HOME | Notebooks | Slates | Handhelds | PANELS | Definitions & Specs | Ruggedness Testing | Industry leaders | About us
Rave Computer RCV 6100

Rugged in-vehicle industrial box PC
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

The RCV 6100 system is a rugged MIL-SPEC-810F-tested in-vehicle computer industrial box PC for use in cars, trucks, boats or any other 6 to 36VDC application. Compact, durable, and flexible by design, the RCV 6100 platform, introduced in October of 2009, meets varying operational and environmental requirements and can operate in an extremely wide temperature range.

The Rave RCV 6100 is what's generally called an industrial box PC. It is small and compact (measuring just 10.25 x 7.0 x 2.0 inches) and designed to be mounted in a vehicle where it will be used for a variety of location-based, mapping or vehicle management applications.

Based on a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor (the same used in millions of netbooks), the system provides sufficient performance at very low power consumption and heat dissipation. This allows a fanless design with all its advantages (no fan to break, no fan opening, less noise, etc.). The RCV 6100 can be run off CF Flash or a 2.5-inch hard disk, depending on the intended application and the chosen OS.

In terms of ruggedness, the RCV 6100's simple, sturdy aluminum enclosure is inherently tough and immune to most abuse. Depending on the application, the system can be installed with an optional anti-shock/vibration kit. Sealing may or may not be important in a vehicle application. If it is, Rave offers an optional IP65 enclosure.

For connectivity, the RCV 6500 three USB ports, two standard RS232 serial connectors and one that supports RS232/485 with auto flow control. There are both analog VGA and digital DVI-D connectors. There is also a GPIO connector with four inputs and four outputs, audio in/out, an RJ45 jack for gigabit Ethernet, and a SIM socket for optional voice/data. An RF kit supports GSM, GPRS, EDGE (850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz) UMTS WCDMA / HSDPA (2100 MHz) and UMTS WCDMA / HSDPA (850 MHz, 1900 MHz) bands. There are four external antenna connectors for optimal reception and signal performance.

In vehicle-based systems, the RCV 6100 can handle 6-36VDC through a 3-pin connector. It features power ignition delay control, low-power protection and an SMBus connection. There is also a smart battery backup option.

Internal expansion is via a PCI-104 slot as well as two Mini-PCIe sockets.

Rave Computer is a privately held company based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. They provide commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) computer solutions in a variety of platforms, including ruggedized systems that run various software platforms.

Specifications
Added/changed Added 10/2009
Form-factor Rugged vehicle-mount box PC
CPU Intel Atom N270
CPU Speed 1.6GHz
Chipset Intel 945GSE + ICM-7M
OS Windows XP professional or XP Embedded
RAM Up to 2GB DDR 400/533 SO-DIMM
Hard Drive 2.5-inch SATA II hard disk or CF Flash
Card slots 1 PCI-104, 2 Mini PCI express sockets, 1 SIM
Display type NA
Display size/res NA
Digitizer/pens NA
Keyboard/keys Optional external keyboard
Housing Aluminum enclosure with fanless design
Operating Temp -22 to 140F
Sealing Optional IP65
Vibration 2G @ 5-500Hz random with CF 1G @ 5-500Hz random with Automotive HDD MIL-STD-810F Method 514.5 C-17 Category 20 Ground Vehicle-Highway Truck (in operation)
Shock Operating: MIL-STD-810F Method 516.5, Proceure I, Trucks and semitrailers=20g
Size (WxHxD) 10.25 x 7.0 x 2.0
Weight unknown
Power 6-36VDC, selectable for boot-up & shut-down voltage for low power protection, S3 suspend mode support
Interface 4 antenna, 3 USB, audio in/out, 2 RS232, 1 RS232/485, VGA, DVI-D, RJ45 gigabit, GPIO,
Wireless Optional Bluetooth, optional WLAN/HSDPA
List price inquire
Contact Rave Computer
Spec page Rave RCV 6100 spec page
Definitions/Primers
  • What does "rugged" mean?
  • Rugged Specs Primer
  • FIPS 201
  • Intrinsic Safety
  • NEMA Ratings
  • IP Rating
  • Active vs passive digitizers
  • RFID
  • RFID vs. Bar Code
  • RFID viruses and worms
  • RoHS
  • Outdoor-readable screens '07
  • Wide-angle LCDs '04
  • Search
    Google
    Web RuggedPC Review