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Winmate EAC Mini EACIL67
Super-compact, IP67-sealed industrial IoT gateway with USB Type-C video, data, and power Alt Modes
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)
In this article we're examining Winmate Inc's new (as of early 2019) EAC Mini EACIL67 industrial IoT gateway computer. What's an industrial IoT gateway? It is a small, reliable PC used to share, filter and transport data from sensors up to higher level intelligent systems and from there to the cloud. The Winmate EACIL67 can do all that and more. And there are also several things that set it apart from your average IoT gateway.
But first, look how small this industrial-grade gateway is sitting next to an Apple iPhone 7 Plus:
But now on to the two things that set the Winmate EAC Mini EACIL67 apart:
- IP67 — It carries a full IP67 ingress protection rating. That means it's dustproof and waterproof as well, even with full immersion.
- USB-C — The EACIL67 has a USB-C port that supports audio/video, USB data and power all in one cable.
This means that the Winmate EAC Mini EACIL67 isn't only completely immune to the elements, but it can also run (and power) a compatible USB Type-C display, such as Winmate's W10L100-GCH2-C, through one single cable. This warrants a brief discussion of USB Type-C.
The power of USB Type-C
USB Type-C's immediate and most obvious advantage over the original USB Type-A connector is the smaller and reversible plug. No more 50/50 chance that you're trying to plug a cable in the wrong way! But there's much more to USB Type-C than that.
 The reversibility of the USB Type-C connector comes from having not one but two sets of the USB 3.1 "SuperSpeed" 12-pin layout. Note that "USB Type-C" itself only describes the smaller, reversible connector; it is the version of USB itself that determines what capabilities a cable with USB Type-C connectors has.
Those capabilities can be simple USB 2.0, 3.0 and 3.1 data transfer. But there are also so called alternate modes that allow standard USB Type-C connectors to deliver power and and carry non-USB data by using some of the extra pins in the USB 3.1 standard. As of now there are alternate mode specifications for DisplayPort, HDMI, Thunderbolt and MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link). Which is why the Winmate EAC Mini EACIL67 needs just one thin USB-C cable to provide power and audio/video to its display.
But isn't power through USB fairly limited, just enough to charge a smartphone or tablet battery? Not with USB Type-C. It can supply as much as 100 watts, plenty enough to drive a 10-inch touchscreen display such as the W10L100-GCH2-C that only needs a tenth as much.
The EACIL67 gateway
The EACIL67 IoT gateway is a remarkable design. Having a very small 18 square-inch footprint (same as an iPhone 7/8 Plus), it packs a complete PC into a 2.2 pound package small enough to be mounted virtually anywhere.
Performance is provided by an Intel Celeron N3350 that runs at a base frequency of 1.10GHz but can reach burst frequencies of up to 2.40GHz. It's a modern dual-core/dual-thread 14nm design that's part of Intel's "Apollo Lake" lineup. Apollo Lake replaced "Braswell," which had replaced "Broadwell," and the N3350 is a mid-range model in that lineup. We're not talking Intel Core processor performance, but plenty enough for most IoT gateway and similar applications.
Since this is a sealed, fanless unit, all ports are waterproof. Unused ports have screw-on caps. Cables have screw-on connectors. All three available configurations (standard, Wi-Fi, CANBUS) have 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC mass storage (up to 1TB of mSATA storage is optionally available), the USB-C port, a USB 2.0 port, and dual gigabit RJ45 LAN jacks. Our test unit came with Wi-Fi and screw-on sealed external antennae pass-throughs.
The Winmate USB Type-C display
Our review system included Winmate's W10L100-GCH2-C USB Type-C Display. From the front it looks like a modern tablet, but that's quite deceptive. This display is all cast aluminum and steel and tough as an anvil, definitely designed for demanding industrial use.
The display measures 10.1 inches diagonal and has 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. That makes for 149 ppi (pixels per inch), plenty sharp enough for its intended use. The display offers near perfect viewing angles from all directions, without any color or contrast shifts. Luminance is 350 nits, also good enough for indoor industrial applications. An 800 nits version of this panel is also available (see here).
All this display has (and needs) in terms of I/O is that a single USB Type-C port. Nothing else. That means one single thin cable for power, video, audio, and whatever else goes back and forth between a PC and its display.
As for buttons, there's a small push-control pad in the rear, mostly for basic setup and viewing customization.
The USB Type-C cable that came with our setup was 6-1/2 feet long. USB-C cables can be up to twice that long for simple USB 2.0 data transfer. Faster USB 3.1 setups mean shorter cables. For the USB 3.1 Gen 2 that supports 10gbps, cable lengths are limited to about three feet.
Bottom line: Winmate USB Type-C Solution
What began as a much appreciated solution to a decades-old annoyance — a better USB connector — has grown into a versatile connectivity solution that reduces the number of cables.
Fewer cables is always better, and with its innovative USB Type-C solutions, Winmate is putting this new interface technology to work.
In this example, on the one side there's an almost impossibly small, tough and rugged and fully sealed industrial computer — the Winmate EAC Mini EACIL67 IoT gateway — that can be mounted anywhere. On the other a robust display that gets its video, audio, USB and power all through a single thin cable — Winmate's W10L100-GCH2-C USB Type-C Display. Makes perfect sense. — Conrad Blickenstorfer, February 2019
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