FAQ

Five questions people actually ask, plus a few they should.

Read the short version here. Bring the long version — drawings, I/O, calendar — to the contact form.

01 What do you mean by an embedded computer?

A complete computer — processor, memory, storage, I/O — whose job is a function inside a larger machine. It is not a general desktop. It is sized, cooled, and connected for one class of work: a cabinet, a vehicle, a panel, a test set.

02 How is this different from an office PC in a steel box?

Office PCs assume clean air, 0–35 °C, and a human nearby when Windows wants a reboot. Industrial nodes assume dust, vibration, brownouts, and a weekend without staff. Components, connectors, firmware, and the thermal path are chosen for that second list.

03 Which envelope should we start with?

Card-only: SBC. CPU that will refresh while wiring stays frozen: COM plus carrier. Needs a finished enclosure: industrial PC. Needs a screen a person touches: panel PC. We will argue you out of the wrong first drawing.

04 Why not always design a custom board?

Because time-to-first-article is usually the real constraint. Catalog (COTS) hardware on open connectors gets you running. Modified COTS covers the 10% that is actually unique. Full custom is for the cases where neither is honest.

05 What temperature window do you actually stand behind?

Many SKUs are designed around −40 °C to +85 °C. That number is not magic and it is not universal. It depends on DRAM grade, coating, airflow, and the enclosure you put us in. The quote and the drawing say which SKU gets which window.

06 Do you help after the hardware ships?

Yes. Images, drivers, errata, and a path for field updates. A board that cannot be patched is a liability. We treat software hygiene as part of the product, not a forum hobby.

07 x86 or Arm?

Both. Pick from the I/O map, the OS you must run, and the thermal budget — not from a brand preference on social media. We will say when an NXP-class Arm node is the quieter answer, and when Intel industrial x86 is the shorter integration.

08 Where are the boards built?

Design, test, and a large share of assembly sit in Grand Prairie, Texas so revision control and rush lots do not wait on an ocean. See Made In USA for origin, TAA, and how engineering shares the campus.

Standards that usually show up in our packets: industrial form-factor drawings, fanless thermal notes, security options (TPM / measured boot), and environmental screens. Ask for the pack that matches your SKU — we do not staple every logo onto every board.