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The Importance of OEM Computer Assembly
For a computer system to perform reliably and efficiently, quality assembly is essential. Even with the latest components, improper handling during assembly can shorten system lifespan and increase the risk of failure in the field. At New Era Electronics, we specialize in OEM computer assembly designed to meet exacting technical requirements and help customers reduce […]
Everything You Need To Know About Burn-In Computer Testing
Burn-in testing is a crucial process used to evaluate the reliability and stability of a computer system before deployment. In other words, it seeks to determine how effectively the computer is working. It involves subjecting a system to normal and accelerated operational and environmental conditions to identify potential failures. This process helps to ensure that […]
Bedside Manner: The Industrial Panel PC in the Medical Sector
Touch-based interfaces, once limited to industrial and high-end enterprise applications, have gradually become more mainstream. Today, touchscreens are ubiquitous. Notably, the medical sector has effectively integrated panel PCs into daily operations. Industrial panel PCs serve multiple roles in healthcare from clinical applications to patient entertainment. While they share similarities with traditional computers, these devices are […]
Technical Guide: How to Choose M.2 Storage
Overview Selecting the correct M.2 storage can be challenging due to the variety of types, sizes, and versions available. This guide explains the key characteristics of M.2 storage and provides a step-by-step process to ensure you choose the right one for your application. Understanding M.2 Storage M.2 is not just additional storage; it’s an expansion […]
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The Importance of OEM Computer Assembly
For a computer system to perform reliably and efficiently, quality assembly is essential. Even with the latest components, improper handling during assembly can shorten system lifespan and increase the risk of failure in the field. At New Era Electronics, we specialize in OEM computer assembly designed to meet exacting technical requirements and help customers reduce […]
Everything You Need To Know About Burn-In Computer Testing
Burn-in testing is a crucial process used to evaluate the reliability and stability of a computer system before deployment. In other words, it seeks to determine how effectively the computer is working. It involves subjecting a system to normal and accelerated operational and environmental conditions to identify potential failures. This process helps to ensure that […]
Supply Chain Considerations to Reduce Industrial Computer Lead Times
Amidst product development, software development, sales, and marketing, supply chain can easily be overlooked. But in many ways, it’s the most important factor in bringing your product to market. It can make or break a project because it all comes down to one simple question: Can you deliver affordably and on time? Reduction of Lead […]
How Industrial PCs Are Different From Regular PCs
Industrial computers are categorized differently from regular PCs because they are specially developed to withstand harsh industrial environments. As well, they are designed to have a longer life-span compared to regular computers. Industrial computers do contain most of the basic components that regular PCs have. Such as CPUs, hard drives, graphic cards and memory. The […]
An introduction to Fanless PC Cooling
Are you wondering if it is possible to keep your PC cool without a fan? Well, thanks to developments in technology and a clever application of physics, it is. Fans used to be an essential component for a computer to function properly, but they can fail at crucial times, forcing you to lose data and […]
OEM/ODM: Where does ROI come from?
Image Credit: Flickr/ EpicTop10.com In the past, we’ve talked about what OEM/ODM really means, and ways it can benefit your company–including a higher overall return on investment and the ability to design your hardware and software packages to your company’s particular specifications. But you might be wondering where exactly that higher ROI comes from. The […]
What are the Benefits of Using OEM Technology?
OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) technology is a commonly used term in the field of industrial computers to refer to high-quality and cost-effective computer equipment available for purchase that is intended to be built into a larger product. The purchasing party is receiving these OEM parts and recombining them with other technology, to create an original […]
What are OEM/ODM computer services?
If you’ve been keeping up with industrial computers long enough, chances are you’ve heard the terms OEM and ODM at least once. However, understanding how these services differ and what they are used for is usually broader and more complicated than it seems. So what are the difference between OEM and ODM and the services […]
What Is a 3.5 inch Motherboard?
Most tech consumers are familiar with the ATX, Micro ATX and even Mini ITX form factors that proliferate the computer market. But once you step off the cozy platform of consumer computers and into the world of Industrial and OEM computers, you are bound to be hit by form factors and pieces of tech that […]
How AI Voice Technology Can Impact Industrial Computing – Part 2
Industrial Applications for AI While research into artificial intelligence (AI) has been going on for a few decades and there have been several breakthroughs, now is the time that it will explode into industrial workplaces. Google’s and Amazon’s research facilities are humming along making great strides in the application of AI technology for lifestyle management […]
How AI Voice Technology Can Impact Industrial Computing – Part 1
AI in Lifestyle Management Apple introduced artificial intelligence (AI) voice technology in the form of its personal assistant, Siri, over five years ago. Apple has since incorporated Siri in all its devices including iPhones, smart watches and Mac devices. Since then competition has got hotter, with other providers upping their game to provide serious rivalry […]
Four Industries That Will Be Changed by Virtual Reality
Potential is no longer limited to the reality we live in. Virtual reality is the way ahead for so many industries and businesses. What started as a concept that many thought was clunky and gimmicky, or was limited to the realm of sci-fi, now stands side-by-side with the IoT as the most exciting modern advancement […]
VR Has Arrived and It’s Here to Stay
VR (Virtual Reality) has arrived and it’s here to stay… or rather it’s been here for a while. Over the decades it’s tried to break out of the realm of mere concept and “sci-fi” several times, usually by a single company using the term “virtual reality” as a gimmick to sell some product. But that […]
The Mini-PC: So Small, Yet So Many Uses
Over the past year, we’ve seen the rise of the mini-PC, a device with the processing power of a regular PC but far smaller in size. Many mini-PCs on the market can fit into the palm of your hand. And recent Quark processors from Intel are as small as an SD card. Remarkable. Revolutionary. The […]
The Coming Revolution of the Ultra-Compact Form Factor Computer
Ultra-compact form factor technology is starting a revolution. Humans have always loved technology that becomes more compact, yet smarter, more powerful and more flexible. This super-small technology is promising to make regular desktop computers, and even some laptops and portable devices, obsolete. For starters, ultra-compact form factor computers are drastically decreasing the space businesses and […]
Common Mistakes DIY PC Builders Should Avoid
Building your own PC can be an exhilarating challenge. Putting together a machine that performs exactly the way you design is a process that takes time and perseverance, but should ultimately be rewarding. The journey of learning and innovating may even lead to a career in the specialist electronics field. However, many DIY PC builders […]
Five Software Development Considerations for Embedded Systems
Embedded systems are always unique and customized for the functions and services they perform. When designing and programming software for embedded systems, development teams must carefully consider all options to ensure the product meets exacting specifications. They need to comprehensively review development options and determine how best to optimize their embedded systems to meet functionality […]
A Custom Build Computer Hobby Could Kickstart Your Electronics Career
Some of the greatest innovations of our time have occurred because of people studying and customizing computers. The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs built his first personal computer from spare parts sent by William Hewlett of Hewlett & Packard. Or when creating the first Star Wars movie, the team at Industrial Light & Magic had […]
Features to Consider for Customized Embedded Boards
Industrial processes and applications continue to become more specialized and sophisticated. Furthermore, future technologies are rendering many off-the-shelf, stand-alone single board computers (SBC) expensive and/or unable to adapt. This is where customized embedded boards can be the simpler and more cost effective solution for large-scale operations. Embedded boards are widely in use in a wide […]
Benefits of Sourcing Computer Parts from OEM Distributors
Continuous innovation in the electronics industry means businesses are constantly sourcing computer parts to upgrade or replace obsolete systems. Large industrial and small commercial companies rely on their electronic hardware for their day-to-day operations—every task, large and small, is essential for the quality of their products and services. Therefore, businesses benefit from using dedicated OEM […]
Liquid Crystal Display (Thin Film Transistor) TFT Technology
Liquid Crystal Display Thin Film Transistor – LCD TFT Technology Displays Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Displays or TFT LCD is an active matrix LCD as opposed to the non TFT variant which is passive. LCD came on the scene in the late sixties further to developments by RCA. Optel Corporation provided the first application […]
Micro-ATX vs Mini-ITX: The Embedded Story
What are the pros and cons for Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX for embedded and industrial applications? For consumer desktop and enterprise applications, it’s almost a no brainer to go for a Micro-ATX or ATX. In embedded applications, things tend to lean more to the Mini-ITX side of things. Let’s take a look at why that may […]
What Makes Embedded Systems Different?
In a recent blog, we posed the question “What is the real difference between an embedded system and a regular consumer system?”. The most important difference that was highlighted in that blog was that embedded systems have long lifecycles ranging from 3-7 years. Explaining why that was necessary for many embedded applications. This isn’t the […]
Embedded Systems vs Consumer Systems: What’s the real difference?
If you’ve worked in the industrial computing industry for any length of time, there is one question that is bound to have come up at one point. “What is an embedded system?” And more importantly, “what is the difference between an embedded system and an ordinary consumer system?” It’s likely that you’ve even been in […]
Selecting a Mini-ITX board
The Typical Embedded Board When selecting an embedded board to fit a task, or when asked by a customer for an embedded board, 9 times out of 10 it is going to be a Mini-ITX board. There is plenty of reasoning as to why this is the case. First and foremost is the subject of […]
What are Pico – ITX Boards?
The Pico-ITX board is a small sized x86 embedded motherboard that is 10 cm by 7.2 cm. This board carries the processor, cache, memory, a variety of video interfaces and several different I/O. These boards were introduced by VIA Technologies in 2007. Developed by VIA to be up to 75% smaller than the previous mini-ITX […]
Handle It: Wide-Temperature Motherboards and Embedded Computing
The industrial computing world has to react to the needs of its customers, buyers who range from high level database creators to manufacturing designers. Such varying kinds of use-cases can mean wildly different environments that must be endured by devices that need to keep operating as long and as effectively as possible. Typical commercial products […]
The Hotbox: Heat Issues with Mini-ITX Cases
In the industrial computing world, the topic of heat output comes up with such regularity because of the challenges it can bring to a build. Unless a designer is willing to include expensive cooling systems, dissipation remains one of the main issues; plenty of factors come into play when considering the heating issue. Device size […]
Built Tough: Use Cases for Industrial RAM
Can you put your mind in the same space as an engineer? Not only do people in this profession have to complete many years of schooling, but they are constantly thrown into problematic situations requiring ingenuity to solve. It’s essentially a vocation filled with problem solvers; people who look at an issue and use their […]
How an Embedded CPU can use the ARM Architecture
Something that shouldn’t be underestimated when creating embedded machines is the need for a strong processor. There are a whole suite of components that a developer or OEM needs to concentrate on, but most are not as important as the CPU. Understanding what power demands are allotted for the overall product and what it has […]
AEC-6613 Fanless Embedded System Ideal For Demanding Environments
The AEC-6613 Fanless Embedded System is an all-around good product that is a suitable fit for the majority of applications. Its low power, fanless, design makes it especially ideal for more demanding environments where temperatures can pose an issue. The AEC-6613 can be optimally used in the following applications: In-vehicle, Multimedia Digital signage Tip: Pair […]
From Old to New: The Need for Evolution in Single Board Computers
Military designers must hold one of the most frustrating vocations in the tech field. They may have a seemingly infinite number of resources and get to play with some of the latest and most interesting technology in the world, but they also have to deal with an inherent problem baked into the industry. Military technology […]
Using Linux to Help Build Your Own Computer
Previously, we looked at the importance of choosing a good OS. More specifically, that blog talked about the Windows Embedded platform, an operating system tailor-made for industrial systems, and one that provides a great deal of the functionality that these machines need. It works extremely well on the hardware and can be considered an industry […]
Call Me Haswell: The Newest CPU in Computer Components
If there is one thing you can bet on in the technology world, especially in computing, it’s that the upcoming best component is always on the horizon. The constant march of progress has very little chance of stopping, which means that hardware manufacturers are always going to be thinking of the next revolution and “flashpoint” […]
Withstanding: NEMA Ratings and the Rugged System
A quick experiment: think about some of the industrial computers that a company uses for their everyday functions. Where is that electronic device being placed? Is it used indoors, on a dusty warehouse floor? Or is it exposed to the elements in challenging outdoor environments? The real poser is: how do you know that the […]
Discover a Great Supplier for Your Embedded System Projects
In the entire business world, networking is touted as one of the most important aspects of success. Knowing that right person who can provide your business with the best information or product at exactly the right time can be key to ensuring that your company progresses and reaches its next evolution. Networking can be a […]
The (Technological) Big Guns: Finding the Supreme Full Size CPU Card
In retrospect, power can be awe-inspiring. When charting the advancement of technology in the last thirty years, the industry has increased processing power, graphical capability, and storage space by at least thirty fold. Size requirements for supercomputers have shrunk to handheld devices, and the modern cellphone can handle just about every function of a full […]
Machine Behind the Reels: The Basics of Gaming Computers
Stepping into any casino these days, you will be confronted by the bright flashing lights and ringing, jingling sounds that constantly fill the entire space. Walking around the slot machine or video poker section offers an absolute ton of games to tantalize you and your wallet, ranging from traditional-style three reel slots to high end, […]
Small in all the Right Ways: The Mini-ITX Motherboard in Industrial Computing
When delving into the computing world, trying to develop an embedded system presents companies with a unique problem when considering which direction to go in with their design. What exactly does the device need to achieve? How can they balance the need for computing power with the machine’s overall cost? The answers to these questions […]
20,000 Leagues: The Necessity of Waterproof Industrial Computers
Embedded computers are prevalent across the industrial sector, which means that many different businesses and organizations use these products. Depending on what a particular industry needs, the embedded system may often find itself in less than optimum conditions. An example use case is water quality research; almost the entirety of the field researchers’ work is […]
For the Uninitiated: What is an Industrial PC?
In the industrial sector, we sometimes neglect the larger questions that get us talking in the first place. How can we dissect the necessary components of a PC-104 board or the benefits of an SSD hard drive in an embedded system, without first addressing the larger question of an industrial PC? It may seem like […]
An Open & Shut Case: Explaining Ingress Protection for PC Cases
When approaching the subject of an embedded computer, every single component holds importance and can mean the difference between a proper functioning machine and a machine that either fails completely, or is rife with bugs. One such component that can be quite easy to overlook is the chassis or the pc case. Then again, this […]
Beat the Heat: Industrial RAM and Wide Temperature Standards
It’s hard to say what computer component can be called the “most necessary.” They all play their particular important roles in ensuring that the entire machine runs well. Processors compute and implement complicated code, hard drives send and retrieve necessary data and programs, motherboards house many of the key components and contain much of the […]
Substance of Life: How Water Quality Testing Interfaces with Embedded Computing
One of the most pressing matters within our world has to do with a substance that currently takes up more than half of our planet. We are surrounded by water, using it on a daily basis both for consumption and industry, and have a terrible track record when taking care of it. In the last […]
Obtaining a Fanless Panel PC
Obtaining a fanless panel PC poses an interesting situation. The reason for this is that there are actually two things that you need to worry about when you’re a manufacturer designing a fanless panel PC. There is the processor, which is the usual part that needs to be given attention in a fanless system. However, […]
What is a COM Express Module?
What is a COM Express Module? That is a very good question. On a survey of OEMs that work in the embedded computing industry by people that work in the field, only about 50% know what this module is, while the other half is left in the dark. With a statistic like that, and when […]
Helping Hand: Can a Distributor Aid in Building a PC?
The multi-tiered process an OEM goes through when creating a new product creates a number of challenges for the engineering team. There may be an overarching idea that guides the design, but many of the minute specifications can hold up development, not to mention the hurdles that follow, such as the acquisition of materials and […]
Build: Environment and Process for Successful Computer Assembly
The golden rule for real estate is “location, location, location.” Understanding the inherent benefits to a space that can be utilized for a particular gain could mean the difference between success and failure. Moving from real estate to industrial computing, knowing the type of space in which your computer will be put together and the […]
One in a Million: The What, How and Why of Custom Built Computers
OEM designers work hard to figure out the specifications necessary to realize their products through months of planning. The next step is to try and create this new machine by looking for a manufacturer that offers an embedded system that fits their precise needs, a process that is sometime almost as challenging as designing the […]
Equipment to Fit Environments: Uses and Needs for a Solid State Flash Disk
It’s common knowledge that computers are no longer confined to the office space. Or, more accurately, perhaps, the office is no longer confined to the prototypical cubicle or workstation. The industrial sectors have carved out their own specific niches in the world of electronics, ones that demand specific factors. These needs range greatly, depending on […]
COMplementing the System: Applications of a COM Express Starter Kit
The time spent designing and implementing a motherboard for a product can be painstaking at best. Troubleshooting and deciding the exact specifications that an OEM’s product will require can be the lynch pins for development, and in some cases, provide the most challenges for designers. Many of the questions surrounding this process pertain to determining […]
A Closer Look at the EPIC Motherboard Standard
Industrial computing is a constantly growing market and one that doesn’t seem to slow down for anything, and this means that there is always a growing need for new innovations within the sector. The mantra of “small, cool running and powerful” seems to be driving some of the options behind creating new standards for embedded […]
Data Storage in a Flash: Similarities and Differences between SSD Hard Drive and Disk On Module SATA
When it comes to hard drives, information is only as powerful as our ability to access it. In a sense, a stockpile of data has its uses, but it is the correlation and aggregation of statistics or files that create its true worth. Getting information quickly is only half the equation. The other side of […]
We Are Watching: Display Monitors in Military Avionics
Information gathering is one of the most important aspects of the modern military. Gaining as much data as possible before making a decision needs to be standard operating procedure for all departments. Collecting information means having eyes and ears on targets, often without detection. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, have become the metaphorical name of […]
Cutting Costs with Creative Embedded System Design
Creativity is not only necessary for innovation in the technological field, but it also helps greatly when growing a company. A truly successful business will look at an opportunity or problem with the same analytical eye to best spin the situation into a gain. This approach applies to OEMs, as well; these companies make deals […]
Qseven vs. COM Express: Battle of the Small but Powerful Embedded Boards
Companies involved in creating industrial computer systems move in one of two directions. Depending on the use case of the buyer, computers will push for the cutting edge of power, which necessitates considerable power and space demands. A range of motherboards fulfill these demands; ranging from Pico-ITX to the almost gargantuan EATX, they utilize the […]
The Secrets to Shipping with Computer Distributors
The goal of almost every business is to maximize profits through smart product acquisition and to sell merchandise for a higher cost. An intelligently run company will always look for practical ways to reduce costs at every stage. The industrial computing world has many of the same economic concerns, as well as some of its […]
Commercial Motherboards in an Industrial Market
When it comes to motherboards, the industrial and commercial sectors do a pretty good job at keeping themselves separate. Even to the point where commercial manufacturers don’t sell industrial motherboards and, conversely, where industrial manufacturers don’t sell commercial motherboards. Industrial motherboard manufacturers just aren’t set up to compete with the likes of ASUS, MSI and […]
Labour Divided: Four Reasons to Consider OEM Computer Assembly
When managing a electronics OEM project, many different factors come into play. It’s like watching a master juggler handling a group of different objects that each present their own unique difficulties, but it doesn’t matter because they all seem to stay up in the air. There is always something that can cause problems, however, no […]
Evolving Military Computing through COM Express
There is a quotation about warfare that says “War never changes.” The philosophical idea behind that statement may be correct, but in the realm of technology, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Military computing is constantly undergoing change. Technological breakthroughs and research into innovative solutions are always on the verge of becoming a reality. […]
Advantages of a Rugged Tablet Computer
Tablets are now a sought after commodity in the electronics trade, with features and functions that can typically replace those of other devices, such as laptops, desktop PCs, MP3 players and, for some models, even a mobile phone. In general, there are three kinds of tablets available on the market: the convertible, the slate, and […]
Benefits of an Embedded Industrial Computer
The embedded industrial computer plays a crucial role in the fields of pharmaceutical, medical, food and service industries, and the military, to name only a few. Here’s a closer look at some of the superior advantages that embedded industrial computers have over their general purpose counterparts. Low Power Functionality – High-grade industrial computers are equipped […]
Building an Embedded Computer
To build, or not to build, that is the question. A trite little play on words, but where the embedded computing industry is concerned that little ad lib really is a question of some interest. So we find ourselves in a situation where we need an embedded computer. We know what the product has to […]
Embedded Computers and Linux
This might come off as a little much, but where OS is concerned, I like to think of Linux as the people’s champion. It’s free, hardly crashes, and it’s completely open source. It was literally born on the internet, made by the people, for the people and it’s still that way today. It’s not my […]
Trends in Embedded Military Systems
Technology is rapidly and undeniably changing the capabilities and various applied uses of equipment and electronic systems. Trends are shaping the future of the embedded system, which is in ever increasing use in the areas of the military and defense, as well as aerospace. Electronic components are a factor on battlefields and in other military […]
Data and Storage: The Importance of Backing Up Files
There is no denying that today’s world has fully embraced the digital age, and that countless data and storage files are primarily kept in computers. However, in the event that a computer crashes or malfunctions, the possibility of the data being wiped out and never recovered again poses a huge threat in data preservation and […]
Barebone Systems: About the Basics
An economical way to acquire a working PC is to buy a barebone computer system. Simply put, barebone systems are partially-built computers with only basic components and parts included. Barebone computer systems come with varying components, on top of the chassis, depending on the distributor and the level of customization desired. Generally, barebone systems will […]
Benefits of Custom Computer Design for the OEM
For most people, there isn’t much discernible difference when it comes to computers, aside from some of the more obvious features, such as storage space, screen size, and the ergonomic capabilities of the keyboard. This is why most branded computers, which have been directly assembled by the companies that make them, come ready to do […]
Computex 2012 Award Winning RTC-700R Tablet Computer
Tablet computers are becoming all the rage, given that they cover some convenient middle ground for those who on occasion do not want to bring a laptop, but would like a bigger electronic companion than a smart phone. Even further, people at construction sites, and other industrial settings are finding the need for just such […]
Providing Distributor Value for the Industrial OEM
In many industries, such as consumer computer software, there are regular channels for the business market, which more or less match an accepted standard that you’d find in most other industries. You have a company that makes the product; they sell it to distributors, who sell it to resellers, who in turn sell it to […]
Commercial and Industrial Boards: Choosing the Right Model
Today’s market offers a wide variety of choices when it comes to the computers that can be used for OEM computing. The most important criteria when it comes to purchasing your own computer would be the efficiency and power to work within the needs of the OEM and industrial applications. Let’s look at some of […]
SLC or MLC: Which Flash Drive Memory is Best for You?
Finding a good SSD flash drive memory is dependent on the particular use that you have in mind for the memory storage. These days there are two types of storage spaces: the SLC and the MLC. For consumers who aren’t familiar with the technicalities of certain storage disks, cost is the most obvious and easiest […]
Understanding the Different Industrial Motherboards
With the need to cope with demands for advances in industrial motherboard computing systems, a wide variety of industrial motherboards are now available in today’s market. For use in desktop and rack mount computers the general choices are ATX system boards and micro ATX motherboards, depending on your computing needs. Advantages of Industrial Motherboards over […]
Factors to Consider for Computer on Modules
Small form factor PC solutions within an integrated single-board computer fall under the category of computer-on-modules. As an embedded computer that is based on a single circuit board, the computer-on-module allows for core functionality on a customized setting. This allows engineers to design features that would cater to different applications, all embedded into the carrier […]
Understanding the System of EPIC Boards
Single board computers have multiple uses and continue to evolve to better serve today’s fascination with and dependence upon technology. With the current developments and modifications of single board computers, many options are available. Remarkably, we can now find single board computers that will fit in a device as small as a coin. From a […]