Kontron
ETX-P3/C3 User’s Guide
Introduction
5
ETX modules include common personal computer (PC) peripheral functions such as:
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Graphics
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Parallel, Serial, and USB ports
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Keyboard/mouse
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Ethernet
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Sound
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IDE
The baseboard designer can optimize exactly how each of these functions implements
physically. Designers can place connectors precisely where needed for the application on a
baseboard designed to optimally fit a system’s packaging.
Peripheral PCI or ISA buses can be implemented directly on the baseboard rather than on
mechanically unwieldy expansion cards. The ability to build a system on a single baseboard
using the computer as one plug-in component simplifies packaging, eliminates cabling,
and significantly reduces system-level cost.
A single baseboard design can use a range of ETX modules. This flexibility can differentiate
products at various price/performance points, or to design future proof systems that have a
built-in upgrade path. The modularity of an ETX solution also ensures against obsolescence
as computer technology evolves. A properly designed ETX baseboard can work with several
successive generations of ETX modules.
An ETX baseboard design has many advantages of a custom, computer-board design but
delivers better obsolescence protection, greatly reduced engineering effort, and faster
time to market.
