Via Technologies has announced the "VT6047 Pico-ITX" form factor reference design, claimed to be the world's smallest full-featured x86 motherboard.

Designed for new age ultra-compact embedded PC systems and appliances, the Pico-ITX form factor is the latest advance in platform miniaturization from Via.

Earlier, the company had launched the Mini-ITX mainboard, at 17cm x 17cm, which was followed by the Nano-ITX form factor at 12cm x 12cm, nearly half the size of the Mini-ITX.

Now, the Pico-ITX, at 10cm x 7.2cm, is half the size of the Nano-ITX form factor. Via says the new form factor truly embodies the company's "Small is Beautiful" technology design strategy of shrinking form factor to drive the x86 platform into even smaller systems.

Richard Brown, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Via Technologies, says, "As with the Mini-ITX and Nano-ITX form factors before it, this new platform has raised the excitement level among enthusiasts and customers alike, capturing the imagination with an almost unlimited range of what were previously impossibly small systems."

According to Via, with major advances in power efficiency, thermal management, and feature integration, the Pico-ITX mainboard is designed to be powered by one of their energy efficient processor platforms, such as the C7, or the fan-less Eden processor in 21mm x 21mm nanoBGA2 package, combined with feature-rich system media processors, thus packing punch into a tiny, low heat, low power package.

The Via VT6047 Pico-ITX reference design was successfully demonstrated during international trade shows this year, including CES, CeBIT Germany, and Embedded System Conference West.

The first commercial availability of the mainboard based on the Pico-ITX form factor is expected soon.