High-Performance SBC for Industrial Applications: LACROIX SAE Relies on emtrion

LACROIX SAE GmbH & Co. KG, a leading provider of remote control and substation automation technology, has partnered with embedded specialist emtrion to develop a powerful expansion module for their product line. The so-called third-generation CO module is already in successful use in energy networks, smart city systems and industrial facilities.

Due to evolving market requirements, LACROIX SAE was compelled to develop a new expansion module with significantly higher performance and an optimized memory configuration, and to do so within a very short timeframe. At the same time, full hardware and pin compatibility with existing modules had to be maintained.

Particular challenges included ensuring reliable operation under harsh industrial conditions with temperatures up to 70 °C, as well as meeting the requirement for long-term availability of more than ten years. Additionally, the new module had to support two different bus systems, one 8-bit and one 16-bit. The 8-bit connection was only possible by leveraging an undocumented feature of the selected processor. After approval by LACROIX SAE, emtrion implemented this solution in close coordination with the customer.

The solution: emtrion and LACROIX SAE jointly developed an ARM-based single board computer using emtrion’s own DIMM-AM335x module. emtrion was responsible for the complete hardware design, including EMC-compliant layout, adapted the bootloader and Linux BSP, and ensured compatibility with LACROIX’s existing expansion modules.

The CO module meets the highest standards for performance, stability and durability. Its modular architecture and extensive interface compatibility make it a future-proof solution for industrial applications.

“We needed to quickly develop a technologically modern and reliable module with minimal risk and no changes to our existing device architecture. With emtrion, we had an experienced and competent development partner who immediately understood our requirements and implemented them pragmatically.”

– Dirk Peters, Team Lead Hardware Engineering, SAE IT-systems GmbH & Co. KG

Feel free to get in touch, we’re here for you: https://www.emtrion.de/en/ +49 (0)7244 626 94-0 / mail@emtrion.de