Atom C3000 net appliance offers options for 10GbE, PoE, WiFi 6, and 5G
Jul 7, 2020 — by Eric Brown 3,305 viewsAdvantech’s fanless, -20 to 70°C tolerant “FWA-1112VC” net appliance runs Linux on an Atom C3000 with 6x GbE or 4x GbE with 2x 10GbE SFP+ ports along with optional PoE and 3x M.2 for SATA, WiFi 6, and 4G/5G.
Advantech has announced a highly customizable, IP40-protected desktop networking system with extended temperature support. The FWA-1112VC is described in the Electropages story where we found out about it as the latest in the company’s “entry and mid-level white boxes for SD-WAN and uCPE.”


FWA-1112VC with 6GbE (left) and with optional 2x 10GbE SFP+
(click images to enlarge)
Like Advantech’s FWA-1012VC, the FWA-1112VC runs Linux on an Intel Atom C3000 networking SoC. While that earlier system offers 6x or 8x GbE ports, two of which can optionally be deployed as SFP ports, the FWA-1112VC offers 6x GbE or 4x GbE with 2x 10GbE SFP+ ports.
On either SKU, two of the GbE ports can optionally be enabled with Power-over-Ethernet Plus (PoE+) for up to 30W per port. (Note that all the options listed here except for the 10GbE option are “by project,” suggesting that the customizations require volume sales.)
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Like the FWA-1012VC, the system combines 2x Intel i211 controllers with a Marvell 88E1543 PHY for controlling the 4x standard GbE ports. Networking features include VPD, SSID, and QAT.
The FWA-1112VC gives you a choice of a quad-core, 2.2GHz Atom C3558 with a 16W TDP or an octa-core, 2.2GHz Atom C3758 with 25W TDP. The octa-core SKU tightens the operating range from -20 to 70°C to -20 to 60°C. The Linux stack includes a QuickStart Linux Image and Server iManager software.
The system supports up to 32GB, single socket 2133MHz or 2400MHz DDR4, depending on the SKU, with support for ECC RAM. An optional eMMC socket supports 4GB to 32GB storage and an M.2 M-key 2280 slot supports SATA III SSDs.


FWA-1112VC front and back detail views
(click images to enlarge)
The FWA-1112VC is further equipped with an M.2 E-key slot for WiFi, including an optional 802.11ax (WiFi 6) module. There is also an M.2 B-key 3042/3052 slot accompanied by a single mini-SIM card slot for cellular options including an optional LTE/5G module. Project-basis options include a second LTE-ready slot with mini-SIM and a mini-PCIe slot for WiFi, which would likely replace the M.2 E-key slot. Four antenna mounts are also available.
Additional features include 2x USB 3.0 ports, a console port, and 6x LEDs. The 220 x 160 x 44mm, 2.3 Kg system has an iron chassis protected per IP40. You also get an aluminum heatsink plus rack and wall mounting.
The 36W ATX power supply offers a lockable DC input with a 100-240V AC 50/60Hz adapter. There is also a 12V/3A DC output and a power button. ESD and surge protections are included and there are several EMC certifications.
Other recent desktop networking appliances based on the Atom C3000 include IEI’s Puzzle-IN003B, Lanner’s NCA-1513, and Nexcom’s vDNA 1160, among others. Earlier this year, Intel announced a Atom P5900 successor to the Atom C3000 based on its 10nm Tremont core, but we have yet to see a desktop appliance based on it.
Further information
No pricing or availability information was provided for the FWA-1112VC. More information may be found on Advantech’s product page.
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