ADLINK ETX-BT Module Configuration and PATA to SATA Upgrade Guide

ADLINK ETX-BT Embedded Module Configuration and PATA to SATA Migration Practical Guide

In the upgrade of industrial embedded systems, the ETX-BT module provides an ideal bridge to retain traditional ETX carrier boards and ISA/PCI peripherals while achieving modern processor performance and high-speed storage. This module is based on Intel Atom ®  E3800 SoC（Bay Trail）， Compatible with the ETX 3.02 standard and introducing innovative PATA to SATA storage solutions to help engineers smoothly eliminate outdated PATA flash drives. This article provides a complete deployment and troubleshooting manual from the aspects of hardware selection, interface definition, storage migration, BIOS tuning, and SEMA intelligent management.

Model Overview and Selection Points

The ETX-BT series supports from single core E3815 to quad core E3845, as well as Celeron ®  Multiple processors such as N2930/J1900, with TDP coverage ranging from 4.5W to 10W. The standard version operates at a temperature range of 0-60 ℃, with an optional wide temperature range of -40 ℃ to+85 ℃ (Extreme Rugged) ™）。 Key selection considerations:

CPU performance: Real time control menu core E3815 (5W, no Turbo), multitasking quad core E3845 (10W, Turbo up to 1.91GHz).

Display output: VGA+single/dual channel LVDS, optional DisplayPort (via board edge FPC), supports dual independent display.

Storage configuration: By default, 1 PATA (main mode) and 1 SATA 3Gb/s are provided, or dual PATA, dual SATA, or even onboard SATA SSDs (2-64GB) can be customized. Please refer to the table in section 2.5 for specific combinations.

Important reminder: If you want to keep the old PATA DOM or CF card, please select the default "PATA+SATA" configuration; If upgrading to SATA SSD, it is necessary to confirm the "SATA SSD" option in the model (occupying the second SATA port). When ordering, it is important to clarify the requirements, as some interfaces are build options.

Core interface pin analysis and connection points

The ETX-BT is interconnected with the carrier board through four 100 pin connectors (X1~X4), and understanding its signal definition is crucial for carrier board design or troubleshooting.

2.1 X1- PCI, USB, and Audio

PCI bus: 32-bit/33MHz, supports 4 master devices, compliant with PCI 2.3. Note that the PCI clock (PCICK3/4, etc.) and interrupt routing (INTA~INTD) can be adjusted through SW4 (see section 6.10).

USB: 4-channel USB 2.0, supports wake-up (S3/S4).

Audio: HD Audio (ALC262), providing microphone, left and right channels (AUXAL/AUXAR, etc.).

Common problem: PCI device cannot recognize, check if SW4's PCI IRQ routing matches the carrier board design (default ABCD complies with ETX specifications).

2.2 X2- ISA bus (16 bits)

The ISA bus is implemented through an LPC-to-ISA bridge, but does not support DMA (as SoC does not have DMA capability). This means that older ISA DMA cards (such as some data acquisition cards) cannot function. The signals include SD [0:15], SA [0:19], LA [17:23], IOR #/IOW #, MEMR #/MEMW #, IRQ3~15, etc., and are compatible with 3.3V~5V levels.

Warning: If ISA DMA is required for the carrier board, an external DMA controller must be added or other modules must be selected.

2.3 X3 – LVDS、 Serial parallel port, keyboard and mouse

LVDS: Supports single/dual channel 18/24 bit, data pairs (LCD0~LCD19) and clock signals. The panel type (resolution, data format, polarity) needs to be configured in the BIOS.

Serial port: COM1/COM2 full signal (including DCD, DSR, CTS, RTS, RI), supports RS-232.

Parallel port: SPP/EPP mode (without DMA).

PS/2: Keyboard (KBCLK/KBDT) and Mouse (MSCLK/MSDAT), 5V pull-up.

Debugging prompt: If LVDS does not display, first check if the LCD Panel Type in BIOS matches, and then confirm if the LVDS Backlight Control Source (BMC or IGFX) and control signals such as BLON # and DIGON are effective.

2.4 X4- Storage and Ethernet

X4 is the core of storage and networking:

PATA IDE: Primary (P_IDE) and Secondary (D_IDE) channels, only supports Master mode (not Slave). The default primary channel is PATA and the secondary channel is SATA. If dual PATA is required, customization is required.

SATA: Two SATA 3Gb/s, multiplexed with PATA (see Table 2.5). SATA mode can be set as IDE or AHCI in BIOS.

Ethernet: By default, it only operates at 10/100 Mbps (via X4's RXD/TXD pair), but it can be optionally equipped with a gigabit FPC connector (optional). Please note that both cannot be activated simultaneously.

Key to PATA to SATA migration: ETX-BT has a built-in SATA to PATA bridge controller that converts traditional PATA signals to SATA protocol, allowing for the use of modern SATA SSDs or HDDs, while still being treated as PATA devices at the software level (in IDE mode). To enable SATA native mode, set SATA Mode Selection to AHCI in the BIOS and configure the corresponding port as SATA (not PATA). Specific port function allocation needs to refer to the ordering configuration - default Port1=PATA, Port2=SATA; If Port1=SATA is required, a special model is needed.

Practical Storage Configuration Migration (PATA → SATA)

Many legacy systems use PATA DOM (Disk On Module) or CF cards, but these devices have small capacity, slow speed, and are gradually being discontinued. ETX-BT provides the following migration paths:

3.1 Maintain PATA and use SATA SSD as secondary storage

By default, the primary IDE channel (PATA) is still connected to the original PATA device, while the secondary channel (SATA) is connected to the SATA SSD. The system can install the OS on PATA, store data on SATA, or vice versa. Each port can be enabled/disabled separately in BIOS.

3.2 Fully switch to SATA (abandon PATA)

If the "SATA+SATA" or "SATA+SSD" configuration is selected when ordering, the PATA signal on X4 will be disabled and both channels will be SATA. At this point, it is necessary to ensure that the corresponding IDE connector on the carrier board is no longer in use, and to connect the SATA signal (via the carrier board adapter) to the standard SATA interface.

3.3 Using onboard SATA SSD

If an onboard SSD (2-64GB) is ordered, it occupies the second SATA port, so only the first SATA or PATA (depending on the configuration) can be used externally. Onboard SSDs are suitable for vibration environments or compact spaces, and their health status can be monitored through SEMA (but SMART is not separately listed in the manual and needs to be read through SATA commands).

3.4 Precautions for Operating System Migration

Windows: If starting from PATA, you need to set SATA Mode to IDE (compatibility mode) in BIOS, otherwise you need to inject AHCI driver. It is recommended to set the mode to AHCI and load the F6 driver before installation.

Linux: The kernel supports AHCI and can smoothly recognize SATA devices; If using PATA, the pata_sch or ata_piix driver needs to be enabled.

Startup sequence: In the BIOS Boot menu, you can adjust the Hard Drive BBS priorities to ensure booting from the target device.

SEMA Intelligent Management: Status Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis

The onboard BMC (μ PD78F0763) realizes power timing, voltage/current monitoring, watchdog, temperature monitoring, and dual BIOS switching. The following key data can be obtained through SEMA API or BIOS menu:

5.1 Voltage Monitoring

Can read Vcore, GFX Vcore, Vmem, V3.3, VIN, etc. (see formula in section 7.1.1). If a certain voltage is abnormal (such as VIN below the threshold), BMC will record the abnormal code and flash the blue LED (LED1).

5.2 Current and Power Consumption

Get Main Current returns the last 4 sampled currents (with an interval of 250ms), which can be used to evaluate whether the actual power consumption exceeds the power budget.

5.3 Temperature and Fan Control

The board temperature and CPU temperature (only when the OS is running) can be read through BIOS or SEMA.

The Smart Fan supports 4 temperature trigger points and automatically adjusts the PWM duty cycle to balance heat dissipation and noise.

5.4 Exception Code

If the blue LED flashes, refer to the code table in section 7.1.4. Common examples include:

6=BIOD_FAIL (Main BIOS is damaged, backup may have been switched)

8=POWER_SAIL (power drop)

10=VCORE (abnormal CPU core voltage)

18=CRITICAL_TEMP (overheating)

5.5 Operation statistics

Record the total running hours, startup frequency, and startup reason (reset type) for predictive maintenance.

Common troubleshooting cases

Case 1: No display after power on, green/blue LED has no response

Check power supply: ETX-BT requires+5V ± 5% (AT or ATX), measure VCC (5V) and GND of X4.

Check BMC status: Blue LED flashing code? If it does not light up continuously, it may be due to BMC not starting or abnormal power timing.

Check if SW1 is accidentally set to SPI1 and if the chip is not burned? Restore default (OFF/ON).

Case 2: PATA device cannot recognize

Confirm that the configuration is set to PATA mode (default Port1 is PATA).

Confirm that the jumper (if any) is set as Master, as Slave is not supported.

Check if SATA Mode in BIOS is IDE (if AHCI, PATA bridge may still work, but some versions require IDE).

Try replacing the 80 core or 40 core IDE cable (CBLID # signal interference).

Case 3: The LVDS backlight does not light up, but there is a faint image

Check the signal levels of BLON # (X3-44) and DIGON (X3-46), which should be high effective.

If the backlight control source is set to BMC, check if the LVDS backlight brightness in BIOS is non-zero (default 255).

Confirm that the inverter power supply (+5V or+12V) is provided by the carrier board, as the ETX module does not directly output backlight power.

Case 4: The system cannot boot from SATA SSD

Is the SATA Port enabled in BIOS and set to bootable.

In the Boot menu, set the target hard drive to first place in Hard Drive BBS Priorities.

If using AHCI, ensure that the OS driver has been injected; Win7 requires pre loading of drivers or using UEFI+GPT.

Case 5: ISA card read-write error

Confirmed that DMA is not supported, therefore only cards using PIO mode are available.

Check for IRQ conflicts: Assign non conflicting IRQs (such as IRQ10/11) to ISA devices in BIOS.

Voltage level: X2 is compatible with 3.3V~5V, but if there is a card, strict 5V is required. Pay attention to the level conversion of the carrier board.

Hardware maintenance and firmware upgrade precautions

Heat dissipation: The upper limit of working temperature is 60 ℃, and the wide temperature version is 85 ℃. It is recommended to use active cooling (fan) or customized cooling fins. The fan is connected to the onboard 4-pin interface (FAN_LPMOUT/TACHIN).

Firmware upgrade: via AFU or BIOS built-in refresh tool. Before upgrading, be sure to back up the current BIOS (via SPI programmer or SEMA). If the upgrade fails, dual BIOS switching can be used for recovery.

Electrostatic protection: Wear a grounded wristband when operating the module to avoid touching gold fingers.

Storage environment: humidity of 5-95% (non condensing), it is recommended to add moisture-proof bags for long-term storage.

Lifecycle and spare parts strategy

ETX-BT, as an embedded long-life product, has a long supply cycle. But the PATA interface is gradually phasing out, and it is recommended that the new design directly adopt SATA configuration. If the existing system relies on PATA, the "PATA+SATA" version of ETX-BT can be purchased and gradually transitioned. Meanwhile, utilizing SEMA to monitor SMART data of storage devices (with OS support) can provide early warning of faults.