The Advantech TREK-674 In-Vehicle Computer

Suitable" performance means as much as is required for the prospective jobs, no more and no less. In this case,the TREK-674 is powered by a dual-core 1.75GHz Intel Atom E3827 processor. Note that this is not one of your father's poky Atom chips. Instead, the E3827 is part of Intel's "Bay Trail" lineup of vastly improved CPUs that are powerful enough to not only be sold under the Atom brand, but also the Celeron and Pentium brands.

Note that "Bay Trail" is based on the "Silvermont" processor architecture, which is really the first true architectural update to Atom since its introduction in 2008. Bay Trail processors use up to four Silvermont cores, and for the first time in an ultra mobile Intel SoC pairs them with Intel's own graphics IP. In fact, Bay Trail leverages the same GPU architecture as in the Ivy Bridge Core processors, just with fewer EUs (execution units).

The chip supports Windows 7 or Windows 8 both in standard and embedded versions, and Linux. Why not Windows CE as Advantech offers in several other vehicle PCs? Because the size and complexity of many of the applications intended for this platform require full Windows.

Below you can see the TREK-674 from all four sides, as well as from the top.

Compared to a conventional desktop PC, the TREK-674, which measures 11.6 x 7.25 x 2.87 inches and weighs just under eight pounds, is a comparatively very compact unit. Its design is dominated by the massive cooling fins of the heat sink that eliminates the need for a fan even under extreme operating temperature conditions. Unlike many industrial PCs where the finned heat sink is simply mounted onto a steel enclosure, in the TREK-674 the heatsink is the housing. It's a massive, super-solid aluminum case with all of the system's electronics fastened directly to it.

Note the lockable media compartment on the front of the TREK-674. Inside sits the unit's SQFlash solid state disk backup, which by default is a speedy 64GB UMLC SQFlash industrial SSD with a SATA III 6Gbs interface. In addition, there's access to a USB 3.0 port. This arrangement means users can quickly remove and replace storage media.

For access to the interior of the unit, once the device has been unbolted from its mounting position, remove just three small Philips head screws to remove the steel bottom cover. The inside is neat and clean and well designed, as we'd come to expect from Advantech.

For I/O, the TREK-674 offers ample onboard connectivity for just about any task.

On the back side are:

• 2 x USB 2.0 Type A
• 2 x locked-type RJ45 gigabit LAN
• 1 x DB9 RS232 serial port with 12V/1A on pin 9
• 1 x VIO (Vehicle I/O, provides 2 x CAN Bus, 1 x J1708)
• 1 x Generic I/O (4 x isolated DI, 2 x isolated DO, 1 x RS485, 1 x RS232, audio in and out)
• 1 x Smart Display port (provides power, 18-bit LVDS, audio, 2 x UART, USB, power & reset signals)
• 1 x Video/Audio (8-ch video-in, 4-ch audio-in, via DVI-I port)
• 1 x GPS antenna port
• 2 x WLAN antenna port
• 2 x WWAN antenna port

• LED indicator for power status
• LED indicator for storage status
• LED indicator for GPS status/activity
• LED indicator for WWAN status/activity
• LED indicator for WLAN status/activity

Also unique to the system is its embedded Stretch S7 H.264 video hardware encoder that supports up to eight analog video inputs with up to D1 (740 x 480) resolution at 30 frames per second. The documentation isn't specific as to which exact Stretch S7 circuitry is included, but the gist of it is that this allows the TREK-674 to process real-time video, full-speed input from up to eight onboard cameras in reasonably high resolution (see Stretch S7 product sheet).

What about performance of the Intel Atom E3827 SoC-based unit? Here, as always, Advantech picked the processor best matched to the intended purpose and load of the system. Unlike general purpose PCs where more performance is always better, in dedicated systems excess power simply means extra cost and heat, both to be avoided. The table below shows, simply to give an idea of the overall performance of the TREK-674, where the system stands compared to some other Advantech industrial PCs that we've had in the RuggedPCReview.com lab recently.

Advantech Intel-based Box PC Benchmarks and Comparisons

PERFORMANCE COMPARISON	Advantech	Advantech	Advantech	Advantech	Advantech
Model	TREK-674	AIIS-1240	ITA-1610	ARK-1122	ARK-DS520
Model (click pic for review)
Year tested	2014	2014	2014	2013	2012
What's it for?	Vehicle/surveillance	Optical inspection	Intelligent systems	Digital signage	Digital signage
Intel processor	Atom E3827	Core i7-3770	Atom D525	Atom N2800	Atom N455
CPU Speed	1.75GHz	3.4GHz	1.8GHz	1.86GHz	1.66GHz
OS Software	WES7	WES7	WES7	WES7	WES7
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	8 watts	77 watts	13 watts	6.5 watts	6.5 watts
CPU Mark	628.7	8,820.9	556.8	546.1	248.7
2D Graphics Mark	124.9	696.5	182.7	NA	71.3
Memory Mark	314.2	1,420.5	266.2	254.3	220.4
Disk Mark	1,486.9	519.5	101.8	948.2	445.9
3D Graphics Mark	125.5	476.4	106.8	57.0	169.1
Overall PassMark	556.2	2,895.9	257.0	389.7	226.3
CM ALU	12,009	84,049	12,214	11,474	6,296
CM FPU	9,876	68,910	10,276	9,003	4,033
CM MEM	14,748	47,498	8,649	8,757	6,033
CM HDD	36,844	8,325	5,381	25,739	7,827
CM GDI	3,465	17,856	2,798	1,271	2,302
CM D2D	3,490	8,411	3,481	370	2,936
CM OGL	2,667	10,417	787	8,016	5,183
Overall CrystalMark	83,099	245,466	43,586	64,630	34,610

The Advantech TREK-306DH Smart Display

• It must be able to handle an automotive grade temperature range (-22 to 158 degrees F)
• It must be able to handle shock and vibration
• It must be well sealed
• It must have an ambient light sensor
• It should have both touch and physical programmable function buttons
• It should have a one-cable connection
• It should provide USB, reset and power on/off

Perhaps most importantly, the display connects to the TREK-674 (or similar TREK systems) with a single powered Smart Display cable, which Advantech offers in lengths of two (6.5 feet) or five meters 16.5 feet).

Below you can see the Advantech TREK-306DH Smart Display from the front and all sides.

Additional thoughts about TREK-based Mobile Resource Management systems

It is hard to overestimate the potential benefit of mobile resource management and video surveillance. Intelligent fleet monitoring can revolutionize the way a business is run. In addition to basics like theft protection, dispatchers and fleet management know at any time where their vehicles are, what routes they have run, what the odometer reading is, if safety requirements are met, and whether they are being used according to plan and policy.

An advanced system may not only provide vehicle location on a map, geofences, remote alarms and door unlocking, but also detailed history reports that can show hourly usage, violations, speeding, or many other parameters. The addition of multiple video streams alerts to dangers, unusual situation, and provides documentation.

All sorts of special sensors can be used to retrieve information from the OBD-II onboard diagnostics system that has been mandatory in vehicles sold in the United States since 1996. OBD-II tracks dozens of vehicle functions, and that data could be used to provide fuel efficiency data, warn of potential vehicle and component failures or manage maintenance requirements. And the industry is just beginning to meld the up to now completely separate world of vehicle computers, generally known as ECUs (Engine Control Units), with computers and communication systems as we know them.

If all this sounds enormously complicated, it is and it's not. Installation of a GPS vehicle tracking system is inherently no more difficult than that of a car audio or navigation system. Setting up web-based tracking reports is simple as well, and can be done both for individual vehicles as well as for small and large fleets.

How much does it cost? That depends on the type and system as well as the software it comes with. Developers and systems integrators may use the rugged Advantech TREK platform to create simple or complex vehicle and fleet management systems. IT departments may build their own applications using Advantech tools and standard Windows development environments. TREK based systems may be deployed as inhouse applications, or sold as turnkey or subscription-based systems.

Mobile Resource Management, video surveillance, and GPS-based M2M systems are becoming increasingly popular as they easily pay for themselves with numerous benefits, including theft protection, asset management, increased safety, lowered maintenance costs, more efficient operation, route management, etc. Increasingly we're seeing systems optimized for specific tasks, like the TREK-674's emphasis on video surveillance and recording from up to eight channel cameras, which can safely and easily provide video data monitoring and backup for numerous field operations.

In summary...