What Is a Rugged Computer? Discover the Essential Features of a Rugged Computer
A rugged computer is designed to provide reliable long-term operation in harsh operating environments with strong vibrations, extreme temperatures, moisture, or dust. Every element of a rugged computer is designed with these harsh environments in mind, from the rugged casing to the internal component configuration and the cooling system. They must all be able to cope. Rugged computers are indispensable in many industries, such as military, field research, industrial applications, and other fields.
Many people use the terms industrial computers and rugged computers interchangeably, and even though there are similarities, there are some distinct differences. Both rugged computers and industrial computers provide extremely high performance and reliability to run powerful and complex software or applications. The main difference lies in the additional features rugged computers have that allow them to maintain high reliability and performance in harsh environments. These designs include stronger physical structures, more comprehensive protective measures (such as waterproofing, dust-proofing, and shock resistance), and better tolerance to extreme temperatures. For example, general industrial computers can operate stably in temperatures of 0-50°C, but rugged computers can maintain performance and stability in the temperature range of -40-70°C.
In short, all rugged computers are industrial computers, but not all industrial computers can meet rugged computer standards.
Features of Rugged Computers
Industrial-Grade Materials and Tough Construction
Rugged computers must run smoothly in harsh environments. Starting from material selection, all components need to meet industrial-grade quality requirements. To provide sufficient ruggedness, metal casings with integrated structural designs are typically chosen to give rugged computers solidity from the inside out.
Excellent Shock Resistance
Shock resistance is a key feature of rugged computers, with a reinforced structure to resist external shock and vibration, and a special cable-less design to eliminate the risk of wires loosening due to vibration. High-vibration environments include offshore oil drilling platforms filled with machines that continuously vibrate during operation and unmanned mining trucks driving in rugged mining areas. Rugged computers also face continuous or sudden vibrations or impacts. The special structural design protects the vulnerable points of the computer, avoiding hardware damage and data loss. Generally speaking, the shock resistance capabilities of rugged computers are rigorously tested according to standards, such as the US military test standard MIL-STD-810H, to prove that they can withstand damage caused by random vibration and shocks up to 40G.
Keep Dust and Moisture Out
Rugged computers are mostly installed in dusty and dirty industrial environments or outdoors. To prevent dust and dirt from entering the computer through the fan and causing downtime or failure, rugged computers usually adopt a fanless design. The so-called fanless design uses a special heat dissipation structure designed to quickly take heat away without relying on a fan. The heat dissipation technology of each company is precision designed and calculated, and the stacked heat dissipation structure is arranged to maximize heat dissipation, which is the key factor in achieving the best balance between performance and heat dissipation.
High Temperature Tolerance for Extreme Temperatures
More and more edge computing technologies are being applied in harsh climates, whether it is environmental monitoring in polar or high-altitude areas, military missions in the desert, or high-temperature steelmaking plant production lines, only rugged computers with a wide temperature design are capable of overcoming such serious challenges. In addition to selecting industrial-grade materials with wide temperature characteristics at the beginning of the design, circuit design and heat dissipation technology are at its core. Each company has different standards for wide temperature for rugged computers, which directly affects the results. For example, Cincoze's rugged computers have higher Cold Start requirements than industry standards. Each computer is tested in a low-temperature environment of -40°C for 17 hours, then shut down and turned on three times with an interval of 2-12 hours each time, in order to pass Cincoze's internal testing standards.
Wide Voltage Range
In many industrial environments, it is impossible to determine whether there is a stable power supply or special power requirements. Rugged computers support a wide voltage input range (9-48VDC) to ensure that they will run stably whether installed in industrial equipment, vehicles, or the outdoors. For example, the voltage in a car is usually 12-24VDC, and in addition to voltage fluctuations and sudden voltage changes, you also need to consider the damage caused to the computer by sudden shutdown. To counter this issue, rugged computers in vehicles are usually equipped with ignition sensing functions, such as Cincoze's unique IGN module (power ignition sensing) that detects battery voltage and keeps the computer from turning on until the voltage has stabilized. The IGN can also delay shutdown to eliminate damage to the system or data caused by suddenly turning off the ignition.
