Technology has been on a constant track of exponential advancement. The very first Industrial PC that was invented was the Panel PC. The invention was introduced in the 19080s. The panel PC was also able to connect with machines directly.

Industrial PCs are no different than your commercial PCs. They share similar characteristics in several ways. The two PCs process their data in the same way. They share the same schematics and components such as network interface, RAM memory, storage, performance, microprocessors and CPU. 

The only thing that sets them apart is that commercial PCs are how much they can withstand harsh environments. Industrial PCs are built to last through environments such as extreme dust, vibration, temperature, humidity and power surges. Commercial PCs are just not designed for this. 

Industrial PC providers ensure that their clients are assigned with PCs that are specific to their environment, functionalities and applications. There are many different types of industrial PCs that fit into these specifications.

Types of Industrial PCs

Embedded PCs

These PCs are also known as box PCs. Embedded PCs are usually compact and are built in such a way that they can be rail mounted. The beneficial feature of this type of PC is its modularity. They can be integrated easily with the I/O. Plus, it can be integrated easily with other terminals that are present in a control cabinet. If you are looking for some of these PCs, check out Embedded Industrial PC Malaysia. 

Rack PCs 

These PCs are usually known to come in a slightly larger size then embedded PCs. Other than that, they also are not designed to be rail mounted. Rack PCs can be commonly found in industrial server applications. Here, their installations provide an extra level of data security, since they are highly durable. 

Panel PCs

Panel PCs are known to be a cross between a Control Panel or HMI and an Industrial PC. These PCs are all-in-one-devices. They are usually found in applications that have costa and space constraints. A majority of these PCs now come with touch screens. So, these PCs are needed where visuals are a main feature and it is needed near or directly on the machine. 

Monitors, Client and Tablets

These PCs are all basically the same thing. They are terminals that are utilized for running applications. Plus, these applications could have a fifty-fifty chance of affecting the automation functions. To illustrate, these terminals can be used to extract statistics and reporting, so that operation planning and maintenance can be continued. On top of that, compared to traditional PCs,  these PCs have an improved durability and ruggedness to them. 

There is another advantageous feature of these terminals. They have Windows-based visualization and PC-based tools. These tools come in handy as they are flexible with connecting with other protocols that are compatible with the operating system. 

So, if you are planning to purchase a new PC for your industry, you should conduct more research. There are various other PCs that may suit your needs.