High performance in a compact 95 x 125 x 37 mm footprint. Featuring the Intel “Skylake” CPU, the EPU-4562 series provides high performance video processing on-board and a TPM security chip that can lock out unauthorized hardware and software access and provide a secure “Root of Trust.” Additional security is provided through built-in AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) instructions.
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Intel Core "Skylake" Processor
Quad- and dual-core, up to 2.6 GHz clock rate.
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On-board Power Management
Accepts 8 to 30 volts DC, provides OVP, reverse polarity protection, RF noise filtering, and transient voltage suppression.
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On-board and Expansions I/O Options
2.5x mini PCIe sockets, 2x USB 3.0, 4 USB 2.0, 8 AI, 4 AO, 24 DIO, 3 counter/timers and 4 serial COM ports (232/422/485).




Specifications
See datasheet for more details
Mechanical | Size: COM Basic standard. 95 x 125 x 37 mm (3.74 x 4.92 x 1.45") |
Mechanical | Weight: 378g (13.3 oz.) |
Processor | Intel Core i7-6822 or i5-6442 |
Input Voltage | 8V–30VDC |
Power (typical) | 15.3 - 22.2W |
Bus Expansion | Three Full-length Mini PCIe sockets |
Bus Expansion | One Half-size socket |
Operating Temperature | -40° to +85°C and -20° to +70°C models |
Shock and Vibration | MIL-STD-202G |
Memory (RAM) | Up to 32 GB DDR4 SDRAM |
Display | Intel HD 520 and 530 - Gen-9 compute architecture |
Display | Dual Mini DisplayPort outputs |
Storage | Two SATA 6 Gb/s ports |
Storage | Mini PCIe socket with mSATA support |
Network | Two 1GbE ports (10/100/1000 autodetect) |
USB | Two USB 3.0 / 2.0 ports |
USB | Four USB 2.0 host ports |
Serial I/O | Four COM ports |
Digital I/O | Twenty four TTL I/O Lines 3.3V |
Audio | Line Input/output |
Other I/O | I2C interface |
Other I/O | Analog Input - Eight channels. 12-bit. Single-ended. 500 ksps |
Other I/O | Analog output - Four channels. 12-bit single-ended. 100 ksps |
Operating System Compatibility | Compatible with most x86 operating systems including Windows, Windows Embedded, Linux and VxWorks. |
Export Info | ECCN: 5A992.c |
Export Info | Schedule B: 8471.60.7000 |
See datasheet for full specifications
Description
The Blackbird is a compact, high performance x86 type board-level embedded computer. It has been engineered and tested to meet the military and medical industries’ evolving requirements to develop smaller, lighter, and lower power embedded systems while adhering to stringent regulatory standards. The Blackbird is a member of the VersaLogic family of ultra-rugged EPU embedded computers. Using fully integrated COM components, the Blackbird is supplied fully assembled and tested, including heat plate, ready to install in a system. In addition to providing a very compact footprint, it is designed to withstand extreme temperature, impact, and vibration.
The Skylake processor options feature quad- and dual-core CPUs along with Hyper-Threading logic allowing up to 8 simultaneous threads to be executed. The Blackbird provides great performance and I/O features, moderate power consumption (15 to 22 W typical depending on model), and a compact package. The Blackbird provides compatibility with a broad range of standard x86 application development tools for reduced development time.
The on-board power conditioning greatly simplifies system power supply requirements. It features an input voltage range of 8 to 30 volts and is fully compatible with 12 or 24V vehicle applications. It also includes reverse voltage protection, over voltage protection, RF noise filtering, and transient voltage protection, to provide enhanced durability and reliability in the field.
Designed and tested for industrial temperature (-40° to +85°C) operation, the rugged Blackbird also meets MIL-STD-202G specifications for shock and vibration. Latching SATA, Ethernet, power, and main I/O connectors provide additional ruggedization for use in harsh environments.
Blackbird is compatible with a variety of popular x86 operating systems including Windows, Linux, and VxWorks.
COT's modifications are available, even in low OEM quantities. Modifications include conformal coating, BIOS / splash screen configuration, application specific testing, BOM revision locks, custom labeling, etc.
VersaLogic products are designed for use by OEMs working in a variety of market applications: Aerospace, Defense, Energy, Industrial, Security, Medical, Military, Robotics, and Transportation. VersaLogic delivers extremely reliable standard and customized embedded computers backed with unsurpassed service and the highest availability in the market.
Resources
Product Reference
- Blackbird VL-EPU-4562 Datasheet 09/22/20 PDF 2.65 MB DOWNLOAD
- Blackbird VL-EPU-4462/4562 Reference Manual 08/27/20 PDF 2.9 MB DOWNLOAD
- Blackbird VL-EPU-4462/4562 Programmer's Reference Manual 01/23/20 PDF 415 KB DOWNLOAD
- Product Lifecycle Chart 07/31/20 PDF 194 KB DOWNLOAD
Software Support Packages
- Windows 10 VersaAPI 1.6.1 32-bit/64-bit 08/31/20 ZIP 6.26 MB DOWNLOAD
- Windows 10 VersaAPI 1.4.7 64-bit (EPUs) 05/16/19 ZIP 2.44 MB DOWNLOAD
- Windows 10 DRV-WIN10-SKYLAKE-KABYLAKE 1.0.0 02/08/17 ZIP 280 MB DOWNLOAD
- Windows 7 DRV-WIN7-SKYLAKE-KABYLAKE 1.0.0 02/08/17 ZIP 280 MB DOWNLOAD
- Linux Ubuntu and CentOS VersaAPI 1.6.1 64-bit 07/28/20 TGZ 1.34 MB DOWNLOAD
- Linux Ubuntu and CentOS VersaAPI 1.6.0 64-bit 03/25/20 TGZ 1.32 MB DOWNLOAD
- Linux Ubuntu 16.04 VersaAPI 1.5.0 64-bit 06/25/19 ZIP 159 KB DOWNLOAD
- Linux Ubuntu VersaAPI 1.4.5 64-bit 04/10/17 ZIP 108.5 KB DOWNLOAD
- BIOS Release 1.03 05/13/19 ZIP 12.4 MB DOWNLOAD
- BIOS Release 1.02 08/24/17 ZIP 12.3 MB DOWNLOAD
Additional Reference Materials
- Component Info: 6th Gen Intel Processor for U-Platforms VISIT SITE
- Component Info: 6th Gen Intel Processor for H-Platforms VISIT SITE
- Component Info: Intel I210-IT Gigabit Ethernet Controller Datasheet 02/10/19 PDF 9.82 MB DOWNLOAD
- Component Info: Intel I219-LM Gigabit Ethernet Phy Datasheet VISIT SITE
- Component Info: Texas Instruments ADS8668 A/D Converter Datasheet VISIT SITE
- White Paper: "Securing Embedded Systems - Trusted Platform Module" 09/11/17 PDF 818 KB DOWNLOAD
- White Paper: "Designing for Harsh Environments Using COTS Products" 09/24/08 PDF 749 KB DOWNLOAD
- White Paper: "The Myth: Extended Temperature Embedded Computers" 08/18/14 PDF 1.84 MB DOWNLOAD
- White Paper: "Ultra Reliable Embedded Computing" 02/20/14 PDF 1.01 MB DOWNLOAD
- White Paper: "The Invisible Foe - Understanding and Controlling ESD Damage" 07/09/13 PDF 453 KB DOWNLOAD
Accessories




























- Part Number Description
- Cable Kit
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VL-CKR-BLACKBIRD
EPU-4562/4462 Blackbird Eval. Cable Kit. Includes VL-CBR-4005, 0702, 1014 (x2), 1604, 2004, 2005, 2032, 0809, 0810, HDW-401, and 108.
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VL-CBR-4005
System I/O paddleboard
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VL-CBR-0702
SATA cable, latching, 20"
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VL-CBR-1604
Dual Ethernet adapter cable, latching, 12"
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VL-CBR-2004
Analog I/O cable and paddleboard, 1mm 20-pin, 12"
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VL-CBR-2005
Digital I/O cable and paddleboard, 1mm 20-pin, 12"
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VL-CBR-2032
miniDisplayPort to VGA adapter, 6"
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VL-CBR-0809
Power adapter cable, 12V medium-power. ATX12 to Osprey/Raven. 12"
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VL-CBR-0810
Stereo audio, 8-pin Pico-Clasp to 3.5mm jacks, 0.5m
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VL-CBR-1014
RS232 two channel cable 2xDsub (9-pin), latching, 12"
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VL-HDW-401
Thermal compound paste. For attaching heat plates and sinks.
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VL-HDW-108
Mini PCIe card / mSATA 10x hold-down screws for use with 2.5 mm standoffs, Metric thread, Nylon
- Cables
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VL-CBR-0203
Battery module, 2-pin latching, 6"
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VL-CBR-0401
Power cable, ATX to SATA, 6.25"
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VL-CBR-0404
LED back light, 3-pin Pico-Clasp / 4-pin IDE power to 6-pin 12V, 0.5 m
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VL-CBR-0503
USB 2.0 Male A to Male Micro-B cable, 0.5 m
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VL-CBR-0901
Pico-Clasp to two SPX cables, 9-pin. 9"
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VL-CBR-2014
LVDS to VGA adapter board
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VL-CBR-2031
miniDisplayPort to miniDisplayPort, 36"
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VL-CBR-2033
miniDisplayPort to HDMI active adapter, requires DP port, 6"
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VL-CBR-3001
2-Ch LVDS 30-pin JAE to 30-pin JAE, 20"
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VL-CBR-3002
1-Ch LVDS 30-pin JAE to 20-pin Hirose, 20"
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VL-CBR-3003
1-Ch LVDS 30-pin JAE to 20-pin JAE, 20"
- Development
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VL-PS-ATX12-300A
300W ATX-style development power supply (24+8-pin ATX connector)
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VL-HDW-111
Half- to Full-Size MiniPCIe Adapter Kit. Metal adapter and 2x screws.
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VL-DEV-USB-VV1
VersaViewer: A real-time viewer for embedded hardware developers.
- Thermal Options
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VL-HDW-417
Passive Heat Sink. Mounts to heat plate on standard product 95 x 125 x 15 mm
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VL-HDW-418
Cooling fan for use with HDW-417 passive heat sinks, 12V
- VL-HDW-423 Heat Pipe Adapter Plate
Expansion Modules
- Part Number Description Form Factor
- Adapters
- VL-MPEs-S3E SATA Adapter, industrial temperature (SATA signaling) MSATA
- Analog & Digital I/O
- VL-MPEe-A1E Analog Input Module, x8 channels single ended (12-bit resolution), industrial temperature (PCIe signaling) Mini PCIe
- VL-MPEe-A2E Analog Input Module, x8 channels single ended (16-bit resolution), industrial temperature (PCIe signaling) Mini PCIe
- VL-SPX-1 Analog Input Module, x8 Channels, industrial temperature SPX
- VL-SPX-2 Digital I/O Module, x16 lines, industrial temperature SPX
- VL-SPX-4 Analog Output Module, x4 single channels 12-bit, industrial temperature SPX
- VL-SPX-5 Solid State Switch Module, x8 channels, industrial temperature SPX
- GPS
- VL-MPEu-G2E GPS Receiver, industrial temperature (USB signaling) Mini PCIe
- VL-MPEu-G3E Precision GPS Receiver, industrial temperature (USB signaling) Mini PCIe
- Network
- VL-MPEe-E3E Gigabit Ethernet Adapter, industrial temperature (PCIe signaling) Mini PCIe
- VL-MPEe-E4E Gigabit Ethernet Over Fiber Optic media (PCIe signaling) Mini PCIe
- VL-MPEe-E5E Two Channel Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (PCIe signaling) Mini PCIe
- VL-MPEe-FW1E 1394 Firewire Module, industrial temperature (PCIe signaling) Mini PCIe
- VL-MPEu-C1E Dual Channel CAN Bus Module (USB signaling) Mini PCIe
- Serial I/O
- VL-MPEe-U2E RS-232/422/485 x4 + GPIO x12 Module, industrial temperature (PCIe signaling) Mini PCIe
- Solid-State Storage (Flash memory)
- VL-MPEs-F1E32 32 GB mSATA drive, industrial temperature (SATA signaling) MSATA
- VL-MPEs-F1E16 16 GB mSATA drive, industrial temperature (SATA signaling) MSATA
- VL-MPEs-F1E4 4 GB mSATA drive, industrial temperature (SATA signaling) MSATA
- Video
- VL-MPEe-V5E VGA and LVDS Interface, industrial temperature (PCIe signaling) Mini PCIe
Models
Model: VL-EPU-4462-EAP-08 Operating Temp. †: -40° to +85°C Processor: i3-6100U Cores: 2 Hyper-Threading/Threads: Yes / 4 CPU Clock /
Turbo Speed: 2.3 GHz / NA Graphics Core: HD 520 Graphics Base Clock /
Max Dynamic Speed: 300 MHz / 1.0 GHz Memory: 8 GB Cooling: Heat Plate OEM Pricing:


Model: VL-EPU-4462-EBP-16 Operating Temp. †: -40° to +85°C Processor: i5-6300U Cores: 2 Hyper-Threading/
Threads: Yes / 4 CPU Clock /
Turbo Speed: 2.4 GHz / 3.0 GHz Graphics Core: HD 520 Graphics Base Clock /
Max Dynamic Speed: 300 MHz / 1.0 GHz Memory: 16 GB Cooling: Heat Plate OEM Pricing:


Model: VL-EPU-4562-EBP-16 Operating Temp. †: -40° to +85°C Processor: i5-6442EQ Cores: 4 Hyper-Threading/
Threads: No / 4 CPU Clock /
Turbo Speed: 1.9 GHz / 2.7 GHz Graphics Core: HD 530 Graphics Base Clock /
Max Dynamic Speed: 350 MHz / 1.0 GHz Memory: 16 GB Cooling: Heat Plate OEM Pricing:


Model: VL-EPU-4562-ECP-16 Operating Temp. †: -40° to +85°C Processor: i7-6822EQ Cores: 4 Hyper-Threading/
Threads: Yes / 8 CPU Clock /
Turbo Speed: 2.0 GHz / 2.8 GHz Graphics Core: HD 530 Graphics Base Clock /
Max Dynamic Speed: 350 MHz / 1.0 GHz Memory: 16 GB Cooling: Heat Plate OEM Pricing:


Model: VL-EPU-4562-ECP-32 Operating Temp. †: -40° to +85°C Processor: i7-6822EQ Cores: 4 Hyper-Threading/
Threads: Yes / 8 CPU Clock /
Turbo Speed: 2.0 GHz / 2.8 GHz Graphics Core: HD 530 Graphics Base Clock /
Max Dynamic Speed: 350 MHz / 1.0 GHz Memory: 32 GB Cooling: Heat Plate OEM Pricing:


Model: VL-EPU-4562-WCP-16 Operating Temp. †: -20° to +70°C Processor: i7-6822EQ Cores: 4 Hyper-Threading/
Threads: Yes / 8 CPU Clock /
Turbo Speed: 2.0 GHz / 2.8 GHz Graphics Core: HD 530 Graphics Base Clock /
Max Dynamic Speed: 350 MHz / 1.0 GHz Memory: 16 GB Cooling: Heat Plate OEM Pricing:

Model: VL-EPU-4562-WCP-32 Operating Temp. †: -20° to +70°C Processor: i7-6822EQ Cores: 4 Hyper-Threading/
Threads: Yes / 8 CPU Clock /
Turbo Speed: 2.0 GHz / 2.8 GHz Graphics Core: HD 530 Graphics Base Clock /
Max Dynamic Speed: 350 MHz / 1.0 GHz Memory: 32 GB Cooling: Heat Plate OEM Pricing:

† Final operating temperature is dependent on the customer thermal solution
Models
Turnkey Evaluation Systems
Speed up product testing and quickly show proof of concept.
Turnkey Blackbird evaluation systems let you load your application immediately.
Click here for more information.
Evaluation System Info
-
Model
Operating Temp. †
Processor
Cores
Hyper-Threading/
Threads CPU Clock /
Turbo Speed Graphics Core Graphics Base Clock /
Max Dynamic Speed Memory Cooling OEM Pricing Buy Sample -
VL-EPU-4462-EAP-08
-40° to +85°C
i3-6100U
2
Yes / 4
2.3 GHz / NA
HD 520
300 MHz / 1.0 GHz
8 GB
Heat Plate
-
VL-EPU-4462-EBP-16
-40° to +85°C
i5-6300U
2
Yes / 4
2.4 GHz / 3.0 GHz
HD 520
300 MHz / 1.0 GHz
16 GB
Heat Plate
-
VL-EPU-4562-EBP-16
-40° to +85°C
i5-6442EQ
4
No / 4
1.9 GHz / 2.7 GHz
HD 530
350 MHz / 1.0 GHz
16 GB
Heat Plate
-
VL-EPU-4562-ECP-16
-40° to +85°C
i7-6822EQ
4
Yes / 8
2.0 GHz / 2.8 GHz
HD 530
350 MHz / 1.0 GHz
16 GB
Heat Plate
-
VL-EPU-4562-ECP-32
-40° to +85°C
i7-6822EQ
4
Yes / 8
2.0 GHz / 2.8 GHz
HD 530
350 MHz / 1.0 GHz
32 GB
Heat Plate
-
VL-EPU-4562-WCP-16
-20° to +70°C
i7-6822EQ
4
Yes / 8
2.0 GHz / 2.8 GHz
HD 530
350 MHz / 1.0 GHz
16 GB
Heat Plate
-
-
VL-EPU-4562-WCP-32
-20° to +70°C
i7-6822EQ
4
Yes / 8
2.0 GHz / 2.8 GHz
HD 530
350 MHz / 1.0 GHz
32 GB
Heat Plate
-
† Final operating temperature is dependent on the customer thermal solution