Articles
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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.
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Why is long-term availability important?
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 [...]
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PC/104 always a factor at Embedded World
Stephen St. Amant, President of the PC/104 Consortium, leads a discussion for visitors to the OpenSystems Media booth at the 2019 Embedded World Conference & Exhibition. In photo (L to R): Stephen St. Amant; Roy Keeler, ADLINK Technology and VP of Branding for the PC/104 Consortium; Jonathan Miller, President of Diamond Systems Corp.; Dr. Paul [...]
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Predictions: Spring 2020
The thing about predictions, particularly in tech, is that when you’re wrong, you can lose a lot of money, and you can look foolish while you’re at it. In 2007, the then-CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, laughed at Apple’s newly-announced iPhone. “Five hundred dollars?! Fully subsidized with a plan? … That is the most expensive [...]
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PC/104: Who and why?
Admission: PC/104 is not a flashy name.
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Tower in a teacup: How the small-form-factor transition is reshaping embedded and military computing
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.
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PC/104 and the Rogers Adoption Curve
I’m certain that there were some project managers in the early 1990s who were hesitant to design with PC/104. “We’ll stick to the older, proven specifications, thank you very much.” Thankfully, there were plenty of early adopters – engineers and designers who saw the value of a stackable architecture, the elimination of the backplane, and [...]
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PC/104: The small form factor doing big things
Writing about PC/104 can be challenging: If you’re just talking about the form factor, there’s not a whole lot of new material to cover. In fact, if you’re reading this in a printed magazine, it’s likely that you already know about PC/104. But for the sake of those who don’t know – if you’re a [...]
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Industrial designers continue to choose PC/104 for both traditional and cutting-edge applications
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 [...]
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PC/104 vendors head to Embedded World in strong position, atop a billion-dollar market
PC/104, well into its fourth decade, remains strong globally in markets such as aerospace, defense, industrial, and medical. Such longevity is a tribute to its inherent ruggedness and the open architecture that enables PC/104 designers to continually integrate state-of-the-art processing technology from companies such as Intel and Arm. In this conversation with the PC/104 Consortium leadership, they discuss how the small form factor still fosters a robust, billion-dollar industry on the eve of the 2019 Embedded World exhibition and conference; key PC/104 suppliers look forward to hitting the exhibit floor in Nuremberg, Germany to build on the momentum in the industrial market.
George Hilliard, WinSystems
PC/104 Staff, OpenSystems Media
Stephen St. Amant, PC/104 Consortium President
Stephen St. Amant, PC/104 Consortium President
Stephen St. Amant, PC/104 Consortium President
PC/104 Staff, OpenSystems Media