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Exploring the world of ARM based Embedded Computing Boards (ECB)

David Blaza
David Blaza
June 2, 2015
2 minute read time.

Embedded Computing Boards have been around since the 1970's and come in many form factors such as VPX, COM Express, xTCA etc. depending upon the industry they are being deployed into. ECBs, also known as single board computers and computer/system on modules are a hidden world of computing, they run the buses, trains, planes, cranes, cash machines and medical equipment we see and interact with every day.  The ECB market has been traditionally  slow moving, based on incremental changes to processor architectures and form factor but in the last 2 years there has been rapid growth in the number of ARM based boards coming to market.  ECBs are distinct from development boards like the Beaglebone, Raspberry Pi and Arduino in that they may be designed to slot into a particular chassis with a backplane and/or may be ruggedized for extremes of heat, shock and vibration.

From just a handful of ARM based board vendors 2 years ago to over 120 today and new ones entering the market there is clearly a new wave of disruption and innovation coming to the world of ECBs.  Here on the ARM Connected Community we are going to take a deep dive into the world of ECBs with interviews, video's, blogs, discussion and an interactive guide to available boards.  If this topic interests you and want to see more content and interaction please bookmark this page, share it with your network and most important of all, add your voice and experience:

Update:  After 60 days of intense research and conversation about the ECB market here is my take What happens in mobile doesn't stay in mobile; how mobile tech quietly blew up the Embedded board business and my 3 predictions for how Embedded/IoT will play out 

C level thinking: top executives in the ECB market give us their take:

  • CTO thinking;  Dirk Finstel of ADLINK talks cloud, IoT, security and the early days of ARM boards
  • How to think like a CTO; interview with David Jedynak, CTO of Curtiss-Wright
  • C level thinking:  bringing the mobile experience to embedded, Dr. Philipp Tomsich, CTO of Theobroma Systems
  • Express Logic CEO Bill Lamie asks Is there going to be more than one OS running in your next design?

What industry analysts are saying about the ECB market:

  • Industry 4.0 and ARM boards hit a tipping point in 2015; interview with Toby Colquhoun of IHS Research
  • The Maker movement is changing Embedded design; Chris Rommel of VDC Research
  • Will that board cut it?  Markus Levy of bench marking group EEMBC weighs in
  • Lots of variety, and then some with Zynq

Over 100 Embedded Board vendors featured in the ARM interactive guide:

VITA Industry Association President Jerry Gipper weighs in on ARM and SWaP:  ARMed and ready

ARM silicon and software partners share their experiences in the ECB market:

  • From the Beagleboard to built in security, a TI Sitara update with Adrian Valenzuela
  • 3 cool boards, 3 approaches to software from Atmel
  • Xilinx takes Zynq from 0 to 25 board partners in under 2 years
  • Embedded computing pioneer Freescale; interview with Alexandra Dopplinger
  • Embedded author and educator Colin Walls talks about the wonders of asymmetric processing
  • Embedded+IT=IoT and why you need to think hard about security.  Lynx Software

ECB manufacturers bringing you the best of ARM:

  • Going all in with ARM SOMs,  the PHYTEC story
  • There is no GPS on the moon! ARM going to space with GE Intelligent Platforms
  • Lots of data but no supercomputer? then build your own with embedded boards

ARM experts talk about Embedded Computing Boards:

  • Helping Your Quest to Find the Ideal Embedded Board by fergie
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