Panel PCs

Consider the facts below to help you determine the Panel PC product that’s right for your project.

In addition to a variety of sizes, computing power and expansion selections available, a majority of Panel PC products come in both touch and non-touch versions.  We want to provide you with a basis for you to select and configure a Panel PC into your application, so we have outlined the most prominent for you below.

Advantech’s Panel PC Series come in a variety of sizes from 6.4 inch, on up to 17 inch designs.  Available space for the PC is only one consideration for the size.  Viewability for the total audience the screen has to service will be a factor.  This can vary for consideration such as whether an information kiosk or factory floor interface is used by more than one viewer simultaneously.

A system’s capability is also associated with its size for physical reasons.  Often times, a system enclosure for a 12” Panel PC may not be large enough to handle the necessary PCI expansion or drives for your specific application.  In that case, you may want to go with a larger screen product that commonly hosts such features in the larger enclosure.

Also, when meeting a requirement for larger sized displays over 17”, you can consider a simple display system comprising of a Flat Panel Monitor and a Compact Computer combination. Advantech’s ARK series compact computers, for example, can be mounted in a variety of ways to the back of a 17”+ Flat Panel Monitor (FPM Series) to make a complete system in a short timeframe.

The popular reason for machine designers, IT, or system integrators to choose a Panel PC platform is for its PCI/PCIe expansion versatility. Commonly, a Panel PC has at least one slot for card expansion, making it possible to turn this standard all-in-one PC platform into an HMI panel running multiple serial I/O, a remote terminal system with a WiFi card, a graphics kiosk leveraging an added graphics PCI card, or a host of other applications.

	Other considerations for Panel PCs include performance, expansion, and supported OS			Example of the expansion slot flexibility in Advantech PPC-6100 Series Panel PCs

NEMA 4 is a designation given by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association classifying the degrees of protection provided against intrusion from outside elements. Enclosures constructed for either indoor or outdoor use often incorporate NEMA4 (which satisfies the International Product Rating Code “IP65”) in order to provide a degree of protection against contact with elements including falling dirt, rain, snow, windblown dust, splashing ware, and hose directed water. NEMA 4 also provides a degree of protection against the formation of ice on the enclosure. Your environment may require this designation, so be sure to look for it in the product data sheet.

Today’s industrial flat panel products such as Advantech Panel PCs not only withstand wide temperature ranges and solar radiation, but are also readable in difficult optical conditions such as direct and indirect sunlight, glare, or reflection.

However, luminance must be addressed more specifically when considering LCD products for outdoor use.  Although a display with less than 500 nits screen brightness and a mere 2 to 1 contrast ratio can be read in outdoor environments, the quality of the display will be poor and not display all graphic content effectively.

Other Environmental Concerns

If you have certain environmental factors for the location of the panel product such as moisture, vibration, or humidity, pay attention to the certifications you may require as you shop for a panel PC.  You may want to find a way to work around a requirement to mount your display near a heat source or in or near a high or low temperature environment. Many LCD displays tends to have problems with extreme temperatures at or around 85°C, for example.