Serial Port PC (Industrial Grade Embedded Systems)
If you’re looking for information on PCs with serial COM ports or you’re looking to buy one, you’ve come to the right place as we will provide you with everything you need to know about Computers with Serial Ports and provide you with an excellent source for buying them.
What is a Serial Port PC?
A serial Port PC is an industrial-grade computer that’s equipped with both serial COM ports for connectivity with legacy machines and equipment and USB ports for connectivity with modern machines, devices, and peripherals. Serial ports are serial communication interfaces that first debuted in the early sixties. They were and are still used to send and received data between devices. The most popular serial COM ports are the RS-232 port, RS-485, and RS-422.
Most consumer-grade computer systems have eliminated Serial COM ports; however, industrial-grade computing solutions still offer them. Industrial computing solutions provide them because they are still commonly used in industrial settings because of their simplicity and reliability.
The 9-pin DB-9 connector used for Serial COM ports is still used in industrial settings to connect computer systems to factory machinery, equipment, and devices. So, even though some machines and factory equipment utilize modern technology, some machines and devices require simple, low-speed interfaces such as serial COM ports.
For this reason, we offer industrial PC equipped with Serial COM ports and USB ports, allowing them to connect to both legacy and new technologies. Furthermore, by equipping our industrial computers with Serial ports, organizations can bring port connectivity to legacy equipment without replacing the equipment, saving organizations a substantial amount of money.
What is a Serial Port?
A serial port is a serial communication interface through which a computer transfers data to/from a connected device. Serial ports were very popular for a long period of time. However, modern computing has replaced serial COM ports with USB ports because of the higher data transfer speed that USB offers. That said, Serial COM ports are still used for applications that demand simple, low-speed interfaces such as industrial automation systems.
How Many Serial Ports Can Industrial PCs Be Equipped With?
Industrial computing solutions can be equipped with as few as two serial ports, with some models supporting up to 6x RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 ports. For example, the RCO-6120 Series of industrial computers can be configured with up to 6x Serial COM ports and 9x USB Type-A ports, offering plenty of connectivity options for applications that demand it.
On the other hand, if you need an entry-level industrial computer with only 2x Serial COM ports and 4x USB ports, you should explore the RCO-1000 Series of industrial computers, an excellent solution for entry-level workloads. Premio offers a healthy variety of industrial computing solutions that can be configured in many different ways with different I/Os, depending on your specific requirements.
What is the Difference Between Serial Ports and USB Ports?
Serial ports were designed in the sixties to provide reliable and simple one-to-one connectivity at low speeds, transmitting one bit of data at a time. However, as technology advanced, the protocol could not keep up with the demand for higher transfer speeds, and so USB was created. USB was designed for high-speed data transfer between a single USB port and one or more peripherals or attached devices. USB ports are often used to connect to peripherals that require high-speed data transfer, such as cameras, bar code readers, bill readers, fingerprint scanners, receipt printers, and other devices.
On the other hand, serial ports are still used to connect to sensors and industrial control equipment that still utilizes the protocol. Sensing, monitoring, and control devices still utilize Serial COM ports to communicate with each other and a master control computer. So, although USB devices have become commonplace, replacing serial COM ports on consumer-grade devices, Serial COM ports are still in high demand in industrial settings.
Another benefit that USB ports have to offer over Serial COM ports is the ability to send power to devices while sending/receiving data through a single cable, reducing the number of cables that you have to run to peripherals. Also, when it comes to speed, Serial COM ports are only capable of moving data at speeds that range from 1Mbps to 10 Mbps, while USB 3.1 Gen 2 provides speeds of up to 10,000 Mbps, greatly exceeding the speed of legacy Serial COM ports.
Rugged Serial Port Computer Systems
At Premio, we offer both rugged and fanless computers with serial ports. Our rugged serial port PCs are hardened to endure deployment in challenging environments. The first step in making systems rugged was making them fanless. Fanlessly cooling down systems has allowed us to eliminate all vents and openings from our system, which allows us to keep dust and other small particles out of our computing solutions. Additionally, fanlessly cooling down system eliminates fans, which are a common point of failure for many electronics, including computers. Moreover, removing fans eliminates all noise-causing components of the system, resulting in a completely silent system, making these solutions ideal for deployment in environments that require silence.
Furthermore, we have made our computing solutions resistant to shock and vibration by using a one-piece design, eliminating many of the screws and joints in the system, and eliminating all cables from the system. This has allowed us to create systems that are resistant to shock and vibration in compliance with theMIL-STD-810G.
Additionally, industrial computers with serial ports have a wide operating temperature range, ranging from -40 degrees C to 85 degrees C, allowing deployment in extremely cold and extremely hot environments.
Moreover, industrial PCs have are compact in size, which means that they have a small footprint, enabling organizations and users to deploy them in space-limited environments that are too small to house a full size, consumer-grade desktop computer.
In addition to all the ruggedization, serial port industrial PCs are also equipped with rich connectivity options that include dual Gigabit Ethernet Ports, Wi-Fi 6 enabling ultra-fast wireless connectivity, dual SIM sockets, providing users with the ability to add dual cellular carriers for redundancy. Cellular connectivity is extremely important because it allows systems to connect to the internet even if they’re deployed in remote environments where reliable internet connectivity is not always available.
Where Can You Buy Industrial Computers with Serial Ports?
You can buy PCs with Serial COM ports from Premio. Premio has been manufacturing embedded computing solutions for over 30 years in the United States. We design and build purpose-built systems that can handle deployment in the world’s most challenging environments while providing reliable performance and rich I/O. Premio offers a wide variety of Serial Port PCs that come equipped with USB ports and Serial COM ports, offering support for both new and legacy technologies. If you need assistance choosing an industrial computing solution, please contact us, and one of our embedded computing professionals will assist you with choosing or customizing a solution that meets your specific requirements.
