Industrial Mini PC: Definition, Application and How to Choose Experience Sharing

In the fields of industrial automation, edge computing, intelligent monitoring, etc., traditional desktop computers are gradually replaced by more efficient solutions due to their large size and insufficient scalability. The industrial Mini PC (Custom Mini PC) has become the core equipment in industrial scenarios with its compact design, high performance and high customization. This article will analyze this product from product definition, core advantages, application scenarios to how to choose, so that more people can understand mini PC more easily.

1. What is an industrial mini PC?

An industrial mini PC is a miniaturized computer device designed for industrial environments. Its volume is usually between 1-3 liters, but it integrates computing power comparable to traditional desktop computers. Its core advantages are:

High reliability: It uses industrial-grade components, supports wide temperature operation (-40°C to 70°C), dust-proof and shock-proof design, and adapts to harsh environments.

Modular expansion: It supports stackable interface expansion modules, which can flexibly add industrial-specific functions such as COM serial ports, isolated DIO interfaces, and multiple network ports.

High-performance hardware: Equipped with Intel Core Ultra series processors, Xeon workstation-level CPUs or professional graphics cards (such as NVIDIA Quadro) to meet complex computing needs.

Unlike consumer-grade Mini Hosts, Custom Mini PCs focus more on long-term stable operation and customized functions, such as supporting MXM graphics card modules (such as RTX 5000 Ada) or OCuLink external graphics card technology to further expand graphics processing capabilities.

2. Typical application scenarios of industrial mini hosts

Industrial automation: As the core of the PLC control system, it supports multi-device communication and real-time data processing.

Edge computing: Deployed on IoT nodes to achieve localized data analysis and low-latency response.

Intelligent monitoring: Through multi-camera access and AI algorithms, real-time analysis of video streams is completed.

Digital signage and interactive terminals: Provide high-stability display and interactive services in public places such as shopping malls and stations.

For example, the Chaowen TGS-1500 series supports professional graphics rendering through the MXM graphics card module, which is suitable for machine vision inspection; while the Zotac ZBox QX series combines Xeon processors and Quadro graphics cards, which are capable of scientific computing and 3D modeling.

3. How to choose an industrial mini host?

The selection of an industrial mini host needs to be evaluated from three dimensions: performance, scalability, and environmental adaptability:

①. Performance configuration: match processors and graphics cards on demand

CPU selection:

For general computing (such as data acquisition), Intel Core Ultra 5/7 series (such as Ultra 7 165H) or AMD Ryzen 7000 series are sufficient.

If high-intensity computing (such as AI reasoning) is involved, it is recommended to choose the Xeon E series or a processor that supports NPU10.

Graphics card requirements:

Integrated graphics cards are suitable for basic graphics processing, while MXM modules or OCuLink external solutions (such as RTX 5000 Ada) can meet professional graphics needs.

②. Scalability and interface

Industrial interface: Ensure that the device supports industrial communication protocols such as RS-232/485 serial port, GPIO, and multiple network ports.

Storage and memory: Dual DDR5 memory slots and multiple M.2 hard disk slots are preferred for later upgrades.

Modular design: Stacked expansion modules such as Chaoen TGS-1000 can flexibly add functions.

③. Environmental adaptability and reliability

Wide temperature operation: Choose models that support -20°C to 60°C operation to adapt to extreme environments.

Protection level: IP65 dust and water-proof design is suitable for outdoor or high dust scenes.

Long-term supply: Industrial equipment has a long life cycle, and it is necessary to confirm that the manufacturer provides more than 5 years of hardware support.

④. Recommended Configuration

Equipped with Core Ultra processor and MXM graphics card module, supports dual PCIe 4.0 SSD, suitable for machine vision and automation control.

Xeon E-2136 processor + Quadro graphics card combination, optimized for scientific computing and CAD design.

Supports OCuLink technology, can be connected to high-performance graphics cards, and has strong scalability.

If your budget is limited or the performance requirements are not high, you can choose Intel N series chips. The cost of the mini host depends on the chip you choose. We do not choose the higher the chip, the more suitable it is for you. We have to consider the main purpose. Otherwise, the performance is too high and we can't use it, which is a waste of this function. Another point to consider is that some companies have a poor working environment, so you need to choose a fanless mini pc. The fanless mini host relies on module heat dissipation. If it is fan heat dissipation, it is easy to break if there is too much dust or moisture.

4. 4. Summary

Industrial mini host (Custom Mini PC) is reshaping the computing architecture in the industrial field with its compact size, high performance and high reliability. Users need to clarify their own needs when purchasing, focusing on processor performance, expansion interface and environmental adaptability. With the iteration of technology, the future industrial mini host will further integrate AI acceleration modules and 5G communication capabilities to provide stronger support for intelligent manufacturing and edge computing.

Through the analysis of this article, I hope that readers can clearly understand the core value of industrial mini hosts and make wise decisions in actual purchases.