Diamond Systems Hercules III User manual

Hercules III User Manual
High Integration EBX SBC with Data Acquisition & DC Power Supply
Rev A.1: April 2015
Revision
Date
Comment
A.0
7/5/13
Initial version
A.1
4/3/15
Minor updates
A.2
5/9/18
Update Manufacturer PN for J35
Copyright 2015-2018
FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT Diamond Systems Corporation
PLEASE CONTACT: 158 Commercial Street
Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA
[e-mail] Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.diamondsystems.com

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. IMPORTANT SAFE HANDLING INFORMATION ..............................................................................................................5
2. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................................7
2.1 FUNCTIONS......................................................................................................................................................................7
2.2 DATA ACQUISITION ...........................................................................................................................................................8
2.3 EXPANSION OPTIONS.........................................................................................................................................................8
2.4 OPERATING SYSTEM SUPPORT.............................................................................................................................................8
2.5 MECHANICAL,ELECTRICAL,ENVIRONMENTAL.........................................................................................................................8
3. GETTING STARTED .......................................................................................................................................................9
3.1 INTRODUCING THE HERCULES III DEVELOPMENT KIT ................................................................................................................9
3.1.1 Hercules III Cable Kit...........................................................................................................................................10
3.2 SYSTEM SETUP ...............................................................................................................................................................11
3.2.1 Unpacking ..........................................................................................................................................................11
3.2.2 Mounting Kit ......................................................................................................................................................11
3.2.3 Keyboard and Mouse .........................................................................................................................................11
3.2.4 mSATA Flashdisk Socket.....................................................................................................................................11
3.2.5 Mass Storage Devices ........................................................................................................................................11
3.2.6 Connecting Power ..............................................................................................................................................11
3.2.7 Display................................................................................................................................................................11
3.3 BOOTING THE SYSTEM .....................................................................................................................................................12
3.3.1 BIOS Setup..........................................................................................................................................................12
3.3.2 Operating System Drivers ..................................................................................................................................12
4. FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW............................................................................................................................................13
4.1 FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM ..........................................................................................................................................13
4.2 FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW...................................................................................................................................................14
4.2.1 CPU Core ............................................................................................................................................................14
4.2.2 Video ..................................................................................................................................................................14
4.2.3 Ethernet .............................................................................................................................................................14
4.2.4 USB.....................................................................................................................................................................14
4.2.5 mSATA Solid State Storage.................................................................................................................................14
4.2.6 Audio ..................................................................................................................................................................14
4.2.7 Serial Ports .........................................................................................................................................................14
4.2.8 GPS Module........................................................................................................................................................14
4.2.9 CAN Interface .....................................................................................................................................................15
4.2.10 Data Acquisition.................................................................................................................................................15
4.2.11 PC/104-Plus Expansion Bus ................................................................................................................................15
4.2.12 Power Supply......................................................................................................................................................15
4.2.13 Battery Backup...................................................................................................................................................15
4.2.14 Watchdog Timer ................................................................................................................................................15
4.2.15 BIOS....................................................................................................................................................................16
5. BOARD LAYOUT .........................................................................................................................................................16
5.1 CONNECTOR SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................................17
5.2 JUMPER SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................................17
6. CONNECTORS.............................................................................................................................................................18
6.1 PC/104 ISA BUS (J1, J2) ................................................................................................................................................18
6.2 PCI-104 BUS (J3) ..........................................................................................................................................................19
6.3 SATA (J4) ....................................................................................................................................................................19
6.4 UTILITY (J7)...................................................................................................................................................................20

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6.5 DIGITAL I/O (J8) ............................................................................................................................................................20
6.6 ANALOG I/O (J9) ...........................................................................................................................................................22
6.7 GIGABIT ETHERNET (J10, J11) ..........................................................................................................................................22
6.8 AUDIO (J12)..................................................................................................................................................................23
6.9 AUDIO AMP (J13) .........................................................................................................................................................23
6.10 EXTERNAL AUXILIARY POWER (J15) ...................................................................................................................................23
6.11 SERIAL PORTS 1, 2, 3, 4(J18) ..........................................................................................................................................24
6.12 EXTERNAL BATTERY (J20).................................................................................................................................................24
6.13 USB (J21, J22) .............................................................................................................................................................25
6.14 LCD PANEL,LVDS INTERFACE (J24) ..................................................................................................................................25
6.15 VGA (J25)....................................................................................................................................................................26
6.16 SERIAL PORTS 5, 6(J27)..................................................................................................................................................27
6.17 LCD BACKLIGHT (J28).....................................................................................................................................................27
6.18 CAN (J32)....................................................................................................................................................................28
6.19 POWER INPUT (J33)........................................................................................................................................................28
6.20 MSATA (J35)................................................................................................................................................................29
6.21 PCIE MINICARD (J36).....................................................................................................................................................30
7. JUMPER CONFIGURATION.......................................................................................................................................... 31
7.1 COM3 &COM4 RS-422/285 TERMINATION (JP2) ...........................................................................................................31
7.2 DIGITAL I/O CONFIGURATION (JP3)...................................................................................................................................31
7.3 LCD PANEL CONFIGURATION (JP4, JP5, JP6)......................................................................................................................32
7.4 IRQ &FPGA ADDRESS SELECTION (JP7)............................................................................................................................32
7.5 PCI-104 CONNECTOR VIO (JP9) ......................................................................................................................................33
7.6 COM3 &COM4 CONFIGURATION (JP10, JP11) ................................................................................................................33
8. SYSTEM OPERATION ..................................................................................................................................................34
8.1 SYSTEM RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................................34
8.2 CONSOLE REDIRECTION TO A SERIAL PORT ...........................................................................................................................34
8.3 WATCHDOG TIMER .........................................................................................................................................................35
8.4 BACKUP BATTERY............................................................................................................................................................35
8.5 SYSTEM RESET................................................................................................................................................................36
9. BIOS ...........................................................................................................................................................................36
9.1 BIOS SETTINGS ..............................................................................................................................................................36
9.1.1 Serial Ports .........................................................................................................................................................36
9.1.2 LCD Video Settings .............................................................................................................................................36
9.1.3 Miscellaneous Settings.......................................................................................................................................37
9.2 BIOS CONSOLE REDIRECTION SETTINGS ..............................................................................................................................38
10. SYSTEM I/O ............................................................................................................................................................38
10.1 ETHERNET .....................................................................................................................................................................38
10.2 SERIAL PORTS.................................................................................................................................................................39
10.3 USB PORTS ...................................................................................................................................................................39
11. OPERATING SYSTEMS AND BOOTING PROCEDURES ............................................................................................... 40
11.1 WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM INSTALLATION ISSUES ...........................................................................................................40
11.1.1 Driver Installation...............................................................................................................................................40
11.1.2 BIOS Setting for Windows ..................................................................................................................................40
11.2 DOSOPERATING SYSTEMS INSTALLATION ISSUES..................................................................................................................40
12. DATA ACQUISITION CIRCUIT................................................................................................................................... 41
13. ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL INPUT RANGES AND RESOLUTION ........................................................................................ 66
13.1 OVERVIEW.....................................................................................................................................................................66
13.1.1 Input Range Selection ........................................................................................................................................66
13.1.2 Input Range Table ..............................................................................................................................................66

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14. PERFORMING AN A/D CONVERSION ......................................................................................................................67
14.1 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................................................67
14.2 SELECT THE INPUT CHANNEL .............................................................................................................................................67
14.3 SELECT THE INPUT RANGE.................................................................................................................................................67
14.4 WAIT FOR ANALOG INPUT CIRCUIT TO SETTLE ......................................................................................................................67
14.5 PERFORM AN A/D CONVERSION ON THE CURRENT CHANNEL ..................................................................................................67
14.6 WAIT FOR THE CONVERSION TO FINISH ...............................................................................................................................68
14.7 READ THE DATA FROM THE BOARD.....................................................................................................................................68
14.8 CONVERT THE NUMERICAL DATA TO A MEANINGFUL VALUE .....................................................................................................68
14.8.1 Conversion Formula for Bipolar Input Ranges ...................................................................................................69
14.8.2 Conversion Formula for Unipolar Input Ranges .................................................................................................69
15. A/D SCAN, INTERRUPT AND FIFO OPERATION........................................................................................................70
16. DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG OUTPUT RANGES AND RESOLUTION ....................................................................................71
16.1 DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................................................................71
16.2 RESOLUTION ..................................................................................................................................................................72
16.3 OUTPUT RANGE SELECTION ..............................................................................................................................................72
16.4 D/A CONVERSION FORMULAS AND TABLES..........................................................................................................................73
16.4.1 D/A Conversion Formulas for Unipolar Output Ranges .....................................................................................73
16.4.2 D/A Conversion Formulas for Bipolar Output Ranges ........................................................................................74
17. GENERATING AN ANALOG OUTPUT........................................................................................................................75
17.1 COMPUTE THE D/A CODE FOR THE DESIRED OUTPUT VOLTAGE...............................................................................................75
17.2 WRITE THE VALUE TO THE SELECTED OUTPUT CHANNEL REGISTERS ..........................................................................................75
17.3 WAIT FOR THE D/A TO UPDATE.........................................................................................................................................75
18. ANALOG CIRCUIT CALIBRATION .............................................................................................................................76
19. DIGITAL I/O OPERATION ........................................................................................................................................77
20. COUNTER/TIMER OPERATION................................................................................................................................ 78
20.1 COUNTER 0–A/D SAMPLE CONTROL ................................................................................................................................78
20.2 COUNTER 1–COUNTING/TOTALIZING FUNCTIONS................................................................................................................78
20.3 COMMAND SEQUENCES ...................................................................................................................................................79
20.3.1 Load and Enable (Run) a Counter Sequence ......................................................................................................79
20.3.2 Read a Counter Sequence ..................................................................................................................................79
20.3.3 Disabling the Counter Gate Command...............................................................................................................80
20.3.4 Clearing a Counter Sequence .............................................................................................................................80
21. WATCHDOG TIMER PROGRAMMING .....................................................................................................................81
21.1 WATCHDOG TIMER REGISTER DETAILS ................................................................................................................................81
22. DATA ACQUISITION SPECIFICATIONS...................................................................................................................... 83
22.1 ANALOG INPUTS (DATA ACQUISITION UNITS ONLY).................................................................................................................83
22.2 ANALOG OUTPUTS (DATA ACQUISITION UNITS ONLY) .............................................................................................................83
22.3 DIGITAL I/O...................................................................................................................................................................83
22.4 COUNTER/TIMERS (DATA ACQUISITION UNITS ONLY)..............................................................................................................83
23. MSATA FLASHDISK MODULE .................................................................................................................................. 84
24. SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 85
24.1 CPU.............................................................................................................................................................................85
24.2 DATA ACQUISITION CIRCUITRY ..........................................................................................................................................85
24.3 POWER SUPPLY ..............................................................................................................................................................86
24.4 GENERAL.......................................................................................................................................................................86

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 5
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 Hercules III SBC 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 cannot be repaired 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.

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 6
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
Hercules III is an embedded single-board computer (SBC) in the EBX small form factor that integrates a complete
embedded PC, data acquisition circuitry, and DC power supply into a single board.
The Hercules III SBC is based on an Intel E680T CPU with onboard central processing, memory and memory
management devices and I/O management for specific functions. The Hercules III SBC includes the following
additional features.
•Communicates externally over the ISA bus, PCI bus, and I/O ports
•Generates on-board RGB video for CRT display systems
•Contains LVDS formatting to drive a flat panel
•Is powered from an external +7-40VDC wide voltage input
One standard model of Hercules III with data acquisition is available as shown in the following table. Three other
models are available with a minimum order of 50 units.
Model
Processor Speed
RAM Size
Data Acquisition
Availability
HRCE1600A-1G
1.6GHz
1GB
Yes
Standard model
HRCE1600D-1G
1.6GHz
1GB
DIO only
MOQ of 50
HRCE1600A-2G
1.6GHz
2GB
Yes
MOQ of 50
HRCE1600D-2G
1.6GHz
2GB
DIO only
MOQ of 50
The Hercules III SBC brings the ISA and PCI buses out to an expansion connector to mate with add-on boards.
Diamond Systems manufactures a wide variety of compatible PC/104-Plus add-on boards for analog I/O, digital
I/O, counter/timer functions, serial ports and power supplies.
2.1 Functions
The Hercules III board includes the following key system and data acquisition features. The functions listed below
are applicable for all models.
1.6GHz Intel Atom E680T “Tunnel Creek” processor (Queensbay platform)
1GB or 2GB SDRAM soldered on-board
2 Gigabit Ethernet ports on pin header, with on-board magnetics
5 USB 2.0 ports
1 USB 2.0 device port
2 RS-232/422/485 serial ports
4 fixed RS-232 serial ports
LVDS flat panel interface
VGA or LVDS interface up to 1600 x 1200 maximum
1 SATA port
1 mSATA disk module interface
1 CANbus 2.0 port
40 digital I/O lines with programmable direction
HD Audio CODEC
+7V to +40V DC/DC wide range power supply with 35W available for add-on accessories or modules

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 8
2.2 Data Acquisition
The functions listed below are applicable to the data acquisition versions only.
32 channel 16-bit A/D, 250KHz maximum sample rate
Single-ended or differential mode
Programmable input ranges +/-10V, +/-5V, +/-2.5V, +/-1.25V, 0-10V, 0-5V, 0-2.5V
Interrupt-based sampling with 2048-sample programmable FIFO
4 12-bit D/A channels
Output ranges: +/-10V, +/-5V, 0-10V, 0-5V
4 pulse width modulation circuits
Watchdog timer
1 24-bit and 1 16-bit counter/timer for A/D sample rate control, event counting, and programmable
interrupts
Auto-calibration with Universal Driver software support
2.3 Expansion Options
mSATA flashdisk mounting capability
PC/104-Plus expansion connector
PCIe MiniCard and GPS receiver sockets
2.4 Operating System Support
Windows Embedded Standard 7
Linux 2.6
Windows CE 6.0 R3
2.5 Mechanical, Electrical, Environmental
EBX form factor, 5.75”W x 8.0”H, identical to Hercules II
Fanless heat sink on top side
-40°C to +85°C ambient operating temperature without a fan
MIL-STD-202G shock and vibration compliant
Power input requirements: +7-40VDC +/- 5%

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 9
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.
Please refer to page 5 of this manual (“Important Safe-Handling Information”) for further
details.
3. GETTING STARTED
First-time Hercules III SBC users normally receive the product as part of Diamond’s Hercules III Development Kit,
which provides everything needed to ensure rapid application development. This section of the Hercules III User
Manual covers basic hardware setup, power connection, system boot-up, and initial software configuration. After
Hercules III is up and running, refer to the later sections of this manual for the detailed hardware and software
reference information needed to adapt the product to specific applications.
3.1 Introducing the Hercules III Development Kit
The Hercules III Development Kit (DK-HRCE-A-xxx) provides everything required for Hercules III based rapid
application development. Development Kits are available with bootable images of Linux, Windows Embedded 7
and Windows CE. The various Development Kits are as follows:
DK-HRCE-A-LNX Development Kit with bootable Linux operating system
DK-HRCE-A-WE7 Development Kit with bootable Windows Embedded 7 operating system
DK-HRCE-A-WCE Development Kit with bootable Windows CE 6 operating system
The table on the next page lists the boards, cables, and other items included.

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 10
Item
Diamond P/N
Description
1
HRCE1600A-1G
Hercules III SBC, 1.6GHz Atom E680T CPU, 1GB SDRAM, Data
Acquisition
2
889210x
16GB mSATA MLC flashdisk with bootable OS pre-loaded
(based on the Kit ordered)
3
C-HRCE-KIT
Hercules III Cable Kit
4
PS-12V-01
12V AC Power Adapter
5
7460001
Hercules III Quick Start Guide
6
6710010
Diamond Systems Software and Documentation CD
7
DOC-PKG
Diamond Systems Document Package
8
MTG104
PC/104 Mounting Hardware Kit
9
7492100/7492103
BSP Quickstart guide (based on the Kit ordered)
10
7482100/7482103
BSP User Manual (based on the Kit ordered)
3.1.1 Hercules III Cable Kit
The Hercules III Cable Kit (number C-HRCE-KIT) provides convenient access to most of Hercules III’s I/O
features. The kit’s cable assemblies are identified in the following table.
Number
Quantity
Cable No.
Description
Connects to …
1
1
6981006
Power out cable
J15
2
1
6981011
External battery cable
J20
3
1
6981012
Dual USB cable
J21, J22
4
1
6981015
Power input cable
J33
5
1
6981018
Speaker output cable
J13
6
1
6981022
PS/2 keyboard & mouse cable
J6
7
1
6981024
VGA cable
J25
8
1
6981025
Audio I/O cable
J12
9
2
6981080
Ethernet cable
J10, J11
10
1
6981314
CANbus cable
J32
11
1
8180020
Utility board
12
1
C-20-18
Utility signals cable
J7
13
1
C-40-18
Analog I/O cable
J9
14
1
C-50-18
Digital I/O cable
J8
15
1
C-DB9M-2
Serial port 5 & 6 cable
J18
16
1
C-DB9M-4
Serial ports 1 -- 4 cable
J27
Note: On each interface cable, the end of the cable connector that has a red wire going to it
should be oriented toward the end of the board connector that is labeled “pin 1” (typically the pin
with a square pad on the PCB).

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 11
Caution! Be sure the PS-12V-01 AC power adapter is disconnected
from its AC power source prior to performing the following step.
3.2 System Setup
This section outlines a simple process for preparing Hercules III for first-time operation using the Hercules III
Development Kit. Additional details regarding Hercules III’s interface functions and connections may be found in
Section 6 of this document (Connectors).
3.2.1 Unpacking
Unpack and remove the Hercules III single board computer from its packaging.
3.2.2 Mounting Kit
Install the four standoffs found in the mounting kit (MTG104) into the four PC/104 mounting holes located on the
board. This ensures that the board will not touch the surface beneath it, and helps redistribute the force when you
push connectors onto the board.
3.2.3 Keyboard and Mouse
Hercules III supports operation using a PS/2-based keyboard and mouse devices. Plug the keyboard and mouse
connectors into the appropriate connectors on the Main I/O cable in the Hercules III Cable Kit (cable number
6981022). Connect the end of the cable into connector J16 on Hercules III.
3.2.4 mSATA Flashdisk Socket
Hercules III provides a location for on-board installation of an optional mSATA flashdisk on connector J35. Plug
the mSATA flashdisk module in the Development Kit into connector J35 on Hercules III. Remove the screw from
the mounting stand-off before installing the flashdisk. Secure the flashdisk to Hercules III with the screw once the
flashdisk is installed.
3.2.5 Mass Storage Devices
If desired, connect SATA hard drives to Hercules III by connecting a SATA cable to SATA connector J4 and then
to the SATA drive. Hercules III can operate with a combination of SATA and CD-ROM drives, and can boot from
either of them.
3.2.6 Connecting Power
Connect cable 6981015 to the PS-12V-01 AC power adapter or an ATX power supply. Connect the other end of
the 6981015 cable to connector J33 on the Hercules III SBC.
3.2.7 Display
Hercules III provides interfaces for both LVDS flat panel displays and VGA output. Connect the VGA cable,
6981024, between the VGA connector, J25, and a VGA-compatible display.

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3.3 Booting the System
Power-up the VGA video monitor. Then plug the PS-12V-01 AC power adapter to an AC outlet. Hercules III
should begin its boot-up sequence immediately, as evidenced by BIOS messages on the connected VGA display.
You can run the BIOS Setup utility and proceed to install an operating system on the boot drive just as you would
on a normal desktop PC.
3.3.1 BIOS Setup
Hercules III’s BIOS provides a wide range of configuration options. When you power up Hercules III for the first
time, you should immediately enter the BIOS “Setup” utility in order to adjust BIOS settings to match your
system’s peripheral devices and other requirements, and to configure various other hardware and software
parameters.
Options configurable via Setup typically include:
•Number and type of mass storage devices
•Boot device priority (default is mSATA)
•Video display type and resolution
•USB, SATA, serial, and parallel interface modes and protocols
•PCI and PnP configuration
•Power management setup
•Automatic power-up after LAN connection, RTC alarm, power resumption, etc.
•System monitoring and security functions
3.3.2 Operating System Drivers
Hercules III will boot and run the operating system from the mSATA flashdisk as defined by which Development
Kit was ordered. Hercules III should now be fully operational.
If you desire to run a different operating system, depending on the operating system to be installed, it may be
necessary to install software drivers for on-board interface controllers. Drivers for Windows XP, Windows
Embedded Standard 7, Windows Embedded CE, and Linux 2.6, if required, are included on the Software and
Documentation CD that is included in the Hercules III Development Kit.

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4. FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW
4.1 Functional Block Diagram

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4.2 Functional Overview
This section describes the major Hercules III subsystems.
4.2.1 CPU Core
Hercules III’s core embedded computer circuit features the ultra low power Intel Atom “Queensbay” extended
temperature platform, consisting of an Atom processor (“Tunnel Creek”) with I/O Hub (“Topcliff”). The rest of the
circuit consists of 1GB or 2GB of on-board SDRAM memory, display controller with LVDS and onboard VGA/ DVI
converter, plus SATA, USB, serial port and LAN interfaces. Off-board system buses include PCI Express and ISA.
4.2.2 Video
The video circuit consists of Intel’s integrated GMA500 controller with dual independent display support. A 24-bit,
single-channel LVDS hardware interface is provided as an interface to LCD displays. The LVDS transmitter
operates at 112MHz, with resolutions up to 1366x768 pixels.
CRT resolution of up to 1280x1024 pixels is supported by conversion from the Tunnel Creek through a single
SDVO interface to analog VGA with a Chrontel chip.
Simultaneous CRT and LCD support is provided.
In addition, the chipset integrated video controller provides hardware acceleration for H.264, MPEG2, VC1 and
WMV9 video decoding standards.
4.2.3 Ethernet
Hercules III provides dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, one supported from the Top Cliff’s internal MAC and the other
from the Intel 82574IT Gigabit MAC/PHY. Both ports provide a vertical RJ-45 connector with integrated agnetic.
The Wake-On-LAN feature requires integration with the board’s power supply and Hercules III BIOS.
4.2.4 USB
Hercules III offers 5 user accessible USB 2.0 ports. All ports have minimum 500mA per port drive capability with
short circuit / over current and ESD protection on each port. All of the ports are brought out to I/O connectors for
user access.
4.2.5 mSATA Solid State Storage
A mSATA connector provides mounting for a solid state bootable USB flashdisk module with capacity up to 64GB.
Both MLC and SLC mSATA devices are supported and available.
4.2.6 Audio
Hercules III provides HD audio support from the Tunnel Creek CPU via a Realtek ALC262 high definition CODEC.
Audio I/O includes stereo line in, stereo line out, amplified out and mono mic in. The board includes audio power
amplifier circuitry for stereo speaker output. The amplifier circuit is powered by +5VDC from the board. User DC
control of volume is provided which overrides the software settings.
4.2.7 Serial Ports
Hercules III provides six serial ports with varying protocols and signal availability. The SCH3116 provides all of
the serial ports. Two of the serial ports (COM3 & COM4) support RS-232/422/485 protocols. The other four ports
(COM1, COM2, COM5, & COM6) support RS-232 only.
The BIOS supports serial console redirection on COM1. This feature enables keyboard input and character video
output to be routed to COM1.
4.2.8 GPS Module
Hercules III supports a plug-in Condor C2626 GPS module. The Condor C2626 provides an L1 Frequency
(1575.42MHz) GPS receiver with NMEA protocol from a serial port. UART1 from Top Cliff is interfaced with the
GPS module.

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 15
4.2.9 CAN Interface
Hercules III provides one channel of CAN 2.0 with transceiver.
4.2.10 Data Acquisition
The board provides the following data acquisition capabilities.
Type of I/O
Characteristics
Analog Input
32 single-ended/16 differential inputs, 16-bit resolution.
250KHz maximum aggregate A/D sampling rate.
Programmable input ranges/gains:
+/-10V, +/-5V, +/-2.5V, +/-1.25V, 0-10V, 0-5V, 0-2.5V.
A/D 2048 FIFO for reliable high-speed sampling and scan operation.
Analog Output
Four analog outputs, 12-bit resolution.
±10V and 0-10V output ranges.
Indefinite short circuit protection on outputs.
PWM
4 pulse width modulator circuits
Digital I/O
40 programmable digital I/O, 3.3V and 5V logic compatible.
Counter/Timers
One 24-bit counter/timer for A/D sampling rate control.
One 16-bit counter/timer for user counting and timing functions.
On board I2C flash EEROM is provided for auto-calibration value storage.
4.2.11 PC/104-Plus Expansion Bus
The PC/104-Plus expansion bus offers both the ISA bus and PCI bus, and enables installation of additional I/O
boards. It consists of two stack-through connectors press-fit onto the board, enabling expansion both above and
below the board.
4.2.12 Power Supply
Hercules III contains an on-board DC/DC power supply with 55 watts of output power. With approximately 13.8W
required to power the SBC, this leaves 35W available to power peripherals and add-on boards. The +7-40VDC
input range means that Hercules III is compatible with vehicle, battery or industrial power sources. The on-board
supply features ACPI compatibility for intelligent power management.
4.2.13 Battery Backup
Hercules III includes a backup battery for CMOS RAM and real-time clock backup. The battery is mounted on the
top side of the board. The battery provides a minimum of 5 years backup capability at 25oC with the system
powered off.
A connector and jumper are provided to disable the on-board battery and enable use of an external battery
instead. External battery voltage requirement is 3.3V +/- 10%. The jumper also clears the CMOS RAM when it is
removed and no external battery is connected.
4.2.14 Watchdog Timer
A programmable watchdog timer (WDT) is included to provide an automatic reset in case of system hang. The
WDT may be retriggered either by a software command or a digital input. The system will reset when the WDT is
enabled and expires. The WDT circuitry is integrated in the FPGA chip.

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 16
4.2.15 BIOS
The AMI BIOS includes the following key features:
Boot from LAN (PXE) and USB as well as C: and D:
User selectable Master boot device selection
Free boot sequence configuration
Support for various LCD configurations supported by the video chipset
Console (display and keyboard) redirection to serial port
DSC-configurable default settings in battery-less configurations
Initialize USB keyboard & mouse
Customizable splash screen
5. BOARD LAYOUT
The figure below shows the Hercules III board layout, including connectors, jumper blocks and mounting holes.
J25
J23
J18
J27
J36
JP9
JP2
JP11
JP10
J34
J15
J12
J13
J11
J10
J9
J8
SKT2
J14
JP7
JP3
J7
J6
J1
J2
J5
J29
J4
J32
J28
J19
J22
J21
JP6
J24
JP4
J20
J37
J35
J3
JP5

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 17
5.1 Connector Summary
The following table lists the connectors on the Hercules III SBC.
Connector
Description
J1
PC/104, ISA bus A,B
J2
PC/104, ISA bus C,D
J3
PCI-104, PCI bus
J4
SATA
J6
PS/2 Keyboard & Mouse
J7
Utility
J8
Digital I/O
J9
Analog I/O
J10, J11
Gigabit Ethernet
J12
Audio I/O
J13
Audio Amp
J14
ADC Calibration
J15
External Auxiliary Power
J18
Serial Ports 1, 2, 3, & 4
J20
External Battery
J21
USB 0/1
J22
USB 2/3
J23
USB 4 , USB Device
J24
LVDS LCD
J25
VGA
J27
Serial Ports 5 & 6
J28
LCD backlight power
J32
CANbus
J29
Power Input
J34
GPS PPS
J35
mSATA Socket
J36
PCIe MiniCard Socket
SKT2
GPS Socket
5.2 Jumper Summary
The following table lists the jumper blocks on the Hercules III SBC.
Jumper
Description
JP2
COM3 & COM4 RS-485/422 termination
JP3
Digital I/O configuration
JP4
LCD VDD select
JP5
LCD backlight VDD select
JP6
LCD scan direction and frame rate setting
JP7
IRQ & FPGA address selection
JP9
PC/104-Plus VIO selection
JP10
COM3 configuration
JP11
COM4 configuration

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 18
6. CONNECTORS
This section describes the on-board Hercules III connectors.
Note: All cables mentioned in this chapter are included in Diamond Systems’ cable kit C-HRCE-KIT.
Some cables are also available individually.
6.1 PC/104 ISA Bus (J1, J2)
Connectors J1 and J2 carry the ISA bus signals. The following diagram shows the PC/104 A and B pin layout for
J1 and the C and D pin layout for J2.
J1
J2
IOCHCHK-
A1
B1
Ground
Ground
C0
D0
Ground
SD7
A2
B2
RESETDRV
SBHE-
C1
D1
MEMCS16--
SD6
A3
B3
+5V
LA23
C2
D2
IOCS16-
SD5
A4
B4
IRQ9
LA22
C3
D3
IRQ10
SD4
A5
B5
-5V
LA21
C4
D4
IRQ11
SD3
A6
B6
DRQ2
LA20
C5
D5
IRQ12
SD2
A7
B7
-12V
LA19
C6
D6
IRQ15
SD1
A8
B8
ENDXFR-
LA18
C7
D7
IRQ14
SD0
A9
B9
+12V
LA17
C8
D8
DACK0-
IOCHRDY
A10
B10
Key
MEMR-
C9
D9
DRQ0
AEN
A11
B11
SMEMW-
MEMW-
C10
D10
DACK5-
SA19
A12
B12
SMEMR-
SD8
C11
D11
DRQ5
SA18
A13
B13
IOW-
SD9
C12
D12
DACK6-
SA17
A14
B14
IOR-
SD10
C13
D13
DRQ6
SA16
A15
B15
DACK3-
SD11
C14
D14
DACK7-
SA15
A16
B16
DRQ3
SD12
C15
D15
DRQ7
SA14
A17
B17
DACK1-
SD13
C16
D16
+5
SA13
A18
B18
DRQ1
SD14
C17
D17
MASTER-
SA12
A19
B19
REFRESH-
SD15
C18
D18
Ground
SA11
A20
B20
SYSCLK
Key
C19
D19
Ground
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

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 19
6.2 PCI-104 Bus (J3)
The PCI-104 bus connector is a non-stackthrough connector with short PCB pins. The bus stacks upward only.
No pin shroud is required on the bottom side.
J3
Pin
A
B
C
D
1
GND/5.0V KEY2
Reserved
+5
AD00
2
VI/O
AD02
AD01
+5V
3
AD05
GND
AD04
AD03
4
C/BE0*
AD07
GND
AD06
5
GND
AD09
AD08
GND
6
AD11
VI/O
AD10
M66EN
7
AD14
AD13
GND
AD12
8
+3.3V
C/BE1*
AD15
+3.3V
9
SERR*
GND
SB0*
PAR
10
GND
PERR*
+3.3V
SDONE
11
STOP*
+3.3V
LOCK*
GND
12
+3.3V
TRDY*
GND
DEVSEL*
13
FRAME*
GND
IRDY*
+3.3V
14
GND
AD16
+3.3V
C/BE2*
15
AD18
+3.3V
AD17
GND
16
AD21
AD20
GND
AD19
17
+3.3V
AD23
AD22
+3.3V
18
IDSEL0
GND
IDSEL1
IDSEL2
19
AD24
C/BE3*
VI/O
IDSEL3
20
GND
AD26
AD25
GND
21
AD29
+5V
AD28
AD27
22
+5V
AD30
GND
AD31
23
REQ0*
GND
REQ1*
VI/O
24
GND
REQ2*
+5V
GNT0*
25
GNT1*
VI/O
GNT2*
GND
26
+5V
CLK0
GND
CLK1
27
CLK2
+5V
CLK3
GND
28
GND
INTD*
+5V
RST*
29
+12V
INTA*
INTB*
INTC*
30
-12V
Reserved
Reserved
GND/3.3V KEY2
6.3 SATA (J4)
Industry standard vertical SATA connector.

Hercules III User Manual Rev A.2 www.diamondsystems.com Page 20
6.4 Utility (J7)
A 20-pin connector provides access to the standard button/LED connections. Cable C-20-18 is used to connect
to J7.
Ground
1
2
Reset Key
Ground
3
4
Power Button
Network : Activity LED
5
6
+3.3V Standby
Network : Link LED
7
8
+3.3V Standby
+5V In
9
10
SATA LED
Power LED
11
12
External Battery
Watch Dog Timer - Input
13
14
Ground
SPEAKER
15
16
Watch Dog Timer - Output
+5V In
17
18
N/C
N/C
19
20
Ground
Connector type: Shrouded .1” dual row straight pin header with gold flash plating
6.5 Digital I/O (J8)
Hercules III includes a 50-pin header, J8, for all digital I/O.
DIO A0
1
2
DIO A1
DIO A2
3
4
DIO A3
DIO A4
5
6
DIO A5
DIO A6
7
8
DIO A7
DIO B0
9
10
DIO B1
DIO B2
11
12
DIO B3
DIO B4
13
14
DIO B5
DIO B6
15
16
DIO B7
DIO C0
17
18
DIO C1
DIO C2
19
20
DIO C3
DIO C4
21
22
DIO C5
DIO C6
23
24
DIO C7
DIO D0
25
26
DIO D1
DIO D2
27
28
DIO D3
DIO D4
29
30
DIO D5
DIO D6
31
32
DIO D7
DIO E0 / PWM0
33
34
DIO E1 / PWM1
DIO E2 / PWM2
35
36
DIO E3 / PWM3
DIO E4 / GATE1
37
38
DIO E5 / TOUT1
J8 Digital I/O Connector