Industry Automation｜Solutions

Robust Operation in Extended Temperature and Voltage Environments

Industrial-grade motherboards are designed with extended temperature ranges required for industrial automation. DFI conducts thermal testing for each product at each step of the production process. With a temperature range of -40ºC to 85ºC, DFI’s Mini-ITX products significantly reduce failure rates during operation in extreme environmental conditions. Motherboards need to be able to operate not only in extreme temperatures but also across a wide range of voltages. Unstable, incorrect or transient supply voltages may damage electronic components or cause a system shutdown. Addressing these problems, DFI’s industrial-grade motherboards support wide voltage ranges (9~36V) — one of the most robust in the embedded industry — offering clients the opportunity to develop fault resilient automated equipment.

Complete Line of Industrial-Grade Motherboards for Automation

DFI offers a wide variety of board-level products including Pico-ITX, 3.5” and 4.5” SBC, Mini-ITX, microATX, and ATX to EATX for a full range of automation applications. DFI can also supply off-the-shelf or customized design products. Many industrial automation applications, including machine vision, robotics, and MES systems, require high computing performance, security, fast data transfer rates and a breadth of flexible I/O. Other factory automation solutions strive for low-power consumption, reliability and cost-effectiveness. With DFI’s complete industrial-grade motherboard line, clients can choose from a wide variety of processors, form factors, I/O and other specifications. Clients can even develop their own customized solution leveraging DFI’s in-house expertise.

High Reliability and Custom Design Support

As we enter the new age of industrial automation, billions of machines are connected via the Internet. They perform tasks efficiently and collaboratively at high speeds. To keep our customers competitive, DFI understands that businesses are seeking high reliability in extreme operating environments. Responding to these needs, DFI continues to develop System-On-Module products, which are targeted at decentralized industry 4.0 networks. This module series takes full advantage of the cost/performance curve, I/O interfaces and power capabilities of the latest Intel and AMD processor technology. It delivers high-level performance, offers flexible module options, comes with 10-15 year product availability, and provides the ultimate durability needed for industrial applications that operate in critical environments. To help our customers get to market faster and lower development costs, DFI also offers custom design support to help with in-house carrier board design and complete design services to assist customers who require an application-specific carrier board for their differentiating mezzanine card.

Protective Coating Technology for Critical Industrial Environments

Industrial equipment working in factories are sometimes exposed to extreme conditions including extreme temperatures, chemicals, humidity, dust and other environmental conditions that can interrupt system operation. To satisfy the industrial applications that demand embedded computing performance with increased durability and reliability, DFI offers conformal coating for improved electromagnetic interference immunity and protection against corrosion, humidity, and dust. A conformal coating is a protective chemical material which conforms to the contours of a printed circuit board. The coating shields sensitive electronic components within the PCB and protects against moisture, dust, salt, and corrosion caused by extreme environments. It not only supports excellent dielectric properties, but also enhances system reliability and stability and extends the working life of the PCB.

Embedded Systems for Machine Vision

Factory automation facilities continue to automate manual processes on the shop floor. Machine vision has become industrial automation’s new lens, especially in critical environments and high-speed mass production. The use of machine vision and its precise quality control helps to increase production capacity and decrease costs. The core of a machine vision system is an industrial-grade camera capturing high-resolution images. The computer detects defects and makes decisions about inspection and process control. To improve image analysis and shorten response-time, the machine vision system controller requires powerful processing capabilities and versatile connectivity.

DFI’s embedded system series based on the latest Intel CPUs is an ideal processor in a machine vision system. It comes with high image processing performance and multiple expansion slots for graphics cards or capture cards. It also supports a range of environments with active-cooling and fanless models serving a range of power consumption requirements. For machine vision, a popular configuration includes PoE ports and high-speed USB 3.0 for cameras. Also, the power input supports an extended voltage range (9-36V) for factory automation environments. DFI offers a complete embedded product portfolio serving a wide array of industrial and machine vision applications.

Industrial All-in-One Panel PC Designed for HMI

The Human Machine Interface (HMI) is an electronic product that enablesinteraction and communication between human operators and industrial equipment. An HMI includes variable connected ports to communicate with a wide range of devices and a TFT panel with a touch screen interface, where operators can set equipment parameters and monitor operational conditions and data collection. DFI has been dedicated to developing and manufacturing a series of all-in-one Panel PCs, integrating a reliable industrial PC and an operator-touch panel, to fulfill a wide range of HMI requirements in manufacturing and process automation.

The Panel PCs support IP65 waterproof front panel protection and a 7H hardness surface to prevent accidental scratches from sharp tools. With multi-touch capability, resistive touch and advanced projected capacitive touch technology, enabling operators to control and touch the computers with rubber gloves in factories, the reliable all-in-one series delivers mechanical robustness and resistance to water, dust, and moisture. The DFI Panel PC series serves as the perfect HMI for industrial applications in harsh environments.