Diamond Systems Corporation and Kontron, worldwide leaders of embedded I/O and CPU products and technologies respectively announced a strategic partnership at the Embedded World show to deliver high integration "single board" solutions using Kontron ETX modules with Diamond Systems off-the-shelf and custom I/O intensive carrier boards. As a cornerstone of the agreement, Diamond Systems will develop and produce carrier boards to meet the unique requirements of embedded designs requiring analogue and/or digital I/O, extensive serial communications and/or wide-ranging DC power input. Diamond Systems will then select from a wide performance range of Kontron Computer-on-Module (COM) CPU offerings to deliver complete yet flexible, fully integrated solutions to the customer.

Kontron will promote and fully support Diamond Systems by sharing and jointly pursuing sales opportunities, and by providing special support and marketing programs. Diamond Systems will retain primary customer support responsibilities. This announcement enables Diamond Systems to offer OEMs access to superb CPU technology coupled with the best-in-class analogue and digital I/O technology. OEMs and system integrators around the world who build applications in automation, data acquisition, medical, military, transportation, and instrumentation markets now have a unique choice in Diamond Systems for performance flexibility and obsolescence mitigation without having to manage multiple suppliers for carrier board design, contract manufacturing, and off-the-shelf CPU modules.

"We are excited to partner with Diamond Systems to enhance the usage of our leading line of ETX modules within multiple market segments," said Dirk Finstel, chief technology officer of Kontron Embedded Modules Division. "Products and services from Diamond Systems and Kontron complement one another very well. Even more system OEMs around the world can now transition to COM-based architectures thanks to this cooperation."

"As the PC/104 I/O leader for the past 15 years, Diamond Systems has helped hundreds of OEMs develop systems with extensive I/O requirements, especially systems required to operate reliably in the harshest environments," said Jonathan Miller, president of Diamond Systems. "A key factor in the success of the small PC/104 form factor has been the richness of available off-the-shelf I/O. Now, Diamond Systems is building on this background to enable a broad base of OEMs to use Kontrons flexible, low cost, rugged Computer-On-Module CPUs, by offering both off-the-shelf and custom COM baseboards with extensive I/O capabilities."

Diamond Systems I/O expertise includes analogue I/O (A/D and D/A), digital I/O, serial communications, multifunction networking, and power supply designs with wide input ranges. This expertise easily carries over into the COM domain. For example, the data acquisition circuitry for Diamond Systems COM carrier boards utilizes the same proven high-accuracy circuitry found on Diamond Systems industry-leading DMM-32X-AT PC/104 module. Even for modest I/O requirements, Diamond Systems has an extensive database of proven I/O designs for cost-sensitive, long lifecycle, and low power applications.

Diamond Systems unique Universal Driver programming software for Linux, Windows XP and CE, and QNX operating systems is available to all carrier board customers. This driver complements and greatly extends the basic CPU support software from Kontron by ensuring that the BIOS, basic BSP and I/O driver software all works together out of the box.

About Diamond Systems

Founded in 1989, Diamond Systems was an early adopter of PC/104 technology and today is one of the leading worldwide suppliers of PC/104 I/O modules and highly integrated single board computers combining CPU and data acquisition on a single board. Diamond Systems extensive I/O product line includes A/D, D/A, digital I/O, serial communications, multifunction networking, and power supply modules. Diamond Systems also offers a full range of I/O intensive single board computer solutions including SBCs based on Computer-on-Modules (COMs) carrier boards. Diamond Systems will customize a board or system to meet the needs of a particular application. Privately held, Diamond Systems is based in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley with its European Headquarters located in Oberglatt, Switzerland.

For more information visit www.diamondsystems.ch or call +41 44 850 7002

About Kontron

Kontron designs and manufactures standard-based and custom embedded and communication solutions for OEMs, systems integrators, and application providers in a variety of markets. Kontron engineering and manufacturing facilities, located throughout Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, work together with streamlined global sales and support services to help customers reduce their time-to-market and gain a competitive advantage. Kontrons diverse product portfolio includes: Computer-on-Modules, SBCs/blades, open-modular platforms and systems, HMIs, and custom capabilities. Kontron is a Premier member of the Intel® Embedded and Communications Alliance and was awarded 2006 Intel Member of the Year. The company is a recent three-time VDC Platinum vendor for Embedded Computer Boards. Kontron is listed on the German TecDAX stock exchange under the symbol "KBC". For more information, please visit: www.kontron.com.