November 2016
48
I
ndustrIal
C
ontrol
& C
omputIng
How embedded system products define
roughness in industrial computing
By Kevin Wang,
AAEON
This article introduces
the embedded computer product
portfolios of a Taiwanese supplier,
which cover nearly every aspect
of industrial applications
including Industry 4.0
and the Internet of Things.
n
Embodying ruggedness and stylishness,
all of Aaeon system products are crafted to
introduce enhanced usability and aesthet-
ics to a workspace. With features such as
wide temperature support, extreme com-
puting power and graphic display capability,
IP-rated enclosures, multi-touch capability,
and anti-scratch screens, the line of system
products is suited for both industrial and
infotainment purposes. The company also
endeavors to bring new ideas to the panel
PC market and conventional panel PCs with
modular panel PCs as well as other new,
exciting designs, raising the bar in the design
of panel solutions and helping the user lower
development and implementation costs.
One of the key missions is to lead the IoT
(Internet of Things) in industrial automation
which means to be able to connect machines
to the cloud. However, each machine speaks
its own language. As a leading developer
and manufacture of professional IoT solu-
tions, Aaeon provides industrial box PCs
and human-machine interfaces. By integrat-
ing HMS communication modules into the
solutions it allows the products to control and
communicate with the machines. The part-
nership with HMS - the leader in industrial
communication - bridges the gap for both
sides The BOXER-6639 serves as a good
example of the solutions offered. It is a fanless
embedded controller incorporating a high-
value desktop processor, wide range operating
temperature, and broad power input to offer
high computation power for industrial envi-
ronments. This newly released product comes
with a long-term supported sixth Gen Intel
Core Desktop Processor, and thanks to an
innovative mechanical design it is extremely
scalable by changing the CPU to fulfill cus-
tomer needs. The embedded controller is
designed to address specific vertical applica-
tions: 3 fully independent GB LAN ensure
maximum bandwidth to sustain high resolu-
tion camera data flow, a paramount feature
to carry on high precision vision applications.
Visualization of high quality content is guar-
anteed by the outstanding dual HDMI out-
put that achieves 4k resolution. With features
supporting extended operating temperature
from -20°C to 55°C and 9 ~ 36V wide range
DC input, this Box PC offers continuous oper-
ation in any kind of environment, regardless
of unstable voltage or extreme temperatures.
It incorporates a variety of serial I/O connec-
tors, including 6 COM ports, 4 USB 3.0 and
32 channel DIO, and offers flexible configura-
tion and expansion capability. Hence, custom-
ers can efficiently wire-up multiple systems
to the central controller for various automa-
tion applications. The BOXER-6639, powered
by a high-end Intel desktop processor and
integrated with rich I/O ports, helps users
to achieve a delicate balance between cost
and performance in the automated produc-
tion business. This new generation industrial
Box PC is conceived to fit specific markets
in the automation area. Specific features like
independent GBE LAN and wide range input
make it suited for machine vision and factory
automation applications amongst others.
For greater performance, the Embedded Box
PC BOXER-6638U is an economical model
designed to give you more bang for your buck.
While performance is assured with the Intel
Core i3-5010U driving the device, the U-se-
ries chip comes with greater power-savings
and cost-efficiency. This enhanced process-
ing power is used to power the many I/Os of
the device, which include four COM ports for
facilitating instant deployment for users in the
industrial automation field. Compared with
its predecessor, the AEC-6638, it features the
smaller dimensions of 197x174x55mm, a 30%
reduction. Its operating temperature and elec-
trical support ranges are also extended to -20
~ 60°C and 9 ~ 24V, respectively. Supporting
these enhanced operational parameters are
the construction and features of the device,
which are designed with convenience in mind.
Users wishing to access the device interior
can do so effortlessly by removing screws at
the base, with no specialized method or tools
Figure 1. BOXER-6639: a
fanless embedded Box PC with
Intel Gen6 Skylake socket type
processor and Q170 chip set
