Dell Introduces Purpose-Built PCs

Dell Inc. says that with the launch of the Embedded Box PC 3000 series and 5000 series, its first purpose-built industrial PC (IPC) products, it aims to take the embedded PC market mainstream. An expansion of Dell’s Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio, the Embedded Box PC 3000 and 5000 are configurable to support smart system needs or industrial use cases with operator interfaces, smart analytics and storage. Dell says that its new embedded PCs will be available this summer “in select countries” in quantities as small as a single unit or in large volumes.

Dell says that its new ruggedized and fanless Dell Embedded Box PC 5000 (left) and 3000 (right) Series are intended to bring embedded PCs into the mainstream. Image courtesy of Dell Inc.

Dell says that the Embedded Box PC systems provide users fast time to market and that it “will bring the benefits of short lead times, enterprise-class lifecycle, stability, service and support to customers who may be under-served by current embedded solutions.”

“Customers have consistently told us that current embedded solutions do not meet the level of cost-effective sophistication, scale and support they need for these to be a critical, reliable component of their operations,” said Andy Rhodes, executive director, Commercial IoT Solutions, Dell, in a press statement. “Along with our new embedded products that can be ordered in quantities from one to thousands, Dell will bring our established business heritage to this new market: global scale, end-to-end IT and OT [operations technology] security portfolio, flexible payment solutions, strong customization and award-winning service and support.”

Dell’s Embedded Box PCs are both ruggedized for harsh environments and fanless. The latter’s importance, the company stresses, is that fans are the most common component failure in embedded use cases. Furthermore, the absence of a fan reduces noise, making the systems suitable for environments that require little noise.

The Embedded Box 5000 is optimized for I/O scalability, high-bandwidth industrial PC and IoT (Internet of Things) uses such as manufacturing and automation control. Image courtesy of Dell Inc.

As for ruggedness, the Embedded Box PC products are designed to MIL-STD 810G specifications. They have an operating temperature range from 0° to 50°C (32° to 122°F) and IP30 rating. The company says that it is “investigating extended temperature with restrictions.” Enterprise-grade manageability options include Microsoft SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) integration and remote management option via the Dell Cloud Client Manager. The units are Trusted Platform Module (TPM) v2.0 capable and provide Secure Boot, BIOS password and I/O port disablement where not affected by the chosen operating system.

The Embedded Box PC Series products are available in DIN-rail, VESA or wall mount options. Supported operating systems include Microsoft Windows 7 Pro, Windows 7 Embedded, Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB (Long Term Servicing Branch) as well as Ubuntu Desktop. You can use the units with or without a keyboard, mouse and monitor.

The Dell Embedded Box PC 3000 is designed for small-footprint industrial PC and IoT uses such as in-vehicle, retail kiosks and traffic control. Image courtesy of Dell Inc.

The Embedded Box PC 3000 is designed for space-constrained applications, such as traffic control, retail kiosks, automated vending devices and vehicles. It measures 9.5x7x2.5 in. (WxDxH; 240x170x60 mm). Target weight is 4.2 lbs. (1.9 kg) with 6.17 lb. (2.8 kg) maximum. They are powered by Intel’s low-energy, ultra-thin and lightweight Atom family processors. Processor speeds range from 1.33GHz to 1.91GHz, depending on the user-selected model.

The Dell Embedded Box PC 3000 is powered by Intel Atom E3800 series processors backed by up to 8GB of memory. Image courtesy of Dell Inc.

The Embedded Box PC 3000 features include 4GB or 8GB DDR3L type memory and one SATA solid-state drive (SSD) and one m.2 SSD (with interposer) storage options. It supports two simultaneous displays. I/O features include dual Gigabit Ethernet (two RJ-45), four USB 2 and one USB 3 ports, a single 12-bit GPIO (general-purpose input/output) pin and three serial interfaces, RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485, set by BIOS. Wireless connectivity includes Mini PCIe, WiFi, WLAN+BT-LE and WWAN. Optional connectivity includes mesh networking, CAN bus and Bluetooth (via WLAN).

Dell describes the Embedded Box PC 5000 as designed for performance and I/O scalability. It comes with two PCI/PCIe card slots for additional functionality and provides high-bandwidth for IPC and IoT use cases such as multi high-definition video streaming apps and high frequency sensor data sources as well as manufacturing and automation control, telecom and datacom.

The Embedded Box PC 5000 is powered by the user’s choice of Intel Core i3, i5, i7 or Celeron processors. It supports from 4GB to 16GB of memory, and its two PCI/PCIe card slots provide for added functionality. Image courtesy of Dell Inc.

The Embedded Box PC 5000 is configurable with a 2.4GHz Intel Celeron G3900E, a 2.7GHz Core i3-6100E, a 3.4GHz Core i5-6440EQ or a 3.5GHz Core i7-6820EQ processor. It supports 4GB, 8GB or 16 GB of DDR4 type memory. Features include two SATA SSDs and one m.2 SSD (with interposer) storage options; four USB 2 and four USB 3 ports; a single 16-bit GPIO pin; four serial interfaces; and the same wireless connectivity capabilities as the Embedded Box PC 3000. Capable of supporting three simultaneous displays, the Embedded Box PC 5000 measures 9.5x10.5x4.5 in. (WxDxH; 246 x 270 x 113 mm). Its target weight is 12.79 lbs. (5.8 kg).

“The Dell Embedded Box PC 3000 and 5000 Series based on the 6th generation Intel Core processor family and Intel Atom processor E3800 product family are designed to bridge the data needs of traditional operational technology with the manageability demands of information technology,” said Chet Hullum, general manager of Industrial Solutions at Intel, in a testimonial supplied by Dell. “The result is a solution that meets the needs of industrial and IoT customers.”

In addition to offering the Embedded Box PC 3000 series and 5000 series in single quantities as well as small and large volumes, Dell offers them with OEM (original equipment manufacturer) ready branding and five-year lifecycle options. Pricing for the Embedded Box PC Series starts at $1,099 and $1,699 (USD), according to Dell. To learn more about the Embedded Box PC 3000 Series and 5000 Series, click here.

Download the Dell Embedded Box PC 3000 and 5000 series spec sheet.

Download the Dell Embedded Box PC 3000 and 5000 Series brochure.

See why DE‘s editors selected the Dell Embedded Box PC 3000 and 5000 series as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.