7 Step Process to Selecting an Industrial Panel PC

Industrial Panel PC is designed to meet the demanding requirements of a typical Industry 4.0 application including exposure to moisture and dust, extreme temperatures, and high shock and vibration. The best Panel PC offers a wide array of connectivity, processing and mounting options and are well suited to any number of human machine interface (HMI), automation or industrial control applications. But the proliferation of Panel PCs means that choosing the best system for your particular project, as well as for the environment in which it will be installed, can be challenging. We’ll walk you through a 7 step process to select the best industrial panel PC solution to meet your requirements.

1) Do you need a Fanless Solution?

Fanless PCs that do not have vents or other openings are a great choice if they are being installed in an area subject to dust and debris. A fanless and ventless solution will keep any airborne particulate out of the internal casing which can lead to performance degradation and often lead to expensive maintenance downtime. Even if the Panel PC is going to be installed in a location where environmental conditions are less of a factor, a fanless Panel PC still maintains the benefit of removing the most common point of failure for most computers – the fan. The end result is a solution with a longer lifecycle which can save you money over the long run. Check out this article to learn more about fanless computing.

2) Capacitive or Resistive Touchscreen?

Industrial Panel PCs come in two distinct touchscreen varieties, capacitive and resistive. The primary difference between the two involves how input is detected. Capacitive touchscreens use the human body’s electrical field to process input, similar to many of today’s smartphones.

Capacitive touchscreens are frequently used for installations that require highly accurate touch sensing or multi-touch capabilities such as pinch to zoom so they are frequently used for kiosks and interactive digital signage.