Industrial PC (IPC) products
The Product
- display only,
- slave KVM terminals,
- brand name or open source thin clients,
- full Windows computers.
Typical Features
- top grade industrial LCD,
- lightweight cabinets, typically 12-20 lbs (5-8 kg),
- low-energy 1 GHz fanless processor, entire computer under 60W,
- integrated touch screen, optional industrial keyboard,
- available wireless networking, external antenna,
- removable, washable filters,
- even the NEMA-12 version tolerates washdown.
Available Options
See the option summary for the list of all available options for this product line.
Use the Configurator to specify the product you require.
Some of the considerations are:
Cabinet: Choose the aluminum case for most applications, the stainless case for wet, corrosive, or sanitary applications. For light data entry, the available pop-up on-screen keyboard programs may be adequate when used with the touch screen. Where the on-screen keyboard takes up too much screen space, or the application requires frequent data entry, the integrated keyboard is generally preferred.
LCD: The standard LCD is adequate for most applications. The premium LCD offers supperior resolution and viewing for commercial applications. The high bright LCD is appropriate in very brightly-lit areas. For viewing in direct sunlight, contact the factory for ultra-bright models.
Touch: Standard resistive touch is the most widely used, cost-effective touch sensor. Ultra touch uses a tempered glass outer surface, very desirable for chemical stability, durability and scratch resistant. Caution: the outer glass layer is considered unacceptable for most food industries (risk of glass fragments in the product). Capacitive is very durable but may not respond well to a gloved finger. SAW (surface acoustic wave) is extremely durable, but the mounting requires a soft flexible seal so it is generally not approptriate for washdown applications.
For text-only applications such as mainframe terminal emulations, or signage where interaction is minimal, protective glass or lexan may be used instead of a touch face. There is no mouse pointer support on the keyboard, so all other applications should use some form of touch screen.
Computer:
Wireless: All computer and thin client models have a built-in network connection. For wireless networking, the IPC is equipped with a wireless bridge. The bridge may be independently set up for the network through a browser interface, so as far as the computer/thin client is concerned, no drivers are required. The antenna mounts on the outside of the cabinet for best reception. A high gain antenna is an available option to deal with difficult reception areas.
Power: The monitor and KVM models are powered by an internal "brick" power adapter. All computer models are normally equipped with a 110-240V server-grade power supply. For automation purposes, 24V DC (18-32V) and 48V DC (36-72V) power supplies are also available. For mobile, there is a 12V DC power supply designed to run off car or truck batteries. The supply includes features to minimize or prevent battery run-down during prolonged standby operation. For special cases, please contact the factory for advice.
Mount: All models have VESA standard 100 mount centers for M4 screws. M4-8 stainless screws are included. Any commercial VESA mounting arm may be used to mount the all-touch models provided it is built to handle the product weight. For the keyboard models, commercial arms are not sufficiently stiff, so we have had to develop our own mounting systems. The mounts offered through the configurator are sufficiently stiff to support all models of IPC cabinets.
Color or Finish: The aluminum cabinets have an epoxy powder coat finish in a rough texture that minimizes glare an hides the effects of dirt and rough use. The standard color is black, but other colors are available. Natural finish aluminum is also available, e.g. to laminate signage onto the cabinet for advertising purposes, or with a clear-coat seal. Caution: aluminum has a soft surface and clear coat will not resist or hide scratches. The stainless cabinets have a directional brushed texture on the face, and nod-directional finish on all ther surfaces.
Some of the considerations are:
Cabinet: Choose the aluminum case for most applications, the stainless case for wet, corrosive, or sanitary applications. For light data entry, the available pop-up on-screen keyboard programs may be adequate when used with the touch screen. Where the on-screen keyboard takes up too much screen space, or the application requires frequent data entry, the integrated keyboard is generally preferred.
LCD: The standard LCD is adequate for most applications. The premium LCD offers supperior resolution and viewing for commercial applications. The high bright LCD is appropriate in very brightly-lit areas. For viewing in direct sunlight, contact the factory for ultra-bright models.
Touch: Standard resistive touch is the most widely used, cost-effective touch sensor. Ultra touch uses a tempered glass outer surface, very desirable for chemical stability, durability and scratch resistant. Caution: the outer glass layer is considered unacceptable for most food industries (risk of glass fragments in the product). Capacitive is very durable but may not respond well to a gloved finger. SAW (surface acoustic wave) is extremely durable, but the mounting requires a soft flexible seal so it is generally not approptriate for washdown applications.
For text-only applications such as mainframe terminal emulations, or signage where interaction is minimal, protective glass or lexan may be used instead of a touch face. There is no mouse pointer support on the keyboard, so all other applications should use some form of touch screen.
Computer:
- For display operation only, simply choose "no computer required".
- To use this unit as a raw keyboard and touch display for your own remote computer, choose the KVM option.
- For a brand name thin client with vendor support, choose the BOS thin client.
- For the lowest cost, choose the Linux network boot thin client.
- For a full Windows computer with hard drive, choose one of the Windows options.
- If you want to install your own operating system, choose one of the "no O/S" options
Wireless: All computer and thin client models have a built-in network connection. For wireless networking, the IPC is equipped with a wireless bridge. The bridge may be independently set up for the network through a browser interface, so as far as the computer/thin client is concerned, no drivers are required. The antenna mounts on the outside of the cabinet for best reception. A high gain antenna is an available option to deal with difficult reception areas.
Power: The monitor and KVM models are powered by an internal "brick" power adapter. All computer models are normally equipped with a 110-240V server-grade power supply. For automation purposes, 24V DC (18-32V) and 48V DC (36-72V) power supplies are also available. For mobile, there is a 12V DC power supply designed to run off car or truck batteries. The supply includes features to minimize or prevent battery run-down during prolonged standby operation. For special cases, please contact the factory for advice.
Mount: All models have VESA standard 100 mount centers for M4 screws. M4-8 stainless screws are included. Any commercial VESA mounting arm may be used to mount the all-touch models provided it is built to handle the product weight. For the keyboard models, commercial arms are not sufficiently stiff, so we have had to develop our own mounting systems. The mounts offered through the configurator are sufficiently stiff to support all models of IPC cabinets.
Color or Finish: The aluminum cabinets have an epoxy powder coat finish in a rough texture that minimizes glare an hides the effects of dirt and rough use. The standard color is black, but other colors are available. Natural finish aluminum is also available, e.g. to laminate signage onto the cabinet for advertising purposes, or with a clear-coat seal. Caution: aluminum has a soft surface and clear coat will not resist or hide scratches. The stainless cabinets have a directional brushed texture on the face, and nod-directional finish on all ther surfaces.
Typical Applications
Use the IPC products for
- compact post or desk-mounted shop floor computers in factories and warehouses,
- computers in trucks or full-supension material handling equiment,
- computers in sanitary or high-corrosion areas,
- monitoring, data entry and control computers for automation systems,
