In March 2018, the Raspberry Pi Foundation presented the new 3B+ model. The first models designed for industrial applications are now gradually coming onto the market: after Qube Solutions recently presented its 'PiXtend V2-L' controller, Janz Tec is now following suit with the 'emPC-A/RPI3+' embedded PC and the 'emVIEW-7/RPI3+' 7-inch panel PC.

According to Janz Tec, the outstanding innovation for professional use is the production guarantee of the 3B+ modules until 2023. This means that both embedded systems can be planned for the long term. Another plus point for use in industrial IoT projects is the new Gigabit Ethernet support. Even if the throughput is limited to 300 MBit/s real throughput due to the internal USB 2.0 connection, both computers offer a network connection that is three times faster than their predecessors based on 3B. With the IEEE 802.11ac WLAN standard, both systems now support not only the 2.4 GHz band but also the 5 GHz band.
5 GHz band. According to Janz Tec, the WLAN module, which has already been pre-certified worldwide, can be quickly integrated into your own projects and products. The Bluetooth 4.2 used improves the speed for Bluetooth LE. Compared to the previous models, the data packets are said to be sent two and a half times faster and can contain up to ten times more data. The IPSP (Internet protocol support profile) protocol is also supported, which enables packet exchange via IPv6 packets. Small and low-performance devices, such as sensors and actuators, can now communicate directly with IoT cloud services via the internet. The CPU is installed in an optimized version with clock rates of 4 x 1.4 GHz instead of 4 x 1.2 GHz (RPI 3B).

Further equipment

The other features of the 'emPC-A/RPI3+' and 'emVIEW-7/RPI3+' systems are unchanged compared to their predecessors. For example, the CPU module has been supplemented with a power supply unit that enables connection via 24V.

With their sturdy housings, the industrial PCs have a range of additional interfaces: four USB 2.0 interfaces, a network port and an HDMI port for connecting a monitor, a serial interface (either RS485 or RS232), four digital inputs and outputs, a battery-powered real-time clock and an opto-decoupled CAN interface.

The panel PC contains the electronics of the embedded PC, which has been combined with a 7-inch display in a sturdy metal housing to form a single device. It is designed to offer the right graphics performance for smaller visualizations and control points. The PCAP touchscreen with glass surface has a resolution of 800 x 480 px. Both top-hat rail mounting and VESA drill holes are provided mechanically. A minimal Raspbian Linux is installed as standard on both systems, which supports all existing interfaces. If required, a Codesys runtime environment can be pre-installed.