ZF Linux Devices, Inc. today introduced its SystemCardô Single-Board Computer family of products, a new generation of embedded system boards. The new family of boards delivers easy integration, high reliability, broad thermal adaptability, small size, and low cost to embedded applications such as medical instruments, data loggers, security systems, test equipment, point-of-sale terminals, communications devices, and navigational instruments.

SystemCard boards provide the full functionality of an X86 desktop computer on a single, compact board with the same footprint as a 5º-inch disk drive. This footprint, now a standard in the embedded control market, was created in 1983 by David Feldman, then president of Ampro Computers and currently founder of ZF Linux Devices.

"SystemCards will provide more highly-integrated solutions to the embedded control market than any other board-level product currently available," said Mr. Feldman. "SystemCards will provide full PC functionality, shorten the time-to-market of new products in development, and eliminate the risks the come with proprietary control systems."

The SystemCard family offers boards with the following microprocessors:

• AKX-48X - 80486SX, DX, DX2, and DX4
• AKX-58X - Pentium 100, 120, 133, 150, and 166; AMD K5; and Cyrix M1

SystemCard boards integrate SanDisk compact solid state flash disks, with capacities of 2, 4, 10, and 15 MBytes. The flash disks are designed to emulate hard disks and, with Stacker data compression, will hold up to 30 MBytes of data.

"OEMs want to use the X86 architecture because it offers the world's largest body of hardware and software support. However, size, power, integration, or cost constraints have led them to believe that the current generation of embedded system boards cannot meet the needs of all their applications," continued Mr. Feldman. "SystemCards were designed to address the advanced computing power needed by some applications."

SystemCard development kits, which provide a "known good" environment to accelerate design cycles, will be available in the third quarter of 1996. Production units will ship before the end of the year. Quantity 100 prices will range up to $995 for a Pentium 100-based board.

ZF Linux Devices, Inc. designs and markets highly integrated, Intel X86-compatible computers and peripheral controller modules in a new generation, ultra-miniature form factor. Single-Device Personal Computer (SDPC) technology provides the full functionality of a desktop computer in a package that can be integrated as easily as a semiconductor device.