Industrial Personal Computer (IPC) is a kind of computer system specially designed for industrial environment, which is characterized by high reliability, high stability and high real-time performance. In industrial automation, intelligent manufacturing and other fields, industrial control computer plays an important role. In this paper, we will introduce the hardware composition of the industrial control computer in detail.
I. Overview
The hardware composition of the industrial control computer mainly includes the following parts: motherboard, CPU, memory, hard disk, power supply, input/output devices, expansion cards, chassis and so on. The following will be a detailed introduction to these parts.
II. the motherboard
The role of the motherboard
The motherboard is the core component of the industrial control computer, which connects the computer's various hardware devices, play a coordinating and management role. The performance of the motherboard directly affects the performance of the entire computer system.
Classification of the motherboard
According to the size of the motherboard and interface type, the motherboard of the industrial control computer can be divided into the following categories:
(1) ATX motherboards: larger size, suitable for large industrial control computers.
(2) Micro-ATX motherboards: smaller size, suitable for small and medium-sized industrial control computers.
(3) Mini-ITX motherboards: smallest size, suitable for compact industrial control computers.
The main components of the motherboard
(1) CPU Slot: Used for installing CPU.
(2) Memory Slot: Used for installing memory sticks.
(3) Expansion Slot: Used for installing expansion cards, such as graphics cards, network cards, etc.
(4) Hard disk interface: for connecting hard disk.
(5) I/O Interface: Including USB interface, serial port, parallel port, etc.
(6) Power connector: used to connect the power supply.
(7) BIOS chip: stores the basic input/output system of the motherboard.
(8) Clock chip: used to control the clock signal of the motherboard.
(9) Network chip: used to realize the network communication function.
III. CPU
The role of the CPU
CPU (Central Processing Unit, central processing unit) is the brain of the industrial control computer, responsible for executing program instructions and processing data.
Classification of CPU
According to the architecture and performance of the CPU, the CPU of industrial control computers can be divided into the following categories:
(1) x86 architecture CPUs: such as Intel's Core series, AMD's Ryzen series, and so on.
(2) ARM architecture CPUs: such as NVIDIA's Jetson series, Qualcomm's Snapdragon series, and so on.
(3) MIPS architecture CPUs: such as the Longxin series.
The main performance indicators of CPU
(1) Main Frequency: The clock frequency of CPU, in GHz.
(2) Number of cores: the number of processors inside the CPU.
(3) Cache: High-speed memory inside the CPU for storing instructions and data.
(4) Power Consumption: The amount of power consumed by the CPU during operation.
IV. Memory
The role of memory
Memory is the temporary memory of industrial control computers, used to store running programs and data.
Classification of Memory
According to the type of memory and interface, the memory of industrial control computers can be divided into the following categories:
(1) DDR memory: such as DDR3, DDR4, etc.
(2) SDRAM memory: such as SDRAM, DDR2, etc.
(3) RAMBUS memory: such as RDRAM and so on.
The main performance indicators of memory
(1) Capacity: the size of the memory's storage space, in GB.
(2) Frequency: the operating frequency of the memory, in MHz.
(3) Timing: The delay time of the memory, in CL.
(4) Voltage: The operating voltage of the memory.
V. Hard Disk
The role of hard disk
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) is the permanent memory of industrial control computers, used to store operating systems, applications and data.
Classification of Hard Disk Drive
According to the interface and performance of the hard disk, industrial control computer hard disk can be divided into the following categories:
(1) SATA hard disk: such as 7200 rpm, 5400 rpm, etc.
(2) SSD hard disk: such as NVMe, SATA interface SSD and so on.
(3) HDD hard disk: such as enterprise-class, desktop-class, etc..
The main performance indicators of hard disk
(1) Capacity: the size of the storage space of the hard disk, in TB.
(2) Speed: the rotation speed of the hard disk, in RPM.
(3) Cache: the cache memory of the hard disk, in MB.
(4) Interface type: such as SATA, SAS, etc.
VI. Power Supply
The role of the power supply
Power supply (Power Supply Unit, PSU) is the energy supply equipment for industrial control computers, responsible for converting the incoming alternating current (AC) to the direct current (DC) required by the computer.
Classification of power supplies
According to the power and interface of the power supply, the power supply of industrial control computers can be divided into the following categories:
(1) ATX power supply: suitable for ATX motherboards.
(2) Micro-ATX power supply: applicable to Micro-ATX motherboards.
(3) Mini-ITX power supply: applicable to Mini-ITX motherboards.
Main Performance Indicators of Power Supplies
(1) Power: The output power of the power supply in W.
(2) Efficiency: The energy conversion efficiency of the power supply.
(3) Certification: such as 80 PLUS certification.
(4) Interface: e.g. 24pin, 8pin, etc.