Industrial PCs are perfect for industrial workloads as they are capable of managing various data inputs, transferring valuable data for real-time decision-making. Industrial PCs can accept all of these inputs, and industrial PCs can be configured with the various input and output (I/O) ports they require.
Let's take a look at what the ports are
1. Serial port
Serial ports are the most commonly used ports in industrial computers today. They enable communication between your industrial computer and legacy equipment still used in production plants today. While serial ports do not have the fastest data transfer rates, they are still widely used today due to the flexibility and reliability they provide. No matter which traditional serial port you are using, your industrial PC can specify the following ports: RS-232, RS-422, RS-485. The type of port required depends on the application and device being connected to.
2. USB port
USB ports are the standard for many devices because they offer higher bandwidth. For example, current industrial PCs now have USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports that can connect to smart IoT sensors and transfer data at 10Gbps. A second benefit of using USB ports is that they come with smart power management features that allow you to send your device to sleep when it's not in use. That said, it is often necessary to use both the serial port and the USB port at the same time.
3. Video port
The third big advantage of industrial systems is that they have different display outputs, including VGA, HDMI, DVI and DP. We understand that many legacy devices still use the VGA port because many legacy devices still use analog signals instead of digital. So we continue to offer it on our industrial PC systems. However, if you want the best resolution and highest refresh rate, you can choose to use HDMI and DP ports.
4. DIO/GPIO
DIO refers to digital I/O, and GPIO stands for general-purpose I/O. These ports are used for electrical devices or sensors that do not have a common interface. They use two digital signals where the two possible values represent on or off. This makes these ports ideal for sensing switch contacts in industrial settings where switching signals are frequently sent and received.
5. LAN port
These ports are commonly used on industrial computers because they provide uplinks and downlinks for data from the network infrastructure, providing the necessary data transfer from modems, routers, switches, and other computers on the network.
6. M12 connector
Industrial PCs are often used because they can be equipped with lockable M12 connectors that are dust and water resistant. These connectors are designed for harsh environments where computer equipment may be exposed to dust and water. M12 connectors are one of the most popular connectors in environments such as vehicles and transportation applications such as railways, food processing and beverage manufacturing due to their reliability and durability.
