Netvoyager LX-1021: Hardware 

• Hardware
• Firmware
• Linux

This Netvoyager thin client has no explicit (netvoyager) model number marked on it, neither is there any indication of the date of manufacture. It is only when you boot it that you find the on-board operating system identifies the hardware as an LX-1021. It was discontinued in June 2009.

A label on the bottom of the unit does carry the number TC3590. A few years before when I acquired a TC3500 and TC3570 Google found me a Taiwanese Company - TUL - that manufactured this particular range of thin clients.

This time I found the TC3590 on VIA's site in the "embedded partners" section, but identified as a Clientron TC3590. I found this a little confusing at first as it is identical in appearance to the TUL TC3500 and TC3570. However it transpires that Clientron (which used to be Bcom) took over TUL's thin client business in 2007.

On Netvoyager's Rescue Disk page it has (as far as the LX-1021 is concerned): "Only Available for LX1021 [rev TC3590]. If used with a different hardware revision, it will damage the unit.". As far as I'm aware the earlier hardware revision was the different TC3570.

Specifications

Processor
Type    Speed	VIA Esther 1000MHz
Memory
Flash    RAM	256MB 256MB
Video
Chip    Max resolution	VIA CN700 1600 x 1280 32-bit colour
Ports
Network    USB    Serial    Parallel    PS/2	10/100/1000 4 x USB2.0 1 1 1 (Kybd)
Power
Supply    Plug    Off    Idle    Running	12V 3A (Label) 5.5mm/2.1mm 1W 14W 16W
Dimensions
H x W x D (mm)	173 x 237 x 37 (Excluding Stand)

The embedded operating system is Linux (Phoenix).

CPU

processor	: 0
vendor_id	: CentaurHauls
cpu family	: 6
model		: 10
model name	: VIA Esther processor 1000MHz
stepping	: 9
flags		: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge cmov pat clflush acpi mmx fxsr
              sse sse2 tm nx pni est tm2 rng rng_en ace ace_en ace2 ace2_en phe phe_en pmm pmm_en

PCI

00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN700/VN800/P4M800CE/Pro Host Bridge
00:00.1 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN700/VN800/P4M800CE/Pro Host Bridge
00:00.2 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN700/VN800/P4M800CE/Pro Host Bridge
00:00.3 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. PT890 Host Bridge
00:00.4 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN700/VN800/P4M800CE/Pro Host Bridge
00:00.7 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN700/VN800/P4M800CE/Pro Host Bridge
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237/VX700 PCI Bridge
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8110SC/8169SC Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10)
00:0f.0 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81)
00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81)
00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81)
00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81)
00:10.4 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 86)
00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237 ISA bridge [KT600/K8T800/K8T890 South]
00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 60)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN700/P4M800 Pro/P4M800 CE/VN800 [S3 UniChrome Pro] (rev 01)

Power Supply

The unit requires a 12V supply. The label on the bottom is marked "12V 3A max". The plug on the power supply is a conventional 5.5mm x 2.1mm coax plug.

Expansion

Flash: The Flash memory (top right in the photograph) is easily replaceable. It's a DOM plugged into a standard 44-pin IDE connector. There is also an adjacent socket for a Compact Flash card. In fact you can see in the photograph that I've fitted one. (I forgot to remove it when taking the photographs).

RAM: The RAM is a standard 200-pin SODIMM. The one fitted is manufactured by Transcend and is marked: 256MB DDR2 667. The Clientron specification mentions: "...One SO-DIMM sockets support DDR2 400/533 from 256MB to 1GB."

Mini PCI:Underneath the case there is a small panel covering a mini PCI slot suitable for a wireless network card. In fact the case includes two pre-fitted wifi aerials and the connectors for them can be seen in the photograph.

USB: There are four external USB ports. The linux lsusb command actually finds eight ports. I would guess (but haven't checked) that two of those ports are connected to the strip-line connector (J16) next to the BIOS chip. As to the other two I have no idea.

Click on the photo for a larger version.

Added: April 2015.