What Challenges Stand in the Way of Integrating AI into an Industrial PC

With data and analytics that originally existed only in traditional data centers or clouds shifting to the edge, it indicates industrial applications are moving from automation to autonomy. But why is it that only a few edge AI platforms are offered by industrial PC manufacturers? Because there are challenges in deploying industrial PCs with AI into the field.

Integrating AI into an industrial PC is like creating the learning and reasoning abilities of the human brain but without the effects of bias, fatigue, or emotions. The integration offers intellect that can improve efficiency, accuracy, and productivity.

When you add a GPU card, or a graphics card to the already compact and poorly ventilated embedded enclosure, it disrupts the thermal, power delivery, and installation balance of the system.

Therefore, an industrial PC must be carefully designed so its CPU/ GPU/ component heat dissipation, circuit board layout, bracket mechanisms, interference segregation/ isolation, and enclosure infrastructure can work cohesively and seamlessly to sustain 24/7 optimal system performance in various environmental conditions.

Like the human body, edge computers are subject to environmental factors such as fluctuating/ extreme temperatures, dust, liquid, humidity, salinity, etc. And the power delivery acceptance acts like a food source which is essential to sustain various operations.

Therefore, an industrial PC must be carefully designed so its CPU/ GPU/ component heat dissipation, circuit board layout, bracket mechanisms, interference segregation/ isolation, and enclosure infrastructure can work cohesively and seamlessly to sustain 24/7 optimal system performance in various environmental conditions.

When the human body overheats, the body dissipates the heat to regulate body temperature, and it is no different for industrial PCs. A well-designed and effective heat dissipation for the industrial PC is vital to longevity, stability, and performance. In addition to temperature, other factors like shock/ vibration affect the installation; dust, liquid, and humidity may affect internal components when they seep through.

Having a wide range DC input acceptance is essential to the operation and deployment viability of the system. Accepting wide DC input opens the door to more deployment possibilities as it lowers the voltage specificity to power the system, making it more compatible and flexible in various scenarios.

By eliminating the effects of environmental factors and power delivery, you can now decide how smart you want your industrial PC to be by installing a GPU card that meets your needs. In terms of AI, the integration of a GPU card enables AI learning and reasoning capabilities, while its TFLOPS (one trillion floating-point operations per second) is an indication of its processing power, it can range from single-digit TFLOPS to several hundred. Remember though, the more the processing power, the more the heat generated. Hence there are various performance grades of GPU cards available, with power consumptions ranging from 30W up to 250W, you can choose to install one, or two, depending on your needs.

The addition of a GPU card enables the AI capability of an industrial PC, but it complicates the already environment-challenged system in terms of cooling, installation, and power delivery. As one of the pioneers in integrating AI into industrial PCs, Neousys Technology offers a wide range of field-tested industrial PCs with support for entry to advanced GPU cards to meet your deployment and application needs.