Mercury Computer Systems unveiled its PowerBlock 50 embedded computer for small platforms in the 6 lb. to 10 lb. range. Suited for real-time image, sensor, and signal processing and ruggedized for harsh environments, it is fully integrated and programmable, with liquid cooling. The system’s modular architecture allows for flexible configurations of multiple processors, providing well over 100 GFLOPS of processing power in a small, lightweight package. A fully configured PowerBlock 50 weighs less than 10 lb., measuring approximately 4” × 5” × 6” ─ and can be held comfortably in one hand. The system is available as the PowerBlock 50 EDK (Engineering Development Kit), which is a complete software development platform. The EDK includes a PowerBlock 50 system, Linux BSP development environment, and a desktop heat rejection unit (HRU) to support the system’s cooling requirements. As the first in a series of small form factor platforms, the PowerBlock 50 EDK is designed for desktop use in a laboratory or software development environment, for development and optimization of runtime software deployable on PowerBlock 50 systems. The PowerBlock 50 EDK is customizable into configurations that include PowerQUICC, Virtex-4, and Intel processors, and SATA storage. Each configuration includes Gigabit Ethernet and RS-232 I/O interfaces.

Mercury Computer Systems
978-967-1120, www.mc.com