Just because industrial automation is usually found on the gritty factory floor doesn't mean some components of a deployment can't be pretty. That's one of the reasons AAEON has released a 15-inch multitouch panel computer for use in automation applications. The company says the panel computer is rugged enough for an industry environment but attractive enough for home automation systems.
The ACP-2153, a waterproof and scratchproof glass-faced panel computer, mounts with brackets (instead of bezels) that can be adjusted to match the dimensions of the surrounding walls. This gives it more versatility in terms of display and generally makes it more aesthetically pleasing, Lee Lee, product manager of AAEON's panel appliance and automation division, said in a press release.
AAEON has released a 15-inch touchscreen rugged panel computer designed to be both rugged enough for the factory floor and aesthetically pleasing enough for the home. (Source: AAEON)
Though the panel computer was designed to be easy on the eyes, it's still durable, with an operating temperature range of 20C (68F) to more than 60C (140F), a high luminance of 400cd/m2, and 9~30V DC input. The screen's touch capabilities come via a responsive projective capacitive touch display with a 1,024 x 768 resolution.
Under the hood, the ACP-2153 uses an Intel Atom D2550 1.86GHz processor with built-in passive cooling, which eliminates the need for a fan. Other features include "up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, two Gigabit Ethernets for speedy internet access, a mini PCIe card slot for expansion," and "abundant storage via a 2.5" SATA HDD or CFast." To support other devices and connections, the computer includes two USB 2.0 ports, three COM ports, a Line-out, and a VGA port.
The computer also supports several OSes, including Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 7, and Linux Fedora. Windows developers for the system get a bit of a leg up, because they can download AAEON's Hi-Safe program for free. This software allows Windows users to create a customized interface for the ACP-2153 that can monitor vital system information for parts such as the processor, RAM, and VGA without additional coding.
Since they are doing a dual target of industrial and home use, I'm surprised that they are using the capacitive touch. Many industrial plant are now requireing gloves as a standard safety precaution, which don't work that well with capacitive.
Yes, tablets and cells could definitely use more ruggedized screens. I've never smashed up a screen myself but I have seen iPhones with smashed screens that are virtually rendered useless. That's a pretty expensive piece of useless machinery! I think in this case, the glass suits the design pretty well.
That's true, Cabe, plastic is a lot more durable. But I think glass looks a lot nicer. And how often do you really drop a screen or a computer? Hopefully not that often! (Although of course, dings do happen.)
AAEON has released this for the aesthetically conscious automation deployment, and it actually looks quite nice as well as being rugged enough to hold up in a pure industrial environment. And with home automation becoming more prevalent, it can also fit in there as part of a contemporary design.
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