Diamond Aries PC/104-Plus SBC User manual

Aries User Manual Rev A.02 www.diamondsystems.com Page 1
Aries Single Board Computer
PC/104-Plus SBC with Intel E3800 “Bay Trail”Processor
Copyright 2015
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
Revision
Date
Comment
A.00
3/26/2015
Initial Release
A.01
8/26/2015
JP4 update and minor changes
A.02
11/3/2015
Section 8.5 removed

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CONTENTS
1. Important Safe Handling Information .............................................................................................................4
2. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Models...........................................................................................................................................................6
2.2Features.........................................................................................................................................................6
2.3 Operating System Support ............................................................................................................................7
2.4 Mechanical, Electrical, Environmental...........................................................................................................7
3. Functional Overview.........................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Block Diagram ...............................................................................................................................................8
3.2 Feature Descriptions .....................................................................................................................................9
3.2.1 Processor and Memory.........................................................................................................................9
3.2.2 Ethernet.................................................................................................................................................9
3.2.3 Video.....................................................................................................................................................9
3.2.4 SATA.....................................................................................................................................................9
3.2.5 USB.......................................................................................................................................................9
3.2.6 Serial Ports ...........................................................................................................................................9
3.2.7 Audio.....................................................................................................................................................9
3.2.8 Data Acquisition................................................................................................................................. 10
3.2.9 Backup Battery................................................................................................................................... 10
3.2.10 PCIe MiniCard Socket........................................................................................................................ 10
3.2.11 PC/104-Plus Expansion..................................................................................................................... 10
3.2.12 PCIe link routing................................................................................................................................. 10
3.2.13 Watchdog Timer................................................................................................................................. 10
3.2.14 LED Indicators ................................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.15 BIOS Features ................................................................................................................................... 11
4. Mechanical Board Drawing........................................................................................................................... 13
5. Board Layout.................................................................................................................................................. 14
5.1 I/O Connectors, Jumpers and LED Summary............................................................................................ 15
6. I/O Connectors ............................................................................................................................................... 16
6.1 Connector Pin-out and Signal Description ................................................................................................. 16
6.1.1 PC/104 (J1, J2).................................................................................................................................. 16
6.1.2 PC-104 (J3)........................................................................................................................................ 17
6.1.3 LVDS LCD (J4) .................................................................................................................................. 18
6.1.4 HDMI (J5)........................................................................................................................................... 19
6.1.5 Display Port (J6) ................................................................................................................................ 19
6.1.6 USB 3.0 Ports (J7)............................................................................................................................. 20
6.1.7 USB 2.0 Ports (J8)............................................................................................................................. 20
6.1.8 Serial ports (J9, J10).......................................................................................................................... 21
6.1.9 External Battery (J11)........................................................................................................................ 21
6.1.10 Input Power (J12)............................................................................................................................... 21
6.1.11 Audio (J13)......................................................................................................................................... 22
6.1.12 Ethernet (J14) .................................................................................................................................... 22
6.1.13 SATA (J15) ........................................................................................................................................ 22
6.1.14 Digital I/O (J16).................................................................................................................................. 23
6.1.15 Analog I/O (J17)................................................................................................................................. 23
6.1.16 Utility Connector (J18) ....................................................................................................................... 24
6.1.17 VGA (J19) .......................................................................................................................................... 25
6.1.18 LCD Backlight (J20)........................................................................................................................... 25
6.1.19 mSATA / PCIe MiniCard Socket (J21)............................................................................................... 26
6.2 List of Connectors....................................................................................................................................... 27
7. Jumper Description ....................................................................................................................................... 28
7.1 LVDS Backlight and LVDS VDD (JP1)....................................................................................................... 29
7.2 SATA (JP2)................................................................................................................................................. 29
7.3 Digital IO (JP3) ........................................................................................................................................... 30
7.4 Miscellaneous (JP4) ................................................................................................................................... 31
8. BIOS Key Features......................................................................................................................................... 32
8.1 Entering the BIOS....................................................................................................................................... 32
8.2 Restoring Default BIOS Settings................................................................................................................ 32
8.3 Setting the Date and Time.......................................................................................................................... 32
8.4 Boot Priority................................................................................................................................................ 32
8.5 LED............................................................................................................................................................. 32

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8.6 Quiet / Quick Boot / Splash Screen............................................................................................................ 32
8.7 Selecting the Displays ................................................................................................................................ 33
8.8 Serial Port Configuration ............................................................................................................................ 33
9. Getting Started............................................................................................................................................... 33
9.1 Development Kit ......................................................................................................................................... 33
9.2 Quick Setup................................................................................................................................................ 34
9.3 Boot Device Options................................................................................................................................... 34
10. Data Acquisition Circuit................................................................................................................................ 35
10.1 Overview..................................................................................................................................................... 35
10.2 FPGA.......................................................................................................................................................... 36
10.3 Bus Interface............................................................................................................................................... 36
10.4 Interrupts..................................................................................................................................................... 36
11. A/D Circuit ...................................................................................................................................................... 38
11.1 A/D Input Ranges and Resolution .............................................................................................................. 38
11.2 Unipolar and Bipolar Inputs ........................................................................................................................ 38
11.3 Ranges and Resolutions ............................................................................................................................ 38
11.3.1 Conversion Formulas......................................................................................................................... 39
11.4 A/D Sampling Methods............................................................................................................................... 40
11.4.1 FIFO Description................................................................................................................................ 40
11.4.2 Scan Sampling................................................................................................................................... 41
11.4.3 Sequential Sampling.......................................................................................................................... 41
11.4.4 Sampling Methods ............................................................................................................................. 41
12. D/A Circuit ...................................................................................................................................................... 42
12.1 Ranges and Resolutions ............................................................................................................................ 42
12.1.1 Ranges............................................................................................................................................... 42
12.1.2 Resolution.......................................................................................................................................... 43
12.2 D/A Conversion Formulas and Tables........................................................................................................ 43
12.2.1 D/A Conversion Formulas for Unipolar Output Ranges..................................................................... 43
12.2.2 D/A Conversion Formulas for Bipolar Output Ranges....................................................................... 44
12.3 Calibration................................................................................................................................................... 45
12.4 Waveform Generator.................................................................................................................................. 45
13. Digital I/O ........................................................................................................................................................ 46
14. Counters and Timers..................................................................................................................................... 47
15. Pulse Width Modulation................................................................................................................................ 48
16. Watchdog Timer............................................................................................................................................. 49
17. Thermal Solutions.......................................................................................................................................... 50
17.1 Heat Spreader Drawing.............................................................................................................................. 50
17.2 Bottom view of Heat Spreader.................................................................................................................... 51
17.3 Heat Spreader Installed on the Board........................................................................................................ 52
17.4 Thermal Pad............................................................................................................................................... 53
17.5 Heat Sink Accessory .................................................................................................................................. 54
18. Specifications................................................................................................................................................. 55
19. Appendix......................................................................................................................................................... 57

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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 Aries 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 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.

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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
Aries is an embedded single board computer (SBC) in the PC/104 form factor. Aries integrates on-board memory,
PC/104-Plus expansion, one PCIe Mini card socket, dual Gigabit Ethernet and optional data acquisition circuit
with analog and digital I/O.
The Aries SBC is based on Intel “Bay Trail” E3800 series processors. The form factor is similar to PC/104 with left
and right side extensions that extend the full length of the two sides without providing the corners traditionally
seen in PC/104 boards with “wings”.
2.1 Models
Model
Processor/
Speed
Memory
Analog
I/O
Digital
I/O
ARS3845-4GA
E3845/1.91GHz
4GB DDR3
Yes
Yes
ARS3845-4GN
E3845/1.91GHz
4GB DDR3
No
Yes
ARS3826-2GA
E3826/1.46GHz
2GB DDR3
Yes
Yes
ARS3826-2GN
E3826/1.46GHz
2GB DDR3
No
Yes
2.2 Features
1.91GHz Intel quad core E3845 or 1.46GHz dual core E3826 Bay Trail CPU
2GB or 4GB 64-bit DDR3 SDRAM soldered on board
I/O Support:
3 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port
4 RS-232/422/485 ports with programmable protocol and line termination
2 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet ports
1 SATA port for disk-on-module or external drive
24-bit LVDS LCD display and VGA CRT
DP and HDMI sharing on single channel
HD audio
Shared expansion socket auto-selects for either PCIe MiniCard or mSATA flash disk modules
Programmable watchdog timer
Data Acquisition:
16 16-bit analog inputs with 250KHz maximum sample rate
4 16-bit analog outputs with waveform generator
22 digital I/O lines with programmable direction
8 32-bit counter/timers
4 24-bit PWMs
PC/104-Plus and PCIe MiniCard expansion capability

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2.3 Operating System Support
Windows 7, 8, Linux
Driver packages and/or BSPs available for each OS
2.4 Mechanical, Electrical, Environmental
PC/104 form factor 4.5” x 4.0” (not including I/O connector overhang).
-40°C to +85°C ambient operating temperature
Power input: +5VDC +/- 5%

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3. FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW
3.1 Block Diagram
Figure 1: Functional Block Diagram

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3.2 Feature Descriptions
This section describes the key subsystems of the Aries SBC.
3.2.1 Processor and Memory
Aries core embedded computer circuit is based on Intel’s Bay Trail. Depending on the model chosen the
processors speed and its memory will differ. The two different cores available are 1.91GHz quad core Intel E3845
with 4GB DDR3 and 1.46GHz dual core Intel E3826 with 2GB DDR3 memory.
3.2.2 Ethernet
Aries provides two Gigabit Ethernet Ports derived from Intel I210IT PCIe Gigabit Ethernet Controllers (MAC +
PHY). The board has been provided with necessary magnetics for the ports. Instead of a standard RJ-45 jack a
pin header has been used.
On-board LEDs are provided for Link, Activity, and Speed. The LEDs are located along the board edge near the
Ethernet connector. The Ethernet connector does not provide access to the LED signals. However, the LED’s can
be accessed from the Utility Connector J18.
3.2.3 Video
The processor offers three video output options: 2 DDI and one dedicated VGA. The DDI ports are configurable
for either HDMI 1.4, DP 1.1a, or eDP. Any two outputs can be active at any time.
The second DDI port can be configured for either HDMI or DP, and the board’s circuit and I/O connector are
configured accordingly. Maximum resolution of DP is 2560 x 1600 x 60Hz x 24bpp. Maximum resolution of HDMI
is 1920 x 1080 x 60Hz x 24bpp.
The first DDI port can be used in eDP mode and an eDP to LVDS converter provides a dual-channel LVDS LCD
output.
Maximum LVDS and VGA resolution is 2560 x 1600 x 60Hz x 24bpp.
The LCD backlight control is provided by a PWM circuit. LCD backlight power and control are on a separate
latching connector.
3.2.4 SATA
Aries offers two SATA ports derived from the processor. One port is connected to an industry-standard vertical
SATA connector that accepts cables with latching connectors or an on-board SATA-DOM. The second port is
dedicated to the combination mSATA / PCIe Mini Card socket.
3.2.5 USB
Aries provides 3 user accessible USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port coming directly from the processor. Three
come directly from the processor. The fourth USB 2.0 port from the processor is connected to the PCIe Mini card
socket. All ports have minimum 500mA per port drive capability with short circuit / over current and ESD
protection on each port. USB port connected to mini PCIE does not have ESD protection.
The USB 3.0 port uses an industry standard right-angle USB 3.0 connector. The USB 2.0 ports use miniature
1.25mm pitch latching connectors.
3.2.6 Serial Ports
Aries provides four serial ports with varying protocols and signal availability using the Exar XR28V384 LPC
UART. RS-232/422/485 protocols are supported with Exar SP335 multiprotocol transceivers, one per port. In RS-
232 mode, only signals TX, RX, RTS, and CTS are provided. Protocol selection and TX / RX 121 ohm line
termination resistors for RS-422/485 are controlled using GPIO pins from the FPGA and are configurable via
BIOS configuration screens as well as via application software. The GPIO pins are controlled from a page in the
FPGA register map dedicated for board configuration. Console redirection is available on COM1.
3.2.7 Audio
The design provides HD audio support from ALC892. Audio I/O signals include stereo line in, stereo line out and
mono mic in. The audio signals are made available on a latching connector.

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3.2.8 Data Acquisition
Aries provides an optional data acquisition sub-circuit containing analog input, analog output, and digital I/O
features. This circuit is controlled by an FPGA attached to the processor via the LPC bus. A pin header on the
board provides access to JTAG signals for reprogramming the FPGA on the board and in the field.
Type of I/O
Characteristics
Analog Input
16 single-ended/8 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
2048 sample A/D FIFO for reliable high-speed sampling
Analog Output
4 analog outputs, 16-bit resolution
±10V, ±5V, ±2.5V, 0-5V and 0-10V output ranges
Indefinite short circuit protection on outputs
Digital I/O
22 programmable digital I/O, 3.3V and 5V logic compatible
Counter/Timers
Eight 32-bit counter/timer for A/D sampling rate control
Apart from the characteristics mentioned in the above table DAQ also offers selectable pull up/down resistors,
programmable directions, buffered I/O and capability to use a counter/timer and PWM circuits.
3.2.9 Backup Battery
The board does not contain an on-board RTC backup battery. A connector is provided to enable the use of an
external battery. A jumper is also provided for clearing the CMOS NVRAM
3.2.10 PCIe MiniCard Socket
The board has one full size (51mm length) PCIe MiniCard socket. The socket supports both PCIe MiniCards and
mSATA modules. It has a PCIe/mSATA switch controlled by a pin on the socket to select which interface is active.
Additionally, a USB port is also available in PCIe MiniCard socket.
3.2.11 PC/104-Plus Expansion
The board offers a full PC/104-Plus expansion socket with both PCI and ISA expansion connectors on the top
side of the board. The PCI bus is provided by a PCIe to PCI Bridge. It supports both 5V and 3.3V logic levels
configurable with a jumper. The ISA bus is provided by the Fintek F85226AF LPC to ISA Bridge.
3.2.12 PCIe link routing
Lane 1: Ethernet #1
Lane 2: Ethernet #2
Lane 3: PCIe Mini card
Lane 4: PCIe to PCI bridge for PCI-104 connector
3.2.13 Watchdog Timer
The board contains a watchdog timer (WDT) circuit with programmable delay time derived from the LPC UART.
The WDT can be enabled, disabled, and retriggered in software. If the WDT times out before it is retriggered, it
will cause a system reset. The watchdog timer circuit timeout period is programmable from 0 to 255 seconds with
1 second or better resolution.