Embedded in industrial automation

Evolve your automation applications to get ready
for the fully automated ‘lights-out’ factory

Embedded in your success

[ Computer-on-Modules | Single-Board-Computers | Customized Boards ]

High-performance ecosystems for industrial automation

We deliver a leading Computer-on-Module ecosystem for your individual demands

Artificial intelligence (AI), industrial IoT (IIoT), 5G, and advanced sensing with exponentially growing data rates are some of the hottest new trending technologies today. They are enablers for global megatrends and have the potential to be massive disruptors for industrial automation as powerful edge and cloud computing solutions will accelerate the evolvement from Industry 4.0 to the fully automated ‘lights-out’ factory. To create such solutions for all automation levels, companies do not only require high-performance hardware but a whole ecosystem to develop solutions with highest flexibility, reliability, and agility.  


With our high-performance ecosystem for industrial automation systems, you can

Accelerate time to market

by concentrating on your core competencies and leaving the embedded computing technology to congatec’s Computer-on-Module ecosystem. Our Computer-on-Modules are application-ready, pre-integrating all the complex components like CPU, GPU, memory, Ethernet, and further PC functions. Customization to specific needs is done via an easy-to-design carrier board. Additional design-in, pre-qualification, and software services from congatec boost performance and speed up your time to market further. 

Explore our Computer-on-Module portfolio:

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Make your applications smarter

by integrating powerful AI capabilities. Modular designs provide scalability and flexibility to implement exactly the AI inference required by your application. This can be achieved by deploying powerful COM-HPC and COM Express modules with massive core counts and integrated AI engines. In addition, dedicated AI accelerators such as GPGPUs or FPGAs can be easily integrated on the carrier board. For applications with strictly limited power budgets, Arm based SMARC modules with neural processing units (NPUs) are an ideal fit. 

Improve reliability & maintenance cost

by deploying our energy-efficient Computer-on-Modules specifically developed for harsh environmental conditions. They offer support for the industrial temperature range from -40°C to +85°C and come with high resistance against shock and vibrations. Together with powerful passive cooling solutions, they enable fully sealed systems with high IP ratings. Consequently, automation systems can operate in the most demanding industries, including mining, oil & gas, food & beverage, and even in hazardous areas and Ex zones. 

Improve business outcomes

with our dedicated Board Management Controller (BMC) to handle business-critical operating data. Moreover, by integrating a dedicated IIoT gateway via system consolidation using the hypervisor from Real-Time Systems, it is possible to transfer these and all other relevant data to your IT. This is important for machine monitoring and management as well as real-time analytics to make more informed decisions and optimize operations to improve business outcomes. It even enables new business models such as predictive maintenance or device-as-a-service. 

Gain agility, be ready for the future

by implementing reliable upgrade paths to keep your applications always up to date. With a simple module exchange you can implement more performance, improve power efficiency and computing capabilities as new demands arise while the system itself remains unaltered. This is even possible for systems that have been in use for several years. This helps to extend the lifespan of your hardware and your applications, thereby increasing sustainability and ROI

Orchestrate entire factories in real-time

by implementing real-time communication in your Industry 4.0 and IIoT applications. Our Computer-on-Module ecosystem is optimized not only for real-time processing but also for low latency communication. With native support of time synchronized networking (TSN) and time coordinated computing (TCC), you can synchronize machine controls, robot arms and conveying technologies in precisely orchestrated production lines. And this not only within a manufacturing cell but across the entire factory floor.  

Integrate embedded vision

to improve the versatility, quality, and productivity of your solutions. Our Computer-on-Module ecosystems feature extensive camera connectivity for industrial MIPI-CSI cameras or GigE Vision. Integrated AI accelerators and hardware accelerated encoding /decoding capabilities enable the transport and processing of multiple video streams in parallel. For a head start in the design of embedded vision applications, we can rely on partnerships with leading vision companies like camera vendor Basler.  

Reduce design risks and NRE

by implementing systems based on standardized Computer-on-Modules. They lower design risks because the complex core components come as fully developed and application-ready super-components. This enables the design of complete product families using the same carrier design equipped with scalable modules to meet individual performance requirements. As designs can be efficiently re-used in new applications non-recurring engineering costs are reduced. Design-in guides and trainings provide additional support.  

Optimize Total Cost of Ownership sustainably

with robust technology and system consolidation. By supporting real-time hypervisor technology from Real-Time Systems, different workloads that previously required multiple dedicated systems can now run on a single system. This results in immediate cost savings from reduced systems and less cabling. Reliability is also improved as one system has a higher mean time between failures (MTBF) than a combination of systems. This further helps to reduce maintenance efforts and planned downtime, resulting in optimized total cost of ownership. 


Which ecosystem to choose

  COM-HPC Client COM Express  SMARC Module 
Inspection Systems  +++  +++  ++
Next-Generation PLC   +++  +++  +
Industrial Control Systems  +++ ++ +
Industrial PC/Embedded Systems  ++ +++ ++
HMI/Panel PCs  + +++ +++
Edge AI Systems  +++ ++ ++
Machine Vision Systems  +++ ++ ++

Legend: +++ optimal solution; ++ very good solution; + good solution; O recommended, if cost and/or performance fit 


congatec's high-performance ecosystem

Facts Features Benefits
Comprehensive Computer-on-Module portfolio x86 and Arm-based Computer-on-Modules, tailored cooling solutions, accompanying services for design qualification, and individual BIOS and bootloader adaptation  Designers get everything they need for highly agile development of dedicated solutions. They can fully concentrate on their core competencies to deliver highest performance to their customers. 
Open standards   Support of the high-performance PICMG standards COM-HPC and COM Express as well as the low-power SGeT standard SMARC Module  Broad support from a huge community and multiple vendors increases design security and long-term availability through second-source strategies. Also increases supply chain resilience. 
Application-ready super- components  Computer modules come as fully developed super-components, implementing CPU, RAM, and computer I/Os, and featuring software support packages  Computer modules offer industrial designers the best of both worlds: The high design security of ready-made Computer-on-Modules, and the high customizability of carrier boards. The modular approach enables high scalability and easy upgradability with a simple module change. 
Most comprehensive COM-HPC offering  congatec offers the most comprehensive COM-HPC ecosystem  Designers get everything they need in the form they need from one reliable vendor. Suitable and highly scalable modules, tailored and most efficient cooling solutions, corresponding evaluation and application carriers, board support packages, as well as design-in services from definition phase to validation phase. 
Embedded vision capabilities  Some of our Computer-on-Modules offer MIPI-CSI support directly off the module, and come with integrated AI and vision accelerators  Developers can build their applications on already developed camera interface technology, which improves time to market and design reliability. Integrated powerful encoding / decoding as well as AI capabilities enable highly efficient vision applications with an exceptional performance-per-watt ratio. 

 


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about congatec COMs in industrial automation

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