
DRQ0
D9
C9
MEMR-
IOCHRDY
A10
B10
Key (pin cut)
DACK5-
D10
C10
MEMW-
AEN
A11
B11
SMEMW-
DRQ5
D11
C11
SD8
SA19
A12
B12
SMEMR-
DACK6-
D12
C12
SD9
SA18
A13
B13
IOW-
DRQ6
D13
C13
SD10
SA17
A14
B14
IOR-
DACK7-
D14
C14
SD11
SA16
A15
B15
DACK3-
DRQ7
D15
C15
SD12
SA15
A16
B16
DRQ3
+5V
D16
C16
SD13
SA14
A17
B17
DACK1-
MASTER-
D17
C17
SD14
SA13
A18
B18
DRQ1
Ground
D18
C18
SD15
SA12
A19
B19
Refresh-
Ground
D19
C19
Key (pin cut)
SA11
A20
B20
SYSCLK
SA10
A21
B21
IRQ7
SA9
A22
B22
IRQ6
SA8
A23
B23
IRQ5
SA7
A24
B24
IRQ4
SA6
A25
B25
IRQ3
SA5
A26
B26
DACK2-
SA4
A27
B27
TC
SA3
A28
B28
BALE
SA2
A29
B29
+5V
SA1
A30
B30
OSC
SA0
A31
B31
Ground
Ground
A32
B32
Ground

Helix User Manual Rev A www.diamondsystems.com Page 20
7. CONFIGURATION JUMPERS
Helix contains the following configuration jumper blocks. The diagram on page 9 shows the location on the board
of the jumper blocks.
Jumper
Description
J18
LCD backlight
J25
COM1 RS-422/RS-485 configuration
J26
COM2 RS-422/RS-485 configuration
7.1 LCD Backlight Power (J18)
Jumper block J18 configures the voltage supply for the LCD backlight. Although the diagrams below show labels
on the jumper block, there are no labels on the board. The orientation of the block in the diagrams matches the
orientation of the jumper block when the board is rotated so that the PC/104 connector is on the lower edge
(facing you).
Available options are +5V from the main power supply input or +12V from the auxiliary +12V input. +12V is not
used by any circuit on the Helix SBC, so it is not required to provide it on the input power connector. If +12V is
needed for the LCD backlight, and the backlight is to be powered via the backlight power connector J9, then +12V
must be supplied on the main power input connector along with +5V.
+5V power +12V power