Intel, the worldwide leading vendor of embedded chip solutions, has just announced the introduction of its 2nd generation Core™ i7 processor (code named Sandy Bridge) plus its corresponding peripheral I/O chipset (code named Cougar Point). For signage, gaming, and imaging applications, the processing and graphics performance of the latest i7, combined with flexible I/O, will satisfy many designers’ requirements and provide end-users with a richer experience. For Industrialautomation systems, it is common to interact with multiple generations of technologies like low speed RS-232 and high speed Giga-bit LAN. Sandy Bridge’s latest Dynamic Turbo Boost technology can balance the requirements of performance and power consumption. Based on these advantages, it’s worth taking a look into what benefits and state-of-the-art technologies we can expect from Intel.