Industrial Grade Computers Versus Commercial Computers

While it may be tempting to think that all computers are created equal, this simply is not the case. Every computer is built for a specific purpose whether or not it is labeled as such. Industrial grade computers are computers that are designed for industrial applications like manufacturing and oil processing. Industrial grade computers differ from commercial computers in a number of ways that make them more versatile and well suited for industrial use.

Industrial Computer Applications

The biggest difference between an industrial computer and a commercial computer is in their applications. A commercial computer is generally designed for use in an office setting. This allows for commercial computers to be built less ruggedly than industrial grade computers. Commercial computers also have the benefit of working in air conditioned spaces, meaning that they do not have to use advanced cooling systems. Commercial computers also do not have to operate on a 24/7 basis, meaning that they can be built to consume more power.

Mini C3
Rugged Mini E3 industrial computer from  Tangent

Each industrial computer is designed to handle situations that a commercial computer simply could not. Take the Rugged Mini E3 by Tangent for instance. With a rugged, shock and vibration rated chassis, the Rugged Mini E3 industrial computer is capable of being used in nearly every industrial setting. In manufacturing, this industrial grade computer’s extreme temperature operating range from -13°F to as hot as 158°F means that it can handle nearly every environment. With an advanced, fanless cooling system, the Rugged Mini E3 is able to operate on a 24/7 basis without needing to be dusted constantly.

Longer Lifetime In Harsher Environments

Because commercial computers are used in the same environments as people, they are able to be built with less stringent guidelines than industrial grade computers. While this may be fine for use in the office, this simply would not do on an oil drilling platform off the coast. Industrial grade computers are built rugged, smart, and to last. With industrial grade computers like the Rugged Mini O from Tangent, there is virtually no worrying about if your computer system will hold up.

Rugged Mini O industrial computer from Tangent
Rugged Mini O industrial computer from Tangent

The Rugged Mini O industrial computer is built to the toughest specifications possible. With an IP69K fully waterproof enclosure, this industrial grade computer can be used virtually anywhere. A solid state drive allows the Rugged Mini O to operate in areas where vibration and shock would render lesser computers worthless.

Versatile And Customizable

Tangent’s entire lineup of rugged industrial grade computers has the ability to help your industrial facility run longer and more productively. With industrial computers as small as a book to ones as powerful as industrial workstations, there’s an industrial grade computer that will fit your need perfectly.

Tangent is a leading supplier of medical grade computers. Sanitizable computers help prevent infections in hospitals.

Virtual Machine Hardware: Mini PC

When it comes to virtual machines a hot topic is “power.” Power usage VS CPU Power to be exact. Whether you are running 100 VMs at 128 MB RAM each or 5 VMs at 5GB RAM each, the critical issue comes down to power consumption and CPU availability.

It’s no surprise the Rugged E3 Mini PC is designed with a passive CPU heatsink that connects to the thermal transfer housing, helping move heat away from the CPU with the presence of cooler ambient air. It’s a Mini PC with a big mission.

This Mini PC enables your virtual environment to be ran on a dedicated physical host that’s engineered to be reliable under industrial applications and harsh conditions, (perhaps Tesla can use this on their new bumpy tunnel in LA).

 

Linux, Windows Hyper-V, XSi, VMware, choose your weapon, configure your platform and load your VMs. Step into the digital arena with up to 32GB of ECC ram -this ant of computer can carry much more than its own weight. Don’t forget to pair it with a solid state drive and multiple power inputs, your computational powers will be unstoppable.  

A bridge between virtual and reality: The built-in 4 USB 3.0 ports can communicate directly with your virtual machines. This gives them access to external resources. Now things start to get interesting. Imagine loading DDWRT (open source router software) to a VM, then forward some USB WiFi devices VIA the USB 3.0 ports and Hyper-v, you just created hardware that can support a cloud router with a physical antenna array.

Live Monitoring, Remote or Physical with 3 monitor ports (2 HDMI, 1 DVI) you can view as many VMs that can be cascaded across your displays, with as many as 10 per screen on a 1080p monitor. No monitor? No problem. The Rugged E3 Mini PC is equipped with two 1000Mbps (1GBe). Remoting into windows or linux is an almost real-time experience when combined with the built-in i7CPU and DDR4 RAM, expect no delays.

RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 equal availability and power, It’s Monday at 10am and 5 of your VMs just got hit with 400 users, your hard drives deliver data without a glitch  or a single 404 page because you have 2 hard drives working on the same job for you, if one fails, the other picks up the slack. Read more on RAID at PCWORLD.com

 

Read full specs for the Tangent Mini PC: Rugged E3

rugged-mini-e3-banner

SPECIFICATIONS

System

Processor

Intel 6th Gen. Core i7/i5/i3, Pentium or Celeron Processors

System Chipset

Intel Q170 Express Chipset

Graphics Controller

Intel HD Graphics 530 (Core CPU)

Intel HD Graphics 510 (Pentium & Celeron)

LAN Chipset

1x GbE: Intel I210-AT

1x GbE: Intel I219-LM

Audio

Realtek ALC888S

System Memory

Up to 32GB DDR4 2133 (2x SO_DIMM)

BIOS

AMI 128Mbit

TPM

TPM 1.2 (Infineon)

vPro

Yes (Processor Dependent)

Watchdog

Software Programmable Supports 1~255 sec. System Reset

Storage

SSD/HDD

2x 2.5” SATA Bay (Internal)

2x 2.5” SATA Bay (Removable)

mSATA

2x mSATA (shared with 2x Mini PCIe)

RAID Support

RAID 0, 1, 5, 10

Expansion

Mini PCI Express

2x MiniPCIe (Full Size)

SIM Socket

2x External SIM Sockets

2x Internal SIM Sockets

Other

Cooling Method

Fanless

I/O

Video

1x DVI-I

2x DP (Display Port)

COM

2x DB9 Serial RS232/422/485, COM1 & COM2

2x Internal headers RS232/422/485, COM3 & COM4

USB

6x USB 3.0 (4x Rear, 2x Front)

2x USB 2.0 (Front)

LAN

2x GbE RJ45

WLAN

Intel Wireless AC-7260 + BT (Optional)

Audio

1x Mic-in, 1x Line-out

DIO

8 IN / 8 OUT (Isolated)

Other

1 x Power Switch

1x AT/ATX Switch

1x Remote Power Switch (2 pin Phoenix Connector)

Operating System

Windows

Windows 7 Pro 32/64bit

Windows 10 Pro 64bit

Power

Power Mode

AT/ATX

Power Input Voltage

9-48 VDC

Power Ignition Sensing

Yes

Power Connector

3-pin Phoenix Connector

Power Protection

OVP (Over Voltage Protection)

OCP (Over Current Protection)

RPP (Reverse Polarity Protection)

Power Adapter

External Power Adapter, 12V @ 5A

Environment

Operating Temp.

-13°F – 158°F (-25°C – 70°C)

Storage Temp.

-22°F – 185°F (-30°C – 85°C)

Relative Humidity

10% – 95% non-condensing

Shock

With SSD: 50 G, half sine, 11 ms

Vibration

With SSD: 5 Grms, 5 – 500 Hz, 0.5 hr/axis

With HDD: 1 Grms, 5 – 500 Hz, 0.5 hr/axis

Certification

CE, FCC Class A

Physical

Enclosure Materials

Extruded Aluminum with Heavy Duty Metal

Dimension (WxHxD)

9.45″ x 10.27″ x 3.11″ (240 x 261 x 79 mm)

Weight

9.61 lb (4.37 kg)

Mounting

Wall Mount Only

Warranty

Warranty

1-Year Standard