Octagon XE-800 User manual

XE–800 Single Board Computer
Reference Manual
Document #6515, rev. G07
CONTACT INFORMATION
Front Desk: 303–430–1500
Technical Support: 303–426–4521
[e-mail]
www.octagonsystems.com
1

Copyright
OS Embedder™ is a trademark, and Octagon Systems Corporation®, and the
Octagon logo are registered trademarks of Octagon Systems Corporation. ROM–
DOS™ is a trademark of Datalight. Windows NT®, Windows XP® and Windows
CE.net® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. HyperTerminal ™ is
a copyright of Hilgraeve, Inc. CompactFlash™ is a trademark of San Disk
Corporation.
Disclaimer
Copyright 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007—Octagon Systems Corporation. All rights
reserved. However, any part of this document may be reproduced, provided that
Octagon Systems Corporation is cited as the source. The contents of this manual
and the specifications herein may change without notice.
The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct. However,
Octagon assumes no responsibility for any of the circuits described herein, conveys
no license under any patent or other right, and makes no representations that the
circuits are free from patent infringement. Octagon makes no representation or
warranty that such applications will be suitable for the use specified without
further testing or modification.
Octagon Systems Corporation general policy does not recommend the use of its
products in life support applications where the failure or malfunction of a
component may directly threaten life or injury. It is a Condition of Sale that the
user of Octagon products in life support applications assumes all the risk of such
use and indemnifies Octagon against all damage.
Technical Support
Carefully recheck your system before calling Technical Support. Run as many tests
as possible; the more information you can provide, the easier it will be for Technical
Support staff to help you solve the problem. For additional technical assistance, try
the following:
Technical Support telephone: [phone]
E-mail Technical Support: [email protected]
Applications Notes (via web): www.octagonsystems.com
Revision History
Revision Reason for Change Date
A Production Release 05 / 04
B Added “Excessive Thermal Stress” section
Clarified “Y” adapter for keyboard/mouse
08 / 04
C05 Update document number 01 / 05
D05 Clarify RTS signal for RS–485, corrected mating connectors 06 / 05
E05 Clarified IDE support and power supply requirements 11 / 05
F06 Removed reference to CD 08 / 06
G07 Clarified that Setup parameters must match configuration 10 / 07
2

IMPORTANT!
Please read the following section before installing your product:
Octagon’s products are designed to be high in performance while consuming very
little power. In order to maintain this advantage, CMOS circuitry is used.
CMOS chips have specific needs and some special requirements that the user must
be aware of. Read the following to help avoid damage to your card from the use of
CMOS chips.
Using CMOS circuitry in industrial control
Industrial computers originally used LSTTL circuits. Because many PC
components are used in laptop computers, IC manufacturers are exclusively using
CMOS technology. Both TTL and CMOS have failure mechanisms, but they are
different. Described below are some of the failures that are common to all
manufacturers of CMOS equipment.
The most common failures on CPU control cards are over voltage of the power
supply, static discharge, and damage to the serial and parallel ports. On expansion
cards, the most common failures are static discharge, over voltage of inputs, over
current of outputs, and misuse of the CMOS circuitry with regards to power supply
sequencing. In the case of the video cards, the most common failure is to miswire
the card to the flat panel display. Miswiring can damage both the card and an
expensive display.
Multiple component failures: The chance of a random component failure is
very rare since the average MTBF of an Octagon card is greater than 11 years.
In a 7 year study, Octagon has never found a single case where multiple IC
failures were not caused by misuse or accident. It is very probable that multiple
component failures indicate that they were user-induced.
Testing “dead” cards: For a card that is “completely nonfunctional”, there is
a simple test to determine accidental over voltage, reverse voltage or other
“forced” current situations. Unplug the card from the bus and remove all
cables. Using an ordinary digital ohmmeter on the 2,000 ohm scale, measure
the resistance between power and ground. Record this number. Reverse the
ohmmeter leads and measure the resistance again. If the ratio of the
resistances is 2:1 or greater, fault conditions most likely have occurred. A
common cause is miswiring the power supply.
Improper power causes catastrophic failure: If a card has had reverse
polarity or high voltage applied, replacing a failed component is not an
adequate fix. Other components probably have been partially damaged or a
failure mechanism has been induced. Therefore, a failure will probably occur in
the future. For such cards, Octagon highly recommends that these cards be
replaced.
Other over-voltage symptoms: In over-voltage situations, the
programmable logic devices, EPROMs and CPU chips, usually fail in this order.
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The failed device may be hot to the touch. It is usually the case that only one IC
will be overheated at a time.
Power sequencing: The major failure of I/O chips is caused by the external
application of input voltage while the power is off. If you apply 5V to the input
of a TTL chip with the power off, nothing will happen. Applying a 5V input to a
CMOS card will cause the current to flow through the input and out the 5V
power pin. This current attempts to power up the card. Most inputs are rated
at 25 mA maximum. When this is exceeded, the chip may be damaged.
Failure on power-up: Even when there is not enough current to destroy an
input described above, the chip may be destroyed when the power to the card is
applied. This is due to the fact that the input current biases the IC so that it
acts as a forward biased diode on power-up. This type of failure is typical on
serial interface chips but can apply to any IC on the card.
Under-rated power supply: The board may fail to boot due to an under-
rated power supply. It is important that a quality power supply be used with
the XE–800 SBC that has sufficient current capacity, line and load regulation,
hold up time, current limiting, and minimum ripple. The power supply for the
XE–800 must meet the startup risetime requirements specified in the ATX
Power Design Guide, version 1.1, section 3.3.5. This assures that all the
circuitry on the CPU control card sequences properly and avoids system lockup.
Excessive signal lead lengths: Another source of failure that was identified
years ago at Octagon was excessive lead lengths on digital inputs. Long leads
act as an antenna to pick up noise. They can also act as unterminated
transmission lines. When 5V is switched onto a line, it creates a transient
waveform. Octagon has seen sub-microsecond pulses of 8V or more. The
solution is to place a capacitor, for example 0.1 µF, across the switch contact.
This will also eliminate radio frequency and other high frequency pickup.
Avoiding damage to the heatsink or CPU
WARNING!
When handling any Octagon Single Board Computer, extreme care
must be taken not to strike the heatsink (if installed) against another
object, such as a table edge. Also, be careful not to drop the Single
Board Computer, since this may cause damage to the heatsink or
CPU as well.
Note Any physical damage to the single board computer card is not covered under
warranty.
Excessive Thermal Stress
This card is guaranteed to operate over the published temperature ranges and
relevant conditions. However, sustained operation near the maximum temperature
specification is not recommended by Octagon or the CPU chip manufacturer due to
well known, thermal related, failure mechanisms. These failure mechanisms,
common to all silicon devices, can reduce the MTBF of the cards. Extended
operation at the lower limits of the temperature ranges has no limitations.
4

Table of Contents
Technical Support ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Revision History ................................................................................................................................................ 2
Using CMOS circuitry in industrial control ........................................................................................................ 3
Avoiding damage to the heatsink or CPU............................................................................................................ 4
Excessive Thermal Stress ................................................................................................................................. 4
Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 5
List of Figures........................................................................................................................................................ 9
List of Tables........................................................................................................................................................ 10
Overview: Section 1 – Installation ................................................................................................................. 11
Chapter 1: Overview.......................................................................................................................................... 12
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 12
XE–800 SBC major hardware features.............................................................................................................. 12
CPU.................................................................................................................................................................. 12
SDRAM ............................................................................................................................................................ 12
On-board flash ................................................................................................................................................. 12
CompactFlash socket ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Hard disk and IDE port .................................................................................................................................. 12
USB ports ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
LPT and floppy ................................................................................................................................................ 13
Digital I/O ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Ethernet........................................................................................................................................................... 13
Serial ports protected against ESD ................................................................................................................ 13
PC/104 and PC/104 Plus interface.................................................................................................................. 13
Video ................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Keyboard and mouse port ............................................................................................................................... 14
Real time calendar/clock with battery backup............................................................................................... 14
Setup information stored in EEPROM for high reliability ........................................................................... 14
Watchdog timer added for safety.................................................................................................................... 14
Hardware reset................................................................................................................................................ 14
5 Volt only operation lowers system cost ....................................................................................................... 15
Rugged environmental operation ................................................................................................................... 15
Size................................................................................................................................................................... 15
XE–800 SBC major software features................................................................................................................ 16
Diagnostic software verifies system integrity automatically ........................................................................ 16
Phoenix software BIOS ................................................................................................................................... 16
Octagon BIOS extensions................................................................................................................................16
Boot sequence .................................................................................................................................................. 16
Chapter 2: Quick start ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Component diagrams, connectors, jumpers and cables..................................................................................... 17
XE–800 SBC connectors and jumpers ............................................................................................................ 21
Custom cables.................................................................................................................................................. 22
Mounting the XE–800......................................................................................................................................... 23
Equipment required ........................................................................................................................................ 23
Hardware mounting ........................................................................................................................................ 24
XE–800 SBC power supply requirements ...................................................................................................... 25
Connecting a monitor and keyboard .................................................................................................................. 26
Monitor ............................................................................................................................................................ 26
Keyboard and mouse ....................................................................................................................................... 26
Installing an operating system........................................................................................................................... 27
OS on CD-ROM onto a hard drive or CompactFlash ........................................................................................ 27
Chapter 3: Setup programs.............................................................................................................................. 30
Operating systems other than DOS ................................................................................................................... 30
Setup.................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Main menu....................................................................................................................................................... 31
Hard drive submenus...................................................................................................................................... 32
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Advanced menu ............................................................................................................................................... 33
Advanced Chipset Control submenu .............................................................................................................. 34
I/O Device Configuration submenu ................................................................................................................ 35
PCI Configuration submenu ........................................................................................................................... 36
PCI/PNP ISA UMB Region Exclusion submenu............................................................................................ 36
PCI/PNP ISA IRQ Resource Exclusion submenu .......................................................................................... 37
PCI/PNP ISA DMA Resource Exclusion submenu ........................................................................................ 37
Boot menu........................................................................................................................................................ 38
Expanded Boot screen ..................................................................................................................................... 38
Exit menu ........................................................................................................................................................ 39
Chapter 4: Save and run programs ................................................................................................................ 40
Save and run your programs on the XE–800 SBC ............................................................................................ 40
Saving programs and support files .................................................................................................................... 40
Adding your application.................................................................................................................................. 40
Overriding the autoexecution of your application ......................................................................................... 41
Overview: Section 2 – Hardware .................................................................................................................... 42
Chapter 5: Serial ports...................................................................................................................................... 43
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 43
Mating receptacle ............................................................................................................................................ 43
Serial port configurations................................................................................................................................... 43
Setup menu for COM ports............................................................................................................................. 46
Function and use of serial ports......................................................................................................................... 46
COM1 as serial console device........................................................................................................................ 46
COM ports as RS–232 I/O............................................................................................................................... 46
COM2 as RS–422 and RS–485 networks ....................................................................................................... 47
RS–422 ............................................................................................................................................................. 47
RS–485 ............................................................................................................................................................. 47
Chapter 6: Console devices.............................................................................................................................. 49
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 49
Selecting console devices .................................................................................................................................... 49
Monitor and keyboard console ........................................................................................................................ 49
Serial console................................................................................................................................................... 50
Chapter 7: CompactFlash, SDRAM, and battery backup........................................................................... 53
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 53
CompactFlash ..................................................................................................................................................... 53
Creating a bootable CompactFlash ................................................................................................................ 53
SDRAM................................................................................................................................................................ 54
Battery backup for real time calendar clock...................................................................................................... 54
Installing an AT battery ................................................................................................................................. 54
Chapter 8: External drives............................................................................................................................... 55
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 55
Hard disk controller............................................................................................................................................ 55
Master/slave designation for IDE devices ...................................................................................................... 55
Installing a hard drive........................................................................................................................................ 57
Setup parameters and booting ........................................................................................................................... 57
Chapter 9: Bit-programmable digital I/O...................................................................................................... 58
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 58
Interfacing to switches and other devices.......................................................................................................... 61
Opto-module rack interface ............................................................................................................................ 61
Organization of banks......................................................................................................................................... 63
Port addressing................................................................................................................................................ 63
I/O lines pulled low.......................................................................................................................................... 63
Configuring and programming the I/O ports..................................................................................................... 64
Programming the I/O ...................................................................................................................................... 64
Configuring the I/O ......................................................................................................................................... 64
Writing and reading from I/O ......................................................................................................................... 65
I/O output program examples......................................................................................................................... 65
I/O input program examples ........................................................................................................................... 66
Enhanced INT 17h function definitions............................................................................................................. 66
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Initialize I/O .................................................................................................................................................... 66
Write I/O .......................................................................................................................................................... 67
Read I/O ........................................................................................................................................................... 68
Chapter 10: CRTs and flat panels................................................................................................................... 69
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 69
Video features ..................................................................................................................................................... 69
Connecting a monitor.......................................................................................................................................... 69
Connecting a flat panel display.......................................................................................................................... 71
Flat panels requiring bias voltage .................................................................................................................. 71
Connecting the flat panel to the XE–800 SBC............................................................................................... 71
Programming the video BIOS ............................................................................................................................ 73
Additional notes on video BIOS...................................................................................................................... 73
Chapter 11: Ethernet......................................................................................................................................... 74
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 74
Chapter 12: PC/104 and PC/104 Plus expansion.......................................................................................... 75
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 75
Chapter 13: USB ................................................................................................................................................. 76
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 76
Overview: Section 3 – System management................................................................................................. 77
Chapter 14: Watchdog timer and hardware reset ...................................................................................... 78
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 78
Timeout period (ranges) .................................................................................................................................. 78
Booting, power down, and strobing the watchdog timer ............................................................................... 78
Watchdog function definitions using enhanced INT 17h handler .................................................................... 79
Enable watchdog ............................................................................................................................................. 79
Strobe watchdog .............................................................................................................................................. 80
Disable watchdog............................................................................................................................................. 80
Hardware reset ................................................................................................................................................... 81
Chapter 15: Serial EEPROM............................................................................................................................ 82
Description .......................................................................................................................................................... 82
Enhanced INT 17h function definitions............................................................................................................. 82
Serial EEPROM .................................................................................................................................................. 82
Read a single word from the serial EEPROM................................................................................................ 82
Write a single word to the serial EEPROM ................................................................................................... 83
Read multiple words from the serial EEPROM............................................................................................. 83
Write multiple words to the serial EEPROM ................................................................................................ 84
Return serial EEPROM size ........................................................................................................................... 85
Chapter 16: System jumpers, user jumper, and BIOS recovery .............................................................. 86
System jumpers................................................................................................................................................... 86
System jumper................................................................................................................................................. 86
Extended BIOS jumper ................................................................................................................................... 87
Video jumper.................................................................................................................................................... 87
User jumper..................................................................................................................................................... 87
BIOS recovery jumper..................................................................................................................................... 87
BIOS programming using PHLASH.EXE...................................................................................................... 88
INT17 calls to read user jumper ........................................................................................................................ 88
Chapter 17: Troubleshooting........................................................................................................................... 90
Boot Block Recovery............................................................................................................................................ 90
Memory conflicts using operating system other than DOS .............................................................................. 90
No system LED activity...................................................................................................................................... 90
No CRT or flat panel video ................................................................................................................................. 90
Video is present but is distorted......................................................................................................................... 91
No serial console activity.................................................................................................................................... 92
Garbled serial console screen activity................................................................................................................ 92
System generates a BIOS message but locks up when booting........................................................................ 92
System will not boot from CompactFlash .......................................................................................................... 92
System locks up on power-up; may or may not respond to reset switch .......................................................... 93
System locks up after power-down/power-up .................................................................................................... 93
LED signaling of “beep” codes ............................................................................................................................ 93
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Technical assistance ........................................................................................................................................... 97
Overview: Section 4 – Appendices.................................................................................................................. 98
Appendix A: XE–800 SBC technical data ...................................................................................................... 99
Technical specifications ...................................................................................................................................... 99
CPU.................................................................................................................................................................. 99
PCI bus clock ................................................................................................................................................... 99
BIOS................................................................................................................................................................. 99
SDRAM ............................................................................................................................................................ 99
On-board flash ................................................................................................................................................. 99
Hard drive........................................................................................................................................................ 99
CompactFlash socket ...................................................................................................................................... 99
USB .................................................................................................................................................................. 99
Serial I/O.......................................................................................................................................................... 99
Digital I/O ........................................................................................................................................................ 99
Keyboard and mouse ports.............................................................................................................................. 99
Video .............................................................................................................................................................. 100
Watchdog timer ............................................................................................................................................. 100
Real time clock............................................................................................................................................... 100
Expansion ...................................................................................................................................................... 100
Operating systems......................................................................................................................................... 100
PCI bus mastering......................................................................................................................................... 100
Power requirements ...................................................................................................................................... 100
Environmental specifications ....................................................................................................................... 100
Size................................................................................................................................................................. 100
Weight............................................................................................................................................................ 100
Excessive Thermal Stress ............................................................................................................................. 100
Mating connectors............................................................................................................................................. 101
Maps .................................................................................................................................................................. 101
Jumper settings ................................................................................................................................................ 104
Connector pin–outs ........................................................................................................................................... 105
Appendix B: Software utilities...................................................................................................................... 113
Introduction....................................................................................................................................................... 113
Support commands........................................................................................................................................ 113
GETVIDEO.EXE............................................................................................................................................... 114
I17HNDLR.EXE................................................................................................................................................ 114
PGMVIDEO.EXE.............................................................................................................................................. 115
PHLASH.EXE ................................................................................................................................................... 115
RESET.COM ..................................................................................................................................................... 116
Appendix C: Accessories.................................................................................................................................. 117
Warranty ............................................................................................................................................................. 118
Limitations on warranty................................................................................................................................... 118
Service policy..................................................................................................................................................... 118
Returning a product for repair ......................................................................................................................... 118
Returns.............................................................................................................................................................. 119
Governing law ................................................................................................................................................... 119
8

List of Figures
Figure 2–1 XE–800 SBC component diagram (top) ..........................................................................18
Figure 2–2 XE–800 SBC component diagram (bottom) ....................................................................19
Figure 2–3 XE–800 SBC dimensions .................................................................................................20
Figure 2–4 Power connector, J8 .........................................................................................................24
Figure 2–5 Connecting a monitor and keyboard ...............................................................................26
Figure 2–6 Installing an operating system........................................................................................29
Figure 5–1 COM ports ........................................................................................................................44
Figure 5–2 VTC-20F cable and null modem adapter ........................................................................44
Figure 5–3 Typical RS–422 four-wire interface circuit.....................................................................47
Figure 5–4 Typical RS–485 4–wire interface circuit.........................................................................48
Figure 5–5 Typical RS–485 2–wire half duplex interface circuit .....................................................48
Figure 6–1 Monitor and keyboard as console ....................................................................................50
Figure 6–2 The XE–800 SBC and a serial console ............................................................................52
Figure 8–1 XE–800 SBC with IDE device .........................................................................................56
Figure 9–1 Typical digital I/O configuration .....................................................................................60
Figure 9–2 Organization of banks......................................................................................................63
Figure 10–1 The XE–800 SBC and a VGA monitor ............................................................................70
Figure 10–2 The XE–800 SBC and a flat panel display......................................................................72
Figure 12–1 Typical PC/104 module stack ..........................................................................................75
9

List of Tables
Table 2–1 XE–800 SBC connector functions....................................................................................21
Table 2–2 XE–800 SBC jumper functions........................................................................................21
Table 2–3 Power connector: J8 .........................................................................................................25
Table 5–1 Serial port configurations................................................................................................45
Table 5–2 COM1 and COM2 connector pin-outs (J15 connector) ...................................................45
Table 5–3 J7 – COM2 connector pin-outs and pin-outs for 1.25 mm RS–422/485 cable ...............45
Table 5–4 COM2 jumper: W2 ...........................................................................................................46
Table 7–1 Battery Connector............................................................................................................54
Table 9–1 J6 and J14 arranged by function – digital I/O connectors .............................................58
Table 9–2 J6 and J14 arranged by pins – digital I/O connectors....................................................59
Table 9–3 Digital I/O opto-rack interface ........................................................................................62
Table 9–4 I/O port byte .....................................................................................................................64
Table 10–1 J3 – CRT connector..........................................................................................................70
Table 10–2 Flat panel connector: J1 ..................................................................................................72
Table 11–1 Ethernet LEDs .................................................................................................................74
Table 16−2System configuration jumper: W1...................................................................................86
Table 17–1 BIOS beep codes...............................................................................................................94
Table A–1 XE–800 SBC Mating connectors ...................................................................................101
Table A–2 XE–800 SBC DMA map.................................................................................................101
Table A–3 XE–800 SBC I/O map ....................................................................................................102
Table A–4 XE–800 SBC interrupt map ..........................................................................................103
Table A–5 XE–800 SBC memory map ............................................................................................103
Table A−6System configuration jumper: W1.................................................................................104
Table A–7 COM2 jumper: W2 .........................................................................................................104
Table A–8 J1 – flat panel connector................................................................................................105
Table A–9 J2 – PC/104-Plus connector ..........................................................................................106
Table A–10 J3 – CRT connector........................................................................................................107
Table A–11 J4 – EIDE.......................................................................................................................107
Table A–12 J5 – COM2 connector pin-outs for RS–422/RS–485 .....................................................108
Table A–13 J6 and J14 – Digital I/O connectors ..............................................................................108
Table A–14 J7 – PC/104 connector....................................................................................................109
Table A–15 J8 – Power connector .....................................................................................................109
Table A–16 J9 – PS2 Keyboard Mouse .............................................................................................110
Table A–17 J10 – Battery Connector................................................................................................110
Table A–18 J11 – Ethernet connectors.............................................................................................110
Table A–19 J12 and J13 – USB connectors ......................................................................................111
Table A–20 J14 – Digital I/O 1..........................................................................................................111
Table A–21 J15 – COM1 and COM2 connector pin-outs .................................................................111
Table A–22 J16 – USB connector......................................................................................................111
Table A–23 J500 – CompactFlash ....................................................................................................112
Table C–1 Cables and accessories...................................................................................................117
Table C–2 Digital I/O accessories ...................................................................................................117
10

Overview: Section 1 – Installation
Section 1 provides installation and programming instructions, startup options, and
system configuration program examples. The following chapters are included:
Chapter 1: Overview
Chapter 2: Quick start
Chapter 3: Setup programs
Chapter 4: Save and run programs
11

Chapter 1: Overview
Description
The XE–800 is a Single Board Computer (SBC) in the EPIC™ form factor. It is
intended for higher-performance, low-power embedded control applications. The
XE–800 SBC integrates serial communications, IDE hard disk port, CompactFlash
socket, digital I/O, six USB ports, keyboard and mouse port, and video. The XE–800
SBC can be used in a stand-alone mode or expanded through a PC/104 or PC/104
Plus interface.
The XE–800 SBC comes with a BIOS loaded on a flash device for easy updates. It is
fully compatible with most popular operating systems.
XE–800 SBC major hardware features
CPU
The CPU is a high-performance, low-power AMD Geode GX1 processor with a clock
speed of 300 MHz. It uses the CS5530A companion chip for some of the peripherals.
The XE–800 SBC has an ISA bus speed of 8.33 MHz.
SDRAM
The memory socket can accept up to 256 MB capacity SO-DIMM modules.
On-board flash
On board is a 512 KB SMT boot flash that contains the BIOS.
CompactFlash socket
The CompactFlash socket accepts a Type I or Type II 3V CompactFlash card. The
CompactFlash appears as an IDE device to the system. It is implemented with an
ATA-4 compliant IDE controller, and appears in Setup as the Primary IDE device.
Hard disk and IDE port
The XE–800 has two ATA-4 compliant IDE controllers. The primary channel is
dedicated to the CompactFlash. The secondary channel supports two additional
IDE devices through a 2 mm, 44-pin connector. This connector supplies power to
the devices. Octagon Systems has a 44-pin to 40-pin Hard Drive Adapter cable
(part #4080 or #6246) to connect IDE devices with a 40-pin interface.
12

USB ports
The CS5530A companion chip supports two USB 1.1 channels, accessed through a
10-pin header. USB 1.1 provides speeds up to 12 Mbps. The Octagon two-port USB
cable (part #6288) provides a direct connection from the 10-pin connector to two
USB devices. USB is available when using an operating system that supports USB.
There is no support from Octagon for DOS legacy USB.
Four additional 2.0 USB channels are supported by an on-board PCI-to-USB
controller. These channels are accessed through standard USB connectors. USB 2.0
provides speeds up to 480 Mbps.
All six channels are open HCI compliant.
Note that USB devices are hot-swappable when a device is plugged into a standard
USB connector, as pins on the connectors determine the order in which they make
contact. Devices are not hot-swappable when connected to a non-standard header.
You can hot swap a device on the four 2.0 connectors; through the USB connector
on the two-port USB cable; or through another USB connector wired to the 10-pin
header, but you cannot hot swap at the 10-pin header itself.
LPT and floppy
The XE–800 does not provide connectors for LPT parallel port or floppy disk drive.
These functions, if required, can be obtained through USB devices. For DOS
operating system they can be obtained through PC/104 or PC/104 Plus devices.
Digital I/O
The 48 digital I/O lines will interface with logic devices, switch inputs, LEDs and
industry standard opto module racks. The I/O lines are 0–5V logic compatible.
They can be individually programmed as inputs or outputs.
Ethernet
The XE–800 provides one 10/100BaseT Ethernet port and supports the IEEE 802.3
Ethernet standard.
Serial ports protected against ESD
The XE–800 SBC has two serial ports. COM1 and COM2 both provide RS–232C.
COM2 also supports RS–422 and RS–485 interfaces. COM1 and COM2 are routed
through a 20-pin connector for RS–232C. RS–422 and RS–485 are provided through
a separate 5-pin connector.
PC/104 and PC/104 Plus interface
The PC/104 interface accepts an 8- or 16-bit PC/104 expansion board. The PC/104
Plus accepts industry-standard PC/104 Plus boards. PC/104 expansion boards are
available from several manufacturers. Up to four PC/104 or PC/104 Plus expansion
boards may be stacked on the XE–800 SBC.
13

Video
The XE–800 SBC supports CRT monitors up to 1280 x 1024 x 16 bpp (bits per
pixel) resolution, and flat panel displays with up to 1024 x 768 x 16 bpp resolution.
Keyboard and mouse port
The keyboard controller accepts an AT style keyboard and has a PS/2 connector.
The mouse port is combined with the keyboard port and is accessed with a “Y”
cable. Note that with some “Y” cables you may have to plug the mouse into the
keyboard icon, and the keyboard into the mouse icon; if the mouse and keyboard do
not function at power up, try switching them. A keyboard connects directly to the
XE–800 while a mouse requires the “Y” cable. Most operating systems do not
require a keyboard or a mouse; however, some operating systems do require both to
be connected for proper booting.
Real time calendar/clock with battery backup
The real time clock is fully AT compatible. An optional off-card battery powers the
real time clock when the 5 volt supply is removed.
Setup information stored in EEPROM for high reliability
Loss of Setup data is serious in industrial applications. Most PCs store Setup
information in battery-backed CMOS RAM. If the battery fails or is replaced
during routine maintenance, this information is lost. Without a keyboard and
monitor in embedded applications, time consuming re-initialization is required.
The XE–800 SBC stores the Setup information in EEPROM with 1024 words
available to the user. Software routines to use this available memory come with the
XE–800 SBC.
Watchdog timer added for safety
The watchdog timer resets the system if the program stops unexpectedly. The
watchdog is enabled, disabled and strobed under software control; it can also be
enabled or disabled in Setup. The time-out period is programmable from 2 ms to
120 seconds, with a variability of ±50%.
Hardware reset
A hardware reset ensures complete reset of the system and all attached
peripherals. A hardware reset can be done by any of the following methods:
An expired watchdog timer cycle
Depressing the reset switch
Cycling power
Power supervisor reset
14

5 Volt only operation lowers system cost
5V ±5%
±12V supplied to PC/104 connector from the power connector; not required for
XE–800 SBC operation
+3.3V supplied to PC/104 Plus connector from the power connector; not
required for XE–800 SBC operation
Rugged environmental operation
Operating temperature –40° to 70°C @ 300 MHz, with no air flow
–40° to 80°C @ 300 MHz, with forced air flow
Nonoperating temperature –55° to 95°C, nonoperating
Relative humidity 5% to 95% noncondensing
Shock 40g, 3 axis
Vibration 5g, 3 axis
Size
115 mm x 165mm x 29.5 mm, EPIC™ form factor
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XE–800 SBC major software features
Diagnostic software verifies system integrity automatically
The XE–800 SBC has built-in diagnostic software that can be used to verify on-card
I/O and memory functions. On power-up, a series of tests is performed. If a problem
occurs, the failed test can be identified by a flashing LED or a beep code. The test is
performed automatically every time the system is reset or powered up. Memory
verification does not require software, test equipment, monitor, keyboard, disks, or
test fixtures. See the “Troubleshooting” chapter for a listing of tests and failures
and their descriptions.
Phoenix software BIOS
The XE–800 SBC has a Phoenix Software BIOS with Octagon BIOS extensions.
The BIOS extensions support the INT17 functions.
Octagon BIOS extensions
On-board BIOS extensions allow easy access to watchdog timer functions, serial
EEPROM, digital I/O, etc.
Boot sequence
An XE–800 SBC can be configured to boot from CompactFlash, a hard disk, or a
CD–ROM. Refer to Setup parameters and booting on page 57.
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Chapter 2: Quick start
This chapter covers the basics of setting up an XE–800 SBC system. The following
topics are discussed:
Component diagrams, connectors, jumpers and cables
Mounting the XE–800 SBC
Connecting a monitor and keyboard
Installing an operating system
Component diagrams, connectors, jumpers and cables
Figures 2–1 and 2–2 show the connectors and jumpers and their locations on the
XE–800 SBC. Figure 2–3 shows the dimensions of the XE–800 SBC in inches and
millimeters. The sections immediately following those figures describe the
connectors and jumpers, and some cables that you might require.
WARNING!
The XE–800 SBC contains static-sensitive CMOS components. To
avoid damaging your card and its components:
Ground yourself before handling the card
Disconnect power before removing or inserting a PC/104 or PC/104
Plus expansion board.
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Figure 2–1 XE–800 SBC component diagram (top)
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Figure 2–2 XE–800 SBC component diagram (bottom)
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Figure 2–3 XE–800 SBC dimensions
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