Lanner announced a fanless industrial SCADA communications computer with extended temperature support and the ability to rotate on its DIN-rail attachment for easier access. The LEC-3010 is equipped with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 with up to 2GB of memory, features four gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and six configurable serial ports, according to the company.

The LEC-3010 fills the need for "cost-effective, highly adaptive small form factor IPCs needed for industrial SCADA communications," says Lanner.

The computer is also notable for its ability to rotate along its DIN-rail attachment using a new rotation cuff designed by Lanner. The cuff was developed after field research revealed that industrial engineers spend "an incredible amount of time on installing and updating each IPC in their SCADA array," says the company. The new cuff is said to solve this problem, greatly easing installation and access.

Lanner LEC-3010
(Click to enlarge)

Otherwise, the LEC-3010 appears to be a fairly ordinary SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) industrial PC, although it adds a number of upgrades to the physically similar LEC-3000 announced last May.

Whereas that system used a 1GHz Via Eden processor, the LEC-3010 moves up to the year-old, 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450, which was one of the first Atoms to feature integrated graphics.

Like the LEC-3000, the new model offers up to 2GB RAM and a CompactFlash slot. CompactFlash cards are now said to be removable without opening the chassis.

Compared to the LEC-3000, the LEC-3010 offers more I/O ports and other improvements, in addition to the new rotation cuff. There are now four gigabit Ethernet ports instead of two, and six configurable RS-232/422/485 serial ports instead of four, says Lanner. The serial ports offer hardware flow control, and are connected via Phoenix contacts "that screw down to ensure a steady connection," says the company.

On the other hand, USB ports have been halved, with dual external ports and two more via internal headers. A VGA port and eight digital I/Os are also said to be available. The fanless LEC-3010 is available in an extended temperature version that can operate from 14 to 131 deg. F (-20 to 55 deg. C), says the company.

Specifications listed for the Lanner LEC-3010 include:

• Processor — 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
• Chipset — ICH8M
• Memory — Up to 2GB RAM via 1 x SODIMM socket
• Flash — 1 x CompactFlash socket (Type I/II)
• Networking — 4 x gigabit Ethernet ports (Realtek RTL8111D)
• Other I/O:
  • 6 x RS-232/422/485 with flow control
  • 2 x USB ports (2 x external)
  • digital I/O (x8)
  • 1 x VGA port
• Other features — Watchdog timer; hardware monitor; front-facing LEDs; DIN-rail mounting with rotation cuff for easy access
• Power — 12V ~ 36V DC in; 60 W adapter
• Operating temperature — 23 to 113 deg. F (-5 to 45 C); extended version 14 to 131 deg. F (-20 to 55 deg. C)
• Dimensions — 6.65 x 4.96 x 2.36 inches (170 x 126 x 60mm)
• Weight — 3.1 lbs (1.4K g)
• Operating system — Linux 2.4.16; Windows XP Embedded, Windows XP 32-bit

Stated Lanner Applied Computing Product Director Eric Chiu, "The LEC-3010 is a small form factor IPC with significant advantages over competitor products. We decided to make ease of access a top priority when designing the LEC-3010."

Availability

Lanner offered no details on the pricing or availability of the LEC-3010, but said the Linux and Embedded Windows XP compatible system will be displayed at Distributech 2011 in San Diego on Feb. 1-3. Distributech is billed as "the utility industry's leading smart grid conference and exposition."

More information on the computer may be found on Lanner's LEC-3010 page.

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