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Category: Know How

What does “embedded” mean?

The term “embedded” means “embedded”. An embedded system is a computer that is integrated into a technical environment and performs tasks such as monitoring, control or data processing. These include, for example, microcomputers in washing machines, televisions, routers, refrigerators and cars. However, we are talking about somewhat larger systems here: Embedded PCs that are equipped with a corresponding CPU.

Where are embedded CPUs used?

Embedded CPUs are primarily used in professional environments, for example for industrial applications, in vehicles or in medical technology.

What are the advantages of an embedded CPU?

The CPUs are characterized by increased reliability, an extended temperature range and, above all, long component availability. Intel, for example, guarantees long-term availability of up to 15 years for its embedded processors. The advantage of this is that once an application is running, its use is guaranteed for years to come and the developers do not have to adapt the hardware and software again after a short time. Embedded systems are also often certified. If the CPUs are available for many years, there is no need for expensive recertification or recertification.

Another advantage is that embedded CPUs are extremely robust, as they are usually soldered processors with BGA (Ball Grid Array), which provide a high level of mechanical and thermal robustness. This means that embedded PCs can run in 24/7 continuous operation in harsh environments without any problems. Thanks to their compact design, embedded CPUs are perfect for mini PCs and also score points with their low power consumption.

What are the disadvantages of an embedded CPU?

With all the advantages, the question arises as to whether an embedded CPU has any negative characteristics at all. In fact, we can only mention the low performance here because, as with mobile CPUs, you can’t fit too much into a small space. However, a lot has happened here in recent years. And for the areas in which embedded CPUs are predominantly used, it is certainly sufficient.

Good to know: What are mobile CPUs?

Intel and AMD embedded CPUs

Both major processor manufacturers have various models on offer: Intel offers embedded CPUs in the Celeron, Pentium and Core i3 series. AMD offers the Ryzen Embedded and Epyc Embedded series.

The abbreviations BGA, PGA, LGA and CCGA denote housing forms of integrated circuits. However, they differ in the type of connections.

What are integrated circuits?

Ball Grid Array (BGA)

The abbreviation BGA stands for “Ball Grid Array “. In this type of housing, small solder balls form the connections, which are arranged in a square grid of columns and rows on the underside of the chip. This design means that considerably more connections can be accommodated, about twice as many as with PGA. The solder balls provide short connections and therefore enormous performance.

The advantages of BGA are the small space requirement, good heat dissipation and low impedance due to short connection paths to the PCB. The chips can also be desoldered from the circuit board without damaging them. This makes it possible to remove old beads (deballing) and fill them with new beads (reballing). The chip can then be soldered onto a new circuit board. As soldered processors are mechanically and thermally extremely robust, BGA is mainly used in embedded CPUs.

A major disadvantage is that the solder joints can only be checked by X-ray, as the connections are concealed and difficult to access. This also severely restricts repair options. Special equipment, a so-called reflow oven, is required for safe soldering. In addition, BGA chips can only be used sensibly on multilayer boards, which somewhat limits their application possibilities.

Pin Grid Array (PGA)

The so-called “Pin Grid Array ” ( PGA ) is mainly used in processors. While BGA uses soldering beads, the pin grid array – as the name suggests – uses small pins (i.e. “contact pins” or “legs”) as connections. These are also arranged in a square grid, but the number of connections and arrangement of the arrays varies, so that there are a large number of variants and therefore also different CPU sockets. The rows of pins can be arranged in parallel or staggered and are marked with numbers and letters.

There are different variants of PGA: 

  • In the Ceramic Pin Grid Array (CPGA), the semiconductor chip is fixed to a thermally conductive ceramic carrier. It is used in the first generation Intel Pentium, Socket A variants of the AMD Athlon and the Duron family.
  • In the Plastic Pin Grid Array (PPGA), the carrier for the semiconductor chip is made of plastic. This variant is somewhat cheaper, has better thermal properties and also improved electrical performance than ceramic. PPGA is mainly used in Pentium MMX processors and Celeron.
  • The Staggered Pin Grid Array (SPGA) is characterized by staggered rows of connections. This variant is required for CPUs that have more than 200 connections, as the offset layout provides more space. It is used in the Pentium and later central processing units.
  • In the flip-chip pin grid array (FCPGA), the integrated circuit is attached to the top of the carrier (“flip-chip” means “upside-down, turned chip”). This design is used, for example, in Pentium III and some Celeron processors.

As the pins are located on the CPU with PGA, the corresponding holes are on the motherboard socket so that the CPU can be installed without great pressure.

Land Grid Array (LGA)

The “Land Grid Array” (LGA) is the exact opposite of PGA, as the contact pins are located on the socket of the mainboard. The CPU has the same number of contact points with which a connection is established. Intel has been using LGA for the majority of its Celeron, Pentium, Core and Xeon CPUs for many years.

One advantage of LGA is the smaller size of the pins, which allows a larger number of pins on the same surface area. Secondly, they are not so easily damaged because they do not have pins that can be crushed. Compared to LGA, PGA sockets have the advantage that the mainboard cannot actually be damaged. It is also easier to repair pins on a PGA processor than on an LGA mainboard.

Ceramic Column Grid Array (CCGA)

Even if it has nothing to do with mini PCs, we would like to mention the Ceramic Column Grid Array (CCGA) here for the sake of completeness. CCGA housings are extremely reliable and are used in aerospace and military technology. The solder connections on the underside of the housing are column-shaped (hence the name “column”) and consist of highly leaded solder. The columns are arranged in a grid, similar to BGA. They cannot be used in the civilian market as they are not permitted under the RoHS directives due to the high lead content as a result of EU trade bans.

Good news for Linux fans: Free support for Nvidia Turing

Since the release of the Turing graphics cards in fall 2018, Linux developers from Nouveau, a collection of free Linux drivers for Nvidia graphics cards, have been working on reverse engineering suitable drivers. The problem is that the firmware is signed and can only be provided by Nvidia. However, the graphics card manufacturer has so far been unwilling to share its data with the Nouveau developers. This has now apparently changed and the Linux team is working intensively on drivers for hardware acceleration. Why are we interested in this? Quite a few spo-comm customers who rely on the KUMO series for high-end graphics applications work with Linux. And the latest model, the KUMO V with a dedicated Nvidia Turing graphics card, is already in the starting blocks and will be presented at ISE in February.

Discover the KUMO series

No more support: The end of Windows 7

As announced a long time ago, Microsoft released the last security updates for Windows 7 SP1 systems on January 14, 2020. As a result, hardware and software manufacturers will no longer support the popular operating system in the future. Anyone who continues to work with Windows 7 is exposing themselves and their applications to high security risks and should switch to Windows 10 or another operating system as soon as possible. If a changeover is not possible in a company environment, Microsoft’s Extended Security Update Program (ESU) offers an option. Further information can be found at heise.de.

The interesting alternative: Windows 10 IoT Enterprise

If you are looking for the right operating system and a simple, cost-effective software solution that can be perfectly adapted to your needs, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise may be the perfect solution. spo-comm now offers this in three variants: BASIC, ON and OFF. With the BASIC package, which costs no extra, customers receive an unedited image in the standard languages German and English. With the ON version, the display language is freely selectable and we update the update status quarterly so that the Mini-PC is ready for use immediately after delivery. If you want to make sure that your application runs smoothly and no updates get in the way, choose the OFF package. Here the updates are completely deactivated. The language is also freely selectable. In addition, programs such as Cortana, OneDrive and XBOX-Network, which are not required for the majority of industrial applications, are removed in the latter two variants.

Long-term availability of industrial PCs

Once you have decided on an industrial PC, it probably means that
everything fits
The performance of the PC, the price, the software compatibility, the dimensions,
the cooling system
. But what if there is still a need for the same industrial PC years after the purchase, for example because the project is to be expanded further or because a replacement system is required? For this reason, the hardware manufacturers guarantee long-term availability. To avoid costly and time-consuming recertification or recertification procedures, Intel guarantees the long-term availability of its embedded CPUs for a maximum of 15 years.

Identical successors: Industrial PCs from msi IPC and spo-comm

The following scenario: You are using a certain Mini PC. But after countless years of reliable use, it is now time to move with the times and rely on the latest technology. A successor model is needed. However, your product solution only provides a certain amount of space for a Mini PC. Despite the latest technology, it must under no circumstances be larger than the previous system. Better still: a successor model that is identical in construction to its predecessor. Sounds like a pipe dream? It is not. Because msi IPC shows with a product development similar to a picture book how to establish identical successors on the market. 

A prime example of identical successor models are the industrial PCs from the
WINDBOX series
. Thanks to the very flat design of the passively cooled embedded PCs, the systems blend seamlessly into their surroundings. Thanks to the close cooperation and continuous further development of the Mini-PCs from
msi IPC and spo-comm
have been ensuring that this remains the case since 2008. The industrial PCs from the WINDBOX family can easily be replaced by newer models without having to worry about running out of space. New models in the WINDBOX series always have exactly the same dimensions as their predecessors, while the inner workings/hardware and connections have been brought up to date.

Any questions? Or are you looking for a suitable industrial PC? Our consultants will be happy to help you make the right choice!

Contact us

Curious about industrial PCs? Click here for all industrial PCs from spo-comm:

Discover industrial PCs

 

Industrial PCs: Compact and space-saving

It’s not easy being an industrial PC:
They have to be robust
 they have to be,
energy-efficient
 and yet powerful. But as if that wasn’t enough, they should also be weather and temperature resistant.
temperature-resistant
 temperature. The whole thing is then installed as compactly as possible to save space. What sounds like an egg-laying wool-milk sow is in principle exactly that: the all-round talent of IT. It is easy to explain why an industrial PC (also known as an embedded PC) should be like this: In the world of companies and their product solutions, there is often not much space left to install a computer. Examples include ATMs, interactive touch solutions, emergency vehicles such as ambulances, machines or the back of displays. However, computers cannot be dispensed with either, as they are the heart of many product solutions. The top priority for hardware developers is therefore to make high-performance systems ever smaller and more efficient. The further development of PC systems should ensure new potential and application possibilities.

PSSSST!  The
smallest industrial PCs
or mini PCs, from spo-comm also fit in a trouser pocket. There’s generally no reason to stick them in there, but it’s kind of cool. Just imagine the following scenario in a bar: “Is that a mini PC in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”

Ultra-compact and monster power: KUMO series from spo-comm makes it possible

The mini PCs from the
KUMO series
 have it thick as a fist behind the ears: They are capable of simultaneously displaying content on four screens with a resolution of 4K@60Hz. The KUMO IV (“End Of Life”, as of November 2019) even had a resolution of 8K@60Hz, i.e. an incredible 7680×4320 pixels. Even virtual reality content and complex computing processes on behalf of artificial intelligence (
see also use case “Advertima AG”
) can be handled by a KUMO. It’s hard to believe that this extraordinary performance is housed in a compact housing measuring just 200 x 205 x 80 mm (KUMO IV).

Any questions? Or are you looking for a suitable industrial PC? Our consultants will be happy to help you make the right choice!

Contact us now

Curious about industrial PCs? Click here for all industrial PCs from spo-comm:

Discover industrial PCs

 

Standard or extended – we differentiate

Industrial PCs are technically designed to remain operational and powerful even at low or particularly high temperatures. In general, a distinction is made between two temperature ranges according to which the IPCs can be classified: One is the standard temperature range and the other is the extended temperature range.

The standard temperature range

If the hardware of an industrial computer is designed for an ambient temperature of 0° to +50° Celsius, this is referred to as the standard temperature range. Any computer that wants to call itself an industrial PC must at least meet this requirement.

By the way, did you know? At spo-comm, we like to refer to our IPCs as “mini PCs” due to their space-saving size. However all of the systems in our product range meet the requirements of an industrial PC.

The extended temperature range

The extended temperature range is when an industrial PC can withstand ambient temperatures from -20° to +70° Celsius. Are you wondering where an industrial computer with such low or high temperatures could be used? Two application examples:

With regard to low temperatures, the Alps are a possible location. Just like the scientists of the PMOD/WRC research team who specialize in climate modelling and have developed our RUGGED HM87 for cloud research. In the Alps, sub-zero temperatures are quickly reached and snow is not uncommon. Nevertheless, the RUGGED HM87 has been doing its job reliably for several years due to its outdoor-suitable properties.

And what about high temperatures of up to +70° Celsius? We also have an exemplary use case from the RUGGED family for this. A few years ago, our RUGGED HM87 set off into the desert in the style of Indiana Jones. He has been breathing new life into ATMs there ever since. In tropical temperatures and high humidity, however, burying your head in the sand is out of the question for the outdoor PC. Anyone who thinks that the finest sand dust at the latest could cost the RUGGED its collar is wrong. Thanks to the passive cooling system of the RUGGED family, the housings of the systems are completely sealed. Our new RUGGED PCs, such as the new RUGGED T1000, are of course just as robust as our RUGGED HM87 was!

Our latest RUGGED, the RUGGED T1000, not only impresses with its extended temperature range and robust housing, but also with much more – configure here:

Discover the RUGGED T1000!

Curious about industrial PCs? Click here for all industrial PCs from spo-comm:

Industrial PCs with extended temperature range
all spo-comm industrial PCs

Energy-efficient industrial PCs: not just good for your wallet

In
Part 1 of our blog series
 we discussed why metal enclosures are essential for industrial computers. We have learned that a robust shell is important for both robustness and heat generation in combination with the waste heat from the IPCs. The latter is a good reason and another important factor for the following characteristic of industrial PCs: energy efficiency . The reasons why IPCs should not consume vast amounts of energy are as follows:

  1. Industrial PCs often run 24 hours a week, 360 days a year. The continuous operation of the computers is a key distinguishing feature compared to PC systems from the consumer league. If a computer consumes less electricity, it costs the operator less money. This also makes the industrial PC more durable.
  2. If a system is installed in a closed installation (such as in ATMs, in vehicles or in measuring stations), it must be ensured that increased temperature development due to waste heat released by the small computers does not jeopardize the installation. But how can it be ensured that the systems only produce a minimum amount of heat? The key to low heat development is the selection of so-called “low-power” hardware, i.e. PC components with low energy consumption. If a processor (also: CPU) or a RAM bar only consumes a minimum amount of energy, conversely, less energy is released into the environment in the form of heat. At first glance, energy-efficient computers (low-power consumption) may seem like a “nice to have”. At second glance, however, this feature is what makes these solid mini PCs what they are. 

Would you like an example? We just happened to have something prepared:

Environmentally conscious and powerful: The BOX N4100

The
fanless BOX N4100
 is an ultra-compact industrial PC (also known as an “embedded PC”) with a volume of just 0.22 liters. Thanks to its dimensions of 115 x 76 x 25 millimeters, the IPC takes up hardly any space and fits into any installation, no matter how small. But despite its diminutive size, the mini PC is in no way inferior to its larger counterparts in terms of performance. Playback of two 3840 x 2160 pixels – i.e. 4K – at a frequency of 60 hertz is no problem for the small power pack and makes it particularly interesting for digital signage applications. You might be thinking: “That’s crazy, it must use a lot of electricity”? You might think so. In fact, under full load, the small popular model consumes a maximum of 19 watts. For comparison: Our KUMO IV already consumes 45 watts in “idle mode”. The BOX N4100, on the other hand, achieves maximum values of 3 watts in idle mode. The bottom line is that the cost-benefit ratio is impressive.

Any questions? Or are you looking for a suitable industrial PC? Our consultants will be happy to help you make the right choice!

Contact us

Curious about industrial PCs? Click here for all industrial PCs from spo-comm:

Discover industrial PCs

The housing: The armor of our industrial PCs

A key point in which hardware for “consumers” differs from hardware for professional use is the housing. Unlike consumer PCs, which are predominantly protected by plastic housings, industrial PCs are characterized by solid metal housings. This ensures that the PC remains efficient even in harsh environmental conditions, such as those found on construction sites, in emergency vehicles or in large machines. When designing the housings, special attention is paid to ensuring that the housings are as resistant as possible to dust and other fine particles. But even in damp conditions, the mainboard, CPU, RAM and hard disk must be protected by the housing, just like by a suit of armour. Especially with actively cooled PCs, i.e. computers in which fans are installed, this resistance plays into the hands of service life. The metal housing is a must, especially for industrial PCs with passive cooling, i.e. fanless systems. We would like to explain why this is the case using our RUGGED GTX 1050 Ti as an example.

spo-comm par excellence: The RUGGED GTX 1050 Ti

Our RUGGED GTX 1050 Ti is a good example of a combination of robust appearance and passive cooling system. The question of why a fanless design is based on a metal housing is easily answered: Metal conducts heat, plastic does not. Conductor tracks made of copper ensure that the heat generated in the computer housing is conducted to the outside. So-called cooling fins, which are located on the top of an enclosure, then dissipate the heat generated to the environment. Especially with a graphically powerful IPC such as the RUGGED GTX 1050 Ti, there can be a high level of heat development in the housing. A well-designed and flawlessly functioning fanless cooling system is therefore essential.

Did you know?
Mini PCs with a passive cooling system are considered to be particularly durable!

To summarize: Metal housings are so great because

  1. they give the industrial PC robustness,
  2. make the systems resistant to dust and moisture (only applies to passively cooled systems),
  3. because they enable passive cooling of the PCs,
  4. because they can more easily release the heat generated inside the computer into the environment,
  5. because they make the systems more durable.

Any questions? Or perhaps you are looking for a suitable industrial PC? Our consultants will be happy to help you make the right choice!

Contact us now

Curious about industrial PCs? Click here to see all our industrial PCs:

Discover now

Zen 3 coming in 2020: AMD reveals details

AMD recently announced the first details of the Zen 3 architecture. The new processors are said to offer an enormous increase in performance and a higher clock rate than Zen 2 CPUs. This is made possible by a completely new chiplet design. A chiplet, called “Compute Cache Die” (CCD), previously consisted of two four-way clusters, called “Compute Core Complex” (CCX). With Zen 3, all eight computing cores are now located in one CCD and therefore one CPU chiplet. The advantage of this is a shared level 3 cache, which all cores can access directly and at the same speed.

AMD manufactures Zen 3 using the so-called 7nm+ process. The new processors are due to be released in the second half of 2020 and will be compatible with the current sockets. Work is already underway on Zen 4 (planned for 2021/2022) and Zen 5. It is not yet clear which technology will be used to manufacture them.

Sources: heise.de, golem.de, gamestar.de, pcgameshardware.de.

Great price pressure: Intel CPUs are getting cheaper

Intel recently introduced new Core-X and Xeon series processors. Although these are still produced using the 14nm process, they score points with higher base and boost clock rates and faster RAM. Despite the increase in performance, the new models cost only half as much as their predecessors. Intel is responding to the strong competition from AMD and is now offering its processors at a similar price to comparable AMD CPUs.

Shortly afterwards, Intel also lowered the prices for the ninth generation of “F” CPUs. This benefits the competition in the high-end gaming sector in particular, as the Core CPUs with the “F” suffix do not have an integrated graphics unit and are mainly used where a powerful graphics card is available anyway.

Sources: pcwelt.de, pcwelt.de.

Renewed delivery problems: Intel’s 14nm CPUs 

Intel’s CEO Bob Swan has confirmed that there are once again supply problems with 14 nm processors. Production capacity has been increased, but stocks are completely exhausted, meaning that there will be a shortage until the end of 2019. In addition, 10 nm production is rather sluggish and desktop and server CPUs will probably continue to be produced using the 14 nm process. Nevertheless, Intel has announced its intention to produce the first 7 nm processors in 2021 and there are increasing indications that 10 nm production will soon be extended to other models

Sources: gamestar.de, heise.de.

End of life: SQUARE 15 no longer available

The SQUARE 15 panel PC is being discontinued from the spo-comm range and is no longer available with immediate effect. We don’t have a successor ready yet, but we are already busy making plans and, as we can already reveal, we don’t want to leave it at just 15 inches.

Pssst: It’s now 20204 and the SQUAREs are back!

Discover the SQUARES

The DisplayPort was standardized by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA for short). This is a license-free standard for the digital transmission of video and audio signals. It defines both the transmission method and the corresponding connectors and cables, as well as a guideline for adapters to HDMI and DVI. The reason for the development of DisplayPort was to create a digital interface for higher display resolutions, replacing its predecessors VGA and DVI.

Applications of DisplayPort

As DisplayPort takes up less space than VGA and DVI, it is perfect for use in notebooks or even our mini PCs. In contrast to the HDMI port, which is mainly used in TV and multimedia devices, the DisplayPort is at home in information technology, i.e. in PCs, tablets and monitors.

Data transmission and pin assignment of DisplayPort

DisplayPort works in a similar way to PCIe: it is a serial, scalable point-to-point connection that can adapt to the characteristics of the transmission channel. If the graphics card and the monitor are connected to each other, they synchronize and set the signal level between 200 and 600 mV.

The DisplayPort has 4 channels available, but an image signal can only be transmitted on one channel, as each pixel is transmitted one after the other. DisplayPort also has an additional AUX channel. This accommodates the Display Data Channel (DDC) for the transmission of monitor data on the one hand, and a bandwidth of almost 100 Mbit/s on the other, which means that webcams or microphones can also be supplied. This article contains a more detailed explanation of the transfer procedure.

The ends of the DisplayPort cable have the same connector and therefore fit into both the graphics card output and the monitor input. A detailed list of pin assignments can be found here.

Advantages of the DisplayPort: Up to 8K picture resolution

In terms of image resolution, the DisplayPort achieves a lot more than its predecessors VGA and DVI, as these stop at 1K and 2K respectively. Depending on the version of DisplayPort used, an image resolution of up to 1K (DisplayPort 1.1), 4K (DisplayPort 1.2), 5K (DisplayPort 1.3) and even 8K with the latest DisplayPort 1.4 specification can be achieved.

However, DisplayPort also has other advantages: Firstly, as mentioned above, it is a license-free standard. This saves manufacturers of small series fees, such as those incurred with HDMI. On the other hand, the DisplayPort has a smaller connector that does not have a screw connection and instead relies on a mechanical locking mechanism. This saves space and the connection can also be used on small devices.

Further developments up to DisplayPort 1.4

  • DP 1.1 (2007): The first final version has a maximum transfer rate of 8.64 Gb/s, which is sufficient for HDTV and larger monitors. DP 1.1 is copy-protected with HDCP 1.3 and also introduces the DP++ feature.
  • DP 1.2 (2009): The most significant change here is the increase in the maximum data rate to 17.28 Gb/s. Another new feature is the support of MST (Multi Stream Transport), which allows several monitors to be connected with just one connection using the daisy chain principle.
  • DP 1.3 (2014): The data rate has been increased again and is now up to 25.92 GB/s. Thanks to MST, multiple 4K UHD or WQXGA displays can now also be controlled.
  • DP 1.4 (2016): This version does not include an increase in data rate, but the introduction and updates of features such as: Display Stream Compression 1.2, where the viewer should not recognize any visual difference between compressed and uncompressed images, Forward Error Correction, which reduces transmission errors, and the expansion of audio channels to 32.

In addition to the normal further development of DisplayPort 1.1 to 1.4, the three special forms Mini DisplayPort, MyDisplayPort and eDP have been developed over the years. More information about the special forms is summarized in this article.

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