Choosing the right industrial PC depends on the required computing performance, the PC's deployment environment, the available space, the power supply, and the required connectivity features.
1. Performance
The CPU is the heart of every industrial computer, responsible for the overall performance of your chosen industrial computing solution. Therefore, it is essential to select a processor capable of handling any task and workload.
To save on the overall cost of industrial computers, people often try to take shortcuts with the CPU. However, choosing an insufficiently powerful processor can lead to poor performance, slowed workflows, and downtime. Therefore, when selecting a suitable CPU for an industrial computer, a powerful option should be chosen to ensure a stable and uninterrupted workflow.
Industrial computers offer a variety of CPU options, ranging from quad-core Intel® Celeron® processors to Intel® 9th generation Core® i7 processors. Intel processors are popular among industry professionals for their performance and reliability. If a small industrial computer is needed to power devices such as IoT gateways or energy-saving kiosks, a device with an Intel® Celeron® J1900 processor would be sufficient for such applications. However, if you need to deploy a PC at the industrial edge for automated inspection and intelligent monitoring, more cores on a single silicon chip will help better consolidate the workload. Choosing an Intel® Core® i3, i5, or i7 processor will be highly beneficial, as such tasks require the significant processing power these processors offer. Intel Core series processors have many features directly integrated into the silicon chip, allowing users to maximize performance, especially in enterprise deployments.
In addition, being familiar with the differences between SoC and Socket CPUs will help you choose the right CPU option for your workload.
SOC (System-on-a-Chip) and Socket Computer
A System-on-a-Chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that combines all the components of a computer onto a single substrate. For example, in an SoC, the CPU, RAM, and GPU are all on a single chip. SoCs tend to be low-power and extremely compact, making them ideal for applications such as IoT gateways and edge computing.
On the other hand, socket CPUs tend to be more powerful, offering better performance than SoCs because they have more cores and can operate at higher temperatures. That said, due to their high efficiency and optimal size, SoCs still hold a place in industrial workloads, providing great flexibility for industrial applications and IoT deployments that require low-power computing performance.
2. Environment
The industrial PC you choose depends on the deployment environment. Some people choose to deploy regular desktop PCs in environments with extreme temperatures, shocks, vibrations, dust, and debris, and then wonder why the computers fail so quickly. This kind of environment requires an industrial PC to handle the volatile environment the system will be deployed in.
Embedded industrial computers are designed and manufactured with ruggedness in mind, enabling them to be deployed in environments with extreme high or low temperatures, vibration, shock, dust, and debris.
Rugged industrial computers can survive in such environments thanks to their fanless, cableless, and robust design. By eliminating fans and vents in industrial computer systems, manufacturers have eliminated the possibility of dust and debris entering the system and causing internal component failures. This results in an ultra-reliable industrial computing solution that minimizes downtime, allowing you to run your operations reliably 24/7.
3. Application
Choosing the right industrial PC depends on the applications you need it to perform. For example, industrial PCs are typically deployed in industrial environments as workstations and human-machine interfaces in manufacturing plants, food processing plants, farms, warehouses, transportation hubs, medical facilities, hazardous locations, and a variety of other locations.
The industrial computer you choose will depend on the intensity and number of applications you want the system to run. The larger the application, the higher the software requirements, and the more computing power you will need to ensure the system runs smoothly and reliably.
With the rapid development and advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT), coarse-edge industrial computing is becoming increasingly important. This is because some applications require data processing and analysis at the network edge, which is precisely where industrial computers come in. Since data does not need to be transmitted over long distances, edge computers can perform data processing, analysis, and decision-making in real time, thus supporting many applications that require such processing and analysis.
4. Connectivity
After calculating the required computing power, the environment in which the industrial computer will be located, and the applications to be run, it is time to consider configuring the system's connectivity options.
Having a robust connectivity industrial computing solution is essential for connecting your systems to the wide variety of sensors, inputs, networks, and accessories you may have. Industrial computers can be configured with the following connectivity options: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6, 4G, 5G, and a 10GbE LAN port.
In addition, the industrial computer is equipped with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port, allowing your system to connect to smart IoT sensors and transfer data at speeds of up to 10Gb. Furthermore, if you have legacy technologies, your industrial computing solution can be configured with serial ports, which are still in use today due to their reliability and flexibility.
The ability to expand I/O via modular daughterboards increases the flexibility of our industrial computing systems, allowing you to add a variety of additional ports, including LAN RJ45/M12, serial ports, USB ports, DP ports, and DIO ports.
Bluetooth is typically used to connect industrial computing devices to one or more sensors and/or devices. 4G and 5G are used to connect devices to the internet when a wired or Wi-Fi connection is unavailable. Whatever connectivity options you require, the system can be configured to your specific needs.
5. Storage, memory, and expansion
The last thing to consider when selecting an industrial PC is the storage solution required for the workload. Industrial PCs can be configured with standard hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). If running regular applications that do not require real-time access, a mechanical drive configuration can be used.
However, if high-speed access to local storage is required, an SSD should be equipped in the system. Solid-state drives (SSDs) offer extremely fast data transfer speeds, supporting real-time data processing and decision-making. Furthermore, compared to hard disk drives (HDDs), equipping a system with an SSD makes it more reliable and more resistant to frequent shocks and vibrations because there are no moving platters in an SSD that could be damaged.
Furthermore, if you require the latest high-speed storage, you can configure your system with an M.2 NVMe storage solution. NVMe drives plug directly into the PCIe protocol, providing you with extremely fast data transfer speeds. NVMe drives offer write speeds up to 2500 MB/s and read speeds up to 3500 MB/s. This means that regular SSDs and HDDs still have their place, as they offer massive storage capacity, which is a requirement for some enterprises and organizations in their storage infrastructure.
In addition, you should consider how much RAM or memory you want to equip your industrial PC. RAM has a significant impact on system performance. The more RAM, the smoother the system performance, because it can cache data close to the CPU's processing architecture more quickly. RAM is an extremely fast short-term storage device that allows your CPU to access the data and applications you are using. The more memory you have, the more applications and data can be loaded, and therefore accessed faster, thus speeding up your industrial computing solutions.
