Industrial Computing's New Breed

From rugged desktops and notebooks for shop-floor use, to embedded systems for industrial control networks, to "wearables" and handhelds for pick, pack, and ship applications, manufacturers have a wide variety of options when evaluating industrial computers.

Posted on Dec 13, 2006

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From rugged desktops and notebooks for shop-floor use, to embedded systems for industrial control networks, to "wearables" and handhelds for pick, pack, and ship applications, manufacturers have a wide variety of options when evaluating industrial computers. While today's models come in different sizes, shapes, and configurations, they all share important characteristics beyond the ability to withstand the harsh conditions of the manufacturing enterprise. First, they are all designed to process work at accelerated speeds, thanks to more powerful microprocessors, denser disk drives, and an assortment of memory and graphics processing extensions. Second, today's industrial PCs are no longer islands unto themselves; they support a wide array of wired and wireless networking options for connecting the shop floor to back-office systems that run the enterprise. And, perhaps most important in these cost-sensitive times, industrial computers are now equipped with more energy-efficient componentry to reduce power consumption and cooling requirements. Perhaps the biggest news in the personal computing space right now is Microsoft's much-anticipated release of its Vista operating system. Expected to further expand the PC's potency, Vista's two versions for business applications -- Vista Business and Vista Enterprise -- will succeed XP Professional. Users can expect device synchronization features that will allow for information synchronization between PCs, servers, and other devices. Portable computer functionality will include enhanced power management and support for wireless networking. In terms of display features, "Live Icons" will be configured on a per-file basis containing actual components of a document, with the aim of quicker information access versus standard icons. Security features include enhanced protection from various "malware," as well as a Secure Startup feature and other data encryption and password properties to protect against data loss if the machine is stolen or lost. On the eve of the launch of Vista, this installment of TechWatch examines what's new on the industrial computing front. The grid below is a representative sample of five types of industrial computers. Visit Managing Automation's new online Industrial Computers directory for additional vendors and products.

Company Intermec Technologies Itronix, a General Dynamics company Kontron America Panasonic Computer Solutions Symbol Technologies
Products CV30 Fixed/Vehicle-Mount Computer GoBook Duo-Touch Tablet K.I.S.S. (Kontron Industrial Silent Server) Chassis:
• KR-4101 (ATX Motherboard Version)
• KR-4201 (SBC version)
Toughbook CF-30 WT4000 Series Wearable Terminal
Target Manufacturing Area(s) Industrial warehousing, material management, work in process, shipping/receiving Hazardous locations Class I Div. 2; remote field service Factory floor; flight line systems analysis; laboratory; government/military Maintenance, PLC programming, warehousing, lift truck mounting Warehouse and package handling (logistics)/distribution
Packaging Type Vehicle or fixed mount Portable tablet Rack mount or desktop Laptop Wearable
Company Intermec Technologies Itronix, a General Dynamics company Kontron America Panasonic Computer Solutions Symbol Technologies
Key Features 128 MB SDRAM; 128 MB disk-on-chip Flash memory 512 to 1280 MB DDR SDRAM Low noise generation, global availability, RoHS compliant; 3x 5.25", 2x 3.5" drives; KISS-Stor RAID Array (no add-on controller required) 60 or 80 GB HDD; 512 MB (up to 4 GB) RAM; optional CD or DVD writer 64 MB Flash/128 MB RAM
Operating System Windows CE.NET 5.0 or Windows Mobile 5.0 Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Windows Vista ready Windows XP; Vista ready Windows CE 5.0 Professional Version
Processor/Speed Intel XScale PXA270 application processor, 520 MHz Intel Pentium M 733 processor, 1.10 GHz with 915GM Express chipset Intel Pentium 4, Pentium M, Pentium D, Celeron D; conditional support for Core Duo and Core 2 Duo Intel Core Duo L2400, dual core 1.66 GHz Intel XScale PXA270 @ 520 MHz
Company Intermec Technologies Itronix, a General Dynamics company Kontron America Panasonic Computer Solutions Symbol Technologies
Wireless Capability Cisco-compatible Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and RFID support 802.11 b/g WLAN, Bluetooth, up to 3 RF modems with simultaneous GPS, EV-DO, EDGE/GPRS/UMTS/HSDPA Add-on card only; no onboard wireless support Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth v.2, optional EV-DO or HSDPA 802.11a/b/g; internal antenna; WLAN; Bluetooth 1.2
Energy Management N/A N/A Intel Pentium M processor provides low power and high efficiency Low-voltage CPU; power management; suspend and hibernation modes Designed for battery-life optimization
Pricing Information Lists for $3,895-4,095 Starts at $3,195 Motherboard-based system = $1,500 (median) SBC-based system = $1,800 (median) Starts at $4,250 $2,790 list

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