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Please see below the ‘Home Server Settings’ screens with the AVA Media 1.5.1.0 installed

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Direct link to the slide show

To see AVA Media Add In ‘in action’ screen shots please click here

How safe is your Home Server ?

For sure, your Home Server ‘data’ – the important stuff, is safe as long as you have more than one Hard Disk Drive (HDD) fitted to your Home Server, and folder duplication is enabled.  Tranquil will always recommend at least two HDDs are always used on Home Servers, unless you use off site backup services too.

Also the primary HDD containing the Operating System (OS) partition is safe, due to the simple way that a Home Server can be ‘Restored’ over the network (another great solution from the Microsoft Home Server team) even if the HDD fails (physically).

However, due to the nature of the Restore process, certain things are lost – ALL the DATA can be recovered safely from any Duplicated Folders, but any specific user settings / folder access permissions etc and installed Add Ins / application software installed on the Home Server is lost.  This is not often a problem to the home user, but in a small business environment (where down time / rebuilding would cause an problem) it may be critical.

Tranquil R&D team have agonised over how to create / supply a hardened Home Server product – ie one that is as ‘SAFE’ as possible, safe from ALL HDD failure, even protecting the Primary HDD.  This short series will explain the issues, the opportunities, and the final solution – the “Safe Home Server”.

Watch this series as we build the world’s first OEM ‘Safe Home Server’

Next – The Home Server Drive Extender (DE) – how it works, why it’s great, but how it makes it currently impossible to develop an ‘image’ based ‘Safe Home Server’.

Tranquil AVA Media Update

Tranquil are pleased to announce the immediate availability of the 1.5.0.1 Add In for Windows Home Server / AVA Media Servers

To get the upgrade click here

What does the upgrade feature :

AVA Media for Windows Home Server 1.5.1.0

Added: User customization content for My Movies 3
Fix: Workaround to problem with special discs that AnyDVD cannot handle for external programs.
Fix: Issue preventing the program from getting album art from Amazon when copying CD’s
Fix: Issue where reading a disc id from AnyDVD could fail
Fix: Issue with selecting language on Xtreamer, TViX and Dune integrations
Fix: Issue with Blu-ray copying where UDF driver broke

Update: Database version matches My Movies 3.04
Update: Minor changes to shared files between My Movies for WHS and My Movies for WMC

To upgrade your current AVA Media Add In please follow the simple steps below :

1.  Uninstall the current AVA Media Add In, from the Home Server console application
2.  Delete the Tranquil AVA Media application from the Add Ins folder on the Home Server
3.  Download and save the upgrade (above) to the Add Ins folder on the Home Server
4.  Re-Open the Home Server console, and check that the new version AVA Media V1.5.0.1 is listed in the available Add Ins folder
5.  Install the new V1.5.0.1 Tranquil AVA Media Add In
6.  Your current licence will auto register.

Enjoy

Please note the Add In will only function on Tranquil PC / AVA Media systems

The nice little heat sink for the Xtreamer, the XSC hits un-expected success

The XSC cooler has sold 3x more than expected in it’s first 12 weeks of sale

Available from Tranquil PC

(and now even listed on ebay)

The new Intel D510 Mini-ITX main board is powered by the Atom D510 and the NM10 GMCH controller
This innovative 2 chip solution reduces overall power consumption as well as keeping costs under control, and saving board space.

Please note there are 2 SATA connectors (only 1x shown) on the main board – the SATA ports do not support RAID

The T2-D powered by the D510 CPU is now available.

Check it out http://www.tranquilpc-shop.co.uk/acatalog/T2-D_PC_.html

T2-D D510 Atom PC

The T2-D is assembled in the beautifully engineered fan less chassis (silent of course) – it is available in Satin black or Metallic silver.

There is no fan cooling the PSU or the CPU / GPU, resulting in not only a near silent unit, but also an extremely reliable system.

Ideal for home / office / industrial applications where near silence / reliability are of paramount importance. Of course it looks great too.

The T2-D series is powered by Intel’s latest D510 CPU and N10 chipset, delivering excellent performance from the dual core 1.66GHz CPU and yet amazingly low power consumption – the base configuration (no HDD) consumes only 15W !

You can fit up to two 3.5” SATA HDDs internally, in the specially designed anti-vibration, cooled HDD carriers – surrounded by their own heat sinks

You can optionally fit a full height PCI expansion card in a horizontal plane, using the PCI riser / extender kit

With numerous mounting options – desk, wall, rack, floor – the T2-D is ideal for your application

The new D510 CPU also accommodates the on board Graphics engine, the 3150

Intel D510 Graphics Subsystem

Intel  Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 Graphics Controller

The Intel GMA 3150 graphics controller features the following:
•  400 MHz core frequency
•  High quality texture engine 
    DX9.0c* and OpenGL* 1.4 compliant 
    Hardware Pixel Shader 2.0
    Vertex Shader Model 2.0
•  3D Graphics Rendering enhancements 
   1.6 dual texture GigaPixel/s max fill rate 
   16-bit and 32-bit color 
   Vertex cache
•  Video 
   Software DVD at 30 fps full screen 
   DVMT support up to 256 MB
•  Display 
   Supports analog displays up to 2048 x 1536 at 75 Hz refresh (QXGA)

The new Intel D510MO main boards, and systems built on the motherboard from Tranquil PC feature a radical change to main board architecture – a two chip solution replacing the established three chip solution.

This new architecture not only saves board space and keeps costs under control, but also drives down the operating cost – POWER.

The power consumption (heat) of the earlier 330/945GC systems (chipset power) was 33W.  The new D510 (2x 1.66GHz) / NM10 combination is a miserly 15W, over a 50% power saving. 

The ‘combined’ solution also improves overall performance.

The boards are available from Tranquil PC.

PC systems made by Tranquil (UK) fitted with the new D510 main board now support either 667MHz or 800MHz RAM modules.

The standard configuration is 800MHz (either N5 or N6) – up to 2x 2GB devices can be used – bringing up to 4GB for the Operating System
(of course the system must be 64 bit to take advantage of the 4GB – a 32 bit OS can only address 3.23GB)

Both N5 (8-8-8-27) or N6 (9-9-9-27) modules are compatible (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRASmin)

A typical example of a compatible RAM module is the Kingston KVR800D2N6/2G (PC2-6400 CL6 240 pin DIMM)

The Intel Mini-ITX (Atom 230, 330 and N510 powered) main boards provide excellent value for money.  But over the last few years we have seen issues with the AC Power recovery, that is that systems auto power on after a mains interruption, an important function for many installations.

What causes the problem – It seems that the ATX standard lays down specific details on the exact timing of ‘power ready signals’ between the BIOS and the DC/DC board etc – after many months of working with Intel and various DC/DC board suppliers no one would admit to the issue being in their court.  Of course if a full sized desktop PSU was used, the issue was not detected, but who uses a regular full sized ATX in a low power, small system, such as made by Tranquil and 1000’s of other vendors ?

In August 2009, a ‘partial solution’ was found, which seemed to address the issue – to fit a 22uF cap across the power switch pins.  This solution worked, at least on 230 and 330 based systems (in most cases).

However the launch of the D510MO systems in January again raised the question of AC recovery.  This time a 100% solution had to be implemented, one that can be applied to ALL systems, easily and quickly.

The only 100% solution had to be based on a hardware fix, that always ‘started’ the system every time power was re-applied, without interrupting the normal function of the Power Switch for shutdown / hard re-boot / start-up.

The TPC0105 module is the solution.  It is a tiny active dongle that sits on the main board front panel header and then replicates the pins for normal installation (front panel cables).  It has been tested on all Atom powered Mini-ITX main boards, with a 100% success rate.  (it’s like a little robot that presses the power button, each time the system is powered – it does not rely on the BIOS being set to AC Recovery enabled)

For further information please contact design@tranquilpc.co.uk