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What is an Industrial PC?

An ‘industrial PC’ (sometime referred to as an ‘embedded PC’) is a computer designed to provide a machine or system with its means of intelligence in order for the machine/system to carry out the specific tasks it’s been designated to perform (functionality) on a repeatable basis.

Industrial Computers Vs Commercial / Consumer Computers

Industrial grade or embedded PC systems are designed for use in environments where consumer / commercial grade PC Systems are not suitable for the application at hand – whether it be the overall  performance needed or even surrounding environmental conditions.  There can be a number of other reasons, especially where specific requirements are needed for  :-

• Reliability; 24/7 and extended operation
• Longevity of supply
• Efficient thermal dissipation provided via custom system design
• Operation in extended temperatures; environmental extremes of hot, cold, humidity
• Safeguarding against poor or irregular power supply
• Remote location installations were attended support is difficult in regard to serviceability and maintenance

 Like their ‘consumer’ PC counter parts (desk or laptop computers available for home or office use), industrial PC’s come in a variety of formats and ‘footprints’ (sizes) – such as motherboards, system PC’s and Panel PC’s to name but a few.

Industrial PCs are designed to provide for repeatability of solution (and consequently reliability) typically being provided on (at least) 3-5 year lifetime availabilities with a replacement program running behind them such that, as and when the PC model reaches an ‘end of life’ (EOL) situation – another model will automatically replace it that’s similar in footprint, provides similar features – but with enhanced efficiencies  through advancements in processor technology, connectivity and a variety of peripheral choices such as memory or storage.

Industrial PCs come in the guise of utilising dependability complex instruction sets – such as x86 (Intel or AMD)  or reduced instruction sets (RISC) – ARM processors being a good (popular) example.

Industrial PC Construction and Features

All industrial PCs share an underlying design philosophy of providing a controlled environment for the installed electronics to survive the applications they’ve been tasked to deal with. Their electronic components may have been selected for their ability to withstand higher and lower operating temperatures than typical ‘commercial’ components. The following are just some of the typical features found in industrial PC’s :-

• Metal housings or enclosures
• Small form factors as possible to provide for compact sizing.
• Enclosure that includes provision for mounting within its surrounding environment (e.g. DIN rail, 19″ rack, VESA wall mount, panel mount, rear mount)
• Wide operating temperature solutions – for example -40 to 75°C
• Alternative cooling methods such as fanless (passive), forced air (active), liquid, and conduction
• Expansion card retention and support via interfaces such as PCIe, mini PCI and M.2
• Enhanced EMI filtering
• Enhanced environmental protection (ingress protection) such as dust, moisture, high pressure water spray or complete immersion
• Sealed MIL-SPEC or circular-MIL connectors
• Higher grade power supply
• Controlled access to the I/O through the use of access covers
• Inclusion of a watchdog timer to reset the system automatically in case of software lock-up

Typically, where are Industrial PC’s deployed?

Transportation Systems

• Passenger information systems
• Security control
• Vehicle monitoring / ANPR
• Ticketing
• Surveillance

Industrial Automation

• Vision Systems
• Machine Automation
• Robot / Machine Control
• Data collection
• Smart Factory Systems & Industry 4.0

Military and Defence

• Communications
• Surveillance
• Security / Intelligence
• Vehicle / Weapon Control
• Tracking

BVM Design and Manufacturing Services

• BVM have a portfolio of standard (‘off the shelf’) industrial PC or embedded PC product solutions (motherboards, panel PC’s, system PC’s) to provide for a wide variety of application uses and needs.
• Where something a little more specialised is needed, please consider BVM’s bespoke custom designed solution services where we provide configured systems with memory, storage and optimised embedded operating systems. And if you need further advice around a system that’ll  meets your specific requirements, then speak with our in house design team who will talk to you around designing your product from ground up; concept, design, development and production.

We like to make life easier ….

Our technical & commercial team members will always provide you with valuable but impartial advice around the products and services that BVM supplies. With their collective backgrounds, they’ll provide you with the benefit of their knowledge and experiences when & where you need it. We’ll always help you in the first instance and get back to you when additional information is required.

You can either call us directly on +(0) 1489 780 144 and talk to one of the team – or E-mail us at sales@bvmltd.co.uk – or use the contact form on our website

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Related

What is an Industrial PC?

An industrial computer is a robust computer designed to be used in an industrial environment, often for applications like the manufacturing of goods, building automation, and logistics centers. An industrial computer typically has the following characteristics:

• Fanless and ventless design

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• Ability to withstand harsh environments

• Highly configurable

• Extensive I/O options 

• Long lifecycle

With the incredible growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), and with more and more connected devices being installed in remote and inhospitable environments, reliable hardware is becoming increasingly important. An IT failure could have a direct and substantial impact on a company’s bottom line. With so much at stake, you need robust hardware. Industrial PCs are designed to be different from the average consumer PC, resulting in a reliable solution that is specially suited for harsh environments. 

Features of an industrial PC

Fanless design

Off-the-shelf commercial PCs are typically cooled with internal fans which are the most common failure point in computers. When a fan draws in air, it also draws in contaminants like dust and dirt which can accumulate and cause thermal issues that can result in system throttling or hardware failure. 

OnLogic industrial PCs, however, use a proprietary heatsink design that passively pulls heat away from the motherboard and other sensitive internal components into the chassis where it can be dissipated into the surrounding air. 

This is especially important in harsh environments that are subject to dust, debris, or other airborne particulates. Check out our whitepaper on the benefits of fanless computing for more information on fanless systems and how they operate. 

Industrial grade components 

Industrial PCs feature industrial grade components that are engineered for high reliability, with the goal of providing maximum uptime. Industrial grade components are designed to run 24/7, even in harsh environments where a consumer desktop PC could be damaged, or even destroyed.

Highly configurable

Industrial PCs can perform many different types of tasks including factory automation, remote data collection, and surveillance. OnLogic’s systems are highly configurable to suit your individual project needs. In addition to reliable hardware, we can provide OEM services such as custom branding, imaging, and BIOS customization. Check out our customer story on Singlewire® to see how they found success with our services. 

Superior design/performance

Industrial computers are engineered to endure harsh environments. These environments can include wider operating temperature ranges and airborne particulates. OnLogic industrial PCs are designed to run 24/7 to meet the demands of unique applications. 

We have an extensive portfolio of hardware from industrial fanless to our rugged computers, which offer even more protection in environments with wide operating temperature ranges as well as resistance to impact forces/vibration. Check out this article for more information about the difference between industrial and rugged computers. 

Extensive I/O options and additional functionality 

To effectively communicate with devices such as sensors, PLCs, and legacy equipment, industrial PCs come with extensive I/O options and additional functionality. Industrial PCs help eliminate the need for adapters or dongles because they offer the I/O feature set intended for applications outside of a traditional office environment. 

At OnLogic, our solutions are designed to be redesigned. You can customize systems to suit your specific application needs with features like 4G LTE modems, hot-swap drives, CAN Bus, GPUs, and other application-specific I/O like COM or DIO.

Long lifecycle 

Along with industrial PCs having higher reliability and more uptime, they also have an embedded lifecycle for long term availability. Industrial PCs allow businesses to standardize on a computer without any major hardware changes for up to five years. A long lifecycle means you can rest easy knowing your application is supported and available for years to come. 

Using the most current chip architecture is one of the best ways to ensure a long lifecycle. OnLogic works closely with the chip manufacturers such as Intel and AMD to ensure we can offer our customers the latest architecture and technology advances.

Check out our Helix Series which offers many options including HX500, HX600, HX610, and the newer HX401 and HX511.

What is the best industrial PC?

The ideal industrial computer for your application will vary depending on factors such as performance benchmarks, available power source, and the environment it’s being deployed in. Is your operating environment dusty? Does it feature an extreme operating temperature? 

Once you know your requirements, you can narrow down what kind of industrial fanless PC would best suit your needs. You can also read more about how to choose the best industrial computer on our blog.

Your OnLogic solution

Industrial PCs are engineered from the ground up with the features necessary to survive in the type of industrial automation environments that might destroy off-the-shelf computers. In short, they are designed to bring value to your organization no matter where you need powerful computing capabilities. 

If you’re looking for a long lifecycle solution with plenty of I/O options or have questions about how to best prevent damage from environmental factors, contact a Hardware Solutions Specialist today!

Note: This blog was originally posted on January 8th, 2021. It was updated for content on September 26th, 2023.

The company is the world’s best industrial monitor, industrial touch screen monitor, industr supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.