1. Wide temperature range
The design, manufacture, and configuration of components that support a wide temperature range enable automated computing solutions to operate in a variety of extreme environments. For example, the temperature elements widely used in industrial control computers and the passive cooling technology employed in such systems allow them to operate in frigid environments down to -40°C and scorching environments up to 85°C.
2. Resistant to impact and vibration
Automation computers are industrial-grade computers designed and manufactured to withstand frequent shocks and vibrations. These systems are able to withstand shocks and vibrations because automation computer manufacturers no longer use cables in the systems, reducing the number of components that may fail under shock and vibration. According to MIL-STD-810G, automation PCs can handle 5 GRMs of vibration and 50 Gs of shock.
3. Dust and debris protection
Automated computers offer dust and debris protection. These computer systems employ a fanless design, eliminating the need for fans to circulate air within the system. This allows automated computer manufacturers to create a closed system resistant to dust, debris, and water. This enables the automated computers to operate reliably, even in unstable environments frequently exposed to dust and debris.
4. Compact design
Automated computing solutions are rugged personal computers with a small footprint, allowing them to be deployed in space-constrained environments that cannot accommodate a full-size desktop computer. This compactness is possible because the fanless design of the small automated PCs allows for miniaturization, as there is no need for fans to cool sensitive internal components. This reduces heat dissipation within the computer.
5. Industrial I/O ports
Automation computers are equipped with digital I/O and general-purpose I/O ports, enabling the automation PC to connect to electrical devices and/or sensors that lack a common interface, such as USB ports or traditional serial ports. These devices include sensors, alarms, motion detectors, and production line controllers. By connecting these devices to the automation PC's DIO ports, the automation PC can control the device's actions or triggers via software. For example, if you have an alarm sensor connected to a DIO input port and an alarm alarm connected to the corresponding DIO output port, the output port can be programmed to issue an alarm if the software detects a change in alarm status through the input port. A general-purpose automation computing solution can be configured with 8 input and 8 output DIO isolation, allowing the system to react to different triggering events.
6. Industrial-grade components
Automated PCs are built using industrial-grade components, so even if they share the same components as regular desktop computers, these components are tested and verified to operate reliably in unstable environments that commercial-grade desktop computers cannot. Furthermore, automated computers are typically equipped with solid-state drives (SSDs), which increases the system's ruggedness because data is stored on NAND chips, whereas conventional hard disk drives (HDDs) are stored on spinning flat plates. Storing data on silicon wafers makes computers more reliable because silicon wafers are better able to withstand shocks and vibrations than spinning hard drives.
7. Wide power range
The automation PC is designed to accommodate a wide input voltage range from 9 to 50VDC, providing compatibility with various power input schemes. The automation computer design incorporates numerous power protection features, including overvoltage protection, surge protection, and reverse polarity protection.
Overvoltage protection will protect the system if it detects a voltage exceeding its safe level. Surge protection protects the system from surges by diverting power to ground. Reverse polarity protection protects sensitive internal components in the event of a reversal of power supply polarity.
8. Wired and wireless connectivity
The automation computers are equipped with a variety of wired and wireless connectivity options. All automation PCs feature an RJ45 LAN port, enabling extremely fast data transfer speeds from 1GbE to 10GbE. Furthermore, these computing solutions can be equipped with additional RJ45/M12 Ethernet ports, providing PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) for both data and power over a single Ethernet cable.
In terms of wireless connectivity, the automation PC is equipped with the latest Wi-Fi for wireless LAN connections. If the Wi-Fi connection is unavailable, the automation PC can still connect to the internet and offload critical data via cellular connections including 4G and LTE, providing high-speed communication for data telemetry, remote monitoring, and IoT applications.
In addition, the automated computing solution is equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, allowing the automated computer to connect to Bluetooth Low Energy devices. That is, Bluetooth cannot provide the range and speed offered by Wi-Fi, but it does provide reliable one-to-one and many-to-many connections.
