| RJ-45-sized device server updated |
Nov. 12, 2008
 [Updated 2:00PM] -- Digi International will upgrade its RJ-45 jack-sized device server. Shipping in Dec., the $50 Digi Connect ME 9210 will offer a faster ARM9 processor and serial data rates, while adding I2C and serial peripheral interfaces (SPI), as well as 256-bit AES cryptography hardware.
(Click for larger view of the Digi Connect ME 9210)
The Digi Connect ME 9210 comes standard with Digi Plug-and-play firmware based on NET+OS (ThreadX). A cross-development environment based on Linux 2.6.26 will ship with the device. Earlier versions of the Connect ME hardware also supported Microsoft's .NET MF tools, although support has not yet been announced for the 9210 device. Still, the module is claimed software-compatible with older Connect ME parts, so existing software could potentially be migrated.
The Connect ME is optionally available with a JTAG port
The Digi Connect ME 9210 is aimed at OEMs who want to network-enable small-format industrial equipment, says Digi. Specific examples include programmable logic controllers (PLCs), power distribution units (PDUs), and building environment controls.
Digi calls the new Connect ME module "interchangeable" with older Connect ME products, which share the same dimensions and pin-out on the 20-pin interface that connects the module to the host system.
The Connect ME 9250 has the same pin-out as the older Connect ME modules
Digi's older Connect ME and WiFi-enabled Digi Connect Wi-ME (pictured) modules measure 1.45 by 0.75 inches and 1.85 by 0.75 inches, respectively.
Digi Connect Wi-ME
(Click for details)
The earlier Connect ME products were based on Digi's NS7520 SoC (system-on-chip), powered by an ARM7TDMI core clocked up to 55MHz. The new ConnectME systems step up to Digi's newer NS9210, based on the same ARM7TDMI core clocked up to 75MHz. The NS9210 also ships in a 150MHz version, but that option is not offered for the Connect ME module.
Pin- and software-compatible with the older NS7520 chip, the NS9210 similarly integrates peripherals and memory controllers, programmable timers, a 13-channel DMA controller, an external bus expansion module, and 16 general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins. However, it adds a new NIST-certified AES accelerator for communications security.
Digi NS9210 processor block diagram
(Click to enlarge)
To the NS9210, the Digi Connect ME 9210 server adds 8MB RAM, and 4MB or 4MB of flash (2MB for the version running NET+OS). Real-world I/O consists of a single 8-pin 10/100 Ethernet interface brought out to a standard RJ-45 Ethernet jack. I/O available through the Connect ME module's 20-pin surface-mount connector includes SPI, I2C, GPIO, and 1-wire interfaces. A version with CAN 2.0, but without I2C, will ship later, Digi says.
Digi's tiny device server is said to consume only 1.14 W under typical conditions, and to offer power-over-Ethernet (PoE) capability and power management functions. Extended lifecycle support is said to be offered for the device.
Specs listed for the Digi Connect ME 9210 are said to include:- Processor -- 32-bit Digi NS9210 75MHz (ARM926EJ-S)
- Security -- On-chip 256-bit AES accelerator
- Memory -- 8MB SDRAM
- Flash -- 2MB or 4MB NOR flash
- Networking -- 1 x 10/100 Ethernet
- Expansion -- Flexible Interface Modules (FIM) with 300MHz DRPIC165X CPU
- Interfaces:
- High-speed TTL serial
- Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)
- I(2)C v1.0 bus with 7- and 10-bit address modes
- 10 x shared GPIO ports with up to 3 external IRQ options
- Power management -- modes for on-the-fly clock scaling, low power sleep, and configurable scaling/wake-up events (EIRQ, UART, Ethernet, etc.)
- Other features -- software watchdog
- Operating temperature -- -40 to 176 deg. F (-40 to 80 deg. C)
- Power -- 3.3VDC @ 346 mA; 1.14 W typical consumption
- Operating systems -- Digi Embedded Linux; NET+OS (ThreadX-based)
Digi first announced that it would support Microsoft's .NET MF on its tiny embedded computers back in 2006. In 2007, Digi released its Connect ME JumpStart Kit for Microsoft .NET Micro Framework, claimed to be the first Ethernet networking platform for .NET MF.
Last month, Digi announced that its ConnectCore 9P 9215 module now supports Microsoft's .NET MF, version 2.5. Released in February, .NET MF 2.5 is Microsoft's development environment for small, deeply embedded devices with constrained processor and memory resources. With a memory footprint of only about 300KB, it now includes a native TCP/IP stack and support for WSD (web services on devices), allowing networked devices to discover and connect to one another without user intervention, says Microsoft.
Availability
In December, Digi will ship its Digi Connect ME 9210 for $48 in quantities of 1,000, says Digi. More information, including links to extensive documentation on both the server and the NS9210 processor, may be found here.
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