Manufacturers worldwide are accelerating the transition toward smart factories and digitalized production lines. This transformation is propelled by Industry 4.0 initiatives, rising labor costs, and the need for greater efficiency and consistent quality. To achieve these goals, modern production lines are evolving from isolated systems into interconnected ecosystems that integrate machinery, sensors, vision systems, and data analytics platforms.
At the heart of this evolution are advanced process control systems, which monitor equipment status, optimize workflows, and enable real-time decision-making on the factory floor. Increasingly, manufacturers are prioritizing edge-level data processing to support machine learning, AI inference, predictive maintenance, and continuous optimization. By reducing latency and minimizing reliance on cloud connectivity, edge computing ensures faster responses to production anomalies. This shift demands embedded computing platforms that deliver reliable performance, long-term stability, and continuous operation in harsh industrial environments—where heat, vibration, dust, and electrical noise are the norm.
Today’s process control applications place unique demands on embedded box PC solutions. First, systems must support real-time data acquisition and control, often interfacing with legacy equipment via serial protocols such as RS‑232/422/485, while simultaneously managing high-speed Ethernet connectivity for modern industrial networks. Multiple I/O options are essential to connect PLCs, sensors, HMIs, vision systems, and other industrial peripherals.
Second, production environments often involve space constraints and limited airflow, making compact, fanless designs critical for reliability and reduced maintenance. Fanless systems eliminate moving parts, lowering failure risk and preventing dust buildup—key factors for long-term deploymen.
Third, wide temperature tolerance and flexible power input are vital for installations near machinery, inside control cabinets, or in semi-outdoor areas where temperature fluctuations and unstable power conditions are common.
Finally, as manufacturers embrace data-driven strategies, box PCs must deliver sufficient computing performance and networking bandwidth to support edge-level data collection for machine learning, AI inference, and process optimization.
Powered by Intel Atom® x7000RE Series processors, RICH-61F0 delivers a balanced combination of performance and power efficiency, making it well suited for continuous industrial operation. The processor’s built-in AI acceleration—such as Intel® DL Boost and an integrated GPU—enables efficient edge inference for vision-based quality checks, anomaly detection, and predictive maintenance at the edge of the production process.
The fanless, rugged design supports a wide operating temperature range of -40°C to 60°C, ensuring stable performance near heat-generating equipment or in harsh factory environments. Its compact footprint (130 x 112.5 x 55.8 mm) and lightweight build (1.5 kg) simplify integration into control cabinets, machinery enclosures, and other space-constrained areas.
RICH-61F0 offers extensive I/O interfaces for process control applications. Dual 2.5GbE LAN ports provide high-speed data transfer and network redundancy for industrial Ethernet. Four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports support high-bandwidth connections to sensors and vision devices, while HDMI® and DisplayPort outputs enable HMI or monitoring displays. A dedicated RJ45 COM port with RS-232/422/485 ensures compatibility with legacy equipment.
A wide-range 12–19V DC input enhances deployment flexibility across diverse power infrastructures and ensures stable operation even under fluctuating conditions.
Together, these features make RICH-61F0 a reliable edge node for real-time control, data collection, and AI-driven process optimization directly on the production line.
As production lines become more intelligent, connected, and data-driven, the role of embedded box PCs in process control continues to grow. Manufacturers need solutions that combine industrial durability, flexible connectivity, efficient performance, and long-term reliability to support continuous operation and future scalability.
The Portwell RICH-61F0 rugged fanless embedded box PC meets these requirements with a compact, power-efficient platform designed for harsh industrial environments. Built on Intel Atom® x7000RE processors, it offers wide-temperature fanless operation, rich industrial I/O, and flexible power input. These capabilities enable stable process control, efficient data collection, and AI-driven edge inference for predictive maintenance and quality assurance—directly on the factory floor. For manufacturers and system integrators seeking a dependable embedded computing solution to support process control and digital transformation, RICH-61F0 is a practical, future-ready choice.
