COM Express designs offer a similar choice in computer systems: the technical advantages of a custom design without the high cost and long development cycle. Pretty big claim, so how does this work?

The concept of using a Computer on Module (COM) was developed as an alternative design architecture that combines important benefits of custom and off-the-shelf systems. COM Express systems use an off-the-shelf COM module that supplies the core, high-speed functionality found in most PCs (processor, chipset, video, memory, Ethernet, USB) married to a custom designed “carrier board” with all connectors, power, and application specific I/O. Although there is still some design effort required for the carrier board, time to market is greatly shortened compared to a true custom computer system while delivering the same exact match to the electrical and mechanical application requirements.

The benefits of COM Express systems are numerous and include:

• Fast Time to Market
• Scalability for Easy Upgrade
• Application Specific I/O
• Flexible Mechanical Configuration
• Vibration Resistant
• Long Term Availability and Support
• Superior Lifecycle Management

You can find additional information on COM Express and Sealevel’s custom design capabilities by visiting our website.

I was at Virginia Tech working on an engineering degree. Susan and I had our son, Ben, and I needed to work part-time. In a town the size of Blacksburg, Virginia, good jobs were hard to find with the school there. I lucked out somehow. My first job was at Scotty’s Lafayette Store. We old guys remember Lafayette stores as THE place for electronics, way before Radio Shack. I sold stereos, CB radios and lots of electronic parts. I could also buy things at a discount. One day we were looking for something in the back, and I came across some Dynaco kits – a tube preamp and tuner. I was in heaven, and thus started a long love affair with tube amps. You know? Those funny looking glass things that preceded transistors?

Back to the picture. Lafayette closed later that year, so I had to find other employment. I remember my mother saying that I should take any job, such as washing dishes. I held out and looked harder. I had read Jon Titus‘ Bugbooks, particularly the The 8080 Bugbook. These were hands-on, experiment based books that combined with “trainer kit” electronics to teach fundamentals of microprocessors and interfacing – new stuff in 1976!

Jon and his brother Chris ran a little electronics and software company called Tychon, Inc. Sound out that name – its derived from “Titus”, “Chris” and “Jon”. Chris’ wife, Sarah, was the glue that held it together. This was an early example of small business, high-tech entrepreneurship at it’s best.

Well, somehow I talked my way into a job there. It didn’t hurt that I’d spent the summer of ’76 immersed in the 8080 Bugbook. That book opened my eyes (and brain) to how a microprocessor worked. This new job was like working for the Allman Brothers Band after spending time admiring their work and wanting to play like them!

I swept floors, soldered (a lot) and maintained equipment. I eventually learned to lay out circuit boards with black tape on mylar. Wow! I couldn’t help learning to program 8080 assembler. Back then, octal notation was popular. Hexadecimal replaced it soon thereafter, thank goodness. For example, the decimal number 255 is 377 octal and FF hex. Old DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) equipment used octal, and the Ph.D chemists-turned-8080 programmers that I worked for liked it.

One of the products that Tychon made was a keyboard/LED readout board that allowed you to plug chips into a breadboard and then perform experiments with software op codes that you entered on the little keypad. That was cutting edge back then! And what a way to learn! The picture included in this blog is me sitting in front of a CRT, a luxury in those days, and Jon leaning over explaining something.

I eventually graduated from Virginia Tech. My son Ben, now president of Sealevel, was there at two years old. I’m extremely proud that my kids have taken such an interest in the company. Of course, they grew up with Sealevel discussions at the breakfast table every day!

Those years were inspirational for everything I did after that. I went to work for NCR upon graduating. I stayed in touch with Jon, and eventually started Sealevel with the confidence I needed. Chris Titus had an unfortunate accident that left him unable to continue the work he and Jon had started. Chris was absolutely brilliant, and Jon loved to argue with him (sometimes even when he agreed with him) because Chris would get so into it. I owe volumes to both of them. Jon later helped me write The Digital I/O Handbook.

Thank you for reading this, and thanks especially to all those brilliant people that have influenced my career!

Win an autographed copy of The Digital I/O Handbook

To enter leave a comment below telling us who or what inspired you to become an engineer. The top ten responses will be selected by January 31, 2012. Winners will receive a receive a free, autographed copy of The Digital I/O Handbook.

Questions? Email community@sealevel.com

Also at West 2012, we will also be showcasing our ACC-188 Synchronous Interface Adapter, which enables tactical radios to interface to PCs and quickly transmit IP-based data such as email, IM-type communications, files, GPS maps, images, coordinates, etc. We will have a range of other products on display, including synchronous products (PCI, low profile PCI, PCMCIA, and USB) and industrial computers.

Whether you’re looking for off-the-shelf or custom products, your feedback is important to us. Stop by to discuss how our products can be customized to best serve your needs.

We look forward to meeting you at West 2012. If you have any questions, please email me at marcf@sealevel.com or call at (864) 843-4343.

(Click here to read our article featured in the October 2011 issue of Military Embedded Systems)

Stop by booth #1706 at MILCOM 2011 to see our complete line of RISC embedded computing products – the SBC-R9™, SBC-R9-2100, Relio™ R9 and SeaPAC R9-8.4 – which are perfect for applications that require small size, wide operating temperature range, and flexible I/O connectivity.

As always, we will also be showcasing our ACC-188 Synchronous Interface Adapter, which enables tactical radios to interface to PCs and quickly transmit IP-based data such as email, text messages, GPS maps, images, coordinates and other communications.

(Watch a short video featuring the ACC-188 Synchronous Interface Adapter and our military-grade laptop docking station)

We will have a range of other products on display, including synchronous products (PCI, low profile PCI, PCMCIA, and USB) and industrial computers.

Whether you’re looking for custom or off-the-shelf products, Sealevel can help you find the perfect solution for your application. Our goal is to help you get your product to market faster. Stop by Booth #1706 and let’s talk about your application needs.

We look forward to meeting you at MILCOM 2011. If you have any questions, please email me at marcf@sealevel.com or call me at (864) 843-4343.

O’Hanlan is an active member of SIBF, supporting the Leadership Academy initiative as a global sponsor, serving on Global Network Foundation Advisory Board, and previously serving as South Carolina membership chair.

The Society of International Business Fellows, a private, nonprofit organization, comprises 400 business, professional and academic leaders from around the world. Read Tom’s blogs to learn more about SIBF as well as Tom’s experiences and business philosophies in his blogs.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

• Each port individually configurable for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485
• 16C954 buffered UARTs with 128-byte FIFOs
• Each port supports data rates to 921.6K bps
• Oscillator and clock prescalar support wide range of baud rates
• Supports 9-bit protocol framing
• RS-485 line termination, pull-up and pull-down resistors for each port are selectable via dipswitch
• RS-485 ECHO can be enabled/disabled via dipswitch
• PCI Express X1 compliant
• Compatible with all standard size PCI Express slots
• All modem control signals implemented in RS-232 mode
• Automatic RS-485 enable/disable in hardware
• Included 36″ cable terminates to four DB9M connectors (Item# CA143)

Introducing the new COMM+4.PCIe serial interface, which delivers the ultimate flexibility for expanding serial communications in a variety of test and measurement, process control and point-of-sale applications.

The COMM+4.PCIe serial interface provides four multifunction serial ports, each individually field-configurable for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485. Each serial port utilizes a 16C954 UART with 128-byte Tx/Rx FIFOs that enables data rates to 921.6K bps for reliable high-speed communications in data intensive applications. This high-performance UART includes 9-bit framing support and is register compatible with legacy software applications designed for 16C550 UARTs. In addition, the board derives a 62.5 MHz clock from the PCI Express bus. This ultra high speed clock is divided by a flexible 8-bit clock prescalar with 1/8 steps to provide support for the widest range of standard and non-standard baud rates.

In RS-485 mode, the board provides automatic control of the RS-485 driver in hardware, allowing the 7404e to be used with standard serial communications without the risk of bus contention and data corruption. Additionally, RS-485 network termination, critical to robust multi-drop communication, can be selectively added to the circuit via DIP-switches. In RS-232 mode, all modem control signals are implemented for maximum compatibility with a variety of serial peripherals such as PLC’s, bar code readers, scales, and other data acquisition/control devices.

Our SeaCOM software driver and utilities make installation and operation easy using Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems. The COMM+4.PCIE (Item# 7404e) ships with a 36-inch cable that terminates to four DB9M connectors.

COMM+4.PCIE prices start at $369.00 and quantity discounts are available. For more information, contact us at sales@sealevel.com or call +1 864.843.4343.

Measuring just 4.9” x 3.9” in size, the SBC-R9-2100 is small enough to fit in most embedded applications and is rated for a full -40 +85C operating temperature range. The SBC-R9-2100 is powered from your 7-30VDC source, or select from a variety of Sealevel power supply options.

To provide the fastest time to market, the Windows CE 6.0 BSP binary and low-level drivers for system I/O are included. Additionally, the SBC-R9 software package is equipped with the Sealevel Talos I/O Framework, which offers a high-level, object-oriented .NET Compact Framework (CF) device interface to simplify application development.

A QuickStart development kit is available, which includes the most common accessories. For applications with specialized hardware requirements, developers can use the SBC-R9-2100 as a platform for application development while Sealevel designs a customized target system specific to the user’s application requirements.

For more information, email us at sales@sealevel.com or  give us a call at +1 864-843-4343.

“It’s been a real pleasure being a part of the growth and success of such a wonderful organization for over ten years now. I am honored to be chosen as only the second president of this company, now celebrating 25 years,” stated Ben. “We have a lot of great people that have really helped make us successful over the years, and I look forward to continuing to lead them in my new capacity.”

Ben graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder with a degree in history. He has previously worked with a large, publicly traded software company. He currently serves as chair of the board of trustees at St. Matthew UMC, and he is also on the board of The Family Effect.

The non-polarized, isolated inputs on the DIO-16-LPCIe are rated for 3-30VDC and protect the PC and other sensitive equipment from voltage spikes and ground loop currents that are common to industrial environments. The outputs provide high quality, long-life, dry contact switch closures suitable for switching up to 500mA. The Reed relays are normally open and close when energized. Sealevel software drivers and utilities make installation and operation easy using Microsoft Windows operating systems.

The DIO-16-LPCIe (Item# 8012e) is available immediately from stock priced at $289. The 8012e is for use in low profile PCI Express slots. If you have a standard size PCI Express slot, order the Item# 8012se. Like all Sealevel I/O products, the DIO-16-LPCIe is backed by a lifetime warranty.

Sealevel Systems, Inc., founded in 1986, provides industrial computing solutions in addition to a variety of communications and I/O products including PCI Bus cards, Ethernet serial servers, USB serial adapters, PCMCIA cards, and PC/104 modules. The product line includes multi-port RS-232, RS-422/485, RS-232/422/485 multi-interface high-speed sync/async, and digital/relay I/O.

We all looked like 1986. The movie Top Gun inspired my Kelly McGillis haircut. The kids wandered around looking sometimes preppy, sometimes punk. Tom wore his shaded aviator glasses with his hair shorter than it had ever been.

Early in ’86 Adams decided to close its doors due to the failing textile industry. Tom had developed some communications products while he was there and decided he could build a company around those products.

I was 29 years old, and he had just turned 31. Tom went to his father, Dr. J. T. O’Hanlan, and asked to borrow money for us to live off of while we got started. He was happy to help. We also approached banker, Rodger Anthony, who was with First National Bank of Pickens County, and he agreed to work with us.

I ended my very short real estate career, dusted off my Smith-Corona typewriter I used in college and Tom found us a spot in the basement of a friend’s business. All we needed was a name and logo. Naming the company came from a combination of things, music being one of them, and the logo was designed by my mother, Mary Jane Dull, who had just finished a masters degree in sculpting and painting from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Tom developed products, talked to customers, worked with vendors and suppliers and tested the products. I typed invoices, paid the bills and did the shipping and receiving. Ben and Sarah, along with the help of neighborhood kids, built boxes and helped organize shipping on the weekends. With lots of support of friends and family, we were off and running. I had absolute faith in Tom and never considered failing as an option.

The stories of that first year are endless. I answered the phone and we passed it back and forth, often changing our voices to sound as if we had more employees. I used my maiden name so that we didn’t sound like a “Mom and Pop” business. We used invoices that came from the office supply store, and I typed in our company name and information until we could afford business cards and invoices with our name and new logo.

The memories of that time are special. I have a few treasures that I have kept – the tape dispenser that was passed along to me from our wonderful friends at Adams Incorporated, and our first sign, which of course, was neon.

Obviously, the company has grown and has been very successful. We grew slowly, taking seriously every step as we added employees and new products. Tom and I worked together for thirteen years with our roles in the company evolving. I still consider him an amazing engineer and visionary. He has always been passionate about technology.

Our children joined the company after college and working other jobs. First Sarah, now Sarah Beasley, is Director of Marketing. Ben followed, now Chief Operating Officer, running the company on the day-to-day.  And we added a son to our family during the high school years, Brandon Maddox, who is Shipping and Receiving Manager. I am really proud of Ben, Sarah, and Brandon roles in a company their father and I built, which they continue to build. It is hard for families to work together and not something everyone can do. It can be challenging and not for the weak at heart.

We have struggled through the economy along with the rest of the country, but seem to be seeing the “light at the end of the tunnel”. We have great employees that are very talented and loyal, some that have been with us for over 15 years. We feel very blessed. Today, I am proud to say that I have the same faith in my children leading the future of Sealevel that I have had in Tom since we opened Sealevel Systems, Incorporated in May of 1986.

I would like to toast our family and friends, employees both past and present, our vendors and suppliers, and all of those we have encountered on this wonderful journey. To 25 years of Sealevel, I say thank you.