Advantech IPC - How to choose an IPC?

Choosing the right IPC depends on the required computing power, the deployment environment of the computer, the space of the computer, the power supply, and the required connectivity capabilities.

1. Performance

The CPU is the heart of every industrial computer, and it is responsible for the overall performance of the industrial computing solution you choose. Therefore, it is essential to choose a processor that can handle any task and workload.

In order to save the overall cost of industrial computers, people often want to take shortcuts when it comes to CPUs. However, choosing a processor that isn't powerful enough can lead to poor performance, slow down your workflow, and cause downtime. Therefore, when choosing the right CPU for your industrial PC, you should choose a powerful option to ensure a stable and uninterrupted workflow.

Industrial computers have a variety of CPU options, from quad-core Intel? Celeron processors to Intel® 9th generation core® i7 processors. Intel processors are popular with industry professionals because of the performance and reliability they provide. If you need a small industrial computer to power a device such as an IoT gateway or an energy-saving kiosk, something like Intel? Celeron? A device with a J1900 processor is sufficient for such applications. However, let's say you need to deploy a PC at the edge of the industry for automated inspections and intelligent monitoring; Installing more cores on one silicon chip will help better consolidate workloads. Choosing Intel? You will benefit greatly from Core?i3, i5 or i7 processors, as such tasks require the enormous processing power offered by these processors. The Intel Core family of processors has a number of features built directly into the silicon that allow users to maximize performance, especially in enterprise deployments.

Additionally, familiarizing yourself with the difference between soc and socket CPU will help you choose the right CPU option for your workload.

SOC (System on Chip) and Socket Computer

A system-on-chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that combines all the components of a computer onto a single substrate. For example, with SoCs, 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.

Socket CPUs, on the other hand, tend to be more powerful and offer better performance than SoCs because they have more cores and can work at higher temperatures. That said, due to their high efficiency and optimal size, SoCs still have a place in industrial workloads, which provides great flexibility for industrial applications and IoT deployments that require low-power computing performance.

2. Environment

The industrial PC you choose depends on the environment in which the PC is deployed. Some people choose to deploy a regular desktop computer in an environment of extreme temperatures, shock, vibration, dust, and debris, and then wonder why the computer fails so quickly. This environment requires an industrial computer to handle the volatile environment in which the system will be deployed.

Embedded industrial computers are designed and built with ruggedness in mind, allowing them to be deployed in environments with extreme or cold temperatures, vibration, shock, dust, and debris.

Rugged industrial computers are able to survive in such an environment thanks to their fanless, cable-free, and rugged design. By eliminating fans and vents for industrial computer systems, industrial computer manufacturers have eliminated the possibility of dust and debris entering the system and causing internal component failure. The result is an ultra-reliable industrial computing solution that minimizes downtime and enables you to reliably run your operations around the clock.

3. Application

Choosing the right PC depends on the applications you need your PC to execute. For example, industrial computers are often deployed in industrial settings as workstations and human-machine interfaces for manufacturing plants, food processing plants, farms, warehouses, transportation nodes, healthcare facilities, hazardous locations, and a variety of other locations.

The industrial computer you choose will depend on the strength and number of applications you want your system to execute. The larger the application, the more software requirements be, and the more computing power you need to ensure that the system runs smoothly and reliably.

With the rapid development and advancement of the Internet of Things, rough edge industrial computing is becoming more and more important. This is so because there are applications that require data processing and analysis at the edge of the network, and that's where industrial computers come in. Because data does not need to be transmitted over long distances, edge computers can perform data processing, analysis, and decision-making in real-time, supporting many applications that require such processing and analysis.

4. Connectivity

After you've calculated the computing power required, the environment in which your industrial computer is located, and the applications you want to run, it's time to consider the connectivity options for configuring your system.

Having an industrial computing solution with robust connectivity is essential to connecting your system to the various sensors, inputs, networks, and accessories you may have. Industrial PCs can be configured with the following connectivity options: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6, 4G, 5G, and 10GbE LAN ports.

In addition, the industrial computer is configured with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port, allowing your system to connect to smart IoT sensors and transfer data at a speed of 10Gb. In addition, if you have legacy technology, 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 through modular daughter boards adds flexibility to 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 commonly used to connect industrial computing devices with one or more sensors and/or devices. 4G and 5G are used to connect devices to the internet when they can't connect to the internet via a wired connection or Wi-Fi. No matter what connectivity options you need, you can configure the system to fit your specific needs.

5. Storage, Memory, and Expansion

The last thing you should consider when choosing an industrial PC is the storage solution required for your workload. Industrial computers can be configured with both standard hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). If you need to run regular applications that don't require real-time access, you can configure the system with a mechanical drive.

However, if you need high-speed access to localized storage, you should equip your system with an SSD. SSDs offer blazing-fast data transfer speeds to support real-time data processing and decision-making. In addition, equipping the system with an SSD can make the system more reliable and more resistant to frequent shocks and vibrations compared to a hard drive, as platters that are not moving in the SSD can be damaged.

In addition, if you need the latest IS high-speed storage, you can configure your system with an M.2nvme storage solution. NVMe drives plug directly into the PCIe protocol, giving you blazing-fast data transfer speeds. NVMe drives have write speeds of up to 2500 MB/s and read speeds of up to 3500 MB/s. That said, regular SSDs and HDDs still have their place because they offer huge storage capacity, which is a requirement for some businesses and organizations in their storage infrastructure.

In addition, you should consider how much RAM or memory you want to equip your industrial PC with. RAM has a big impact on the performance of your system. The more RAM, the smoother the performance of the system will be, as it can cache data closer to the CPU's processing architecture faster. RAM is an extremely fast short-term storage device that allows your CPU to access the data and applications you're using. The more memory, the more applications and data can be loaded, so it can be accessed faster, speeding up your industrial computing solution.

Advantech IPC - How to choose an IPC?

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