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You are here: Home / Archives for Rugged Workstation

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

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

Deployable Workstation with High Capacity Filtered Cooling System

February 3, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

MilPAC-III Cooling Option

The MilPAC-III deployable workstation is now available with an optional high capacity filtered cooling system.  Utilizing a washable electrostatic filter and four high performance fans, the new “Desert Filter Back” allows extended operation in hot, dusty and unpleasant environments.  The positive pressure system ensures that contaminants can only enter the system through 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.

Deployable Workstation high capacity air filter

Electrostatic Filter

 

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 air flow, 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-III is a Dual-Xeon portable computer with three HD displays which is currently deployed by the US military in multiple roles.  It is currently shipping with 26TB storage, and dual E5-2699V4 22 core Xeon CPU’s, making it one of the most powerful portable computers available.  Useful features include HDMI mirroring of the three displays to HD Monitors or TV’s, and a CAC Card reader built into the keyboard.

Filed Under: Rugged Workstation

Massive removable hard drive (HDD or SSD)

January 5, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

16 Drive removable hard drive array

The AGS-NetPAC was developed for network and telecom companies as a portable test system.  This computer has the power and hard disk performance to continuously copy a 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE, 10GbE, or 10 GigE) network to disk.   The drives are relatively expensive and desirable, so they are contained conventionally within the chassis using screws and guides to make stealing them more difficult.  Network test equipment is often left for extended periods in un-monitored environments.  The original AGS-NetPAC is still available and continues to be used extensively in the telecommunications and network test worlds.

Portable lunchbox PC with 72TB of SSD

Ruggedized portable with 18 internal  or 16 removable drive bays

Removable storage for military applications

This blend of portable performance and storage ability turned out to be of interest to three letter agencies and other government entities.  In these applications however, the drives need to be removable as soon as they contain classified information.  The new AGS-NetPAC-R is the solution. With a 16 drive removable hard drive array, the NetPAC can be configured with up to 64TB of removable storage (either HDD or SSD’s may be specified).  Cybersecurity field operations love the portability of the NetPAC.

16 Removable Hard Drive HDD array - 32TB Removable drive system. Suitable for Network analysis, cyber warfare, stran technologies cyber network analyzer

AGS-NetPAC-R rugged portable computer with massive removable hard drive array

Other computer specifications

Other specifications are a high-end processor, and usually, but not always, a high speed RAID controller.  Graphics can range from on-chip to a high end nVidia or Quadro graphics card, and drive a 17″ HD LED display.

Dimension: 17.15″W x 14.68″H x 7.00″D / 24.0 Lbs (without HDD/SSDs)

CPU: Intel i7 or Dual Intel Xeon E5-2600 V4’s

RAM: Up to 1TB

PSU: AC or DC Power supplies (we have 24V and 48V systems available)

Availability:

The AGS-NetPAC-R is available now.  There is no other compact portable computer with this number of removable hard drives.

If you have any questions, please use the contact form below.

Filed Under: Rugged Workstation, Test Equipment

Mil-Spec Workstation update

January 6, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

MilPAC-III – Mil-Spec Workstation

Military Workstation

The MilPAC-III continues to develop.  Now with Dual Intel Xeon E5-2687W-V3 processors and an updated graphics card, the MilPAC-III is an extremely powerful transportable Mil-Spec workstation that can be used for GEOINT, C4ISR and other high capacity high performance applications.

Dual Intel Xeon E5-2687W-V3 processors

Each processor has 10 cores running at a base 3.1GHZ, with a max (Turbo) frequency of 3.5GHz.  Each chip is backed with 25MB of Intel Smart Cache for very high performance transportable computing.

Expanded RAID data drives

Three new 8TB drives are fitted in a RAID5 configuration.  With around 15TB of usable disk storage, the MilPAC-III can handle a large database or GIS application – e.g. Google Earth with custom intelligence overlays.  These drives are removable and easily replaced in the field should the need arise; perhaps one set with classified data, another unclassified.

Three screen display

The three standard displays can be mirrored to HD TV screens via the included HDMI outputs mounted conveniently on the top panel.

MilPAC-III Datasheet

Filed Under: Rugged Workstation

Mil-Spec Workstation

August 25, 2015 by admin 1 Comment

Rugged Workstation for US Navy

Rugged Workstation with three displaysMilPAC-III Navy Workstation

The average age of the computers on a US Navy ship might surprise you! Until you consider that the ship re-fit cycle is somewhere around seven years, and that the computer systems need to be specified, competed, procured and delivered prior to a refit taking place. I don’t have an exact number, but it’s old! (especially for a computer)

This makes it difficult for the Program Executive Office C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) to fulfill its role of “providing the right communication and technology tools for Information Dominance: Anytime… Anywhere.”

PMW-1201 decided that what was needed on board all ships is a modern, powerful computer that can display and help analyze video data. The computer had to be portable, and fit through hatches on board ship, while providing multiple inputs for video feeds. Hence the Intelligence Carry-On Portable (or ICOP) program was born.

ACME Government Systems proposed a modified version of its existing triple screen portable computer – the MCCS-3U – and won an initial contract to supply the Navy with five trial systems.

The first rugged workstation deployed with the 5th Fleet

Original deployed workstation

These trial systems were so popular that many ships decided to allocate money from their operating funds to purchase systems immediately, rather then waiting for the systems to become available through a program of record. A significant number of systems were purchased this way, and using the feedback from the operators of the fielded units, ACME Government Systems was able to develop a new deployable workstation with additional capabilities required for the operational shipboard environment that was designed and tested to pass all the MILSTD’s required. The MilPAC-III was released in 2013 and is now being deployed broadly throughout the fleet.

Three screens, and a server-grade dual-processor motherboard are all encased in an aluminum and polymer-composite case, which has passed the stringent MIL-S-901D test to simulate a torpedo strike. After nine blows from a 400lb hammer dropped through up to 5’ the MilPAC-III amazingly booted up and worked flawlessly! The 901D2 test is usually regarded as a destructive.

The MilPAC-III / ICOP computer runs a suite of software that integrates commercial and military information dynamically and in real time. Using a customized version of Google Earth means that training for the analysts it minimized, and the operator interface is polished and high performance. The Google Earth data and overlays are stored in a removable RAID array on the MilPAC-III.

The Navy was so please with the fast rollout and performance of the ICOP program that it won awards: Department of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Award: The ICOP team – a joint Office of Naval Research (ONR) and PEO Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) unit level Rapid Technology Transition (RTT) effort – provided a highly successful prototype system which provides multi-source intelligence, analysis, and integrated 3-D operational picture of the battlespace. The ICOP was developed in only eight months as a response to an urgent Fleet requirement. Due to a highly successful operational assessment, the prototype was transitioned into long-term support.

MilPAC-III – the only Mil-Spec workstation with three screens and Mil-S-901D certification.

Notes:

1 PMW 120 is the Battlefield Awareness and Information Operations Program Office. They deliver intelligence, meteorological, oceanographic and operations data to sailors.

2 MIL-S-901D Test apparatusMil-S-901D test of ruggedized workstation for US Navy

Filed Under: Rugged Workstation

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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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