Eurotech Helios Platform Quick user guide

Rev. A – November 2010 - 110124-3000A
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR A BETTER WORLD
www.eurotech.com
HARDWARE REFERENCE MANUAL
Helios™Platform
Programmable Edge Controller

Disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment
by any Eurotech company. While reasonable precautions have been taken, Eurotech assumes no responsibility for
any error that may appear in this document.
Trademarks
Helios™and Everyware™ are trademarks of Eurotech Inc.
All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
Revision History
Issue no.
PWB
Date
Comments
1 Jul-09 Preliminary release
2 Oct-09 Second preliminary release
A Nov-10 Updates for Rev B carrier boards
© 2009 Eurotech Inc.
For contact details, see page 24.

Contents
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Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................ 4
Block Diagram ........................................................................................................... 4
Features .................................................................................................................... 5
Further Reading......................................................................................................... 6
Handling Your System Safely..................................................................................... 6
Conventions............................................................................................................... 6
Software Support ................................................................................................................... 8
Operating System ...................................................................................................... 8
BIOS.......................................................................................................................... 8
Boot Options .............................................................................................................. 8
Everyware™Software Framework .............................................................................. 8
Hardware Reference.............................................................................................................. 9
Rear Panel................................................................................................................. 9
USB Bay ...................................................................................................................11
Indicators ................................................................................................................. 12
Enclosure................................................................................................................. 13
Configurations ..................................................................................................................... 14
Processor ................................................................................................................ 14
Memory.................................................................................................................... 14
CompactFlash®Card or Secure Digital Card ................................................ 14
On-Board Flash............................................................................................ 14
SATA Drive................................................................................................... 14
USB Disk Drive ............................................................................................ 15
Communications ...................................................................................................... 15
Universal Serial Bus..................................................................................... 15
Serial Port .................................................................................................... 15
Ethernet ....................................................................................................... 15
GPS ............................................................................................................. 15
Multimedia Cards..................................................................................................... 16
Power Supply........................................................................................................... 16
Peripherals .......................................................................................................................... 17
USB Device Support ................................................................................................ 17
System Specification............................................................................................................ 18
Processor ................................................................................................................ 18
Power ...................................................................................................................... 18
Electrical .................................................................................................................. 19
EMI/EMC ................................................................................................................. 20
Environmental.......................................................................................................... 21
Appendix A – Reference Information.................................................................................... 22
Appendix B – System Revision ............................................................................................ 23
Eurotech Worldwide Presence............................................................................................. 24

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Introduction
Helios™is a programmable edge controller that provides a flexible application-ready
hardware platform with enhanced wireless capabilities. It is based on the Catalyst XL
which integrates with a carrier board and supporting peripheral devices. All electronics
are housed in an enclosure. Three USB host ports for wireless devices and additional
storage are accessible in the USB Bay located under the removable cover.
With the Helios platform, you can quickly and easily create an edge controller device,
loaded with your application software that precisely meets your requirements. Several
options are available allowing you to choose the hardware based on your specifications.
Using pre-certified wireless modules in the USB Bay, the Helios platform can be easily
customized for any network. Software support includes Eurotech’s Everyware™Software
Framework offering an easy-to-use, Java-based development environment that
minimizes time to market and allows for easy portability for future expansion.
Block Diagram
The following diagram illustrates the system organization of the Helios platform. Notice
that the data connector on the Catalyst XL has been divided into two sections for this
illustration. Dotted lines indicate configuration options.For information about these
options, see Configurations, page 14.
Catalyst XL
1 x SD/MMC
Intel
®
Atom
™
Processor
(Z5xx)
IDE/PATA
SDVO
1 x PCIe
HD Audio
Pwr Supply
FSB
LPC Bus
TPM
VBAT (RTC)
Gigabit Ethernet Port
1 x USB2.0
CF Card
or
SD Card (optional)
V Reg
DDR-2
DRAM
BAT
Embedded
Ctrl
BIOS
I2C Bus
Sys Mgmt I/O
GPIOs
1 x PCIe
GigE
Controller
SMBus
LM75
Temp Monitor
I2C GPIO
Momentary Switch
8 x LED
On-board
PATA flash
LVDS Video
1 x USB2.0
Regulated Power Input
(optional Vehicle Pwr)
Sys Ctrls
Pwr LED
3 x USB2.0
2 x USB2.0
3 x USB2.0 Host Ports
(USB Bay )
2 x USB2.0 Host Ports
Sys Ctrls
Pwr LED
SMBus GPIO
Intel®
SCH US15W
SMBus
Helios
™
Platform
Audio
Codec
SDVO
to VGA
Stereo Line In
Stereo Line Out
Microphone In
VGA Display Out
Expansion Board Support
(VGA expansion board shown)
SATA
Drive
SATA
Controller
EIA 232/485
Serial Port
USB to
Serial
USB Hub
GPS
Rcvr
GPS Antenna
Connector

Introduction
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Features
Processor
•Intel®Atom™Z5xx processor at 1.1 GHz (options for 1.33 GHz or 1.6 GHz)
•Intel®System Controller Hub US15W
Integrated System Functions
•Embedded Controller
•Trusted Platform Management (option)
Memory
•1 GB DDR-2 DRAM (options for 512 MB or 2 GB)
•Integrated system BIOS
•Battery-backed real-time clock
•On-board PATA flash (option)
•CompactFlash® card or SD card (option)
•Internal SATA drive (option)
•External USB disk drive support
Communications
•Five USB 2.0 host ports operating low, full, and high speeds
- Two general-purpose ports
- Three USB Bay ports for wireless devices and storage
(option for up to three external antenna connections)
•EIA-232/EIA-485 serial port (software-selectable)
•Gigabit Ethernet port
•GPS receiver with external antenna connection (option)
User Interface and Display
•Multimedia card support for various display and audio options
(For details about expansion boards, see Multimedia Cards, page 16.)
•Power indicator
•Seven software-controlled LED status indicators
•Software-readable push-button
Power Supply
•12 V DC power input (up to 36 V vehicle power input option)
Mechanical
•ABS plastic and aluminum enclosure

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Further Reading
This document describes the Helios platform and is intended for system integrators. A
system-level overview is provided in the following sections. Check the Eurotech support
site (http://support.eurotech-inc.com/) for errata reports and for the latest releases of
these documents.
Handling Your System Safely
Anti-Static Handling
The Helios platform is designed to meet the Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) criteria
contained in IEC 61000-4-2 (EMC – Part 4-2: Testing and Measurement Techniques –
Electrostatic Discharge Immunity Test). The electronics included in the enclosure contain
CMOS devices that could be damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD). Observe
industry-standard electronic handling procedures when handling these electronics.
Where possible, work on a grounded anti-static mat. At a minimum, touch an electrically
grounded object before handling any electronics.
Packaging
Please ensure that, should a system need to be returned to Eurotech, it is adequately
packed, preferably in the original packing material.
Electromagnetic Compatibility
The Helios platform is defined as an unintentional radiator of electromagnetic energy.
For additional information about the EMI/EMC specification, see EMI/EMC, page 20.
Conventions
The following table lists the symbols used in this document.
Symbol
Explanation
Note – information that requires your attention
Warning – proceeding with a course of action may
damage your equipment or result in loss of data
The following table describes the conventions for signal names used in this document.
Convention Explanation
GND digital ground plane
+ positive signal in differential pair
- negative signal in differential pair

Introduction
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The following table describes the abbreviations for direction and electrical characteristics
of a signal used in this document.
Type Explanation
I signal is an input to the system
O signal is an output from the system
IO signal may be input or output
P power and ground
nc no connection
reserved use is reserved to Eurotech

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Software Support
Eurotech provides an application-ready platform including BIOS, operating system, and
development environment.This section gives a brief description of the software support
available for the Helios platform. For additional details, contact your local Eurotech
technical support.
Operating System
The Helios platform is available with the following operating systems:
•Wind River Linux 3.0
•Windows®Embedded Standard
•Windows®CE 6.0
BIOS
The Helios platform incorporates a custom system BIOS developed by Eurotech.
Boot Options
The Helios platform has the capability to boot and install the operating system from five
sources. The following are the boot options:
•CF card
•USB disk drive
•SD card (future option)
•SATA drive
•On-board PATA flash
Everyware™Software Framework
Everyware Software Framework (ESF) is an inclusive software framework that puts a
middleware layer between the operating system and the OEM application. It provides
industry-standard interfaces that shorten development time, simplify coding, and allow
software to be ported from one Eurotech hardware platform to another. ESF is available
on the Helios platform.
Information about ESF is available at http://esf.eurotech.com.

Hardware Reference
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Hardware Reference
This section gives an overview of the hardware features of the Helios platform. The
overview includes location and function of connectors, indicators, and switches and
details about the enclosure.
Rear Panel
The following diagram illustrates the location of connectors and switches on the rear
panel. Notice that the system shown uses the VGA Expansion Board and includes
additional connectors not found on the standard system. For other multimedia card
options, see Multimedia Cards, page 16.
Standard system
The following table describes the connectors on the rear panel of a standard system.
Connector
Enclosure Connector
Description
Power 1 x 2 header, 3.5 mm Main power input
USB 1-2 USB Type A receptacle USB 2.0 host ports
Serial DB-9 plug EIA-232 (default) or EIA-485
Ethernet RJ-45 socket Gigabit Ethernet network
GPS SMA socket GPS external antenna connection
Antenna 1-3 Device dependent USB device external antenna connections
(optional)
USB
Serial
Ethernet
GPS
Power
Display Output
Line Out
Line In
Microphone
Antenna Connections
Switch

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Expansion Board Options
The following table describes the additional connectors on the rear panel of a system that
includes an expansion board.For additional details about the expansion boards offered
by Eurotech, see Multimedia Cards, page 16.
Connector
Enclosure Connector
Description
Microphone RCA jack Mono microphone input
Line In RCA jack Stereo line in
Line Out RCA jack Stereo line out
Display Output Display dependent VGA, LVDS, or DVI output
Connectors
The following tables describe connectors that do not follow an industry-standard pinout.
Power Input
Connector: 2-pin header, 3.5 mm, Phoenix Contact 1937318
Mating connector: 2-pin plug, Phoenix Contact 1847055
The Helios platform accepts input power from a regulated external supply. For details
about input power options, see Power Supply, page 16.
Pin
Name
Type
Description
1 GND P ground
2 VIN PI 12 V (nominal) power input
Serial Port
Connector: DB9 plug
Mating connector: DB9 socket
By default the Helios platform provides an EIA-232 serial port. As an alternate
configuration, the serial port can operate in EIA-485 mode. This configuration requires
software support for EIA-485 mode.
Pin EIA-232 (default) EIA-485
Name Type Description Name Type Description
1 DCD I Data Carrier Detect RX+ I Receive Data +
2 RXD I Receive Data RX- I Receive Data -
3 TXD O Transmit Data TX- O Transmit Data -
4 nc nc
5 GND P ground GND P ground
6 nc nc
7 RTS O Request To Send TX+ O Transmit Data +
8 CTS I Clear To Send nc
9 nc nc