Edge Connect Overview

Addressing the needs of small form factor (SFF) embedded systems, the Edge-Connect architecture allows designers
to deploy intelligent controllers directly onto equipment and machinery in benign or rugged environments to enable small, mobile or distributed computing applications.

A microcontroller and EEPROM located on the connected expansion board (s) manages the I/O configuration plug and play functionality. All configuration data are stored in this ADL EEProm. The Peripheral or Backplane board communicates its configuration data to the CPU-Board via SMB. This enables an uncomplicated and self-configuring IO extension.

CONNECTOR BAseCon 140 Pin
HIGHSPEED INTERFACE 2x PCIe x1 Lane
USB INTERFACE 2x USB 2.0
STORAGE INTERFACE 2x SATA 3 Gb/s
OTHERS PWR-BTN, Reset, SM-Bus

Edge Connect Evolution

Shown at left is the standalone ADLE3800SEC SBC. The Edge Connect architecture allows for easy customer-specific expansion of the ADLE3800SEC for added functionality and features as shown in the center. Pictured at right is the completed solution. For a variety of applications, this can brings a number of benefits to the customer including:

  • Ability to use a single SBC across products and applications to provide stability of CPU, software, firmware and hardware revisions.
  • Allows for easy future CPU upgrades…simply unplug the SBC, and plug in the new.
  • Custom expansion boards allow for perfect fit of the overall solution.  The flat configuration shown below, could easily be built to different shape, attached vertically, or even stacked above the CPU. 

Edge Connect Applications

This actual ADLE3800SEC Host-CPU SBC is in ultra-compact 75mm x 75mm form factor.
Designed as a full-featured, standalone board for a wide range of industrial embedded applications.
The Edge-Connect architecture allows for added I/O expansion and connectors in a variety of baseboard/breakout board configurations
(flat,vertical, odd-shapes, etc.) for applications including:

• UAV and UUV Unmanned Systems
• Industrial Control Systems
• Government & Defense
• Video Surveillance
• Small Scale Robotics
• Remote Datalogging
• Man-Wearable Computing
• Factory 4.0, IoT, or Cloud Applications

A common Expansion-Board-form factor actual is designed by ADL and named "L-Peripheral".
Its used in the next generation of upcoming ADL EPC-Series (like the ADLEPC1600E).
The ADL L-Peripheral is easy to integrate and gives the flexibility to design your own matching expansion board
a vayst choice of common industrial connectivities like GbLAN, SATA or M.2 (PCIe and/or AHCI) sockets.