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Winmate M900P fully rugged tablet and VG100 vehicle gateway
Intel "Apollo Lake" based rugged vehicle-mount computer for data collection and logistics application
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, October 2019)
Tablets are a terrific way to bring full Windows 10 computing power and functionality into the field, vehicles, or just about anywhere else. Tablets are light and handy and, unlike laptops, can be used with or without a keyboard. As a result, tablet use in vehicles is on the rise, and that's not just for GPS but for all sorts of enterprise mobility solutions. For this sort of thing you need more than a generic tablet. It must be rugged, have a suitable vehicle mount, and be easy to operate. In order for it to be a true in-vehicle solution, however, the tablet must also be able to talk directly to the vehicle. And that is what Winmate's 8-inch M900P rugged tablet and VG100 vehicle gateway provide.
The M900P measures 10 x 7.75 x 0.8 inches, which is relatively large for an 8-inch tablet. The extra size buys room for five physical buttons along the right side of the display. It also affords a generous glass margin beyond the perimeter of the actual LCD, always a good thing with a capacitive multi-touch screen. No need, of course, for a "camera notch" in the screen, and the larger footprint also allows for a lot of extra protection.
The physical home and three programmable function buttons come in handy for use in vehicles and under adverse outdoor conditions. Sometimes push buttons are better than onscreen touch.
The image below shows the front of the M900P as well as its side-mounted I/O. On top you can see the optional 1D/2D barcode reader window. That space can also be used for an optional RFID reader (it's either/or, not both). On the right side is an I/O block that includes a USB 3.0 Type A port, a reversible USB Type C port, an audio jack, and power. All these sit behind a protective cover. Next to it is a D-Sub connector to link to a vehicle gateway (we'll get to that).
The sidebar to the right shows the backside of the M900P. Visible are the documentation camera with its illumination LED and the battery. The battery is an externally accessible rechargeable 7.6V 4,200mAH 32 watt-hour Li-Ion unit that snaps flush into the backside of the tablet. This type of design relies on a rubber pressure seal around the battery contacts, and in this case also the SIM and micro SD card slots that sit inside the battery compartment right next to the contacts. Flush-mounted batteries make optional extended batteries possible. Also visible is the access door for the mPCIe slot that accommodates the (optional) WWAN module.
Performance and design
For processing, the Winmate M900P uses a quad-core Intel "Apollo Lake" N4200 CPU. This is a 64-bit 14nm chip designed to idle along at a thermally efficient base frequency of just 1.1GHz, but also capable of operating at burst frequencies up to 2.5GHz to quickly handle heavier loads. There's 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Mass storage is via an M.2 module (our review unit came with a 64GB SSD module, up to 128GB is available).
Should there ever arise a need to open up an M900P tablet, it's easy. Undo 11 Philips screws and disconnect the LCD/touchscreen ribbon cable and it's done. Sealing between the two Polymer haves is via tongue-and-groove where the tongue presses against a replaceable red rubber seal. Once open, you immediately see why the very compact tablet weighs a relatively substantial two pounds: it's because one of the thickest and most solid cast aluminum chassis/heat sink we've ever seen. It's massive. Below you can see the inside front of the Winmate M900P tablet (click on it for a full-size image).
The insides of the tablet are heavily componentized, with a separate I/O daughterboard and optional barcode reader, RFID reader, and MSR/EMV reader. Since most M900P tablets may see lots of vehicle duty where vibration is a given, Winmate put a generous dollop of white silicon glue on any connector that might rattle loose.
As far as battery life goes, the Winmate spec sheet suggests 8 hours, the manual 6-7 hours. In our BatteryMon testing we saw a minimum power draw of 4.1 watt, which translates into 7,8 hours.
In terms of performance, the M900P scored 1,598.0 in PassMark v9 and 124,521 in our CrystalMark benchmark suites. Both are higher than what we saw in the Winmate M101BK keyboard tablet and the Winmate FM07 vehicle-mount, and comparable to the M900P's primary 8-inch rugged tablet competition (Getac T800 and Handheld Group Algiz 8X).
Ruggedness
As far as ruggedness and durability go, the Winmate M900P is far, far tougher and more durable than any consumer or even enterprise tablet. The device is well protected, materials used are grippy and won't get scratched or dented, and ergonomics are excellent for use out in the field, even with gloves on.
The tablet's 5-foot drop spec means it won't break if it slips out of a user's hands. The -4 to 140 degree Fahrenheit operating temperature range allows deployment in a very wide range of settings.
The Winmate M900P has an IP65 ingress protection rating where the first "6" indicates the unit is totally dustproof an the "5" that the unit can also handle low pressure jets of water, so the tablet can handle much more than just a bit of rain.
Cameras
Virtually all contemporary tablets have integrated cameras, and the Winmate M900P is no exception with its front (2-megapixel) and rear (8-megapixel) cameras. On the software side, the tablet comes with both the Windows Camera app and Winmate's own HotTabCam. Neither provides many options or settings.
The purpose of cameras integrated into tablets designed to be used on the job is to eliminate the need to carry along a dedicated camera or use a modern smartphone for taking pictures. The cameras in the Winmate M900P can do that. The images below were taken with the HotTabCam app's highest quality and resolution settings for 16:9 aspect ratio pictures (3264 x 1836 pixels, or 6mp). Click on the sample picture compilation to see it in full size.
Display
Display quality and brightness is as important in a vehicle computer as in any other PC. The Winmate M900P's 8-inch screen offers 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, which is adequate for general Windows 10 work and the custom applications these units are predominantly used for. Likewise, the display's 189 ppi (pixels per inch) is plenty sharp enough for its intended purpose.
Since tablets are used outdoors as well as indoors, display brightness is crucial. The Winmate M900P's display is rated at 510 nits luminance (we tested 480), on par with most premium consumer tablets and also with the 8-inch rugged tablet competition.
Display viewing angle is crucial in tablets and handhelds, but somewhat less so in vehicle-mount deployments where they are fixed and will generally be viewed from the same angle. As is, the M900P's specs suggest 85 degree viewing angles from all directions, plenty good enough. When viewed from some angles, brightness varies a bit, but there are no color and contrast shifts. Like all glossy transmissive LCD displays, there can be reflections outdoors. Overall, the display is excellent.
Bottom line: Winmate M900P/VG100
The Winmate M900P is one of the few available 8-inch fully-rugged tablet, offering full Windows 10 on an excellent display that's larger than the largest phone while being smaller, lighter and handier than 10-inch tablets. The tablet is exceptionally robust but also offers very good ergonomics and grip. The capacitive multi-touch display has hand/rain, stylus and glove modes, and is complemented by three large programmable hardware function buttons.
What sets the M900P further apart is the availability of the dedicated VG100 vehicle gateway that provides CAN bus, RS485, digital I/O and vehicle power to the tablet. This vastly increases the M900P's deployment potential into SAE J1939, OBD2, CANopen and many other CAN bus-based applications. -- Conrad Blickenstorfer, Oct. 2019
Winmate, founded in 1994, is a Taiwanese company with a worldwide presence. Specializing in industrial display technologies and solutions, Winmate also branched out into Tablet PCs, digital signage, rugged Mobile PCs, embedded automation controllers, marine grade displays and computers, and Panel PCs such as the Stainless Panel PC shown here.
Contact Winmate:
Web: www.winmate.com or winmate-rugged.com (for North America)
Email: sales@winmate.com.tw or NASales@winmate.com.tw (for North America)
OEM/ODM Contact: ODM@winmate.com.tw
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 Specifications Winmate M900P
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Status
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Reviewed 09/2019
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Form-factor
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Fully rugged tablet
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OS
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Windows 10 IoT Enterprise
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Processor
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Intel Pentium N4200
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CPU Speed
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1.1GHz base, 2.50GHz turbo
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Graphics
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Intel HD Graphics 505
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Standard/Max RAM
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4GB LPDDR4
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Disk/drive
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64GB solid state drive (SSD)
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Display type
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TFT LCD, 510 nits
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Display size/res
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8.0-inch, 1280 x 800 pixel (189 ppi)
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Digitizer
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Projected capacitive touch, capacitive stylus available
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Card slots
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1 x SIM, 1 x micro SD Card
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Keyboard/scale
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Onscreen QWERTY, power, home, 3 x function key
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Operating temperature
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-4° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C)
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Sealing
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IP65
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Vibration
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MIL-STD-810G Method 514.6 Procedure I
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Humidity
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10 to 90% RH, non-condensing
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Shock
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MIL-STD-810G Method 516.6 Procedure I
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Certifications
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CE, FCC, Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT
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Housing
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Polymer front and back with cast aluminum chassis, fanless design
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Size (WxHxD)
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10.0 x 7.75 x 0.8 inches (225 x 148 x 21 mm)
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Weight
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2.0 lbs (900 grams)
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Power
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Removable 7.6V, 4200mAh, 32whr Li Polymer Battery ("6-8 hours")
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Data Collection
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Optional 1D/2D barcode reader, HF RFID, MSR & Contact EMV card reader
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Cameras
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2mp webcam + 8mp AF rear camera with LED light
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Interface
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1 x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.0 Type-C, 1 x DB15, 1 x audio in/out, power, dock
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Wireless
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Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, optional 4G LTE WWAN
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List price
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Inquire
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Web
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Winmate M900P web page
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Data sheet
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 Winmate M900P rugged tablet spec sheet
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User Manual
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Winmate M900P User Manual
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Winmate VG100 vehicle gateway
Adding CAN bus, digital I/O and vehicle power to the M900P tablet
Winmate offers a special accessory that extends the functionality of the M900P from being "just" a tablet to being a device that fully integrates into vehicle networks. The Winmate VG100 vehicle gateway does that by providing a CAN bus interface to the tablet, in addition to digital inputs/outputs, another USB port, and RS485 functionality.
What is CAN bus?
The spec sheets of vehicle-mount and other industrial computers often show CAN bus support or the presence of a CAN bus port. What is CAN bus?
The "CAN" in CAN bus stands for "Controller Area Network," and CAN bus is a wired communications bus standard used in vehicles. CAN bus origins go back to the 1980s when German electronics company Bosch developed it to simplify vehicle wiring in an era of rapidly expanding vehicle electronics. In essence, CAN bus allows communication between nodes such as microprocessors, controllers, sensors and other electronics.
Note that CAN bus is not limited to vehicles. It can also be used for marine deployments, industrial and building automation, various Internet of Things applications and more. Likewise, CAN bus supports a variety of different standards.
Among the most common ones are:
- SAE J1939, the general standard for in-vehicle networks in buses, trucks and oter industrial and heavy-duty vehicles;
- OBD2, the on-board diagnostics system used for self-diagnostic and reporting capabilities in all newer cars; and
- CANopen, which is used in vehicle fleet management, fuel optimization, and proactive vehicle diagnostics applications.
What is the VG100?
The VG100 itself is a small 5.2 x 3.1 x 1.5 inch black box that looks like a miniature industrial PC. It uses the same construction as most IPCs, i.e. a circuit board mounted inside a milled, finned aluminum with steel cover and fascias. Most of the 5 x 2-7/8 inch circuit board is taken up by a DC/DC converter that can handle a wide 9V-36V input and, on the other end, provide 12V output, up to 60 watts. And that means the M900P can run on vehicle power, via the VG100.
As far as I/O goes, the VG-100 connects to the M900P tablet through a special 15-pin connector. The VG-100 also includes a Type A USB 2.0 port that could be used for an external camera, a keyboard or mouse, or any other USB device. On the vehicle side of the VG-100 is a 3-pin terminal block power connector and a custom cable that provides two digital input pins, two digital output pins, the CAN bus grounded twisted-pair wiring, and also RS-485 wiring.
But why not just get a CAN bus adapter? One can, but those don't come with digital I/O, probably not with RS-485, and definitely not with a power supply for a mobile device.
What does it mean?
The availability of the VG100 vehicle gateway as a dedicated peripheral/accessory means that the M900P tablet can directly talk to vehicle and industrial networks. This greatly expands the functionality of the M900P. It can serve as a Human-Machine interface with networks regular PCs cannot directly access. It can serve as a node in such networks. It can issue digital outputs to those networks and receive digital inputs from them. This can streamline business processes, increase productivity and improve public safety service. The application potential is literally endless.
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