Introduction
With the increasing popularity of gaming machines and gambling in general, there are now more than 4,000 casinos worldwide. Slot machines are the most popular casino gaming devices, and account for about 70 percent of the average casino’s income. These machines, known variously as slots, video poker, or fruit machines, offer people a chance to participate in gaming entertainment with a very modest investment, with the lure of possible payouts. These advanced gaming machines employ touch panels, revolutionary 3-D graphics and high-definition video.
Application Requirements
A premier developer of electronic casino amusements was searching for a COM Express Type II CPU module to power its new line of next-generation gaming machines. An important requirement was for the COM module to be able to seamlessly integrate with the developer’s custom carrier board design. After thorough analysis of the gaming machine’s demanding technical specifications, Advantech engineers selected the SOM-5788 (with Intel® Core™ i7 processor) for the project.
■Hardware
Advantech SOM-5788 features 8 GB of DDR3 (1066 MHz) in addition to VGA, LVDS, HDMI support and HD audio output. The Intel® Core™ i7 chip architecture enables graphics processing directly within its processing core, as opposed to on a separate chip. Boasting 1.5 times greater graphical performance than that of a GM45 platform, the i7 based SOM-5788 would significantly boost the slot machines’ performance – a feat not possible with an older, more traditional 3-chip COM configuration.
■Software Integration
Advantech’s Software API & Utilities enabled the developer to write applications for hardware control quickly and easily, without having to know all the technical details of the chipset or driver architecture. The API library was diverse enough to allow the developer’s engineers to control everything from system throttling to the CPU’s clock speed.
Benefits
• Next-generation low-power, high-performance Intel® Core™ i7 processor based solution.
• Skilled application engineers and product support.
• Advantech’s long-term commitment and guaranteed technical support.
