Iyonix PC

The Iyonix PC is an Acorn-clone personal computer from Castle Technology.

Features include:

• Intel XScale 80321 600 MHz 32-bit processor
• two 64-bit and two 32-bit PCI slots
• RISC OS version 5 in hardware ROM module
• support for the Linux operating system
• Support for "Legacy" Acorn DEBI expansion cards.
• USB interfacing

It was the first time that an Acorn "Clone" carried native PCI support or an XScale processor, it also accomplished a number of firsts.

• First pure 32 bit Acorn machine.
• First "Post Acorn" Machine to get to market without a Cirrus Logic 7500 series System On Chip.
• First compatible machine to completely avoid a hardware VIDC implementation.
• First working on-motherboard USB support.

It was the first time substantial changes had been made to the platform since the release of the Risc PC was introduced in 1993, All interim machines had been built on the 7500 SoC Which Was widely regarded as a single-chip Risc PC. (It incorporated the Memory Controller, Video, Sound, IO and CPU logic of a Risc PC, leaving only memory and disc interfacing to be added.)

Presence of PCI and USB capabilities, as well as the retained "Podule" bus attracted comparisons to Acorn's aborted Pheobe PC, however such comparisons should be tempered with Pheobe's proposed feature set, which retained VIDC and 26bit mode, and although Pheobe was intended to be capable of SMP configurations, it's proposed shipping configuration had been for one SA110 CPU.

Units first went on sale in December 2002.

On 25 September 2008, Castle Technology announced that production of the Iyonix PC had ceased and that new units would no longer be available to order. The company pledged to provide on-going support via the Iyonix website, the dealer network and e-mail.

External links

• Iyonix website
• Iyonix review by The Icon Bar
• Iyonix review
• Announcement of end of production