Rugged 3.5-inch SBC runs Linux on Bay Trail, is loaded with I/O
Nov 17, 2015 — by Bill Traynor 1,092 viewsArbor Technologies unveiled the “EmCORE-i230G,” a 3.5-inch form factor SBC featuring Intel Atom E3800 CPUs, a wide array of I/O, and -40 to 85°C operation.
Like many other single-board computers targeting applications such as outdoor kiosks or industrial signage, Arbor’s EmCORE-i230G leverages the high-speed processing and graphics performance of Intel’s E3800 processors, along with their low power consumption. The board’s 3.5-inch form-factor remains one of the most popular SBC formats for embedded and industrial applications, alongside the ever popular Mini-ITX. Other recent Bay Trail-based SBCs in 3.5-inch format have included Aaeon’s GENE-BT06, ADL’s ADLE3800HD, Axiomtek’s CAPA840 and CAPA848, Nexcom’s EBC 355, and the WinSystems SBC35-CC405.

EmCORE-i230G
(click image to enlarge)
The EmCORE-i230G is offered with a choice of either Intel’s 1.33GHz dual-core Atom E3825 or 1.91GHz quad-core E3845 processors. A single SODIMM socket supports up to 8GB of DDR3L SDRAM. The board’s display outputs include analog RGB, HDMI, and dual-channel 24-bit LVDS, with support for resolutions of up to 1920×1200, depending on the interface. Dual-simultaneous display mode is also supported.
The Bay Trail processor’s standard I/O offering is supplemented here, by a Fintek F71869ED Super I/O chipset that adds two serial ports, a PS/2 interface, and eight bits of digital I/O. Other I/O includes seven USB ports, 300MB/s SATA, and a pair of Gigabit Ethernet intefaces.

EmCORE-i230G block diagram
(click image to enlarge)
The EmCORE-230G’s expansion capabilities include a full-size mini-PCIe slot, a micro-SDXC socket, and a micro-SIM socket. A CFast storage interface port, which combines the speed of SATA with wide temperature operation, contributes to the board’s ruggedness, as does the soldered-on Bay Trail processor. Additionally, Arbor rates the SBC for operation over the industrial temperature range of -40 to 85°C.
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The EmCORE-230G is compatible with current Linux distributions (Ubuntu recommended), along with Windows 7 and 8.1, says Arbor. The board boots from an Insyde UEFI BIOS, said tailored for embedded applications.
Specifications listed for the EmCORE-230G include:
- Processor — Intel Bay Trail SoC, with integrated Intel HD Graphics:
- Atom E3825 @ 1.33GHz (6W TDP)
- Atom E3845 @ 1.91GHz (10W TDP)
- Memory/storage:
- Memory — 1x SODIMM socket for up to 8GB 1333/1600 MT/s SDRAM
- 1x SATA port with up to 300MB/s transfer rate
- 1x CFast Socket
- 4GB/8GB/16GB eMMC 4.5 flash (OEM option)
- Display:
- Analog RGB, up to 2048×1536
- HDMI, up to 2048×1536
- LVDS — dual-channel 24-bit, up to 1920×1200
- Networking — 2x Gigabit Ethernet (PCIe-interfaced Realtek RTL8111E)
- Other I/O:
- 6x USB 2.0 ports
- 1x USB 3.0/2.0 port
- 8x GPIO
- Expansion:
- 1x mini-PCIe (full size) socket
- 1x micro-SDXC socket
- 1x micro-SIM socket
- Other features — watchdog timer, UEFI BIOS with embedded features
- Dimensions — 146 x 104mm; “3.5-inch SBC” form-factor
- Power — 12V DC @ 0.83A (typical, with E3845 processor)
- Operating temperature — -40 to 85°C
- Operating systems — Ubuntu Linux, Windows 7/8.1 32/64-bit
Further information
More details may be found at Arbor’s EmCORE-i230G product page.
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