Customer Requirements
Today's armored vehicles are built with the most sophisticated hardware and software for carrying out communications, intelligence gathering, threat surveillance, reconnaissance and other critical missions in ground warfare; and these vehicles are controlled using military-grade industrial appliances that are rugged, weather-proof and shock-resistant.
One of Lanner’s customers was looking for hardware solutions intended for developing command and control computers for mission-critical armored vehicles operating in extreme rugged environments. These industrial computers were to become the network and application integration point for all information gathering, processing, diagnostics, and decision making and they must support flexible I/O, ample data storage, multiple displays and a wide range power input. They must also be rugged, shock/vibration/water resistant, and insulated against the outside elements, including dust. Finally, hardware scalability was required for supporting a multitude of mission specific applications and connectivity that complied with stringent military requirements.
Lanner Solution
Lanner had previously used two other military-grade hardware solutions, namely the LVC-5570 and the LVC-5570N, also compliant with MIL-STD-810G, for in-vehicle remote tracking/monitoring, computer-aided dispatching, public transportation surveillance, infotainment, emergency medical services and fleet management. But the critical nature of the operations performed by these armored vehicles demand high availability systems.
Featuring high performance, IP67-rated enclosure, IP67 grade M15 and M12 power connectors and MIL-STD-810G compliance for rough terrain and extreme weather, Lanner’s REC-2740, a fanless military grade IPC powered by Intel’s Core i7-2610UE CPU, was eventually determined as the embedded solution that fulfills all requirements.
Customer’s Benefits
The REC-2740 is positioned as a robust, rugged and high-availability vehicle computer for the military, the navy and outdoor deployment, careful thoughts are given to component selection, circuit design, PCB layout, thermal design, enclosure material and manufacturing process.
The all-weather, all-terrain REC-2740 is built with Intel’s Sandy Bridge microarchitecture for enhanced performance and optimal power efficiency. Its IP-67-rated connectors and enclosure ensure its survival in wet and dusty conditions, such as the inside of a tank, the MIL-STD-810G compliance guarantees its capability for withstanding extreme shock and vibration from external forces.
Other features include frontend I/O and rear-end power cabling for easy installation/access, removable HDD for speedy data storage, CF card as OS boot device for fast read speed, low power consumption and space efficiencies; such CF card and HDD setup also allows for easy maintenance. What’s more, wifi modules can be installed via the mini-PCIe sockets for enabling digital communications while the RS-232/422/485 COM port offers support for external devices such as GPS receivers, for vehicle tracking and positioning. Last but not least, the 1GbE LAN port, when connected to a device such as a surveillance camera, provides capability for video streaming and image capturing.
Conclusion
As evidenced by the range of missions where the REC-2740-equipped armored vehicles, UAVs and other military transport have been deployed, the REC-2740 is capable of fulfilling even the most stringent hardware specifications requirements for mission-critical applications. The fanless REC-2740 brings powerful performance and high availability to critical military actions, its flexibility and scalability broaden its hardware expansion and usage scope, significantly reducing time spent on future system integration and cost spent on future upgrades and projects.
Lanner is now moving full steam ahead on developing its next all-weather, all-terrain solution for military applications.