Industrial PC
An Industrial PC is a computing platform that is used for industrial applications, and is primarily used as a process control or data acquisition system with custom or off-the-shelf software written for a particular application. That application may only require minimum I/O from the motherboard, like the serial port or a single PCI Express expansion slot. And in more complex Industrial PC systems, multiple expansion slots are required to provide large amounts of I/O, specific interfaces, to unique machines or expanded communication ports as required by the application.
Industrial PCs are all generally designed to control, operate and monitor systems and machines on the plant floor; and to provide a controlled environment for the installed electronics to survive the typically rigorous conditions of the plant floor for a longer life cycle. Heavier metal construction and higher-grade electronic components may be selected for their ability to withstand extreme environmental conditions. Because of these requirements, the Industrial PC needs to provide a high level of reliability and compatibility, and offer more expansion options and an extended product availability period.
The most common category of Industrial PCs is the 19-inch rackmount form factor that is standardized to the EIA RS-310-D standard. Other subsets of the Industrial PC include Panel PCs, Embedded Systems and Rugged Computers.
The following is a list of features and characteristics of an Industrial PC system:
- Heavier metal construction, typically thicker chassis material
- Standardized chassis form factor to mount into surrounding environment
- Additional cooling and/or alternative cooling solutions to accommodate rigorous environmental conditions
- More robust expansion card retention, controls and features
- Enhanced EMI prevention
- Higher grade and/or redundant power supply
- Locking doors and bezels to control access to the system controls
- Watchdog timer to automatically reset the system or BMC for remote management in case of system failures
AIC Industrial PC solutions are available in 1RU, 2RU, 3RU and up to 4RU form factors. Our industrial type chassis are standardized to the EIA RS-310-D specifications and feature high quality, heavier metal construction (up to 1.2mm, heavy-duty, cold-rolled steel), lockable front door, air filtering and support a variety of expansion, power and cooling options. An Industrial PC designed using any of AIC’s RMC products will provide the ideal Industrial PC control system that can withstand the rigors of any industrial plant floor and be available on an extended term supply.