Small IPCs aid edge computing

Machine builders and end-users who need computing and data monitoring solutions that take up a limited amount of space may find the solution in the new MELIPC series of industrial-use computers from Mitsubishi Electric. By integrating hardware and software technologies in a small footprint, they’re ideal for data computing, edge computing and remote monitoring.

The four initial models combine real-time equipment control and information processing in one solution, and are designed to enable or improve the functioning of Internet of Things (IoT) systems on the factory floor.

MI5000, the line’s flagship product, comes with two operating systems, VxWorks and Windows 10, and is compatible with the CC-Link IE Field industrial network, enabling high-speed data exchange at speeds of up to 1ms for real-time equipment control. It also uses Edgecross, an open software platform, to process and distribute data.

“More and more manufacturing floors are beginning to take edge computing into consideration,” says product manager Agnieszka Zupanic. “It allows them to process the data where it is generated, leading to faster speeds and efficiencies.”