What Does a Fanless BoxPC Pro Offer for Embedded Control?
October 4, 2022
A BoxPC Pro is a compact, fanless embedded PC that drives an external TFT display directly. Its docking connector carries the display signal and backlight together with two USB 2.0 ports for a touchscreen and a second device such as a webcam, so one connector turns a TFT display into an interactive panel PC. The series is designed and developed by FORTEC Integrated (formerly Distec), our sister company in Germany within the FORTEC Group, and we supply, integrate, and support it from Ronkonkoma, New York.
Which BoxPC Pro drives a 4K V-by-One or eDP display?
The BoxPC Pro NPA-2009. 4K displays are usually driven over V-by-One or eDP because of the bandwidth they need, and until the NPA-2009, pairing a V-by-One display with a box PC took an extra adapter board. Its docking connector takes V-by-One and eDP displays directly, and it can run one of each in parallel. V-by-One has a further advantage: a cost-effective, standardized cable with good EMC values.
- 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1145G7E embedded processor, with the i7-1185G7E or Celeron 6305E on a project basis, all suited to 24/7 operation at a high frame rate and low latency.
- DisplayPort over USB-C, two Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports, RS485 and RS232, and a 24 V DC input.
- No moving parts, captive thumbscrews for tool-free installation and maintenance, and an optional DIN rail kit, in 206 x 149 x 57 mm.
- At launch in 2022, FORTEC Integrated committed to at least five years’ availability in form, fit, and function.
It suits any application that needs a high-resolution display with a high frame rate and color depth, such as information terminals, medical technology, and transportation. For integrators building their own enclosure, the same platform comes as the SBC NPA-2009, a 5.25-inch board with up to 64 GB of DDR4 in two SO-DIMM slots, three USB 3.1 and four USB 2.0 ports, two Gigabit LAN ports, a watchdog timer, digital I/O, TPM 2.0, and three M.2 slots for an SSD, WLAN, and a 5G card.
Which models drive LVDS displays?
Two models with 7th Gen Intel Core processors connect an LVDS display with backlight, plus touch and webcam, through the docking connector:
- The BoxPC Pro NPA-1904, a cost-effective model with an i3-7100U or i5-7300U, a DisplayPort output up to 4096 x 2304, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two RS485 and two RS232 ports, four USB 3.0 ports on the front and two USB 2.0 on the back, and two DDR4-2133 sockets. It is specified for 0 to +45°C.
- The BoxPC Pro 7300, with an i5-7300U, HDMI and DisplayPort, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two RS232 and two BIOS-configurable RS232/422/485 ports, four USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, audio line-out, and a 9 to 24 V DC input. Guide-pin openings let the PC and docking connector mate without tilting. A customer already using one of our Prisma controller boards can switch to it by replacing the Prisma board with the IF433 docking connector board, which has the identical connector and pinout.
Both suit automation, Industry 4.0, digital signage, and medical technology, and include a watchdog timer, as is usual in industrial computers.
How is a BoxPC Pro installed and secured?
On a DIN rail, with security built into the hardware. The DIN rail mounting kit (KI-90-033) installs a BoxPC Pro in a control cabinet or building distribution box with screws that are held captive, so none are lost during mounting, and the locked installation protects the PC against theft and damage in harsh industrial settings and public buildings. A TPM 2.0 chip supports drive encryption, the BoxPC Pro 7300 adds Secure Boot, and on request we supply a pre-installed Windows 10 IoT image with an activated write filter, which protects the system against a power failure or an attempted manipulation.
Tell us which display the system has to drive, and we will take it from there. We match the box PC to the panel and touchscreen, supply it as a complete kit with the display and accessories, and stay with the project from first samples to series production, backed by our technical services. For a newer design that drives power, video, and touch over a single USB-C cable, see our post on the BPCPRO-X51 single-cable box PC.
