This 10ZiG thin client is a small and neat unit which is also labelled as a Clientron U700. The picture on the right shows it next to a Neoware Capio to give an indication of its diminutive size. There is no date of manufacture on the unit. I can find no dating information on the 10ZiG site or documentation but the Clientron website does have a news release dated April 2009 announcing the release of the U700. While at the time of writing (March 2011) it can still be found on the 10ZiG site it is no longer a current product. Similarly the U700 is listed in the "Older Product" section of the Clientron Web site.
10ZiG Technology was formerly BOSaNOVA, Inc. and their literature states that the RBT-402 is "...assembled in the USA".
Clientron (renamed 2007) was formerly Bcom (established 1983). Bcom was a Taiwanese manufacturer who supplied a lot of early thin client hardware - for example Neoware clients which all have BCOM numbers.
The U700 hardware was manufactured by Clientron. 10ZiG installed their own firmware for their version of the product.
I got the first example of this (an RBT-402) in July 2011. In April 2013 I got hold of a RBT-472v. This used identical hardware but there was no sign of any Clientron U700 markings. The label gave the model name as 54xx. Google soon turned up the RBT series that used the same underlying hardware platform. Essentially the following models would appear to have this as their hardware base: U700, RBT-402, RBT-416, RBT-416v, RBT-420, RBT-466, RBT-470, RBT-472v
My summary:The RBT 402 is an affordable, energy efficient, compact thin client. This unit weighs just over 1lb. allowing flexible mounting options and low shipping costs. The RBT 402 has no moving parts and consumes only 8-9 watts of energy.
Processor Type
SpeedVIA Eden
400MHzMemory Flash
RAM512MB
256MB (max 1GB)Video Chip
Max resolution
CN700
1600 x 1200 32-bit colour
1920 x 1200 24 bit colourPorts Network
USB
Serial
Parallel
PS/210/100
4 x USB2.0
0
0
1 KybdPower Plug
Input
Off
RunningCoax 5.5mm/2.1mm
12V 2A (from label)
0W
11WDimensions H x W x D (mm) 156 x 36 x 122
According to the literature the embedded operating system is Linux based on the 2.6 kernel. Unfortunately the flash memory in my unit had been wiped clean by the seller so I have no experience of what's actually there.
Interestingly the U700 datasheet (but not the RBT-402 datasheet) mentions two processor options: VIA Eden NanoBGA2 400MHz or VIA Eden ULV 500MHz.
Datasheets:
The RBT series based on the 5400 hardware appears to encompass:
Model flash RAM Operating System RBT-420 256MB 256MB CE.NET 5.0 RBT-470 256MB 256MB CE.NET 5.0 RBT-402 512MB 256MB Linux 2.6 kernel RBT-466 512MB 256MB Linux 2.6 kernel RBT-416 512MB 512MB XPe SP2 RBT-416v 1GB 512MB Windows Embedded Standard (XPe SP3) RBT-472v 512MB 256MB Linux 2.6 kernel
Having booted Tinycore, /proc/cpuinfo shows:
vendor_id : CentaurHauls cpu family : 6 model : 13 model name : VIA Eden Processor 400MHz stepping : 0
The unit requires a 12V supply and uses a conventional 5.5mm/2.1mm coax connector.
It is compact in size so there is little space to fit anything internally. However there is no problem with the memory components:
Flash: The Flash memory is replaceable. It's a DOM plugged into a standard 44-pin IDE connector. In view of the space considerations I would guess that you're stuck with a standard DOM should you decide to repurpose the unit and need more memory.
I do have a CF adaptor that does fit very nicely as a replacement except there is one small problem - pin 1 is at the wrong end! The photograph below shows the CF adaptor adjacent to the DOM it could replace with the red arrows indicating the respective markings for pin 1. All such adaptors (with right angle female connectors) on ebay seem to be to the same configuration and so need to point the other way. If you know of one tracked the other way please let me know.
RAM: When you take the top off there is no immediate sign of any RAM. It turns out
that it's a conventional 200-pin SODIMM plugged into a socket on the bottom the board. It turned out
to be relatively easy to access:
Remove the four screws below the four screws that you removed to take the top off the unit. This frees up the sides and lets you open them up slightly at the rear. Looking down on the PCB undo the two bright chromium-plated screws - one in the corner by the IDE interface, the other by the VGA connector. You can then lift the board out.
The SODIMM is marked DDRII 256MB-667 (aka PC2-5300). The part number is SSW232M16-F6E.
Any comments? email me. Last update April 2013