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How Do Battery Energy Storage Systems Enhance Industrial Sustainability?

Where would we be without energy? Our world relies on it. This means that energy consumption is at an all-time high, making it a bigger concern today than ever. With new, energy-intensive technologies like AI becoming commonplace, it begs the question of how we can mitigate our constant use of non-r...

How MOXA and IEC 62443 Assure Cybersecurity

IEC 62443-4-2 is a standard within the IEC 62443 series, which addresses cybersecurity for Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS). Specifically, IEC 62443-4-2 defines the technical security requirements for IACS components. IEC 62443-4-2 works in conjunction with IEC 62443-4-1, which focu...

Navigating NIS2: The Significance of Cybersecurity in OT Networks

Industrial computing devices and embedded systems are becoming increasingly interconnected as part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 initiatives. This connectivity brings numerous benefits, such as improved efficiency, predictive maintenance, and data-driven insights. Howe...

Windows 11 IoT Licence Policies Explained

Since 1985, Microsoft has been releasing and regularly updating its Windows operating system to coincide with the evolving needs of its users. Used from personal devices to enterprise systems and more, the history of releases includes milestone updates such as the addition of the Start menu and task...

Mind the Gap: How Embedded Computing Bridges the Distance Between Tracks and Technology

Modern railways are seeing enhanced efficiency, safety, and overall performance of daily operations thanks to the continuous advancements in technology. At the heart of its ongoing progression is the use of embedded PCs. Compact computing systems drive the railway industry towards new levels of auto...

Edge or Cloud: Which Computing Paradigm Should You Choose?

Both Edge and Cloud computing are computing paradigms that involve data processing and storage. While these two different approaches can be used for differing needs in the landscape of technology, it’s also possible to take a hybrid approach—choosing between these approaches depends on f...

What are the Benefits of Using an Efficient Power Supply?

The power supply, often overlooked despite being the beating heart of a computer system, is not just an essential piece of equipment. Utilising an efficient power supply can also lead to cost-cutting measures and contribute to environmental sustainability, both of which are significant topics that a...

How GMSL cameras can enhance the use of AI applications

What is GMSL? GMSL and GMSL2 (Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link) are multi-purpose, low-power interfaces for transmitting high-speed, high-resolution video, power, and bidirectional control data over coaxial cable or single twisted pair, which makes them ideal for many industrial and embedded imaging ...

Windows 11 IoT Enterprise 22H2– What you need to know.

Microsoft have released the first version of Windows 11 IoT Enterprise which is based on the 22H2 release of Windows 11. Not to be confused with LTSC, Windows 11 IoT Enterprise retains some well-known IoT features whilst introducing some new bells and whistles. We hope this will give those engineers...

Jetson Orin vs AGX Xavier

Nvidia Jetson AGX Orin is the latest addition to the popular line of Nvidia Jetson modules and brings superb enhancements in performance for Edge AI applications.

Top 5 Industrial Computing and IoT Products of 2021

It’s been a tough year for industrial computing manufacturers. The global IC shortage has impacted lead times for established product lines and has caused significant challenges for new product development. Nevertheless our manufacturing partners have been busy releasing a steady flow of innov...

The Price of your Industrial Computer System in 2022

For system integrators and OEMs who use industrial computers or IIoT devices in their systems it’s a safe bet that many will have seen price increases in their supply chain recently.

5 Examples of Embedded Computers

An Embedded Computer is a PC that is designed into another machine, device, or enclosure to form part of a complete unit. From the simple control of a roadside sign, to rolling-stock error logging on a national rail network, Embedded Computers are as versatile as their applications are varied. Their...

MXM GPUs Bring Intelligent Video Analytics to the Edge

Imagine a rail operator sitting behind a bank of monitors overseeing a level crossing, or a team of security professionals in an airport checking for abandoned bags. Video Analytics have been around for over half a century, but what is changing is the way that the video is analysed.

An Overview of M.2 Sockets and Modules

It’s been eight years since Intel launched the M.2 expansion form factor, introduced as the successor to the Mini PCIe specification, but anyone in the industrial and commercial computing sectors could be forgiven for not knowing exactly what features actually define an M.2 socket. Here we loo...

What Wi-Fi 6 Brings to the Industrial Sector

Take a moment to cast your mind back to the 20th of September 1997. Most would struggle to remember what they did on that particular date, but what is certain is that none of your activities on that day involved Wi-Fi. It wasn’t until the very next day that the new era of wireless communicatio...

Windows 11 and Embedded Systems – What You Should Know

If you’re reading this after October 5th 2021, then Microsoft’s new Windows 11 operating system should be available to download. Except for long-term service channel releases (LTSC), it will be a free upgrade for existing Windows 10 users (which may go some way to explaining why the lea...

How Smart Buildings Are Paving the Way to Cleaner Cities

When it comes to clean energy and reductions in global emissions, most eyes turn to the transport industry, with some cities promising combustion engine-free centres within the decade. Cities across the world, however, currently house half the population, with over 4bn people living in urbanised are...

5 Reasons System Integrators Choose Professional-grade GPUs Over Consumer-grade

While it’s not possible to process the most complex AI functions at the edge, modern GPUs have enabled embedded computer systems to operate multiple sensors and cameras to efficiently perform inference right at the edge, minimising latency between input and action — a vital step forward ...

What is an embedded computer?

An embedded computer/embedded PC is a dedicated computer system that forms an integral part of a larger machine or system. In contrast to an ordinary desktop computer, an embedded computer is generally designed or purposed for a single purpose. Where enterprise IT equipment in a manufacturing enviro...

Choosing an embedded single board computer

For product and project managers who own their entire product lifecycle, an Embedded Single Board Computer is just one element, albeit a critical one, in the world of spinning plates that is bringing an electronic product to life. With so many options on the market — different manufacturers t...

The Implications of TSMC's Global Chip Shortage

You may not have heard the name TSMC, but the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is working around the clock to help manufacturing and technology companies around the world recover from a global chip shortage, the effects of which has been felt for some time and not just in the industrial co...

Supporting Legacy Embedded Systems

One request we get quite often at Impulse, is whether we can support older, legacy applications. There are typically a few reasons why legacy systems can't be simply upgraded to the latest hardware technologies: the software was written in a particular programing language or for a particular ope...

Choosing the correct SSD for your application

Choosing the correct Solid State Drive (SSD) for your industrial or embedded computing application is key to maintaining a successful, reliable installation. Industrial and embedded computing applications are as varied as they are complex, but fortunately this variation is also reflected in the mult...

How can you secure your OT network?

In December of 2015, at 3:30pm, workers of the Prykarpattyaoblenergo control centre, an electricity distribution outlet for the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Western Ukraine, were preparing to wrap up their day and head home for the evening. That was until one particular worker, who was tidying his desk...

Why choose an industrial-grade network switch?

Environment, environment, environment. This is the key difference between the design aspects and considerations of an industrial network switch, vs those of their enterprise or commercial counterparts. Enterprise-grade hardware is more often than not designed to operate in a specific environment. ...

Top 5 industrial computing and IoT products of 2020

With the sheer number of products being distributed through our device supply service, along with industrial computers and embedded systems custom-built and configured in our dedicated ESD-protected workshop, our Design Engineers and Network Specialists get to experience a myriad of technologies and...

Can you use any SIM card in an edge computer?

Can you use any SIM card in an edge computer? Both our Network Specialists and Industrial Computing Engineers get asked this same question on almost a weekly basis. The short answer to this question is “yes”. The long answer is more complicated, and laced with caveats, but when boiled do...

5 Ways Manufacturing is Turning to the Digital Age

Digitising industry is nothing new, but manufacturing is one area which has appeared to lag behind the rest when it comes to moving to the digital world. But now, according to Forbes, the majority of “manufacturing executives” are tuning into the concept. However, according to the same s...

UK in 5th place in the autonomous vehicle race

A report released this week shows that the UK is in 5th place in the race for driverless cars.

Using IP69K Devices in Food Manufacture

Some of the UK's largest food manufacturers are already using our waterproof stainless panel computers in their manufacturing processes.

How to install Node-RED on an IIoT Gateway

Node-RED is a simple yet powerful flow-based programing tool that allows you to collect data from new and legacy sensors, field devices and data points via a RISC or X86 computer platform, across all industries and application areas, and send relevant information to local and cloud dashboards and re...

What is Node-RED?

Node-RED is an open-source programming tool, for connecting hardware devices, APIs and online services creatively and easily. Primarily, it is a visual tool designed for the Internet of Things, but can also be used for other applications to very quickly assemble flows of various services.

Using computers in industrial applications can be challenging... here's why.

Industrial computers have come a long way since IBM first released their 5531 industrial PC in the early 1980s.

USB - Choosing the right bus in Automation

Ubiquity in electronics can be defined by a variety of components, from PCBs to CPUs, many of which emerge for a time, some of which were developed decades ago and remain fundamental to this day. Universal Serial Bus, or USB, debuted in 1995, and has since developed into perhaps the most popular I/O...

Top trends that will define intelligent manufacturing in 2019

Since the start of the first industrial revolution, manufacturing seems to have been the driving force in pushing industrial transformation forward. Today, we are in the middle of the fourth industrial revolution, with a new generation of technologies transforming manufacturing into a connected, int...

What is an Industrial IoT Gateway?

Industrial IoT Gateways enable wireless connectivity of legacy and remote industrial devices with next-generation intelligent infrastructure.

Advantech's LoRa sensors aid cold chain management solutions

An international hypermarket chain in Taiwan required a solution that would help ensure the quality of their frozen and refrigerated foods in order to meet the key objective for the store to remain compliant with the county administrators food supply chain requirements to ‘protect from the ris...

6 IoT trends and predictions that you’ll want to hear about in 2019

Once considered a niche technology for start-ups, is now made up of thriving technology that global businesses are building their futures on. The IoT has quite literally changed the way we live, and with more advances in technology on the horizon, this top 6 is merely the tip of the iceberg.  ...

Workforce challenges solved with Industry 4.0 technologies

Are you struggling to recruit for manufacturing roles that you once found straightforward to fill? Many people believe manufacturing jobs are disappearing, yet Forbes report that the struggle may lie in the skills gap, rather than in manufacturing unemployment as a whole.