Field note
Four envelopes, one decision tree
SBC, COM, sealed PC, or panel? Most programs pick the wrong first computer because the catalog photos look similar.
21 January 2026
If the metal is already cut for a card, start with an SBC. If the CPU will change and the connectors must not, start with a COM and carrier. If the computer must look like equipment, start with a sealed PC. If a human has to touch it, start with a panel.
Everything else — processor brand, TDP, operating system — is a second conversation. Mixing those conversations is how teams buy a beautiful module they cannot wire.
We keep the four families in one software and support practice so the decision is mechanical, not political.