John McHale, Editorial Director

The defense industry has been the bright spot for PC/104 suppliers during the economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, say the participants – PC104 Consortium members – in our annual roundtable. The panelists discuss how artificial intelligence/machine learning applications (AI/ML) will be a growth area for PC/104 technology across multiple markets. They also cover how processing technology like Arm and Intel are key to future adaptations of PC/104 and ask if NVIDIA solutions will ever be found on PC/104 designs. Our panelists are Roy Keeler, Senior Product and Business Development Manager, Aerospace & Defense, ADLINK Technology and Vice President of Branding for the PC104 Consortium; Flemming Christensen, Managing Director, Sundance Microprocessor Technology; George T. Hilliard, Technical Sales Director, WinSystems; and JC Ramirez, Vice-President of ADL Embedded Solutions Engineering (ADLES).

Brandon Lewis, Technology Editor

Some corners of the electronics universe go years or decades without a significant technology upgrade. Passive electronic components are a good example, as not much more performance or cost can be pulled out of devices like resistors, at least not without a materials revolution. Another is the battery market, where offerings have by and large [...]

George Hilliard, WinSystems

PC104 has been around for over 30 years. That’s a long time, even for embedded systems. Despite its age, PC104 remains a viable and important architecture for embedded systems.

Roy Keeler ADLINK Technology

Common wisdom is clear: Don’t fix what isn’t broken. For decades, the PC/104 form factor has spanned many generations of processors and interfaces, always with the goal of making computing solutions as compact, modular, and enduring as possible. PC/104 remains the favored small form factor (SFF) for embedded solutions in markets where vibration, fluctuating power, granular debris, and round-the-clock use can’t be allowed to interrupt critical application uptime.

George Hilliard, WinSystems

Megatrends such as the Internet of Things, robotics, and the latest industrial innovations are escalating demand for electronic components. Inadequate raw materials and manufacturer capacity are also adding to the shortfall. As a result, OEMs are looking for ways to extend the life of their existing products by either performing workarounds or making bigger purchases [...]

ADLINK Technology Staff

The adage that “bigger is better” pervades many areas, but in computing, greater size is almost always a liability. Large configurations demand power and create heat, consuming precious space and potentially crowding out other vital systems. Even in a 60-ton armored tank, size, weight, and power (SWaP) remain at a premium. Such environments demand the sort of small-form-factor (SFF) solutions that have dominated embedded computing initiatives for decades.

PC/104 Consortium

Reliability and performance still matter for industrial embedded computing applications, which is why the PC/104 standard remains the first choice for those solutions requiring small form factors that can operate reliably in harsh industrial environments. While designers still choose PC/104 for rugged industrial applications, they are also opting for the time-tested architecture in newer technology [...]

Mariana Iriarte, Technology Editor

Reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) and increased standardization requirements for applications from unmanned aircraft to ground vehicles to portable communications systems are driving military power supply designs. Meanwhile, innovations such as gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) are improving efficiencies.

Rodger Hosking, Pentek, Inc.

Radar, communications, and SIGINT [signals intelligence] systems have traditionally combined sensor processing, data conversion, and signal processing hardware within single enclosures or equipment racks. Analog signals for antennas, transducers and other sensors were connected through cables, often causing loss and interference along the way. However, enabled by new data converter and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology and evolving open embedded computing standards, system designers can now deploy small-form-factor (SFF) subsystems at each sensor site for distributed signal acquisition and preprocessing. Digitized signals are then delivered through optical cables, providing higher signal quality over longer connection distances while reducing size, weight, cost, and maintenance.

Manfred Schmitz MEN Mikro Elektronik

Recently, the U.S.-based Internet service provider OneWeb ordered 900 satellites to provide additional global broadband. Knowing that this volume is more than half of the total 1,400 satellites already in orbit, and knowing that the cost for sending one into space is about $100 million, the industry needs to start thinking about new technologies that could help manage the mass of satellites that must be produced every year.