congatec Presents First Qseven Module with Quad-core Intel® Pentium® Processor with 4K Resolution

COMPUTEX, Taipei, 2 June 2015 * * * congatec AG, a leading technology company for embedded computer modules, single board computers and embedded design and manufacturing (EDM) services, introduces the latest addition to its Qseven family. The conga-QA4 module features the new Intel Pentium® and Celeron® processors based on 14 nm technology and offers increased energy savings and computing power. The optimized Intel® Gen8 graphics, with up to 16 EUs (graphics execution units) and 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution, result in a significantly improved visual experience.

The conga-QA4 module comes in three different processor versions (Intel codename Braswell) for high scalability. These range from the entry-level dual-core Intel® Celeron® N3050 with 1.6/2.08 GHz to the quad-core Intel® Pentium® N3700 with 1.6/2.4 GHz, each with a power consumption of 4 watts for standard applications (SDP = Scenario Design Power).

Qseven modules featuring the first Intel Atom processor generation have been in use since 2008. With the introduction of the new conga-QA4 module, all Qseven applications can now be upgraded to the latest processor technology quickly and easily.

"congatec was one of the first companies to introduce application-ready products based on our latest processors,” said Jonathan Luse, Intel IoT senior product line director. “This enables customers who use Qseven-based products to take immediate advantage of Intel’s 14 nm technology in their products."

The Qseven module is equipped with up to 8 GB dual channel DDR3L memory and up to 64GB eMMC 5.0 for mass storage. The enhanced integrated Intel® Gen8 graphics supports DirectX 11.1, OpenGL 4.2 and OpenCL 1.2. The new high-performance, hardware-accelerated video decoding of H.265/HEVC, requires a 50% lower data rate compared to H.264/AVC, making it possible to stream 4K videos in real time.

Up to 4K(3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution is supported by either DisplayPort or HDMI interfaces. In addition the conga-QA4 module has a default 24bit LVDS interface. The Qseven specification includes an optional pinout which replaces the LVDS interface by two sets of Embedded DisplayPort signals. This optional implementation allows to operate 3 independent displays.

All of this makes the conga-QA4 module a good choice for retail, digital signage and medical applications. However, the need for high-performance graphics, outstanding computing power and passive cooling is not limited to these applications. In addition, the conga-QA4 is a good fit for technical diagnostics based on optical information, many retail monitoring tasks, security features such as occupancy or collision detection, authentication and access control, person and face recognition, optical measuring and counting, assistance systems (e.g., pedestrian and traffic sign recognition in motor vehicles), intelligent lighting systems (e.g., automatic headlamp control), as well as webcam and intercom functions (e.g., video telephony).

Thanks to native USB 3.0 support, the conga-QA4 module provides fast data transmission despite low power draw. A total of six USB 2.0 ports are provided, one of which is executed as USB 3.0 SuperSpeed.

Three PCI Express 2.0 lanes and two SATA 3.0 ports with up to 6 Gb/s allow fast and flexible system extensions. The Intel® I211 Gigabit Ethernet Controller offers the best software compatibility, while I2C bus, LPC bus for easy integration of legacy I/O interfaces, and Intel® High Definition Audio with an 8-channel sound card round off the feature set.

The following CPU variants are available: