Boards that have undergone secondary development on top of microprocessors or chipsets enable system engineers to easily innovate embedded devices. Current trends in board design primarily focus on miniaturization, multifunctionality, and environmental friendliness. The application market is characterized by small-scale, diversified offerings, and a business model that combines competition and collaboration.
Miniaturization, multi-functionality, versatility
Currently, the development trend of circuit boards is towards thinner and smaller designs. Traditional circuit board systems, such as 3.5-inch boards and EBX boards, are relatively large and face challenges in today's industrial environments, such as limitations in cabling and assembly equipment space. Therefore, they have been challenged by miniaturized circuit boards.
For example, VIA Technologies' Embedded Platforms Division in Taiwan has defined various miniaturized board form factors for the industry, including Mini-ITX, Nano-ITX, Pico-ITX, Pico-ITXe, and Mobile-ITX. Some of these have become standards adopted by commercial and industrial system manufacturers. In 2009, VIA launched the Em-ITX form factor (as shown in Figure 1), which, while maintaining miniaturization, made new attempts in terms of multifunctionality and versatility.
The main drawback of traditional small form factor boards like the PC-104 is their small size, which increases the technical difficulty and cost of incorporating more functions. EBX, ATX, or 5.25-inch boards, on the other hand, have a large form factor. EBX boards require connector cables to bring out all interfaces, resulting in excessive cabling, difficulties in cable management, and potential issues with internal system heat dissipation. VIA's Em-ITX, however, is more than 30% smaller than EBX in total area. Its design integrates external I/O interfaces directly on both sides of the motherboard and incorporates an onboard Em-IO expansion bus, allowing for stacking Em-IO expansion boards on top of the motherboard. This reduces system complexity, achieving a compact, thin design while providing a wide range of external interfaces required for industrial applications.
Green
Lowering power consumption has become a trend. Looking at Intel's Atom processors and VIA's Nano processors, both prioritize low power consumption as a key innovation. Furthermore, motherboards are increasingly adopting fanless systems, not only because fan-based systems are difficult to maintain, but also because fanless systems use passive cooling, reducing the number of fans and thus requiring stricter CPU power consumption control, resulting in a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution.
Small quantities, diverse
Embedded systems are characterized by small-batch, diverse production. According to Zhou Jiang, China Marketing Manager of VIA Technologies' Embedded Platform Business Unit, VIA boards are already used in US military battlefield robots, South Korean vehicle computer systems, and Spanish hospital digital signage systems, among others. In China, there are significant market opportunities in areas such as digital signage, POS machines, video surveillance, vehicle computers, industrial control systems, power systems, transportation systems, and medical electronics.
Of course, due to geographical differences, the market development methods and customer service for circuit boards also differ. According to You Lingxiao, Senior Business Manager of VIA's Embedded Platform Business Unit, in the European market, due to the small size and high labor costs, European customers' solutions are specialized and niche, requiring high levels of technical service, and resulting in higher ASPs (average selling price) for their products. China has advantages in terms of lower labor and material costs, and also has a large number of enterprises with economies of scale.
Competition and cooperation coexistence
Looking at the two major CPU suppliers, Intel primarily provides CPUs and other chips, while VIA, in addition to CPUs, also manufactures motherboards and operating systems. Third-party motherboard companies on the market cooperate with both Intel and VIA, such as large companies like Axiomtek and Advantech. The reason motherboard manufacturers adopt this dual-track approach is twofold: on the one hand, it satisfies diverse customer needs, and on the other hand, it serves as a supplement when one chip manufacturer's supply is insufficient.
From VIA's perspective, they hope their PCB design will be adopted by more PCB manufacturers and become an industry standard, collectively expanding the market. For example, many PCB manufacturers have launched Nano-ITX PCBs, while companies like Kontron and Axiomtek have launched Pico-ITX solutions. This is because VIA positions itself as a technology-driven company, aiming to lead technological trends. The pressure from competitors can propel VIA to new heights.
