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    • GRiD Compass – 1982
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    • Panasonic Toughbook CF-25

Getting Physical with COM Ports – Overview

October 9, 2018 by Sean Conant Leave a Comment

Feeling nostalgic about COM ports? So are we and our motherboards. This article will be a brief overview of what to expect when adding COM ports to a modern computer. First, we need to define “COM port” because even Google thinks COM ports are irrelevant. Communication port or COM port is the asynchronous serial data transfer between devices.

USB is the standard serial communication protocol, forsaking all others. So why add COM ports to your system? There is an existing population of legacy systems that still require COM ports. Sensors, PLCs, and other controllers.

*Links to vendors and pricing is for information purposes only and not an endorsement of the product. Do your research to find the best product and price for you.

TTL (Transistor-transistor Logic) – typically a single transmission line accompanied by a ground wire. 0V to 0.8V is low/ “0”, 2V to 5V is high/ “1”.

UART (Universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter) $ – TX and RX usually TTL voltage levels

RS232 $ – Similar to UART but with voltage levels between -25V and +25V. Extra signal flag wires. Only 1 commanding and 1 listening device.

RS422 $$ – Similar to RS232 but with differential TX and RX lines. Extra single flags. Only 1 commanding device and multiple listening devices.

RS485 $$ – Similar to RS422 but with multiple commanding and multiple listening devices.

MIL-STD-1553 $$$$ – Multiple channels and redundancy

USB $ – Gold standard in serial communication

Quantum Entanglement $$$$$

Waveless Communication $$$$$

 

 

The most common and inexpensive ways to add COM ports is use PCI-E or USB components.

RS232 COM

RS232 COM $5 to $15

Most motherboards do NOT have a native COM port and straight connection bracket will not work. If the motherboard DOES have a native COM port, 99% of the time it is only UART/RS232. The COM port does not have differential pins to support RS422/RS485 so don’t expect native RS422 on a motherboard.

 

RS232 PCIE

RS232 PCIE $35 to $55, RS422/485 PCIE $80 to $200

StarTech 2 Port RS232 PCIE – $53

SIIG 2 Port RS232 PCIE – $60

A PCIE card is your best bet for building in COM ports to a system. The card can work in any PCIE slot as it only takes 1 lane for a dual COM port card.

 

USB to Serial cables

RS232 USB

RS232 USB $15, RS422/Rs485 USB $25 to $50

StarTech USB to RS232 -$19

SIIG USB to RS232 – $35

A USB to Serial cable is a great solution if the device needs to move between systems. The downside is having to install a driver everyone time on new systems.

 

1553 PCIE

1553 PCIE $5000+

DDC

ABACO

1553 PCI and PCIE cards are typically used for military and avionic vehicles. The cards have various options and not something you will find on Amazon or an electronics store. USB versions are also available for a similar price.

 

The AGS-MRPC is quickest rugged, portable computer solution if you need COM ports. Or if you need more space and more screens, the AGS-MILPAC has capacity and power to control a whole warehouse.

Filed Under: Rugged laptop, Rugged Workstation, Uncategorized Tagged With: com ports, communication ports, computers, deployable computers, rs232, rs422, rs485, rugged computers, serial ports

More Storage in Less Space

June 20, 2018 by Sean Conant Leave a Comment

When you want the most in storage and data acquisition, the AGS-NetPAC has your back with 16 removable 2.5″ drive bays. This system has the RAID controllers and gigabit ports to handle the most demanding workloads. With Samsungs fabled 30TB 2.5″ SSD (that’s not for sale), the AGS-NetPAC could storage 480TB. Set a reminder to look at this article in 5 years when there are 500TB SSDs.

Massive removable hard drive (HDD or SSD)

 

A More Practical Storage Goal

Getting back to reality, the AGS-MRPC is the sensible, entry level approach to portable computers that covers a broad range of applications. The micro-ATX motherboard’s 4x PCI slots and the chassis’ 2x 5.25″ external bays enable customization for military connectors, communication ports, and proprietary cards.

Let’s see how much storage we can obtain if we forget budget, wiring and we dedicated every port, slot, and screw to storage.

Standard Available Slots:

  • 2x 5.25″ external bays
  • 1x 2.5″ internal slot (typically for OS drive)
  • 4x PCIe slots (varying sizes)
  • 1x M.2 slots (motherboard dependent)

2.5″ Storage

The external 5.25″ bays can be converted to 4x 2.5″ removable drive bays. Along with the internal slot, that’s 9x 2.5″ drives. The largest commercially available 2.5″ SSD is 4TB. Subtotal 36TB.

PCIe Storage

All 4x PCIe slots can fit 800GB PCIe x4 SSDs. Subtotal 3.2TB.

M.2 Storage

Many motherboards have a single M.2 slot. 2TB is the best available at this time. Subtotal 2TB.

Grand Total = 41.2TB in an AGS-MRPC with a Micro-ATX motherboard

Feasibility

This configuration is almost possible. There is only one micro-ATX motherboard that has 10x SATA ports, 1x M.2 slots, and 3x PCIe slots. The ASRock Fata1ty X99M Killer. No other micro-ATX motherboard on the market has 10x SATA ports. We would lose 800GB from one less PCIe slot bringing our new Grand Total to 40.4TB. Maybe this motherboard was meant for something like this…

If you have a configuration you’d like to explore with us, let us know in the comments or send us a request.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

PCG Tempest X500

May 22, 2018 by Omead Leave a Comment

About the PCG TEMPEST X500

The PCG Tempest X500 is a rendition of the Getac X500 rugged laptop that is retrofitted to reduce electromagnetic emanations to meet TEMPEST standards.  This product and solution includes a multitude of circuit-level and hardware-level retrofits to reduce EMI throughout the laptop, including custom doors, EMI screen, silencing of bluetooth, silencing of GPS, and more.

Why Tempest?

Tempest is a specification defined by the NSA, defined for protection against information systems security leaks through electrical emulation, radio or electrical signals, and sound.  Meeting this specification is often a requirement for highly classified applications, including field-deployed military applications.

Tempest X500 Rugged Laptop

This product and service, along with wither customized ruggedization services, is available through the ProCustom group.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Graphics Card Prices Hurting Rugged Computer Market?

April 16, 2018 by Sean Conant Leave a Comment

Graphics cards are an expensive yet essential component in any computer. The graphical processing unit (GPU) off loads computationally taxing rendering tasks from the CPU.  With the explosion crypto currency, crypto miners have harnessed the power of the GPU to turn clock cycles into crypto currency while driving up the price of graphics cards to record highs. The cost of a rugged portable computer moderately increases with GPU price increase because a graphics card is just a single component in most rugged portable computers, unless you have a whole world to see with multiple displays.

3 x 3 AGS-MCCS-3U System

3 x 3 AGS-MCCS-3U System

The above pictures shows 1 AGS-MCCS-3U and 2 AGS-MCCD-3U stacked with mounting hardware to create a 9 monitor system with 5760 x 3240 resolution. The AGS-MCCS-3U has 3 17.3″ displays totaling 5760 x 1080 resolution and can be customized to meet a wide variety of needs within an ATX motherboard form factor. The AGS-MCCD-3U has the same display resolution without the computer.

AGS-MCCS-3U Standalone

AGS-MCCS-3U

 

A standalone AGS-MCCD-3U has a DVI-D, VGA, and DisplayPort port for each display and 3 x 6′ DVI-D cables are included. An additional graphics card is recommended to drive the 3 displays. If your system does not have space for a full sized graphics card nor the required ports (i.e. a laptop), the USB upgrade for the AGS-MCCD-3U has a single USB 3.0 input to control all 3 displays.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Sunlight Readable Display for C4ISR Portable

August 9, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Sunlight readable workstation

1000-nit sunlight readable MilPAC Triple Display C4ISR computer

Since 2015 the MilPAC-III has been a powerhouse portable serving the US Navy as part of their C4ISR suite in the combat information center. Now the MILPAC-III 1000-nit display upgrade lets the MILPAC-III come out of the darkened environment of the CIC and into the direct sun without losing display clarity or readability. With new 1000-nit hi-resolution FHD displays that are clearly readable in direct and diffused sunlight, the MILPAC-III can be deployed forward in harsh desert environments that call for extraordinary display capability.

Nominally specified at 1000-nit brightness, the new displays have a contrast ratio in excess of 400:1 while providing deep blacks and extremely bright and readable detail. The 1000-nit displays were tested for maximum brightness and uniformity using a Topcon BM-9 Luminance Meter: Measured maximum white luminance was 1053 nits.

1000 Nit display test

White Luminance Measurement

Screen test and calibration

To make sure the upgraded MILPAC-III survives the hottest environments, a new desert filter back can be fitted so the MILPAC-III can survive the temperature extremes found in bright sunlight and desert environments

The MilPAC-III deployable workstation’s is available with a high-capacity filtered cooling system, the DFB (Desert Filter Back).  Utilizing a washable electrostatic filter and four high performance fans, the high airflow cooling system allows extended operation in hot, dusty and unpleasant environments.  The positive pressure system ensures that contaminants are stopped the filter.

The four fans were selected and tested to perform well as a high-pressure input to the cooling flow.  All air entering the MilPAC-III is filtered through the filter-back, and all the other fans exhaust, keeping the interior clean and cool.

High pressure fan system

The MilPAC-III filter is constructed of multiple layers of custom woven electrostatic polypropylene media, plus non-woven polyester.  The triple action filters promote free airflow, and have superior dust holding capacity.  Particulates are captured and attracted together electrostatically to form larger clumps. These settled particles are washed out through drain holes during periodic cleaning.

MilPAC-III

The MilPAC has been designed to work in forward deployed environments and on board ships.  It has passed the Mil-Std 901D test for shock in ship-borne applications.  This violent test simulates the ship running into a mine, or being torpedoed.  After the test (which is usually regarded as destructive) the MilPAC-III powered on without issue.

Performance:

Dual Xeon – Server-class motherboard with two Intel Xeon E5-2687W V2  processors – each independently liquid-cooled.

Up to 256GB of ECC registered RAM

18TB of HDD storage (along with RAID-0 SSD removable boot media)

8 Channels of video capture

3 x 17.3″ HD displays for a total of 5760 x 1080 workspace.  Mirroring for each display via HDMI for external monitoring on HD TV systems.

High performance power supply is field replaceable with no tools and has been tested and certified to MIL-STD-461.

6 x GB LAN ports

 

 

AUGUST 1, 2017 BY MYLES KELVIN

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Triple Screen Laptop Upgrade – 24″

July 31, 2017 by admin 1 Comment

Three screen laptop upgrade

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a triple screen laptop?  In the past, laptop display electronics could barely keep up with the display resolutions however, today’s high-end laptops have powerful graphics accelerators that allow laptops to become graphics powerhouses. It’s great to have so much power in a portable package, but many jobs require more displays and larger displays than can be found on commercial laptops. Enter a possible game changer for the traveling professional that needs multiple big displays on a laptop.

Three screen laptop display expander

Three screen laptop display system – 5′ of display space

Triple screen display turns laptop into workstation

This new rugged triple 24” display upgrade turns single screen laptops into multi screen workstations. The portable display converts a conventional single screen laptop into a 3-screen workstation with a 5760 x 1080 workspace using three 1920×1080 HD displays. The displays fold and lock together transport and storage

The display is laptop agnostic and will work with most laptop PCs & MacBooks running Windows O/S, Mac O/S or Linux. The laptop has to have enough sources of video output to drive the three displays or some extra USB-3 or USB-C ports that can drive a conversion cable available from the manufacturer.  These work transparently to the user, and work really well.

When opened for use, there is more than 5 feet of horizontal display area and the outboard panels can tilt inward to provide the best viewing experience for the user. Each display has it’s own adjustments for brightness, contrast and color temperature to allow for exact matching of the three displays presentation.

When folded the display gets quite compact (for a triple screen 24” system) and will fit under an airline seat or in the overhead compartment. Overall dimensions closed are: 23”W x 16”D x 5”H. Weight is about 15lb.

If there is space on your desktop you can also leave the laptop open to one side and go from a triple screen laptop to a quad screen laptop!

Folded for transportTriple display closed for transport

Rear view showing three video inputs

Solid handle

A folding carry handle mounted to the top of the unit for single-handed transport. It has a rubber molding to conform to most hand sizes.

Steel transport handle

Heavy-Duty Robust design

The individual display data cables are routed through a unique hinge that serves to both pivot the display, provide friction resistance for accurate positioning and to protect the cables against chafing or wear.

three screen portable display

Left display cable protection hinge assembly also
Showing power switch and input receptacle

3 screen portable display hinge assembly

Right display cable protection hinge assembly

Latches for transport

The triple 24” displays are locked together by spring-loaded latches. Both latches must be released to unlock the displays providing protection for accidental opening.

Display lock

Positive display lock

Screen lock for second and third display

Three screen transit case

A “Pelican” style accessory case is available, but that means you’ll have to check the display with baggage. Although, the display will survive “airline-grade” baggage handlers without damage and the case adds a waterproofing and dustproofing feature to hauling it around the world. Another benefit to the case is that it can also hold your laptop, power adapter, cables, etc. The manufacturer supplies a case with a custom foam cutout to hold all the components mentioned above

3-screen-laptop-display-caseTriple screen laptop mount bracket

An optional laptop mounting bracket is available that provides a mounting location for the user’s laptop and laptop power adapter behind the triple display system. It attaches to the rear of the main chassis and has adjustments to accommodate a variety of laptop sizes and thicknesses.

triple screen laptop display mounting bracket

Optional Laptop Mounting Bracket

Laptop mount bracket

Specifications and Pricing

Construction: Aluminum alloy

Ruggedness: Metal housing, rubber impact bumpers

Ergonomics: Adjustable outer displays, tilt foot

Transport: Folding carry handle

Finish: Anti reflective charcoal black coating

Video input: Analog RGB, HDMI, DisplayPort

Optional video input: USB3, USB-C to DisplayPort converter cable

Display controls: OSD Menu, Source, Image & Color controls

Operating system compatibility: Windows 7/10, Mac O/S, Linux

Power: 100-240 VAC, 50-60Hz, 200W maximum, overload protected

Power control: On/Off switch

Temperature: 0-50C operational

Transit drop in case: 48”

Dimensions: 68”W (Open) 23”W (Closed), 16”H, 5”D

Weight: 15lb

Compliance: FCC Class B, CE, RoHS

Optional laptop mounting bracket

For more pricing and delivery information please use the contact form

Filed Under: Rugged Display

World’s First Intel i9 Portable Computer

July 28, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

i9 Portable WorkstationIntel i9 Portable

The first i9 portable with 4K displays is now shipping.  Those of you who have landed here looking for an i9 laptop are likely to be a little disappointed!  The AGS-MegaPAC-L2 is a bit of a behemoth, weighing in at about 60lb (27Kg), and measuring 15″ x 23″ x 9″ (38cm x 59cm x 23cm) when closed.  However, the imposing bulk has advantages…

Dual 23″ 4K displays

Full Size, full travel keyboard,

Massive expansion capability and HDD/SSD storage capability

The latest Intel i9-9700X processor.

Intel i9 processor in a transportable package

i9 workstation setupi9 Transportable workstation i9

Intel i9-7900X Specifications

# of Cores – 10
# of Threads – 20
Processor Base Frequency – 3.30 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency – 4.30 GHz
Cache – 13.75 MB L3
Bus Speed – 8 GT/s DMI3
# of QPI Links – 0
Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency ‡ – 4.50 GHz
TDP – 140 W
Max RAM 128GB
Sockets Supported – FCLGA2066

Performance is impressive – and if you need even more power, a Dual Xeon version is available.  (i9 is single processor only)

Open expansion card slots allow for customization and the addition of video capture cards, high speed network cards etc.  Uses include broadcast, C4ISR, Cyber-security, and anything else that nedds full workstation power in a transportable package.  Wheeled transit case is included, and hard-sided shipping containers are available.

For more information please use the contact form

Filed Under: Rugged Workstation

Transportable workstation now with multi-touch displays

June 19, 2017 by admin 1 Comment

Touch screen workstation

Workstation users are getting younger!  The callow youth that operate our C4ISR systems were brought up with a touch screen tablet in their cradles.  To make the best transportable workstation even more appealing to the actual users, AGS has added multi-touch controllers and three touch screens to the MilPAC-III.

C4ISR workstation with desert cooling system

Now with three multi-touch screens

Natural ergonomic interaction

Rotating, panning and zooming are now much more natural movements, and navigating across the entire 5760 x 1080 image space no longer requires multiple trackpad slides, or repetitive mouse movements.  Multi-touch controllers can respond to up to ten inputs per display.

The robust friction hinges of the MilPAC-III work perfectly with touch operation, and may be angled to give the operator the ideal viewing angle and touch experience.

Powerhouse portable

The MilPAC-III has dual 22-core Xeon processors and can be fitted with up to 40TB of SSD storage for extremely fast and highly reliable storage.  Operating with large datasets and GEOINT overlays is smooth and responsive.  Each display can be mirrored to an external TV or other monitor when sharing data with senior staff is appropriate.

Mil Spec portable

The MilPAC-III passes multiple mil-specs including Mil Std 901D Lightweight shock, Class B and MIL-STD-810F.  It is deployed and proven in theater Worldwide and is available from AGS in Azusa CA.

Filed Under: Rugged Workstation

Mil-spec display-less computer MilBOX

April 19, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Display-less Mil-Spec Computer

Mil Box Computer - mobile server

Brick Computer – MilBOX (prototype shown in CAD)

The MilBOX is intended for users who need a fully rugged mobile server that can withstand shock, vibration, humidity and temperature to Mil-STD 810F requirements.  Sometimes, you just need a computer that will survive being mounted almost anywhere, but still needs to be connected to whatever your are controlling/monitoring/logging. Such computers are sometime known as brick computers, shoe-box computers or if you are being polite, “small form-factor computers” because they are not very imaginatively designed!  Most of the engineering issues are of heat management and making the I/O fully waterproof.  Brick computers are usually fully sealed enclosures, so forced air cooling can’t be used.  In fact in the MilBOX there are no fans of any kind.  Cooling is through conduction and convection, with the casework operating as a heatsink.

Production MilBOX

Brick Computer Mil-spec, no display

Military Screenless Computer

The MilBOX is a COTS display-less computer in a metal enclosure with multiple mil-spec connectors mounted to the front panel.  Interfaces include options got GPS and Wireless cellular access, as well as the usual USB (4 x 3.0), dual Gigabit LAN,  2x SATA3 (6Gbps) ports + 2x SATA2 (3Gbps) ports and dedicated Isolated DIO, 8in/8out.

These sorts of computers are often underpowered when it comes to processor performance – but the MilBOX has an Intel® Core™ i7-3610QE which is a Quad Core CPU (with Hyperthreading to 8 virtual cores) with 6 MB SmartCache and Intel® HD Graphics 4000 on chip.  It operates at 2.3GHz (3.3 GHz Turbo) and dissipates only 45W (TDP).

For the kinds of environments you might encounter, the operating temperature range is -25°C ~ +70°C (Start up can be a low as -40°C)  A special wide temperature-range SSD is integrated.

Weighing 10.5lb with the Mil-Connectors, the MilBOX is IP65 rated and has AC & DC (10-36V) inputs.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Rugged resources

Outdoor lightweight computer with mil-spec connector

March 21, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Getac V110 Convertible Notebook Computer

Getac V110 convertible laptop

Rugged laptop notebook tablet

The Getac V110 is a modern, well executed rugged notebook which can be converted to tablet format.  Like almost all commercial rugged computers, the V110 is pretty robust and well sealed – until you want to connect it to something.  In the commercial world wireless and battery power may be acceptable, but military applications often require radio silence, and extended operation.

Mil Spec Connectors

Replacing one or more of the commercial connectors with a small format Mil-Spec connector can solve this issue.

Side mil-box for rugged notebook

Side milbox

Small and light, the side V110 MILBOX is a CNC machined housing that installs on the side of the notebook in place of the USB3 port and audio ports. The side MILBOX allows the user to interface to Power and USB or Ethernet signals via a single rugged MILSPEC connector.  Other connectivity is possible – USB3 can be converted into many useful protocols / interfaces.  The challenge is to find space inside the V110 to perform the conversion.

Standard connections

As standard this modification includes power (DC in) and USB or Ethernet.

mil-spec connector laptop

Dependability

This modification is available from PCG and comes with the blessing of Getac themselves.  The ProCustom Group is an authorized reseller and the customization partner for Getac.  http://www.procustomgroup.com/

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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  • Getting Physical with COM Ports – Overview October 9, 2018
  • More Storage in Less Space June 20, 2018
  • PCG Tempest X500 May 22, 2018
  • Graphics Card Prices Hurting Rugged Computer Market? April 16, 2018
  • Sunlight Readable Display for C4ISR Portable August 9, 2017

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  • Getting Physical with COM Ports – Overview
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Previous posts:

  • Contact
  • First Garfield comic strip
  • History of portable computers with a rugged bias
    • AGS MilPAC-III C4ISR Portable with 3 x 17.3″ displays
    • AGS-MRPC-4 – Lunchbox Computer – 2011
    • Compaq Portable III lunchbox computer
    • Dolch FlexPAC
    • Fieldworks FW7500 – 1994
    • Getac A320 Rugged Notebook
    • Getac B300
    • Getac Z710 – Rugged Android Tablet
    • GRiD Compass – 1982
    • IBM Convertible PC
    • IBM Portable 5155 – questionably rugged, questionably portable
    • IBM Portable PC 5110
    • IBM ThinkPad 700
    • iTronix GoBook XR-1 (General Dynamics)
    • Kontron IN-Lite
    • Kontron IP-Lite
    • Kookaburra PC / Dulmont Magnum 1983
    • Osborne 1 – The first portable PC
    • Osborne Vixen rugged luggable
    • Panasonic CF19
    • Panasonic Toughbook CF-25
    • PSION Series 5
    • Sharp PC-1211
    • TRS-80 Model 100 (Radio Shack)
    • TRS-80 Tandy/Radio Shack
  • Rugged Handheld Computers

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