Inspection of water pipes using CompactPCI blue box
Embedded systems for marine, mining, agriculture, construction and other extreme environments must be robust, reliable and durable to withstand harsh outdoor and industrial environments.
Modular solutions with CompactPCI-Serial and robust Box PCs provide flexible and scalable platforms, enabling easy customization while providing a robust and reliable base.
In the maritime sector, for example, embedded systems must be resistant to salt water, vibration and shock in order to withstand the conditions at sea. In the mining and construction industries, they must be able to withstand extreme temperatures, dust and moisture. In agriculture, on the other hand, they must be robust against shocks, vibrations and various weather conditions.
The flexibility of modular embedded systems makes it possible to develop customized solutions for specific requirements, be it for engine control in ships, monitoring machines in mines or controlling agricultural machinery in the field. Overall, embedded systems contribute significantly to efficiency, safety and reliability – even under the most extreme conditions.
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EKF Services for Embedded Systems in Extreme Environments
Robustness and Vibration Safety
In extreme environments products are often subject to strong vibrations and shocks. The plug connections and the mechanical structure of embedded systems must therefore be particularly robust in order to ensure reliable operation even under these conditions.
EKF supplies identical functions with M12 connectors for data and power supply especially in extreme environments. Rotating parts are also avoided as far as possible. Interfaces are mechanically secured, e.g. heat sink connections or data lines between circuit boards.
If required, all products can be provided with a protective finish, e.g. AVR80 protective coating. We rely on experienced partners for the coating. At EKF, coating involves both sealing and underfilling in order to protect PCBs and components from harsh environmental conditions. In extreme environmental conditions, these can be completely different, from high air pressure or temperature differences to strong vibrations.
Temperature Resistance
Embedded systems in extreme environments must be able to cover a wide range of temperature extremes, as they are used in both summer and winter under different weather conditions.
The boards comply with the extended temperature range of -40 to +85°C environmental temperature. The boards and system solutions are verified in our own temperature test chambers. Flammability up to hazard level 3 is achievable and is inspected by an accredited laboratory as a standard.
Compact Design
In many areas, limited space is an issue. Compact designs of embedded systems, including connectors, are essential to facilitate integration in limited spaces.
The 19” technology leads to a large pack size for the mechanical structure, while CompactPCI Serial speeds up the electrical side to PCIe performance via independent interfaces. The combination results in a compatible solution. High and complex data rates naturally demand careful design to support power consumption, but also to ensure heat dissipation. Since EKF has been providing 19” technology on various backplane standards for decades, many details about pitfalls and traps have been learned.
EMC Protection (electromagnetic compatibility)
Electronics in extreme environments can be exposed to various types of electrical and electromagnetic interference. For this reason, the plug connections and the mechanical structure are designed to provide ideal electromagnetic shielding.
To ensure a reliable basis, the boards are designed in such a way that they can receive various certifications. EKF is ready to support the certification process.
Coating, Sealing, Underfilling
If required, the products can be finished with a protection coat. Depending on the area of application, this may be necessary due to harsh environmental conditions.
At EKF, coating means both sealing and underfilling to protect PCB and components. We rely on our partners that work with us on finishing.
Long-Term-Availability
In alignment with our commitment to reliability for extreme environments, EKF upholds a life cycle policy that ensures our products remain available as long as the critical components remain accessible. Unlike other providers, we pledge never to discontinue products solely for economic reasons, as we understand the importance of consistent, reliable solutions in extreme settings.
When components are discontinued, EKF leverages reputable sources to secure comparable, high-quality replacements. Additionally, we proactively manage an inventory of critical, end-of-life components to extend product availability whenever possible. Our in-house design ownership and self-operated production line grant us full control, allowing us to adapt to component obsolescence while maintaining the high standards essential for demanding environments.
EKF Use Cases for Extreme Environment Embedded Systems
EKF embedded boards and systems have been utilized in various extreme environment applications for many years. Here is a brief overview of some of our past projects.
Applications in the mining sector such as monitoring or measuring
Traffic monitoring applications such as speed camera control, toll collect bridges or section control
Autonomous driving of industrial construction machinery
Custom System Design
As our product range consists mainly of modular and flexible platform solutions, system design and individual support are key fulfilling our customers’ exact requirements. With our strong Intel Gold partnership we provide always the most current and powerful CPU-Platforms on CompactPCI Serial adding special requirements for e.g. FPGA design, market-specific connectors or mechanical rack design. Modularity through a broad range of side cards is our main competence. We offer you unlimited possibilities to customize your end systems with a wide range of expansion cards for connectors, fieldbuses or communication protocols.
How can we help you?
As these are just examples, you may question yourself, if your requirement would fit in our competencies?
EKF understands itself as a partner at the round desk with our clients, to offer best fits solution for the customer application. We add value during design of your solution, with an open view about possible solutions and recommendations.
Just get in touch and ask for possibilities for your specific custom project!
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