Mini computer opens up new applications.

The first COM-HPC Mini Computer-on-Module (COM) powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing™ IQ-X Series processors has been launched by congatec. Their new conga-HPC/mIQ-X with the Qualcomm® Oryon™ CPU delivers exceptional single and multithread compute performance - previously achieved only with x86 based-designs - at best-in-class power efficiency. Edge Ai applications, including local machine learning (ML), and the running of large language models (LLMs), benefit from up to 45 TOPS of Ai performance with the dedicated NPU powered by the Qualcomm ® Hexagon™ processor. The conga-HPC/mIQ-X addresses the growing demand for high-performance, energy-efficient compute platforms in markets such as security, transactional retail, robotics, medical technology, and industrial automation.

Robust, compact, and Ai-optimised.
With a form factor roughly the size of a credit card, the conga-HPC/mIQ-X features a robust design with soldered, fast LPDDR5X RAM and support for an industrial temperature range from -40 °C to +85 °C.

Typical use cases include video surveillance, sensor and camera systems for edge analytics, and applications with local Ai processing. This platform is ideal for developers who want to leverage the strengths of Arm on Microsoft Windows. It significantly reduces development time compared to other implementations through simplified software integration and UEFI-compatible firmware. All size, weight, and power (SWaP) optimised designs also benefit from the high performance per watt of the new mini modules.

“The conga-HPC/mIQ-X takes embedded Arm computing to a new level of performance and simplifies the development of Ai-accelerated edge and vision systems through UEFI BIOS support, Windows integration, and a complete ecosystem,” explains Konrad Garhammer, COO and CTO of congatec.

The conga-HPC/mIQ-X COM-HPC Mini module - measuring just 95 mm x 70 mm - is based on Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ-X Series processors with up to 64 GB of LPDDR5X memory.
With up to 12 Oryon cores, a dedicated Hexagon NPU, DSP, and Qualcomm® Spectra ISP, it offers optimized computing units for ultra-efficient processing of video, image, and audio data.
The integrated Qualcomm ® Adreno™ GPU delivers powerful graphics, supporting up to 3 displays and 8K resolution.
For fast networking and peripheral connectivity, the COM-HPC Mini module offers 2x 2.5 Gb Ethernet, up to 16x PCIe Gen3/Gen4 lanes, 2x USB4, 2x USB3.2 Gen2x1, and 8x USB2.0.
Graphics output is via 2x DDI and eDP, and up to 4 cameras can be connected directly via MIPI CSI. 2x I2C, 2x UART, and 12x GPIO round out the feature set.
The integrated TPM 2.0 module serves as the hardware root of trust.

To accelerate time-to-market, congatec offers optimised cooling solutions, evaluation boards, and comprehensive design support. The new COM-HPC Mini module is also available as an application-ready aReady.COM. It is delivered customised with validated and pre-installed operating systems and optional software building blocks for IoT functionality, faster development, and optimised cost.

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@congatecAG @UnnGmbh #PAuto

Healthcare computer certified.

Datalogic has announced the certification of the Memor 17 Healthcare mobile computer with OncoSafety Remote Control®, the advanced oncology workflow solution developed by B. Braun, a global leader in smart infusion therapy and healthcare technology.

This integration combines Datalogic’s most advanced healthcare-grade mobile computer with B. Braun’s OncoSafety Remote Control®, enabling unmatched traceability, medication accuracy, and compliance in oncology treatment. Together, these technologies deliver a safer, more efficient experience for healthcare professionals and patients alike.

Designed for front-line healthcare, the Memor 17 Healthcare features 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E, and an ultra-rugged, disinfectant-ready design. The integrated Halogen™ 2121DL scan engine ensures fast and accurate barcode capture – even on damaged or poorly printed labels – while Datalogic’s signature Green Spot technology provides silent scan confirmation, ideal for quiet zones such as neonatal wards or intensive care units.

The certification with OncoSafety Remote Control® extends the capabilities of the Memor 17 Healthcare across oncology workflows – from bedside medication administration to remote patient visits – ensuring the highest standards of patient safety, data access, and workflow efficiency.

The Memor 17 Healthcare also supports programmable emergency alerts and custom gestures, allowing clinical staff to trigger safety protocols instantly. With long-term Android™ support (version 18 and beyond), AI-powered software tools from the Datalogic Mobility Suite, and a slim, ergonomic form factor, this device is ready to meet the evolving needs of healthcare environments.

“The Memor 17 Healthcare sets a new benchmark for patient care and safety in oncology,” said Rosario Casillo, Data Capture Product and Solutions Executive VP at Datalogic. “Its certification with B. Braun’s OncoSafety Remote Control® enables seamless verification of patient-treatment matching with their advanced solution, ensuring healthcare professionals can rely on a connected, secure, and highly functional device to deliver critical care wherever it’s needed.”

“Our mission at B. Braun is to protect and improve the health of people around the world. We are pleased to collaborate with Datalogic to equip caregivers with the technology needed to make well-informed decisions and reduce medication errors,” added Thore Heinemann, Senior Digital Solution Manager at B. Braun.

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@DatalogicGroup @BBraunUSA @mepaxIntPR #Medical

Measuring CO2 emissions and Carbon capture.

Counting the cost of carbon emissions

Newly released software from Ex-i Flow Measurement Ltd enables their SFC3000 flow computer to calculate CO₂ emissions from gas fuelled industrial processes and power stations and also record carbon subsequently captured for storage facilities rather than being released into the atmosphere. 

The Ex~i SFC3000 is a highly capable flow computer capable of accurately measuring a wide range of fluids and gases. The flexibility of the design allows additional functionality to support customer’s specific requirements to be realised quickly.

A major oil and gas company recently approached EX~I to find a way to effectively calculate the CO₂ being expelled into the atmosphere when their gas was being burned. This was required for both environmental reasons and because of the taxable levies applied to such activities.

The EX~ Flow in-house hardware and software development teams were able to work through the complex calculations required, produce the additional software to support this new functionality and test and release it to the customer in a short space of time.

This means that by using one SFC3000 flow computer, end users can now accurately quantify the amount of CO₂ being emitted when a product is burnt, and in multi-stream mode, or with an additional SFC3000, also record the amount of CO₂ being subsequently captured.

It is is a highly versatile liquid hydrocarbon and gas flow measuring device capable of operating in a stand-alone single stream flow measurement system or as part of a highly complex multi-stream system and offers a great deal more than a dedicated flow computer. It can operate on a number of levels from a supervisory machine to a standalone flow computer or as a system component. The computer may be configured to provide a multi-stream measurement solution for gas flow. Using a SFC3000 to make multiple sample point measurements can offer cost savings by allowing a single emissions analyser to make sequential measurements from many different sample points.

With its touch screen VGA display and extensive processing capabilities, combined with simple to use controls and unique operating software, the SFC3000 it can function as a complete station supervisor integrated into a flow computer housing.

Designed specifically to meet the needs of the worldwide liquid hydrocarbon and gas measurement markets, the SFC3000 is intended to positively contribute to both management and conservation of the world’s dwindling energy resources by providing both versatile and accurate measurement and incorporating state of the art designs and components.

SFC3000 flow computer key features:

• Measurement conforming to AGA, ISO, API standards of: dry and wet natural gas, hydrocarbon liquids, other gases e.g. nitrogen, other liquids e.g. water.
• NMi Certificates to: WELMEC 7.2 and 8.8, OIML R117, MID 2014/32/EU
• Standard Features: standalone flow computing function, flow computing combined with supervisory function, up to 2 G-byte additional memory for Alarm, Audit and Data Logging, optional SD card required.
• Meter types: pulse generating flow meters, most common ultrasonic flow meters, dp transmitters with orifice or venturi measurements.
• Configurable Display: system diagrams, Trending and graphical displays, Language options, Interfaces to most types of metering equipment and all popular GC’s, Easy Installation and interfacing
• Supervisory Features, Alarm/Event/Data Logging and Recording, Printer Report Generation, System Diagram Display, Network Communication, Station Controller Functions, Valve Control and Remote Operation.
• Maintenance Functions: stream summation, pid/sampler functions, flow computer specification.

The SFC3000 flow computer should be considered the “brains” of a flow measurement system and requires a number of peripheral components to take measurements. Packaged in an industry Standard Half Width 3U High 19” rack construction suitable for panel or chassis mount. It can accommodate up to 6 user plug-in cards and up to five measurement streams in the same chassis.

The future of gas and liquid measurement and flow control continuously evolves. As a leading manufacturer of flow computers, Ex-i Flow Measurement specialises in researching, developing and manufacturing products for the gas and liquid measurement industry, with a focus on continuous project development and enhancement. EX-i offer customers market leading performance, quality, reliability, cost and response.

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@ExiFlow @proactivefleet #PAuto

Modular edge computer.

Advantech has released UNO-2372G V2 Elkhart Lake Compact Modular Box PC. Their UNO-2000 series of embedded automation computers are highly rugged, fanless systems. The modular design offers vigorous computing performance and flexible scalability with various I/O ports to support IoT Connectivity. The unit features high processing capacity, 4K resolution display ports, optimized I/O port and expansion options to support wire/wireless IoT edge data transmission and processing.

UNO-2372G V2 is a compact, robust, fanless and scalable system with high stability and features Intel® Celeron® J6412 quad-core processor with 8GB DDR4 memory. It can be equipped with an optional second stack for supporting extension iDoor module, including wireless connectivity, industrial fieldbus and more I/O ports. Moreover it supports NVME storage with high data-transmission efficiency.

It is an Industrial Computing Edge device for data acquisition, analytics and nearly instantaneously transmission with a high-throughput network, such as 5G, creating a more comprehensive experience for the user, and enable digital transformation in industrial 4.0 era. It features:

• Higher Performance CPU: UNO-2372G features a brand new modular design with flexible expansion by adding 2nd expansion module, enhancing the depth and breadth of the industrial application.
• Versatile Scalability: versatile choices of scalability help customer to have various application. With sensors of temperature, humidity, air quality or light, UNO-2372G V2 can be an excellent remote monitor to help control environment or equipment condition.
• IoT Edge Gateway: UNO-2372G V2 features high processing capacity, 4K resolution display ports, optimized I/O port and expansion options to support wire/ wireless IOT edge data transmission and processing.

The UNO-2372G compact and robust chassis design can adapt to multiple installation requirements.

@AdvantechIA @Advantech_IIoT @proactivefleet #IIoT #PAuto

Single board computer.

The PICO-ITX Single Board Computer is now available from Impulse Embedded. The PICO-TGU4 is a compact PICO-ITX single board computer built around the Intel 11th Generation "Tiger Lake" U processor, which offers up to 23% more performance than previous generations.

Robert Plant, Sales Director at Impulse Embedded, comments, “As with all our embedded board range, Impulse can fully configure the PICO-TGU4 single board computer to our customer’s exact specifications in our UK based engineering facility, including preferred choice of processor, memory, storage, peripherals and embedded operating system. We also have a capability to design custom enclosures, pair boards with LCD touchscreens and offer software integration as a service”.

With a form factor of just 2.5" it may be deployed in almost any tight space, yet is packed with high-performance features rarely seen in a PICO-ITX single board computer, including LPDDR4x, M.2 Expansion, 10gbps USB 3.2 Gen2 and 2.5Gigabit Ethernet.

The computer leverages the power of 11th Gen Intel Core i3/i5/i7 and Celeron processors that achieve speeds of up to 4.8 GHz, and combined with up to 32GB LPDDR4x onboard memory, making it able to deliver exceptional computing performance.

The PICO-TGU4 has an M.2 2280 PCIE4.0 [x4] slot, which can be used for super-fast storage, or to provide additional AI acceleration from AI co-processors like Intel Movidius Myriad X, Google TPU and Kneron KL520.

Featuring dual LAN ports , one offering super-fast Intel i225 network control with 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, and the other featuring the Gigabit Intel i219 network controller with VPro, the PICO-TGU4's connectivity is as flexible as it is powerful. A full-size mini PCIe card slot is also available for the addition of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The unit takes advantage of the new Tiger Lake technology by offering an extensive selection of I/O features. On the rear it has two super-speed+ USB3.2 Gen 2 ports that offer 10Gbps, and on the board itself there are additional headers for two USB3.2 Gen 1 ports and four USB2.0 ports.

One interesting and powerful feature is the HDMI port on the rear, which supports 4K resolutions at 60 fps, and along with the eDP port on the board for pairing with LCD panels, the PICO-TGU4 is ideal for innovative multimedia applications. Additionally, there is a SATAIII port with a 5V SATA power, two com ports supporting RS-232/422/485, 8-bit DIO and an I2C/SMBUS for connection to a wide range of devices.

@ImpulseEmbedded @proactivefleet #PAuto #Embedded

Cool computer is hot!

The CS551 from DFI is the world's first 3.5" embedded single board computer with an integral auto warm-up function enabling the processor to withstand extreme cold weather environments down to -30°C. It is now available from Impulse Embedded.

Robert Plant, Sales Director at Impulse Embedded, comments, “The CS551 provides state of the art AI smart edge computing. Combined with our advanced and flexible embedded systems capabilities we can create market-leading, reliable, repeatable and revision-controlled systems providing our customers with reduced overall project costs and development time. Our in-house team of engineers and specialists, all with decades of experience, can provide fully deployable embedded computing solutions straight out of the box.”

Aerospace, outdoor industrial applications and railway technology may be subjected to extremes of temperature and not only have to function across a wide temperature range but most importantly start up at low temperatures. The new CS551 SBC from Impulse Embedded has been designed specifically to meet these requirements and will be welcomed by OEMs and machine builders in these markets.

Built to support Intel 9th/8th Gen Core processors, the CS551 uses dynamic performance adjustment of both CPU and GPU speeds allowing it to function in an extremely wide temperature range of -30°C to +80°C which is rare in such a small form factor single board computer (SBC).

The CS551 is powered by the latest Intel Coffee Lake processors from Intel ensuring support of the latest Windows 10 IoT and Linux operating systems. The board comes with one SODIMM memory socket supporting a maximum of 32GB DDR4 2666MHz system memory. With rugged operating conditions in mind, the CS551 supports an extended wide operating temperature range of up -30°C to +80°C when using wide temperature plug-in components. In a world-first, the CS551 also utilises an auto warm-up function to allow it to support the extremely cold temperatures as standard.

In addition to the unique auto warm-up feature and extended temperature support, the CS551 is packed with expansion interfaces for Edge AI computing applications. These include dual DisplayPort+ graphical interfaces supporting resolutions up to 4094 x 2304 @ 60Hz, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports and four USB3.1 ports. Internally there is SATA3.0 storage support, an M.2 2280 M-key NVMe slot and a full-size MiniPCIe slot with SIM support for cellular connectivity.

For machine builders and OEMs, the CS551 also comes with an on-board LVDS interface for pairing directly to a flat panel LCD. As part of our Embedded System Services, Impulse can offer a complete board to display pairing service including the display of your choice, a custom display BIOS plus interface cables for an all-in-one HMI solution.

 @ImpulseEmbedded @DFI_Embedded @proactivefleet #PAuto #Transport

Upgrade for Single Board Computer.

Abaco Systems has announced that its SOSA aligned rugged 3U VPX SBC3511 single board computer is now in production. This major advancement gives users variability by aligning with defense standards while improving lifecycle and supportability, lowers the total cost of ownership, and reduces risk.

“We’re delighted to announce this important milestone,” said Peter Thompson, Vice President, Product Management at Abaco Systems. “Many manufacturers are talking about SOSA alignment – but few, if any, are actually shipping product. We believe the many organizations committed to SOSA will very much welcome this news, as it allows them to move forward with real, deployable hardware.”

“The SBC3511 has attracted substantial interest since its announcement, because of its unique combination of capabilities. The SBC3511’s alignment with the SOSA standard, its leading-edge performance, its innovative thermal management, and its monitoring/reporting functionality, unite to deliver a platform that is unmatched in the industry.”

The SBC3511 is based around the highly integrated Intel® Xeon® E-2276ME 6-core/12-thread processor ('Coffee Lake Refresh') which operates at 2.8 GHz with TurboBoost up to 4.5 GHz, and is supported by a Xilinx Ultrascale+ FPGA which acts as the boards security hub, capable of hosting Abaco, third party or customer IP.

The SBC3511 was originally announced with support for 32 GBytes of DDR4 RAM and 80 GBytes of NVMe SSD. This has now been extended to 64 GBytes of DDR4 RAM and 256 GBytes of NVMe SSD, providing increased platform performance and throughput. In addition, the SBC3511’s IPMI subsystem has been upgraded to allow operation from 3.3V AUX power only, further enhancing its alignment with the SOSA standard.

The SBC3511 can also be supported with one or more elements of the Abaco software suite, including PBIT for early monitoring and reporting; CIBIT for non-intrusive ongoing and on-demand monitoring and reporting; and Health Toolkit, which acts as a system monitor to collect and report the health of all elements in the system, thanks to the VITA46.11 tier 1 and tier 2 interface over IPMI. All are fully compatible with the most frequently deployed operating systems and applications for defense and industry.

As well as leading edge performance, the SBC3511 features a unique thermal management design which allows deterministic high performance even at the extended temperatures typical of deployment on space-constrained platforms in combat zones. This contrasts less efficient thermal management designs that see a processor’s performance throttled back at high temperatures.

@AbacoSys #PAuto 

Ethernet switch for VME.

Abaco Systems has announced the GBX25 Level 3 Managed 6U VME NETernity Ethernet Switch. It provides unprecedented flexibility, delivering new levels of simplicity in configuring 6U VME network support and handling almost any network configuration while delivering industry-leading performance. The GBX25 represents the optimum switch solution for any user planning to create new systems based on the 6U VME architecture, or planning to refresh existing systems.

Supported interfaces include 10/100/1000BASE-T, 100BASE-FX, 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX, 10GBASE-SR and 10GBASE-LR.

Typical applications for the GBX25 include mission computing; fire control; radar; sensor/video aggregation and networking; and radar. It is also appropriate for industrial and automation applications.

For existing users of Abaco’s GBX24 and RM921B, the GBX25 represents a 100% pin-compatible technology insertion opportunity, delivering a simple, straightforward, cost-effective upgrade in capability and performance, while guaranteeing long term availability. It also represents an ideal enhancement for systems using Abaco’s RM922, GBX16 and GBX16A switches.

The GBX25 also provides support for the latest release of Abaco’s OpenWare switch management environment designed specifically for the military/aerospace environment, bringing new levels of flexibility, manageability and security.

A single flexible platform, the GBX25 allows virtually all 6U VME Ethernet switch solutions to be architected with a single product, whether front or rear (or both) I/O, copper or fiber, 1G or 10G. Up to four 10G SFP+ modules brings the ability to aggregate multiple 1G channels together. The 10G functionality makes it possible to use the switch as an aggregator of multiple video/sensor data streams to be sent via one or more 10G uplinks to other systems such as data servers or mission computers.

The use of SFP modules also brings the ability for customers to configure the GBX25 to fit their application precisely, and not be constrained by fixed configurations. Having a common platform allows for engineers to use the GBX25 in multiple systems without the need to relearn the capabilities of the product or how to configure the management software.

The dual I/O variant will offer up to 40 switched ports (24 rear VME ports and 16 front panel ports), potentially allowing for a single switch to replace two others that would need to be configured independently in existing systems. It can also make an important contribution to minimizing slot usage in a system, reducing its SWaP (size, weight and power) profile.

“While other companies are allowing their 6U VME offering to decline in competitiveness, Abaco remains committed to ensuring that users of VME systems continue to have access to the latest cutting edge switch fabric technologies, providing not only high performance but also longevity,” said Peter Thompson, Vice President, Product Management at Abaco Systems. “It is also further evidence of our commitment to our customers that we will help them minimize their long term cost of ownership.”

“The GBX25 offers increased capability in port density and data rates; lower power consumption than previous products; and the ability to guarantee the highest levels of security through the use of the latest release of OpenWare. It is a further demonstration of our belief in the long term viability of the VME architecture.”

The maximum non-blocking switching bandwidth of 340Gbps in the highest density version of the product provides more than sufficient headroom for even the most demanding applications.

Rugged Single Board Computer.

Abaco Systems has announced the SBC3511 3U OpenVPX rugged single board computer, which provides a unique combination of high performance, advanced security and leading edge thermal management. Target applications for the new platform include C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and the most demanding industrial applications.

The SBC3511’s high performance derives from the new, highly integrated Intel® Xeon® E-2176M 6-core/12-thread processor (formerly known as Coffee Lake) operating at 2.7GHz with TurboBoost up to 4.4GHz, 32 GBytes of DDR4 RAM and the inclusion of up to 256 GBytes of nVME SSD. It also features a 40 Gigabit Ethernet data plane, delivering not only a high speed interconnect but also alignment with the SOSA™ technical standard.

SOSA – Sensor Open Systems Architecture - creates a common framework for transitioning sensor systems to an open systems architecture, based on key interfaces and open standards established by industry-government consensus.

The new single board computer includes a range of security features designed to assist with user-defined Anti-Tamper and Information Assurance strategies. The onboard Xilinx® Zynq® UltraScale+™ MPSoC’s built-in security capabilities include a physical unclonable function (PUF), user-accessible hardened cryptographic blocks, asymmetric authentication, side channel attack protection, and other silicon-based AT features. It can be utilized to instantiate a range of Abaco-defined security features, or by customers to embed application-specific features. Support is also provided for Intel’s Trusted Execution Technology.

The SBC3511 features a unique thermal management design which allows deterministic high performance even at the extended temperatures typical of deployment on space-constrained platforms in combat zones. This is in contrast to less efficient thermal management designs that see a processor’s performance throttled back at high temperatures.

“The SBC3511 is the result of extensive feedback from our customers about what they want,” said Peter Thompson, Vice President, Product Management at Abaco Systems. “Their priorities are maximum processing power under all conditions for advanced applications; comprehensive provision for security; and interoperability. The SBC3511 not only delivers on these requirements, but is also supported by Abaco’s extensive ecosystem that includes graphics processors, FPGA and DSP boards, switches and carrier cards to enable the creation of complete systems.”

Development kits, including starter cages and accessories, are also available.

The SBC3511 also includes a x8 PCIe™ Gen 3 XMC site; one USB 2.0 port and one USB 3.1 port; a DisplayPort™ interface; two serial ports; a SATA port; and up to eight GPIO pins.

Also included is a rich range of software options. AMI UEFI includes support of BIOS Guard for signed image execution. Open Linux® (Fedora), Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS (Linux), Wind River Linux, VxWorks® 7, Windows® 10 will also be available, as will comprehensive deployed test software (PBIT, CBIT and IBIT).

@AbacoSys #PAuto 

Driver machine interface.

Adlink Technology has  released its latest Driver Machine Interface (DMI) touch panel computer, the DMI-1210, designed specifically for train control and driver information display.

Powered by the Intel Atom® x5-E3930 processor (formerly Apollo Lake) and featuring a 12.1” (4:3) high resolution color display, 5-wire resistive touch screen and securable I/O interface, the DMI-1210 can be deployed as an HMI unit for driver’s desks, control panel for passenger information systems, surveillance system control/display unit or in railway diagnostics and communications applications.

The DMI-1210 is an EN 50155 certificated, cost-effective, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) driver interface that offers train radio display, electronic timetable, and diagnostic display functions and additional functionality such as train data recorder. The DMI-1210 supports full range DC power input from +16.8V to +137.5V DC. Optional MVB, GNSS, 3G/LTE, WLAN, and Bluetooth through add-on modules give system integrators the necessary tools to expand use case possibilities. With Adlink’s built-in Smart Embedded Management Agent (SEMA) management and status LEDs on the front panel, the DMI-1210 provides easy and effective health monitoring and system maintenance. In addition, system robustness and reliability are provided by careful component selection for extended temperature operation, isolated I/Os, conformal coated circuit boards, securable I/O connectors and high ingress protection rating (IP65 front, IP42 rear).

“By leveraging more than 20 years of expertise in developing highly reliable and available embedded computing systems, Adlinkis a premier supplier to the rail market, enabling both wayside and onboard applications, such as Communications Based Train Control (CBTC), Automatic Train Protection (ATP), Automatic Train Operation (ATO), Automatic Train Supervision (ATS), Computer Based Interlocking (CBI) and Train Control Center (TCC), Passenger Information, and Passenger Wi-Fi. We offer not only a field-proven, cost-effective and extensive COTS portfolio, but also a variety of fast time-to-market custom solutions with best-in-class ODM capabilities,” said Crystal Tseng, ADLINK senior product manager.

“The addition of the DMI-1210 further strengthens our EN 50155-compliant product portfolio and enables us to better serve our customers with its superior reliability and versatility. By leveraging our long-standing strategic partnerships with major processor and software vendors, we ensure best practices in lifecycle management and product obsolescence to deliver the supply longevity required by the industry. ADLINK offers design services in every major geographic region, benefiting customers with increased responsiveness, short delivery lead-time and ease of doing business.”

Designed to meet harsh operating requirements, their industry standard compliant, rugged product portfolio provides customers with a great level of flexibility in technology and roadmap planning.

@ADLINK_Tech #Transport 

Heavy duty computer interface devices.

Foremost Electronics has been appointed as a distributor for Storm Interface, manufacturer of heavy duty keypads, keyboards and custom computer interface devices. All Storm products are built to withstand rough use and abuse in unattended public and industrial applications.

Along with Storm’s toughened industrial HMI products, Foremost will also stock its ‘Assistive Technology Products’. These accessible DDA and ADA compliant system navigation devices are used by kiosk manufacturers and self service operators to ensure access to information and services for those with sensory or mobility impairment.

“As accessibility legislation relating to the self-service market continues to evolve, the requirement for this type of tactile, audio enabled device is steadily increasing.” comments Emma Kempster, Key Account Manager of Foremost Electronics Ltd. ‘We represent many of the world's major manufacturers and with Storm’s reputation for quality, we believe their products will be a good fit for us.’

The product range available from Foremost includes 5 and 8 key “Nav Pads”, an X-Y Position Control Navigation Pad, a 6 key Nav Bar with USB interface and audio port options and a High Contrast computer keyboard.

#4mostElec #PAuto

Programming language courses.

Alison, the large free e-learning platform, has launched two new courses on popular programming language R.* Although R is sometimes seen as a simpler programming language than others, there is a steep learning curve to begin with as it uses a different syntax model to most common languages.

The first course, Introduction to R for Data Science, is aimed at people who have a basic knowledge of data science that they want to expand on. It explains how R is used, and teaches the data structures and types found in R. The second course, R for Data Analysis, moves on to more sophisticated forms of data manipulation, with a strong focus on identifying underlying patterns and predicting trends in data-sets.

Social entrepreneur Mike Feerick, Founder and CEO of Alison said: “The trend toward Big Data is unstoppable, making the ability to analyse and comprehend data a vital skill in many lucrative fields of employment. Business analysts in sectors from finance and banking to government and the public sector – and everything in between – can benefit from taking these free courses to expand their knowledge.”

In the US, the average salary for an R programmer is paid between $76,000-100,000, and in the 2014 Dice Tech Salary Survey of over 17,000 technology professionals, the highest-paid IT skill was R programming.

Eric Corbett, Course Publishing Manager at Alison, said: “At Alison, we believe in empowering young people by enhancing what they learn through their formal education with both the soft skills and hard skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Shockingly, in most countries, programming still isn’t taught in schools, despite its obvious value to governments and organisations worldwide.”

* The R language is widely used among statisticians and data miners for developing statistical software[6] and data analysis.

@AlisonCourses #Training 

Ruggedised computer.

Harting has announced the commercial availability in Britain of its ruggedised computer, MICA (Modular Industry Computing Architecture). The device was displayed for the first time at the ‘Drives and Controls’ show last April, and is now fully supported by Harting Ltd for commercial use.

The Harting MICA ruggedised computer provides a platform for system integrators and software developers who need to deploy bespoke software applications to manage systems. It uses a LINUX operating system to provide a secure, stand-alone infrastructure needed in industrial and other demanding applications.

MICA is installed in the ‘Rinspeed Etos’ concept car displayed on the Harting stand (visited by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkal and President of United States of America, Barack Obama) during the Hannover Messe event in April. The car was also displayed at the Geneva motor show in March to great acclaim.

Rinspeed uses a Harting MICA for emissions and status monitoring. The Rinspeed Etos then transmits this data gathered by the MICA device to a neutral 3rd-Party (Dekra), for independent analysis. This illustrates how the Internet of Things could be used more widely in the future to monitor and evaluate emissions and performance data in real-world driving conditions. This same technique could also be applied to a range of other industrial and logistical equipment to help monitor performance and maintenance.

Gavin Stoppel, Product and Applications Manager at Harting UK, said; “Companies deploying large scale automation solutions using ‘Industrial Internet of Things’ networks and distributed control systems need this type of device. Ruggedised computers are a key element in delivery of Industry 4.0, and since we showed MICA at ‘Drives and Controls’ we have had a lot of interest in it from companies working on various applications, especially RFID and performance monitoring.”

@HARTING  #PAuto #IoT

Single board computer deployed on International Space Station!

GE Energy Management’s Intelligent Platforms tells us that  its CR11 single board computer (SBC) has been successfully deployed and is fully operational onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the continuing experiments by the European Space Agency (ESA) taking place way above the earth.

PK-4 Commissioning Experiment in June 2015 (Pic: NASA/ESA)

The CR11 is at the heart of the supporting infrastructure of ESA’s Plasma Kristall-4 (PK-4) research missions. Two CR11s are integrated in the Control & Video Unit which was installed within a host rack known as the European Physiology Module (EPM). At the beginning of June 2015, the one week commissioning experiment session was successfully performed.

It is a permanent installation by ESA within the European Columbus research module onboard the ISS,  designed to conduct experiments on the complex plasmas in space. Plasma is the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid and gaseous. In space, more than 99 per cent of visible material (e.g. stars, clouds of gas and so on) is made up of this fourth state of matter.

For PK-4, the CR11s are utilized to execute the scientific script, record high volumes of video (130 Mbytes/sec) and housekeeping data, and display experiment video.

“This is a great example of what GE Rugged is all about,” said Chris Lever, General Manager, Embedded at GE’s Intelligent Platforms business. “Whether it’s in the harsh environment of a heavy manufacturing facility, a railroad locomotive, onboard an armored vehicle – or, as it is here, out in space – GE’s solutions are designed to operate with absolute reliability wherever they are deployed, in whatever conditions. It’s excellent to have the opportunity, through the great work that OHB is doing with the International Space Station, to demonstrate again what GE Rugged really means.”

The CR11 joins another GE solution on board the International Space Station. In 2010, Goodrich Corporation created a custom version of the NETernity™ RM924RC Ethernet switch, and a number of these now play a key role as part of the network control system of the onboard iPEHG (improved Payload Ethernet Gateway).

The CR11 is a 6U, CompactPCI single board computer featuring an Intel® Core™ Duo Processor. It is specifically designed to withstand the rigors of deployment in the harshest environments – like the International Space Station. It is optionally available with conduction cooling and extended temperature range of -40° to +80° C, while increased shock and vibration immunity is designed in by using optional stiffener bars and wedge locks. Other typical applications include factory automation, simulation/training, test and measurement etc.

• The International Space Station is a joint project among five participating space agencies - NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA – and was launched in 1998. It has been continuously occupied since 2000. The largest artificial body in orbit – at 400 kilometres/250 miles  - it serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and other fields.

Rugged single board computer.

GE Energy Management’s Intelligent Platforms has announced the SBC347A rugged 3U OpenVPX single board computer (SBC). Based on the latest ‘Broadwell’ processor technology from Intel®, it delivers higher performance and greater functionality than previous generations of SBC while maintaining the same power envelope. The SBC374A is the first in a number of Broadwell-based products that GE plans to introduce.

The new SBC is designed for demanding applications in harsh, SWaP (size, weight and power) constrained military environments such as manned and unmanned vehicles, signal processing in ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), sonar, radar, and command/control, as well as the most challenging applications in industry such as energy exploration and transportation.

The SBC374A benefits from two channels of 10Gbase-T connectivity, giving it 10x the Ethernet capability of earlier SBCs. This enables customers upgrading from previous generations of GE’s 3U OpenVPX Intel-based platforms to benefit from substantially enhanced connectivity on the Control Plane without needing to undertake disruptive, expensive infrastructure changes.

In line with GE’s commitment to maximizing long term customer value and return on investment, the SBC374A provides a simple, form/fit/function pin-compatible upgrade path.

The latest Intel Core i7 quad core processor, operating at up to 2.7GHz, can deliver as much as 15% greater CPU performance and 30% greater 3D graphics performance compared with its predecessors. The SBC374A supports up to 16GBytes of soldered ECC memory, and provides the exceptional on-board and off-board bandwidth needed by today’s sophisticated applications with its support for PCI Express® Gen3 technology and USB3.0.

“With the announcement of the SBC374A, GE is again in the forefront of responding to customer demand for rugged embedded computing solutions that deliver unprecedented performance and flexibility, yet are compact, lightweight and consume minimal power,” said Richard Kirk, Director of Core Computing at GE’s Intelligent Platforms business. “It is also yet another example of our continuing commitment to enabling our customers to take advantage of the power of the latest Intel technology.”

The SBC374A is available in five build levels, from benign environment (air cooled) to fully rugged (conduction cooled), and supports Microsoft® Windows, Open Linux® and VxWorks®. It benefits from support by both GE’s AXIS Advanced Multiprocessor Integrated Software development environment that minimizes program risk and speeds time to market, and from GE’s industry-leading Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) programs that are designed to maximize the long term value of customer investments.

Embedded computer!

ADLINK Technology has released the new Extreme Rugged™ HPERC-IBR system. The HPERC™ (High Performance Extreme Rugged Computer) Series offers a compact, highly reliable and efficient processing unit to meet challenging SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) requirements for modern ground and aerial vehicle applications. HPERC offers one of the first product implementations of the VITA-75 standard to address commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) requirements for Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) applications.

“The HPERC system offers intense capabilities in a VITA-75 footprint, leveraging Intel® Core™ i7 processing power coupled with a GPGPU and a wealth of I/O support for camera and vehicle data busses,” said Jeff Munch, Director of ADLINK's Small Form Factor Product Center. “This solution can readily provide the necessary image processing and I/O required for UGV applications both today and in the future.”

In addition to the 3rd Generation Intel Core processor and optional GPGPU, the HPERC-IBR also offers DDR3L-1333 ECC soldered down memory up to 16GB, dual removable solid state drives with available RAID 0/1, as well as 4 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, 4 Ethernet, 7 Serial, 8 GPIO, and 3 HDMI/DisplayPort/DVI interfaces. The HPERC-IBR also has expansion options to support fast and easy integration of additional interface cards such as PCI/104-Express and Mini PCI Express.

To endure harsh environments, the HPERC-IBR was developed using ADLINK’s Rugged by Design methodology to withstand extreme shock, corrosion and galvanic oxidation. The HPERC-IBR offers flexible cooling options: the HPERC-IBR-MC (-40°C to + 85°C) for cold-plate cooling and the HPERC-IBR-MH (-40°C to + 75°C) designed for natural convection cooling.
The ADLINK HPERC Series is compliant to VITA-75 20/21/22 small form factor mounting and provides a wide array of fast I/O via MIL-DTL-38999 connectors. Additional expansion interfaces to meet the demands of various sensor suites are easily added with user-defined I/O pins.

Smart touch computer

The 15.6’’ ultra-slim Smart Touch Computer in stylish aluminum alloys fits various industrial applications

ADLINK Technology has launched a brand-new 15.6” Smart Touch Computer BFS-15W02. With low-power Intel® Atom™ D2550 processor, it allows fanless operation up to 50°C while guaranteeing longevity support. Unlike conventional panel PCs, this ultra-slim Smart Touch Computer does not only look appealing, but also provides IP54 protection and outstanding reliability. Sleek full-flat touch screen, chemical resistance, ease of maintenance and cleaning are just a few examples among its outstanding features, arm-mount capability and an optional integrated desktop stand designed specially for this product make it fit anywhere – on a working bench, on the wall or on a swing arm, and still stay connected via built-in WiFi or dual Gigabit Ethernet.

"The BFS-15W02 can easily be configured for a wide range of applications, including retail, hospitality and healthcare industries," says Richard Tai, Director in charge of ADLINK Smart Panel and Smart Touch Computer product lines. "This product is one of the many building blocks in our portfolio to fulfill cloud computing demand, in which the Smart Touch Computer services as the terminal, or user interface, to access or retrieve the data real-time, no matter in a wired fashion or wirelessly. In the future, this can not only reduce limitations on managing and monitoring, but also lay the foundation of reducing production, service and business administration costs."

Stylish product design with trust
The BFS-15W02 adopts a full-flat touch screen which passes the IP54 test, with waterproof protection on the front and the top, combining data protection and convenience. An appealing appearance and compact stylish design is achieved through flat surfaces and invisible screws. Particularly valuable features include chemical resistance and ease of cleaning. Available with an integrated tilt-adjustable stand, the BFS-15W02 also supports both 100mm and 75mm VESA mounting holes.

Interactive interface with no boundary
Pre-loaded Windows Embedded Standard 7 Premium and Cedarview Processor, the BFS-15W02 offers an excellent performance with low power consumption. Embedded dual Ethernet and WiFi allow users to access and transfer data easily. This new product also features capacitive power and brightness buttons, for a reliable and a user-friendly interface. Its fanless design allows high operation temperature up to 50oC, providing users with wide range of working environments. The BFS-15W02 supports VGA output for a second display to broaden its applications. Opening the back cover to upgrade the 2.5”SATA HDD/SSD is a simple task.

Variety of applications
The BFS-15W02 is very user-friendly; its “fit anywhere” design makes it highly flexible and easily put to use in many different kinds of installations. This simple, complete and compact system enables system developers to incorporate BFS-15W02 easily into applications, including retail stores and showrooms for advertisement broadcasting in a range of locations: hotels and restaurants for self check in/out stands, and interactive tourist information kiosks, as well as healthcare, physical medicine and fitness centers.

Medical computer!

ADLINK Technology has announced the first of its new TOPAZ line of medical computers, the 3rd edition of EN-60601-1 certified TPZ-1300, featuring rich I/O connectivity, wireless support, and duty-specific performance processors with long life support. The TPZ-1300 delivers ruggedized reliability, suiting it perfectly for mobile functionality, in environments such as telemedicine, NIS (nursing information systems), and medical administration.

Perfect for Medical Deployment

The ADLINK TPZ-1300's dedicated applicability for healthcare IT operations provides reliable function, with leading MTBF exceeding 250,000 hours for 24/7 operation. A fanless and cable-free structure ensures extended durability for long-term usage, easy-to-clean housing and noiseless operation satisfy stringent medical application requirements. An anti-bacterial coating option is also available.

Robust Construction for Portable Effectiveness
The TPZ-1300 provides robust construction, withstanding up to 5G vibration and 100G shock, easily meeting the needs of telemedicine applications including telecardiology, telepathology, and nursing workstation use. In a mobile nursing workstation, for example, care providers can view electronic medical records (EMR), medication data, and administrative documentation, as well as enter data and connect to data centers. ADLINK’s TPZ-1300, featuring superior I/O connectivity, wireless support, and a compact profile of 8.26” W x 6.69” D x 2.08” H (210 x 170 x 53 mm) supports flexible deployment in carts or other mobile medical setups, greatly benefiting those requiring compact and reliable solutions.

Low Power Consumption and Rich I/O
The TPZ-1300 is equipped with the Atom™ D2550/N2600 processor to deliver superior performance while conserving power consumption. The TPZ-1300 also provides abundant I/O function from six USB ports, 3 GbE ports, 4 COM ports, one mini PCI-E slot, and 4 digital inputs and outputs to optimize communication and control between multiple devices.

Integrated with ADLINK HDMI Video Capture Card
“In response to the rapid development of computing hardware and wireless popularity in the healthcare IT field, ADLINK is pleased to introduce our Topaz line of precision medical computers, delivering integrated application-ready platforms with simple, quick, and reliable medical computing solutions.” Said Kenny Chang, Product Director for I/O platforms at ADLINK Technology “ADLINK, as an associate partner with the Intel Intelligent System Alliance, can provide medical computers to sustain extended product availability with long component life support. What’s more, ADLINK is able to provide the off-the-shelf digital imaging solutions fully compatible with our Topaz expandable computer line, advantaging all medical imaging solutions.”

The TPZ-1300 also supports multiple OS, including Windows 7, Windows 7 Embedded, Windows XP, Windows XP Embedded, and WinCE 7.0.

Commitment to ARM development

ADLINK Technology supports Kontron's new COM standard that targets ultra low power ARM/RISC and SOC designs.

The smallest “short” module size of
82 mm x 50 mm, based on 314-pin MXM
3.0 connector

ADLINK Technology is to support the new Computer-on-Module (COM) standard from Kontron for ultra low-power embedded architecture platforms with a whole new line of products. Building on our design experience with ARM/RISC in OEM and Intelligent Display projects, this marks ADLINK's first endeavor outside x86 boundaries for a standard form factor product offering.

The new COM standard provides a very slim and low profile solution for ARM/RISC and SOC based ultra low-power processors. The standard specifically targets new fast growing markets such as handheld devices and industrial tablets, and in the near future is also expected to move into more traditional applications such as industrial control and data communications. It will be based on a 314-pin MXM 3.0 connector that allows for a total package height of less than 5 mm for both module and carrier. Two module sizes are specified: a very compact “short” module measuring just 82 mm x 50 mm and a “full size” module measuring 82 mm x 80 mm. The defined pin-out will be able to support both traditional features such as 24-bit RGB, and will be future proof by supporting more modern standards such as LVDS, HDMI and DisplayPort. Power consumption of these ARM/RISC solutions will be on the order of 3W.

"Current COM standards do not address the needs of ARM/RISC specific designs. In the COM market today, we either see ARM being forced onto x86 optimized designs that lack ARM critical pin-outs, or we see specific ARM designs that are not future proof because they lack the inclusion of modern interfaces into their pin-out," explains Dirk Finstel, CTO at Kontron. "This limitation in existing COM standards makes our case that there is a need for a new form factor now. We welcome ADLINK to join us in the promotion and verification of this new COM standard. Bringing this to the market with a second supporting company emphasizes the concept of second source that has made the COM approach so successful during the last ten years."

"Embedded technology has always leveraged parts that have been deployed on a large scale in the commercial field. The reason for this is simple: wide availability, investment in OS support, and optimized pricing for components due to large commercial volumes," according to Henk van Bremen, Product Director for Embedded Computing at ADLINK Technology. "This happened with the notebook market in the early 2000s and with netbooks around 2006. It is happening today with the breakthrough of ARM and RISC in the intelligent mobile phone and tablet market that is taking the traditionally x86 dominated netbook market by storm. For the first time, embedded customers will have the same wide choice of operating systems on ARM as on x86, enabling efficient implementations of new and complementary embedded applications based on ultra low-power devices, that were not possible with x86 based platforms. ADLINK will be able to offer a wide range of OS support including: Linux, Android, Windows CE, Windows 8, VxWorks and QNX."

The support model for ARM/RISC based design will be very different than that of traditional x86 designs. While drivers for x86 platforms are generic and mostly provided by parts vendors, the loading on ARM/RISC hardware suppliers is much higher. ADLINK is investing heavily in a new infrastructure to be able to provide driver development, customization and application support that is specifically focused on ARM/RISC for all their product lines, not just for COM modules. ADLINK's commitment to the new modular form factor is just the first step in adopting ARM/RISC platforms, with all other departments soon to follow in embracing ARM/RISC and leveraging the inroads made by this new COM standard.

• See our Acronyms Page for acronyms!

Compact & rugged fanless embedded computers

ADLINK Technology has released its MXE-3000 fanless embedded computer with rich integrated I/O. Equipped with the Intel® Atom™ D510 1.66 GHz processor, the MXE-3000 delivers twice the performance of the previous N270 platform, meeting high-performance computing needs at all times. Featuring maximum operating shock tolerance up to 100 G, minimal footprint with a small profile, and unique thermal design with zero cable management requirements, the MXE-3000 provides reliable performance in mission critical and harsh environments for a variety of applications.

Leveraging the advantages of enhanced RF function, dedicated I/O features, 9-32 VDC wide range power input, and LVDS & VGA dual display support, the MXE-3000 with ease of mounting capability – VESA or DIN rail, is an ideal match for diverse applications such as intelligent transportation, medication management, digital signage, factory automation, and logistic applications, and especially in automated guided vehicle systems.

With changes in market trend from toward smaller fanless configurations, the MXE-3000’s compact 210 mm (W) x 170 mm (D) x 53 mm (H) size suits it ideally for applications requiring limited storage space and demanding zero-noise, dustproof performance. A unique cable-free structure and extended temperature functionality enable the MXE-3000 series to greatly benefit customers with high-performance computing, lowered total cost of ownership, and long-term durability.


“The ability to withstand harsh environmental factors is critical for in-vehicle computing applications requiring a reliable platform in semi-outdoor environments. In task-driven industries such as warehousing, factory automation, and harbor automation, the MXE-3000 can be deployed on vehicles like trucks, lifters, or trailers for efficient transport. The MXE-3000 further provides value-added material management. In one example, inventories can be recorded while simultaneously transferring goods. Utilizing proven RFID and Wi-Fi technologies, the in-vehicle retrieves cargo information via reader and relays it wirelessly to the control center for dependable online cargo management.” noted Kenny Chang, director of ADLINK’s I/O platform center.