Legacy Systems

Broadberry Data Systems supply a range of legacy systems. Legacy can be determined by a range of features, i.e. can the system support older generation add in card such as ISA, PCI or PCIX or older software also supplied with the system.

Broadberry Data Systems are a Microsoft embedded partner, this enable us to supply Microsoft software up to 10 years after the software has been with drawn from the standard supply chain. Embedded software is supplied in two flavours, one being the source code and this enables the software to be cut down or developed to a specific requirement such as point of sales systems, or the software is supplied as the original format but under the embedded department of Microsoft.

The legality is that the system that is soled with the embedded software needs to be classified as an appliance. An appliance is a system that has a sole purpose such as a storage server or it could even be a CAD workstation providing that the main purpose of the system is CAD.

The typical legacy system is designed for industrial applications where a computer systems function is to drive a specific machine such as a Robot in a car plant.
To write and design the software for such an application is very expensive because the man hours in writing the software. This is a typical scenario where the application software was written on a Microsoft NT based platform and the card used to drive the robot has been designed on an ISA card. Broadberry Data Systems can supply a system with numerous ISA slots and has Microsoft NT loaded.

Hardware Legacy Systems

ISA Slot Based System

ISA slots are the 16 bit slots that a lot of legacy systems are based on. Available in both the standard main board style or the industrial single board computer (SBC), either single or dual processor style of systems, solutions up to 24 ISA slots are avialable in standard style of chassis for up to 8 slots or industrial rack mount chassis with standard or redundant power options.

PCI and PCIX Slot Based Systems

PCI Peripheral Component Interconnects are the 32 bit slots available in 2 different volt options the standard 3.3 volt or the 5 volt slots, and first appeared in 1993.
PCI based solutions are available in both 3.3 and 5 volt options and like the ISA based solutions are available in the same format as the ISA based solutions with the chassis options.

PCI-X is a high-performance variant of 64-bit PCI designed for servers adapters and slots are backward-compatible with 32-bit PCI slots and adapters.

• PCIX 1.0 increased the maximum signalling frequency to 133 MHz (peak transfer rate of 1066 MB/s) and revises the protocol.
• PCI-X 2.0 permits a 266 MHz rate (peak transfer rate of 2133 MB/s) and also 533& MHz rate (4266 MB/s — 32× the original PCI bus), expands the configuration space to 4096 bytes, adds a 16-bit bus variant (allowing smaller slots where space is tight), and allows for 1.5 volt signalling

Systems are available with a combination ISA, PCI and PCIX slots in the same system.

Software Legacy Systems

Microsoft NT Workstation and Server Solutions

NT (New Technology) Workstation and Server was launched by Microsoft in 1992,  
Windows NT was released. It was called Windows NT 3.1, and was followed by Windows NT 3.5 in September 1994 and Windows 3.51 in June 1995. With Windows NT 4.0, launched for sale on August 24, 1996.

Both of 3.5 and 4.0 versions are available from us, not only will Broadberry be able to supply the software, but we will also supply the solution with compatible hardware pre built and tested.

ISA and PCI based cards are likely to be supported by NT4.

Windows 2000 Workstation and Server

Released in Febuary 2000 Windows 2000 Workstation and Windows 2000 Server replaced NT for the business user for both workstation and server applications
PCI –X was launched at the same time as Windows 2000.

Windows XP

XP" is short for "eXPerience released in October 2001 XP was designed for the use primarily for the home user and desk top market.  XP was available in 2 variants XP Home ( For The home user ) and Windows XP Professional which offers additional features such as support for Windows Server domains and two physical processors, and is targeted at power users, business and enterprise clients. Broadberry Data Systems can supply systems with XP Pro.

Windows Server 2003

Windows 2003 is the successor to Windows 2000 launched in April 2003 is a server operating system with additional feature and drivers than Windows 2000, Windows 2003 is available in both 32 and 64 bit versions.

Typical applications include

• Home appliances
  Including home gateways and the next generation of set-top boxes.
• Terminals and kiosks
  Such as Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Web kiosks, and Point of Sale (POS) systems.
• Dedicated network devices
  Including routers and switches.
• Office automation devices
  Such as smart copiers and printers.
• Industrial automation
  Including industrial robots and machine tools.