US Advanced Technology

What are Single Board Computers

When most people think of computers, the image of a PC or laptop comes to mind. Some may even recall the football field size computers of the 1960’s and 70’s before the emergence of the PC. Very few people would picture single board computers , even if there was one sitting right in front of them! A single board computer is the terminology used for a printed circuit board that contains a processor, memory, I/O (input/output) and a clock. Single board computers (aka SBC’s) resemble the motherboard contained in a typical PC, but include all the elements of a basic computer within it’s small design. Since the early 1980’s, the technology behind this type of computers has been used in industrial manufacturing and computerized product design to apply basic processing functions for high-tech product features.

Usage of Single Board Computers

Also commonly referred to as embedded computers, single board computers are used in products from airplanes and rocket ships, to toys and high performance athletic shoes. Almost everyone uses single board computers without being aware of their existence. Most products that utilize computer technology (such as fax machines, cameras, cell phones, etc) contain embedded single board computers. While these tiny computers can host a full size operating system such as Windows XP, most SBC’s have internal operating systems that take up much less space. Simpler operating systems equal a lower cost per computer. Software for single board computers is generally contained on a flash memory system or ROM chip. Quality indictors for single board systems include processor performance, I/O compatibility, SSD storage and wireless capabilities.

Pros and Cons of Single Board Computers

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using SBC’s for industrial and product enhancement. Deciding whether or not to implement single board computer technology is largely a matter of application necessity and cost. Some of the deciding factors on using them include:

+ Pro : Current technologies have increased the capability of the single board computer, while reducing its size and cost.

+ Pro : Wireless technology has made it possible for easy internet access via SBC.

+ Pro : The competitive market has greatly expanding the options and functionalities available for SBC’s.

+ Pro : Advanced computer technology offers reliability for industrial manufacturers and quality products for vendors using SBC’s.

- Con : Incorporation can be costly for high volume products and applications.

- Con : Some applications require customized sizes or I/O functions that are not compatible with standard SBC’s.

Single Board Computer Technologies

While all SBC’s are built using similar standards, different technologies can be included with individual SBC’s. Video capability, Ethernet access functionality and digital computer technologies are just some of the features that can be incorporated into a single board computer. In general, SBC’s can be as simple or as complex as an application demands. Additionally, supplemental hardware such as backplanes and mezzanine structures can significantly increase the functionality of a single board computer.

The iPod Video Player: Another New Innovation To An Already Innovative Device

The iPod is a portable digital media player designed and manufactured by Apple Computers. The standard iPod model stores media on a built in hard drive while the smaller iPod Shuffle and iPod nano uses flash memory. The iPod has became the world’s best selling digital audio player since its launch in 2001.

An IPod can play MP3, WAV, AAC/M4A, Protected AAC, AIFF, Audible audio book and Apple Lossless audio file formats. The fifth generation iPod can now play m4v and mp4 video files. With this addition, the iPod has become a complete multimedia player.

Apple designed the iPod to work with the iTunes media library software, which allows users to manage the music libraries on their computer and on their iPod. To add up to the excitement of its feature, users may also set a rating of up to five stars on any song. This will allow them to remember which ones they like or which ones have the best quality.

It also features some games for example the Parachute wherein the player controls a turret and attempts to shoot down paratroopers and the helicopters that released them. This game is similar to Apple II version of the game Sabotage by Mark Allen. Another is the solitaire, a simple card game that resembles the Klondike solitaire card game. There is also the Music Quiz, The game plays a portion of a random song and the player must identify it form the list of five. The faster the player had identified the song, the higher his score will be. No record is kept of the score and there is no limit to the amount of songs played. This is now possible because of the capabilities of the fifth generation of iPod to play videos.

For the meantime, the iPod video could only support MP4 and Mpeg4 video formats. So if you want to load videos to your iPod, you need to convert the videos first if they are not in the supported format yet. This is not a problem since there are many video converters and softwares available in the internet for download to do the job.

But with Apples dedication to keep the number one spot in the iPods segment in the market, it will be sure that the soon enough more innovations will be produced to allow more file formats to be played.

Now you will be able to share your videos and movies with many people easier than ever. You can also transfer files and videos from your office computer to your home computer and vice versa or to any computer.

You can bring your favorite music videos of your favorite artists anytime and anywhere. You can also load your favorite movies or your home movies as well. Take it with you to family reunions, parties and meeting up with long lost friends.

Need to have a bigger view? You can plug it into a television and see it in a bigger screen. With the right accessories, you can elevate the performance and capabilities of your iPod video. Hook it up with a special AV cable to your TV for a bigger view or you can hook it up in your car for battery charging and using the stereo system of your car. To listen to the audio of your movies better, you can plug them as well to a portable iPod speaker. Not only one person would be able to listen to the audio of your videos. The iPod video, a new evolution for Apples premiere product.