Whether you’re looking for information on outdoor computers and PCs or you’re looking to buy an outdoor computer, you’ve come to the right place. We will explain what outdoor computers are, as well as provide you with the best source for buying outdoor PCs.
What Are Outdoor Computers?
Outdoor computers are industrial-grade embedded computers that can handle deployment in volatile outdoor environments. Outdoor PCs are able to withstand frequent exposure to shock, vibration, dust, debris, and sometimes even water. Industrial outdoor computers are able to withstand such challenging environments because they are engineered and built to withstand the harshest outdoor deployments. Overall, rugged outdoor computers are able to reliably and optimally operate even when exposed to outdoor elements, such as dust, water, extreme heat, and extreme cold.
Outdoor computers are able to operate in the most volatile environments because they are configured using wide temperature range components, and they are passively cooled. Wide temperature range computers are able to perform reliably and optimally because they have been designed and built to withstand temperatures that regular desktop PCs cannot handle.
Additionally, outdoor PCs are able to operate in harsh environments where they will be exposed to extreme temperature and dust because they are passively cooled via the use of heatsinks. Heatsinks are used to move heat away from the internal heat-generating components to the outer enclosure of the device, which dissipates the heat into the air surrounding the system.
Furthermore, by utilizing passive cooling, engineers have been able to eliminate all openings and vents from the system, creating a totally closed system, eliminating the ability of dust, debris, and sometimes even water to enter the system, causing internal components to fail.
For example, the WCO, WIO, and SIO Series of outdoor industrial computers can be deployed outdoors without any protection as they are IP rated to withstand exposure to dust, dirt, debris, and water splashes. Other rugged industrial computers such as the BCO and RCO Series of rugged outdoor computers can be deployed outdoors so long as they are housed in NEMA enclosures.
Many organizations deploy outdoor industrial computers in kiosk machines, as IoT gateways, and as part of smart surveillance systems. Outdoor PCs can withstand deployment outdoors where there is no temperature control. The type of system that you will need depends on whether you want to deploy the system without protection or whether it’s going to be housed in something such as a NEMA enclosure.
Outdoor Computers Using a NEMA Enclosure
Many of our customers deploy rugged industrial PCs in NEMA enclosures, which provide protection from windblown dust and rain, and Ice. So, while NEMA enclosures protect industrial computers from things such as dust, rain, and snow, they do not protect industrial PCs from extreme heat and extreme cold. If you deploy a small consumer-grade computer in a NEMA enclosure in extremely hot environments, the PC will likely overheat and stop working because regular desktop PCs are made for home use on desks, not outdoor deployments where the temperatures can easily exceed 50⁰C.
As such, since the temperature inside NEMA enclosures can get extremely hot, you should only deploy rugged outdoor industrial computers in such enclosures. Rugged outdoor computers have a wide temperature range, ranging from -40⁰C to 85⁰C, allowing them to be deployed in NEMA enclosures even in environments where the temperature exceeds 50⁰C.
Rugged outdoor computers are able to survive such extremely hot environments because they are passively cooled. That is, rugged outdoor PCs do not rely on fans to cool down the systems. Fans would be pointless in NEMA enclosures because they would continually recirculate hot air, which will not cool down the system. Instead, rugged outdoor computers rely on heatsinks to transfer heat away from the internal heat-generating components to the outer enclosure, which transfers the heat away from the components.
Furthermore, outdoor PCs are configured using efficient low-powered processors that do not produce a lot of heat and therefore require little cooling to function reliably and optimally. For example, fanless outdoor PCs can be configured with the Intel® Celeron® J1900 low-powered processor that has a TDP of 10 Watts, great for entry-level workloads that do not require extreme performance.
Premio offers a wide variety of fanless outdoor computers that can be deployed in NEMA enclosures; such options include the BCO and RCO Series of industrial computers.
Outdoor PCs Without Using a NEMA Enclosure
Not all outdoor computers need to be housed in NEMA enclosures to function reliably. In fact, Premio offers a variety of outdoor computers that can be deployed outdoor without enclosures. Such options include the WCO, WIO, and SIO Series of outdoor PCs. These industrial PCs all come with a minimum IP rating of 65 or higher, making them resistant to water.
What
Makes Outdoor
PCs Deployable Outdoors?
The following features of outdoor computers make them great for outdoor deployments:
1. Dust and Debris Resistance
Outdoor fanless computers utilize a fanless design, which eliminates the need for vents and opening through which to circulate air through the system. This creates a totally closed system that prevents the entry of dust, dirt, and debris into the system. For example, if you want to deploy an outdoor PC in an oil production facility in the middle of a desert, the computing solution you choose must be able to handle deployment in a sandy or dirt-filled environment. Outdoor computers are able to handle such environments with ease, thanks to their fanless design.
2. Wide Temperature Range
Outdoor fanless PCs come with a wide operating temperature range, ranging from -40⁰C to 85⁰C, allowing outdoor computing solutions to be deployed in extremely cold and extremely hot environments.
So, whether you deploy a system in the middle of Antarctica during the winter or in the middle of the Sahara Desert during the hottest summer days, industrial outdoor computers will perform reliably and optimally without issue. Furthermore, outdoor computers are configured using wide temperature range components, which are able to survive the most extreme temperatures.
3. Shock and Vibration Resistance
Outdoor fanless computers are able to withstand frequent exposure to shocks and vibrations, enabling them to survive in environments where consumer-grade desktop PCs cannot. This is so because regular desktop computers come with many cables; when these cables are exposed to frequent shocks and vibrations, they can come loose from their connections, rendering the system inoperable. As such, industrial outdoor computers eliminate cables entirely from the system, allowing them to withstand up to 5 GRMs of vibrations and 50Gs of shock in compliance with the MIL-STD-810G.
Furthermore, industrial outdoor computers can be configured with SSDs for added shock and vibration resistance. SSDs (solid-state drives) are better capable of withstanding shocks and vibrations than regular HDDs (hard drives) because they store data on NAND chips vs. the spinning metal platters that hard drives use to store data, making them significantly more reliable and better able to handle exposure to shocks and vibrations.
4. Industrial Grade Components
Although outdoor industrial computers utilize some of the same components as regular, consumer-grade PCs, they are made using industrial-grade components that have been tested and validated to operate reliably and optimally in volatile industrial environments. Everything utilized in industrial computers, from the electrical soldered capacitors to the PCB motherboards, is chosen and integrated into fanless outdoor computers to ensure reliable operation of the systems.
5. Wide Power Range
+ Power Protection
Outdoor industrial PCs come with a wide power range, making them compatible with a variety of different power input scenarios, ranging from 9 to 50 VDC. Furthermore, outdoor computers come equipped with a number of power protection features that include overvoltage protection, overcurrent protection, and reverse polarity protection.
Overvoltage protection protects the system by cutting off power to it when it detects that the voltages exceed the device’s safe level. Surge protection cuts off the power to the system if the system detects a spike in power, saving the sensitive internal components. Reverse polarity protection protects the embedded system in the event that power supply polarity is reversed. All of these power protection features add to the reliability and durability of outdoor PCs.
6. Compact Design
Outdoor PCs have a compact design that makes deploying them in space-constrained environments possible. For example, if you need to deploy an outdoor PC in a small NEMA enclosure to bring intelligence to an outdoor security system, outdoor computers will fit in such enclosures. Furthermore, small form factor outdoor PCs can be deployed in cabinets, mounted on walls or ceiling, and placed in small spaces that regular, full-size desktop PCs cannot fit in.
7. Rich Wireless Connectivity
Outdoor computers are often deployed in outdoor settings where they have to wirelessly connect to networks for internet access. As such, outdoor computing solutions come equipped with rich wireless connectivity, allowing these systems to connect to the internet even if deployed in remote environments where reliable internet access is not always available. All outdoor PCs come equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity for low-latency high-speed connectivity to the internet and other devices.
Also, in the event that Wi-Fi connectivity is not available, outdoor computing solutions can still connect to the internet as they come equipped with Dual SIM modules, permitting organizations to install two different internet carriers for redundancy. In the event that one carrier does not offer coverage in a certain area, the device can connect to the internet via a secondary carrier. Connectivity options include 4G, LTE, and 5G, all of which deliver high-speed connectivity, allowing outdoor computers to connect to the internet for remote monitoring and control.
Also, outdoor PCs come equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, offering quick and simple connectivity for low powered IoT devices. IoT devices can seamlessly and quickly connect to outdoor PCs while maintaining power efficiency. So, although Bluetooth connectivity does not offer the range and speed offered by Wi-Fi, it does provide reliable one-to-one and many-to-many connectivity.
Where Can You Buy Industrial-grade Outdoor Computers?
Premio is an excellent source for industrial-grade outdoor computers, offering competitive pricing and a wide variety of outdoor computing solutions that can be deployed in NEMA enclosures or outdoors without the use of enclosures. Premio has been manufacturing premium industrial computers for over 30 years in the United States. At Premio, we want our customers to succeed, so we go above and beyond what is required to ensure that our customers are satisfied with our products and service quality.
Digital transformation has been an essential factor for industrial applications to scale and rapidly grow. However, outdoor industrial applications are known for their harsh environment that can quickly cause damage to standard commercial computers. Intense weather conditions such as heavy rain, direct sunlight, hot temperature, dusty space, and humid air are rough environments that require robust weather-resistant computers to withstand prolonged outdoor use.
Weather-resistant computers are industrial-grade fanless computers that have been tested and validated to withstand extreme environments while maintaining their reliability, durability, and longevity. Weather-resistant computers are configured with high specifications and robust technologies to handle complex applications without any problem. A key differentiator of a weather-resistant computer is the mechanical and thermal engineering that goes into the overall design. Unlike regular desktop computers, weather-resistant computers are designed with methods to ensure reliability under harsh environmental factors. Everything from the external enclosure to the internal components is taken into consideration when engineering a weather-resistant computer.
Weather-resistant computers are great for applications that require computers in harsh outdoor conditions. Weather-resistant computers are industrial computers built to be dustproof, waterproof, anti-corrosive, shock & vibration resistant, wide temperature resistant, and much more. Therefore, weather-resistant computers can handle extreme deployments in outdoor industrial applications such as agriculture, mining, livestock, transportation, kiosk, and food automation.
Weather-resistant computers utilize passive cooling designs to eliminate the need for fans to cool the critical electronics of a computer. Instead, these specialized computers implement a fanless design to ensure the computers continue to operate in a wide array of temperature variations.
Fanless designs dissipate heat from the computer's internal components using heatsinks, especially through its unique heat-dissipating chassis. The fanless design also utilizes highly conductive materials, including aluminum, copper, and heat pipes, to effectively control the computer's temperature.
Learn More About Fanless Designs and How They Work
Industrial weather-resistant computers are capable of operating in a wide temperature range. Outdoor weather conditions can quickly reach an extremely hot or cold temperature that can be fatal for standard commercial computers. Weather-resistant computer operating temperatures can range from extremely cold -40℃ up to scorching hot 70℃.
Learn More About Wide Temperature Computers
Fanless design and a lack of venting holes allow weather-resistant computers to be tightly sealed and protected from tiny dust particles and water exposures. These industrial computers are rated with an ingress protection rating (IP rating) to validate their capabilities in protecting the internal components from dust and water ingress. Weather-resistant computers' IP ratings range from IP65 to IP69K, the highest rating within the IP rating level for high-pressure water jets.
Learn More About IP Rating
The most rigid weatherproof computers are capable of withstanding tough shocks and constant vibrations amid deployments. For example, Premio's WCO series computers comply with the military standard MIL-STD-810G in shock and vibration resistance. The WCO series can withstand 50G shock and 5 Grms, 5-500 Hz vibration. These rugged computers are tested and validated in reliable lab facilities to ensure their durability and reliability amid extreme environment deployments.
Learn More About MIL-STD-810G Computers Here
Power management is another essential feature of weather-resistant computers that provide reliable deployments in remote locations. The computer's power management core features are OVP (over-voltage protection), OCP (over current protection), and Wide Range Voltage Input. These core features protect industrial computers from detrimental power fluctuations in unstable settings. OVP protects the computer's internal component from a sudden surge in voltage input of more than 50V. Wide range voltage inputs enable the system to receive power inputs ranging from 9-50VDC to support various system configurations in a variety of power settings.
Rainy weather, extreme washdowns, and dirty mud are some elements that might cause corrosion to the computers. Weather-resistant computers enclosures are built from anti-corrosive materials such as SUS 316, SUS 304, and extruded aluminum with heavy-duty metal. SUS 316 and SUS 304 are types of stainless steel that provide both rigid structure and corrosion-resistant properties. Extruded aluminum with heavy-duty metal is a robust material that creates an incredible rugged enclosure for the computers. Furthermore, the internal components are made out of industrial-grade materials. The motherboards, I/Os, and power chokes are carefully selected to deliver the best performances under extreme weather conditions.
Weather-resistant computers provide rich I/O options, including legacy technologies that still exist in various industrial applications. Moreover, weather-resistant computers support M12 locking connection ports that enable waterproof systems with high IP ratings (ranging from IP66 to IP69K). The rich M12 I/O configurations make the weather-resistant computers secure and reliable for outdoor industrial workloads with heavy water exposures.
Learn More about industrial-grade I/O ports
There are various types of weather-resistant computers based on their form factors and specifications. However, the two main types of weather-resistant computers are waterproof edge computers and waterproof touchscreen computers which, are provided by Premio. Here are some of Premio's weather-resistant computers and their important features:
The WCO series waterproof edge computers are weather-resistant computers designed to provide seamless integration, toughness, longevity, and reliability amid outdoor deployments. These waterproof edge computers are IP65 and IP67 rated for dust and water ingress protection. The first digit of 6 means that the system provides complete protection against tiny dust particles, and the second digit indicates the level of protection against water ingress.
For the IP65 computer, the system provides protection against low-pressure water jets for a short duration of time. For the IP67 computer, the internal system is protected against total water immersion for up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
Additionally, the IP65 WCO waterproof edge computer has an easy installation feature to quickly upgrade your HDD or RAM for convenient operation and maintenance.
Key Features:
IP65/67 Waterproof
7th Gen Intel Core i5; 15W TDP
Up To 3.5 GHz Boost Frequency
Intel HD Graphics 620 With 4k Support
-40℃ To 70℃ Extended Operating Temperature
Robust M12 Connection
2x Lan (M12)
The SIO series are IP66/IP69K washdown touchscreen computers built from ultra-durable stainless steel. Thanks to their IP69K and SUS 316, the SIO touchscreen computer is fully protected against close-range, high-pressure, high-temperature water jets and chemical washdowns. SUS 316 stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, especially against chloride.
Why resistance against chloride matter? Chloride is one of the leading causes of corrosion. Many cleaning solutions consist of chloride substances—the SIO series are made from SUS 316 stainless steel and adds corrosion resistance and high-temperature strength for regular hygenic washdowns.
Key Features:
Anti-Corrosive With SUS-316 With Molybdenum
High IP Rating IP66-IP69K
Direct AC Power
M12 I/O
Enable/Disable Safety Button
The IP66 WIO series is an FHD touchscreen monitor that is great for wet and dirty outdoor environments. This all-in-one rugged panel PC is deployable for extreme applications such as surface and underground mining, heavy industrial HMI, industrial manufacturing, smart city, and intelligent agriculture. The WIO series has robust SUS 304 stainless steel housing with 7H surface glass hardness for the toughest deployments. You can configure the WIO series touchscreen display to apply capacitive or resistive touch technology. The capacitive touch can support up to 10 multi-touch points, and the resistive touch supports ultra-sensitive touch for the workers with thick gloves.
Key Features:
Anti-Corrosive 304 Stainless-Steel
High IP Rating IP66
M12 I/O
7H Moh Hardness Scale
Build-in Speaker
Capacitive/Resistive Touch
3. IP65 Modular Panel PC and Monitor – VIO Series
The modular VIO series is the most flexible, scalable, and versatile touchscreen monitor among these weather-resistant panel PCs. The VIO series exclusive features are their patented modular MDM design with IP65 protection. MDM stands for Multi-Mode Design Module, enabling the computers to be panel PC or a rugged external monitor. The display panel and the computer are easily detachable, resulting in quick maintenance that shortens downtime incidents. With a modular design, companies can alleviate the cost of downtime and unwanted maintenance. Manufacturers can prepare some spare modules beforehand (display module or PC module). Hence when there is a downtime, workers can quickly swap one of the modules that experience failure.
Moreover, the modular design offers a lower cost to upgrade. Instead of changing the whole panel PC, manufacturers can upgrade the computer module or the display module only. Modularity provides users a broad range of configurations that meet specific requirements.
Key Features:
High IP Rating IP65
Modular Display and PC Module
7H Moh Hardness Scale
Build-in Speaker
Optical Bonding
High Brightness 1000 nits
All things considered, choosing suitable rugged computers for your industrial applications can be pretty complicated. Here at Premio, we have a team of engineering experts to help you choose the best weather-resistant computer for your complex and highly specialized industrial applications. With over 30 years of experience designing and manufacturing rugged computing solutions for enterprise deployments, our solutions ensure mission-critical reliability for your computing needs. If you are looking for weather-resistant computers for your industrial applications, contact us now.