Emerson’s new compact, rugged PC built to connect industrial floor to Cloud

The new solution is designed to serve manufacturing sites and OEM machine builders who need a ruggedised, compact, durable IPC to cost-effectively support their Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and other digital transformation initiatives.

The IPC 2010 addresses this by pre-loading the PACEdge industrial edge platform and elements of Movicon.NExT SCADA software, helping users run applications quickly using browser-based configuration. Provisions are included for keeping the software platform current and passively maintained, minimising user effort, while maximising reliability.

Running an industrial version of Linux, and including serial and Ethernet connectivity, the IPC 2010 can be used as a communications gateway in a variety of topologies, and simultaneously or separately as an edge computing device. Users can implement the IPC 2010 as a flexible protocol converter – and for many other computing functions – in many IIoT, Edge, OT/IT convergence, HMI visualisation, SCADA connectivity, and digital transformation roles.

Both the hardware and software are designed to be adaptable, universal, and scalable, providing a standardised and unified user experience that is easy-to-use, powerful, and supported by Emerson’s lifecycle services. The compact form factor IPC 2010 features the widest operating temperature range of any passively cooled IPC, with a low power consumption of just four watts, and tough packaging so it can be installed virtually anywhere.

The IPC 2010 offers an advantageous price/performance ratio, with no ongoing annual licensing costs, or charges for general and cybersecurity updates. Additional features, such as Movicon Connext or WebHMI, can be activated or added at any time.

“Many customers undergoing a digital transformation want to start small and earn trust as they seek out value from edge-enabled applications,” said William Paczkowski, Product Manager for the IPC 2010 for Emerson’s discrete automation business. “The IPC 2010 is specifically designed as a pre-packaged and economical solution so they can get running quickly and cost effectively.”

Emerson is already building the IPC 2010 into a range of larger offerings for leak detection, compressed air monitoring, batching systems, cloud enablement services, and other packaged solutions. This flexible industrial technology will enable customers of all types to benefit from their advanced capabilities.