PC/104 Embedded Consortium agrees to adopt EPIC specification

JANUARY 17--The PC/104 Consortium (San Francisco, CA; www.pc104.org) has announced its adoption and management of the new, mid-sized EPIC standard. An overwhelming majority of members voted in support of EPIC, the 4.5 x 6.5-in. embedded single-board computer format that supports PC/104 and PC/104-Plus as part of its specification.

EPIC represents the next generation of mid-sized single-board computers. The standard was developed through combined technical efforts of WinSystems, VersaLogic, Octagon Systems, Micro/sys, and Ampro Corporation. The EPIC standard represents an opportunity for manufacturers to provide PC/104 technology to users in an efficient footprint and in combination with some of the latest CPU technology.

The adoption of the EPIC standard by the PC/104 Consortium follows on the footsteps of the Consortium's announcement in 2004 of the adoption of the EBX standard, widely known for its implementation of PC/104 technology on a large footprint. These actions by the Consortium represent its commitment to provide PC/104 users the broadest possible range of options for PC/104 technology. EPIC products are being shipped by several companies that introduced EPIC boards in April 2004 at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Francisco.

The PC/104 Consortium and standard were established in 1992. PC/104, in use since 1987, is a small-form-factor, embedded PC physical and electrical interface standard. It provides embedded system designers with an architecture that is dense, cost-effective, and based on proven, practical technology. PC/104-Plus, an extension that was added to the standard in 1995, incorporates PCI technology. A PCI only version, PCI-104 was incorporated into the specification in 2004.