ZEUS Technical Manual

Detailed hardware description

 

 

The design supports 520MHz, 416MHz and 312MHz speed variants of the PXA270 processor. The standard variant of the ZEUS board is fitted with the 520MHz version of PXA270. The maximum speed available for extended temperature versions of the ZEUS is 416MHz.

A 13MHz external crystal is used to run the PXA270 processor. All other clocks are generated internally in the processor.

The PXA270 processor family provides multimedia performance, low power capabilities and rich peripheral integration. Designed for wireless clients, it incorporates the latest Intel advances in mobile technology over its predecessor, the PXA255 processor. The PXA270 processor features scalability by operating from 104MHz up to 520MHz, providing enough performance for the most demanding control and monitoring applications.

PXA270 is the first Intel Personal Internet Client Architecture (PCA) processor to include Intel Wireless MMX technology, enabling high performance, low power multimedia acceleration with a general-purpose instruction set. Intel Quick Capture technology provides a flexible and powerful camera interface for capturing digital images and video. Power consumption is also a critical component. Wireless Intel SpeedStep technology provides the new capabilities in low power operation.

The processor requires a number of power supply rails. All voltage levels are generated on-board from either the DC/DC PSU or from the single +5V power input. The ZEUS uses a specialized Power Management IC to support Intel SpeedStep technology.

The PXA270 processor is a low power device and does not require a heat sink for operating temperatures up to 85°C (185°F).

© 2007 Eurotech Ltd Issue D

21