In addition, when building industrial-grade options, toughness should be kept in mind so that they can better survive in industrial environments where systems may be exposed to harsh environmental factors such as dust, dirt, vibration, shock, extreme temperatures, and even water.
Different types of embedded PCs
Today, we will discuss several types of embedded computer systems, including: rugged industrial PCs, in-vehicle computers, IoT gateways, embedded automation computers, mini PCs, and tablet PCs.
1. Rugged industrial computer
Rugged industrial embedded computers are meticulously designed and manufactured for deployment in the most extreme environments. Every component, from the internal parts to the enclosure, is carefully designed and manufactured for robustness and durability. For example, the enclosure is made of extruded aluminum and heavy metals, making it durable and corrosion-resistant. Furthermore, the internal components operate over a wide temperature range, from -40°C to 85°C, allowing the rugged PC to be deployed outdoors in NEMA racks.
For organizations looking to deploy embedded computing solutions outdoors without mounting the devices in a NEMA enclosure, the WCO series of rugged, waterproof industrial computers offers an excellent option. This is because the WCO series is not only dustproof and debris-resistant but also waterproof, eliminating the need for a NEMA enclosure for waterproofing.
Rugged industrial computer use cases
For example, rugged industrial computers are ideally suited for deployment in oil production facilities, which are often located in the middle of deserts. These facilities use rugged industrial computers to monitor and control oil production and refining machinery. To enable embedded computers to operate in volatile environments susceptible to extreme temperatures and sandstorms, the systems must be robust and durable to operate reliably 24/7.
Rugged industrial PCs are well-suited for such environments because their fanless and fully enclosed design prevents small particles such as sand from entering the system and damaging sensitive internal components. The fanless design and the use of components with a wide temperature range allow the system to survive in hot desert environments with temperatures reaching 50°C or 120°F.
Furthermore, rugged embedded computers are typically deployed in remote environments without wired or wireless LAN connectivity. Therefore, embedded systems are often equipped with cellular connectivity via dual SIM card slots, enabling rugged PCs to connect to the internet to offload mission-critical data to the cloud for remote monitoring and control.
2. Industrial panel PC
Industrial panel PCs are all-in-one (AIO) computers that combine an embedded computer and a ruggedized display into a single solution. They are typically deployed in factories and production facilities as HMIs (Human Machine Interfaces), enabling people to interact with and control factory machinery.
In addition, industrial multifunction all-in-one panel PCs are commonly used in interactive information kiosks, industrial control, and inventory management. The main purpose of industrial panel PCs is to provide people with an easy way to interact with PCs and other machines, especially through the use of ruggedized touch displays.
Industrial panel PCs can be configured with either resistive or capacitive touchscreens. Resistive touchscreens use pressure as input, while capacitive touchscreens detect small electrical charges from a human finger to record input.
Capacitive touchscreens can detect lighter touches than resistive touchscreens. However, some organizations where employees wear gloves are still looking for resistive displays. Gloves don't work well with capacitive displays but work well with resistive displays because resistive displays rely on pressure to record input, while capacitive displays rely on electrical charge.
Industrial tablet PC use cases
Industrial panel PCs are typically deployed in factories to control production lines and provide real-time production data to factory operators. Factories and production facilities are often filled with industrial grime and dirt, and temperatures frequently fluctuate to extreme levels; therefore, industrial panel PCs must be able to withstand these environmental challenges.
The advantage of industrial panel PCs is that, because AIO panel PC systems are waterproof, they are easy to clean. Workers can clean the system with high-temperature, high-pressure water jets without needing to add any additional protection.
Industrial panel PCs are rigorously designed and manufactured for use in the food processing, beverage manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries. They feature IP ratings ranging from IP 66 to a maximum of 69K, providing the highest levels of water and dust resistance.
3. Vehicle-mounted embedded computer
Embedded vehicle computers are frequently subjected to shocks, vibrations, dust, and extreme temperatures while vehicles are in motion. Therefore, the systems must be rugged, fanless, and have a wide operating temperature range to cope with the challenging environments in which they are deployed. This rugged design enables embedded automotive PCs to withstand the effects of dust, moisture, shocks, vibrations, and extreme temperatures.
Vehicle-mounted embedded computer use cases
Autonomous vehicles are commonly used in warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing facilities to move goods within these facilities. Autonomous vehicles, including automated guided vehicles (AGVs), stackers, and forklifts, provide significant value to organizations by handling labor-intensive and hazardous repetitive tasks.
In addition, in-vehicle embedded computers are used to guide autonomous highway vehicles. This application requires embedded edge computers because processing and decision-making must be performed in real time to avoid collisions between the vehicle and other vehicles, people, and other objects.
This is because vehicles must make decisions within a mere millisecond, and embedded edge computers enable them to do so. Due to latency issues associated with sending/receiving data to the cloud, it's impossible to rely on the cloud to make decisions that guide it.
4. Internet of Things (IoT) gateway
An IoT gateway is an embedded computer deployed at the network edge to collect, process, and analyze data and relay it to the cloud for remote monitoring and control. Furthermore, IoT gateways facilitate communication between connected devices and their connection to the internet.
IoT gateways bridge the gap between IoT sensors, cameras, and actuators and the internet, collecting data from these devices, processing it, and sending it to the cloud. IoT gateways typically connect to sensors, actuators, and other devices via wired LAN, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
IoT gateway use cases
For example, people in the livestock industry often use sensors and monitoring devices to monitor the ambient temperature of their farms. IoT gateways need to collect data from sensors and transmit it to the cloud via the internet in order to monitor the living environment of livestock in real time.
Sensors themselves can only perceive the surrounding environment. IoT gateways need to process the information, analyze it, and then send the analyzed data to the cloud for remote monitoring and control.
Furthermore, IoT gateways can be used to automate processes such as air temperature and humidity monitoring and water quality monitoring, thereby creating a fully automated and interconnected farm environment. In other words, IoT gateways can be used in thousands of different applications.
5. Embedded Automation PC
Embedded automation computers are robust, industrial-grade computing solutions suitable for both entry-level and complex automation workloads. Automation computers are used to control processes, robots, and factory machinery commonly used in manufacturing products. Automation PCs can improve productivity, increase flexibility, and enhance the quality of the products produced.
Embedded automation computer use cases
Automation computers, typically located within production facilities, connect to and control various sensors, cameras, machinery, and IoT devices situated on the factory floor. They connect computers to other computers, as well as to the internet and the cloud for remote monitoring and control.
Furthermore, embedded automation PCs can perform predictive maintenance, enabling factory operators to maintain machines or components before such items fail, thus helping production facilities avoid downtime due to malfunctions or broken factory machines at unplanned times.
6. Fanless micro PCs and minicomputers
Compact micro PCs are frequently used because they occupy very little space, allowing organizations and businesses to deploy them in space-constrained environments where careful handling is required. Popular uses for small fanless PCs include deployment in self-service kiosks, digital signage, and industrial automation.
Users can configure fanless microcomputers with different processing types, ranging from low-power SoC systems to more powerful socket solutions utilizing Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors.
Small, fanless PCs can be easily installed on walls, ceilings, cabinets, drawers, and many other different types of spaces. With wired, Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth connectivity options, these fanless microcomputers can easily connect to the internet.
Furthermore, fanless microcomputing solutions include both fanless and rugged fanless options. Both fanless and rugged microPCs can be deployed in harsh environments frequently exposed to dust, debris, shock, vibration, and extreme temperatures.
However, rugged micro PCs further enhance ruggedness, making them better able to withstand the environmental challenges encountered in extreme deployments.
7. 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch single-board embedded computers (SBCs)
A single-board computer (SBC) is a fully functional computer in which the CPU, GPU, memory, I/O and other functions are all built on a single silicon substrate.
Both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SBCs have RAM slots, allowing users to add the required amount of RAM. Overall, single-board computers provide organizations with a simple and cost-effective solution.
The simplicity and fixed structure of embedded single-board computers (SBCs) create a reliable computing solution free from errors, conflicts, and other problems that could cause the system to malfunction and result in adverse downtime. Ultimately, SBCs are frequently used due to their simplicity, small footprint, and reliable 24/7 operation.
