Avalue announced an 18.5-inch panel PC with capacitive multitouch capabilities and a dual-core, 1.8GHz Intel Atom D525 processor. The APC-18W5 is equipped with 1 to 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM, features IP55 liquid protection plus a operating range, and offers SATA, CompactFlash, mini-PCIe, gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, and serial connectivity, says the company.

Powered by a 1.8GHz, dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor, Avalue's new APC-18W5 joins a trend toward putting capacitive touchscreens into panel PCs (other recent examples have been the Atom D510-based ACP-5812 and Core-based ACP-5815, both from Aaeon). As a result, the device looks and works something like a giant iPad — complete with multitouch capabilities and a glass surface.

The APC-18W5's 18.5-inch, 1366 x 768-pixel display features 91 percent light transmission, which makes "screen colors very vivid," according to Avalue. The system also supports pulse width modulation (PWM) automatic controls, enabling it to automatically adjust the LED backlight brightness to reduce power consumption, says the company.

Avalue's APC-18W5

Other screen features are said to include 16:9 contrast ratio and 300-nit luminance (see spec list farther below). Below the display is a set of front-panel controls, which includes a programmable function key. The entire front panel, including the display, is compliant with the IP55 standard for protection against liquids, claims Avalue.

The system is said to ship with 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM, and is expandable to 4GB. Rear-facing I/O includes a serial port, dual USB 2.0 ports, and a gigabit Ethernet port, with a second such port said to be optional. There's also a PS2 port, audio line out port, and a VGA port to drive a second simultaneous display, says the company. 

Internally, the APC-18W5 is equipped with a CompactFlash socket, as well as a SATA port and room for a 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD), says Avalue. Additional USB connections are also said to be available internally. Wi-Fi is optional, running off either an internal USB port or a mini-PCI Express (mini-PCIe) slot, says Avalue.

The company's press release mentioned a second mini-PCIe slot, but this is not listed in the datasheet or product page. In any case, Avalue says it offers customization and configuration services, so presumably one could order the second slot even if it's not standard.

The fanless APC-18W5 is touted for being thin compared to most panel PCs, measuring just 2.32 inches thick. Available with VESA wall mounting, the device weighs 10 pounds, and supports operating temperatures of 14 to 122 deg. F, says the company. In addition, the panel PC is said to offer a wide +12V ~ +28V input voltage range.

Features and specifications listed by Avalue for the APC-18W5 include:

• Processor — Intel Atom D525 (dual-core, 1.8GHz)
• Chipset — Intel ICH8M
• Memory — 1GB DDR3 800 SDRAM, expandable up to 4GB via SODIMM
• Storage — CompactFlash Type I/II socket; bay for 2.5-inch SATA HDD
• Expansion — mini-PCIe slot
• Display
  • 18.5-inch 1366 x 768 (WXGA) capacitive multitouch touchscreen
  • CRT at up to 2048 x 1536
  • dual display (CRT+LVDS) with "clone mode"
  • 16.7 million colors
  • 0.300 x 0.300mm pixel pitch
  • 300cd/m(2) luminance
  • 16:9 aspect ratio
  • 90% light transmission
  • 1000:1 contrast ratio
  • backlight with PWM automatic control support
  • 5ms response time via USB touch interface
  • anti-scratch glass
• Networking — gigabit Ethernet port; optional second port
• Wireless — optional Wi-Fi module via USB or mini-PCIe
• Other I/O:
  • 2 x USB 2.0 (additional USB ports available internally)
  • RS-232
  • VGA
  • PS/2 KB & MS
  • audio line-out
• Other features:
  • 2 x 2W amplified speakers
  • watchdog; hardware monitor
  • wall/stand/VESA mounting
  • front panel with programmable function key
• Power — 100 ~ 250VAC/ 47 input; +12V ~ +28V input voltage range; 60W output (12V @ 5A adapter); over current & surge protection
• Ruggedization — IP55-compliant front panel
• Operating temperature — 14 to 122 deg. F (-10 to 50 deg. C)
• Dimensions — 17.4 x 11.4 x 2.32 inches (443 x 290 x 59mm)
• Weight — 10 lbs (4.54 k)

Further information

No pricing, availability, or operating system support was listed for the APC-18W5. More information may be found at Avalue's APC-18W5 product page.

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