Apollo Lake micro PC for the IoT and Industrial applications

The Intel-powered micro PC further enhances Tiny Green PC’s offering of rugged process control units and IoT gateways for smart building, CCTV systems, transportation and real-time data management.

Viru Patel, Embedded Computing Solutions Manager at Tiny Green PC said: “The launch of Fitlet2 takes Tiny Green PC’s focus back to our core strength of ultra-compact and rugged Fanless PCs. This FitPC2 successor is the best-looking IoT PC in the market. Firstly, the size is very impressive at just 112x84x34mm with integrated heatsink. In addition, the PC is built around Atom E3900 Apollo Lake processors, especially developed by Intel for industrial IoT applications: it brings improved data communications and faster processing tasks thanks to 64-bit quad-core CPU performance. When you add rich customisable connectivity and best-in-class reliability, you get the perfect micro-sized PC for fire alarm systems, building security, remote diagnosis, predictive maintenance or fleet monitoring.”

Two quad-core models are available: the E3950 is based on the Intel Atom Processor x7 Series with a CPU speed range of 1.6 to 2GHz and low power consumption from 5W.  Alternatively, the J3455 comes with the Intel Celeron Processor J Series and a CPU speed range of 1.5-2.3GHz.  Both models come with outstanding graphics capabilities through the Intel HD Graphics 505/500 processors.

The Fitlet2’s design embraces outdoor and embedded applications: containing no moving parts, Fanless technology ensures the best resistance to cold or dusty environments.  The Thermal design has been enhanced with new cooling fins and built-in heatsink, enabling the PC to support wider operating temperatures to a range of between -40 and 85°C. Energy efficiency has been improved with a low power consumption of 5W-15W (depending on CPU type, system load and application).

Versatility is one of the key advantages of the Fitlet2. Standard connectivity includes dual Ethernet ports, dual 4K video outputs (appreciable for CCTV and inspection applications), one microSD card slot, one serial port, two GPIO LED, two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports. On top of that, the Function and Connectivity T-card (FACET card) provides further customisation options such as an additional dual Gbit Ethernet port, 4 extra USB 2.0 ports or simultaneous cellular modem and WI-FI/Bluetooth, enabling customers to configure the Fanless PC for their specific needs.

Max Fazilleau, Application and Product Engineer at Tiny Green PC comments: “Intel has introduced Atom E3900 Apollo Lake Processors with a maximum RAM capacity of 8GB, but we have successfully tested in the lab with 16GB RAM and will offer this option to match some of our customers’ requirements. This is very impressive for a form factor this small, and against all other PCs with x7 E3950 or J3455 in the market, like the NUC version, which are commercialised with up to 8GB.”

He continued: “Thanks to M.2 mSATA, the booting time and the energy efficiency of the storage have improved. Features needed for remote management, such as wake-on-timer and remote power button, are also present as well as selectable power source (15-36V).”

Tiny Green PC is offering Windows 10 IoT Enterprise (LTSB entry licence) on Fitlet2. They recommend LTSB to create secure, connected systems for data collection and monitoring IoT applications as well as to ensure stable solutions mandatory for successful embedded projects. Other OS options like Windows 10 Pro and Linux options can also be installed by Tiny Green PC’s technicians.