Tiny, 4K Signage Player Runs on Cortex-A17 SoC

By Eric Brown

Advantech announced a fanless, USM-110 digital signage player with support for Android 6.0 and its WISE-PaaS/SignageCMS digital signage management software. The compact (156 mm x 110 mm x 27 mm) device follows earlier Advantech signage computers such as the slim-height, Intel Skylake based DS-081.

 
USM-110 (left) and mounting options
(click images to enlarge)Advantech did not reveal the name of the quad-core, Cortex-A17 SoC, which is clocked to 1.6 GHz and accompanied by a Mali-T764. It sounds very close to the Rockchip RK3288, which is found on SBCs such as the Asus Tinker Board, although that SoC instead has a Mali T760 GPU. Other quad -A17 SoCs include the Zhaoxin ZX-2000 found on VIA Technologies’ ALTA DS 4K signage player.

The USM-110, which is also available in a less feature rich USM-110 Delight model, ships with 2GB DDR3L-1333, as well as a microSD slot. You get 16GB of eMMC on the standard version and 8 GB on the Delight. There’s also a GbE port and an M.2 slot with support for an optional WiFi module with antenna kit.

The USM-110 has two HDMI ports, both with locking ports: an HDMI 2.0 port with H.265-encoded, native 4K@60 (3840 x 2160) and a 1.4 port with 1080p resolution. The system enables dual simultaneous HD displays.

USM-110 and USM-110 Delight detail views
(click image to enlarge)The Delight version lacks the 4K-ready HDMI port, as well as the standard model’s mini-PCIe slot, which is available with an optional 4G module with antenna kit. The Delight is also missing the standard version’s RS232/485/422 port, and it has only one USB 2.0 host port instead of four.

Otherwise, the two models are the same, with a micro-USB OTG port, audio jack, reset, dual LEDs, and a 12V/3A DC input. The 0.43 kg system has a 0 to 40°C range, and offers VESA, wall, desktop, pole, magnet, and DIN-rail mounting.

Advantech’s WISE-PaaS/SignageCMS digital signage management software, also referred to as UShop+ SignageCMS, supports remote, real-time management. It allows users to layout, schedule, and dispatch signage contents to the player over the Internet, enabling remote delivery of media and media content switching via interactive APIs. A WISE Agent framework for data acquisition supports RESTful API web services for accessing and controlling applications.

Further information

The USM-110 appears to be available now at an undisclosed price. More information may be found in Advantech’s USM-110 announcement and product page.

This article originally appeared on LinuxGizmos.com on September 6.

Advantech | www.advantech.com

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