Impulse Blog

ADAM-4520

2013-08-28T16:41:00.003+01:00

The ADAM-4520 from Advantech is an isolated RS-232 to RS-422/485 converter with automatic RS-485 data flow control. When using the RS-485 communication channel of the ADAM-4520, users can benefit from 3,000V DC isolation, meaning their valuable machinery is protected from outside effects such as electromagnetic interference.

The power requirements of the ADAM-4520 are 10V to 30V DC, and can operate in a wide -10°C to +70°C temperature environment. Furthermore, through the RS-422/485 communication line, you can transmit data to a distance of 1.2km.

Impulse Corporation has the ADAM-4520 in stock. Click here to buy the ADAM-4520 online now or call 01782 337 800 for more information.

Introducing the Internet of Things - Part 1

2012-10-01T17:05:00.000+01:00

View the original article

The “Internet of Things” (IoT) is nothing new. It is simply a term that has quite recently been adopted in the embedded and automation industry, to describe the increasing number of sensor networks, all linked via the “Cloud”, which create a more efficient way of life for those who are both directly and indirectly affected by them. The IoT is becoming more prevalent now due to the increasing availability of its core requirement – a critical mass of devices and a dedicated and reliable cloud structure.

Perhaps a simple way of describing the IoT, otherwise known as Intelligent Systems, is to touch on the way in which more and more wireless and network enabled products are now being integrated with non-computing objects in order to intelligently communicate and provide a more efficient and cost effective application. These kinds of applications have been around for decades, in large retail chains and factories, but now due to the continued development of wireless enabled products and online or offline applications, they are becoming more accessible to a much wider range of companies in the industrial sector. The need for dedicated control rooms costing hundreds of thousands of pounds has been replaced by software which can be run on a small hand-held tablet at the fraction of the price.

One of the most important uses of the IoT is hardware monitoring. Be it the temperature of a boiler, a drop in power for a mission critical piece of hardware, or even the movement and degradation of a 1bn tonne glacier in the Antarctic.

Traditional methods of monitoring these systems (SCADA systems aside) would be a simple manual process. In the case of a boiler temperature, there would be a thermometer located on the outside of the boiler that would be checked at regular intervals by an operative. The IoT automates this process and wirelessly alerts the operative, remotely if required, of any temperature fluctuations. Software applications analyse and interpret data signals from wireless sensor points, namely ADAM modules, and provide an alert should an issue arise. The software can even then communicate back to the ADAM module which in turn could have an effect on the hardware (ie: turning off the element inside the boiler).

Instantly the financial investment in the hardware required for this system could potentially be offset by the eradication of the manual means of monitoring these processes. It is in this area that Impulse is helping educate and support its customers to help them better understand the benefits of integrating an Intelligent System into their existing applications.

An example of the Internet of Things – Logistics, factories and retail

In this article we will use a real-world example to describe the implementation of the Internet of Things. In order to give a good understanding, this example will discuss the processes before and after implementation, and an example of the products used throughout the application.

Logistics, factories and retail before the Internet of Things

The traditional processes involved in tracking stock traversing the supply chain were that of paper check-lists and documents. Manifests, printed stock-lists and printed order forms would be physically carried with delivery drivers, signed on receipt and then stored at each relevant location of the supply chain. There were sometimes examples where documents had sections ripped off the further down the supply chain the products travelled, each being stored at the local depot or store. Documents transferred between stores, warehouses and logistics were also prone to being lost or destroyed accidentally.

Once the stock arrives at the retail store from the manufacturer or supplier, a stock list was used by one or two stockroom workers, who would manually check each product in the delivery against the stock-list provided by the delivery driver.

Since the 1980s computers have been used in the retail environment. Becoming more prevalent in the 90s among larger retail outlets, scanners, network enabled tills and picking machines meant that stock records could be kept up-to-date automatically when transactions were processed. Records of stock movements, deliveries and sales were also stored and could be referenced by a central GUI, local to the store’s network. This locality, or isolation, of information is one of the key areas in which the IoT evolved the retail sector.

In the case of a zero stock level in a retail outlet with multiple national stores, the sales staff would have the option of calling one or more of these stores to check stock levels. The time this could potentially take could cost the sale, especially if availability is very limited.

Moving towards the Internet of Things

Around the mid-nineties, large retail stores implemented hardware and software which had some internet capability. In many cases, transactions and stock levels would be transmitted via the Internet to the distribution centre at the end of the day, which would in turn affect the stock being sent in the next delivery. As these systems progressed, it also became possible for stores to communicate with databases located in other stores in order to check stock levels.

Although these systems were now communicating with each other, the schematic was still flawed. Each store, distribution centre and supplier had their own local database which was updated by a push from nodes further down the supply chain. This essentially diminished the reliability and integrity of the data, and also severely limited the ability to access the data from outside the firewalls of the individual stores and distribution centres.

On a similar point, it was also technically difficult to push data down to the stores, and similarly access the central data from an external source. Due to the manual recording processes involved it was difficult for stores to gain a true measurement of ROI during sales and promotions. With an ever expanding product line it was also difficult to efficiently track where stock came from, how old the stock was and other important information points such as shelf life and warranties.

The push of data up the supply chain

The final step to implementing the Internet of Things

The processes described above are not a million miles away from where the Internet of Things has taken us over the past few years. The major changes have come about with the development of wireless devices that are attached to computing and non-computing objects, along with the introduction of cloud based storage.

What do we mean by “attached to non-computing objects”?

Describing this concept is actually very simple. Wireless (or wired of course) devices can be connected to an object which has little or no computing or communicative power, via a sensor of some description, which instantly gives that object an IP address.

An example could be the cables running through an electricity substation. A sensor connected to an IP enabled device could monitor the cables and report any spikes in frequency to a central cloud, which would then tell human or electronic data analysers that there is degradation in the cabling system. An engineer can even call on an individual cable for information, or a picture of health for the whole system could be manifested from data being sent from all relevant connected devices.

What is Cloud storage?

Cloud based storage has been around, really, since the advent of the internet. It is simply IP based storage accessible from the Internet, which has been common to website hosting since websites first came online. The difference now is that it is more accessible.

Hosting companies, even mobile phone companies, are embracing the need and benefits of offering cloud storage. Mobile phone users can upload images and videos to their cloud storage and download them on any device anywhere in the world. Editors of magazines and books can liaise and work on pieces directly with their client via the cloud, rather than sending back and forth via email.

Where the technology hasn't changed a great deal, the perception of it has. 10, or even 5 years ago the general feeling in the industrial industry was that of wariness to transmitting and storing sensitive data in the cloud. Some areas of security have been improved, but above all users have become more accustomed to the idea of storing data on remote servers via the Internet.

In the distribution and manufacturing worlds the cloud becomes even more beneficial. What can be more efficient than members of the head office for a large retail chain having the ability to sit anywhere in the world and analyse stock movement, sales, stock checks by customers, returns, essentially anything about the operations of the national or international company?

Introducing the Internet of Things - Part 2

2012-10-01T17:04:00.003+01:00

View the original article

The Internet of Things in the manufacturing and distribution sectors

We've touched on how the Internet of things has been developed over the years on top of existing technology already integrated into retail and distribution outlets.

Here we look at the example we have already discussed in more detail, namely the manufacturing and distribution sectors. Impulse has over 18 years experience in providing products to the manufacturing and distribution markets, and continue to develop new solutions for our customers in this and all industrial vertical markets.

Below is a concept of an intelligent distribution system. We explain in more detail the types of products used in this example, all of which are available through Impulse.

Layout of an intelligent distribution system

Products used in the intelligent distribution system:

Delivery truck
TREK-550
Used for monitoring vehicle information (engine status, MPG, speed and duration). It can also be used as a location tracking device and a data logger. Communicates with ECU via Canbus / OBD-II.

ADAM-4118
Thermocouple module to monitor cargo temperatures at multiple locations in trailer. Transmits data back to TREK-550 via Modbus RS-485.

Delivery bay
ARK-1120
Low powered device with multiple I/O ports, used to connect to RFID sensors and communicate with central stock database.

EKI-2525
Standard 5 port unmanaged Ethernet switch to communicate RFID scan data back to central database.

ADAM-6160
Ethernet based relay output module to roll delivery bay doors up and down remotely. System based in control room.

Forklift truck
TREK-743
Wireless in-vehicle panel PC can connect to RFID sensor and match pallet ID with stock location. System can tell driver which location to put the pallet and also give him/her a list of jobs etc.

Cold / warm storage area
ADAM-6018
Module to interface with temperature sensors and transmit data back to control room. Digital output channels are available on this module if the control centre wants to adjust room temperatures. Module connected to centralised control system in control room via Ethernet.

FPM-3151G
Wide temperature panel PC used for localised database access. Manual stock movements etc.

EKI-2525I
Wide temperature Ethernet switch to connect ADAM module and FPM panel to central control system.

Rack control system
SYS-4U
Multiple pre-configured rack-mount systems (SYS-4U4000-7A01 etc) used for the following:

Stock software interface server
Database storage server
Automation server (connected to ADAM modules and other sensors)

EKI-7656C
16 TX Port + 2 Gigabit Combo Wide Temp Managed Redundant Ethernet Switch. Used to manage data between various parts of warehouse and the servers. Use features such as failover redundancy and bandwidth QoS.

Control room
EKI-4524I
24 TX Port Unmanaged Ethernet Switch to connect various ADAM-6000 sensors throughout warehouse to SCADA system.

ARK-1122
Embedded PC used to interface with various ADAM modules. Utilising WebAccess software to create SCADA control interface. ADAM modules control and monitor different parts of warehouse including:

Cold / warm storage area
Delivery bay roller door
Outside gate access
HVAC system

Other / Misc
MARS-3070
Tablet PC used by warehouse staff for manual stock checks and remote access to stock database. Tablet communicates with control system via WiFi.

EKI-6351
IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi Mesh Access Point/station – used to create mesh wireless network throughout the warehouse for forklift and other wireless devices.

Summary
The transition to Intelligent Systems and the Internet of Things has been going on for many years in the industrial and retail markets. Industry and commerce has been built over the last couple of decades on a foundation of networked devices, designed to communicate with each other in order to provide more efficient working processes.

It is plain to see that the step from one of these existing networked systems to what we coin as the Internet of Things is not a huge leap, more of an expansion of existing technologies and an understanding of how truly flexible your systems can be when adopting this concept. The efficiency of your working processes can be greatly increased with the simplest of product applications, essentially giving your business an extra pair of hands to help monitor non-computing objects provide alerts without you having to lift a finger.

Our highly qualified technical sales team and engineers at Impulse can help you with the design, development and deployment of your intelligent systems, whether it be expanding your existing system, or designing a completely new one from the ground up.

If you would like more information, please feel free to call us on +44(0)1782 337 800.

Working with Winmate – Past, present and future

2012-09-10T13:18:00.000+01:00

Founded in 1996, Winmate Communication Inc has since become a leading industrial LCD display and panel PC solutions provider in the industrial and embedded marketplace. In 2005, after substantial market research in to the growing all-in-one packaged LCD market, Impulse put pen to paper and signed a distribution agreement to supply their comprehensive product range in the UK. Now, as a Premium Partner of Winmate, Impulse is one of the top 10 worldwide distributors for Winmate products.

What makes Winmate so special?

The first thing that we noticed about Winmate was their vast yet innovative product range, catering for many different industrial applications including automation, kiosks, retail and digital signage. The diversity of their display products, such as multiple size and touch screen options, ensures that Winmate products are one of the first to be recommended to Impulse customers.

The quality of products and the technical back-up services from Winmate are second to none. The build quality and long-term supply roadmaps of their displays is exceptional which is of vital importance in the industrial market. These crucial factors played a big part in the decision to make Winmate an Impulse Premium Partner in 2007.

Winmate facilities

In 2011 the Impulse senior management took a trip to Taiwan and visited the Winmate facilities. They enjoyed a tour of the factory which acted as a unique and valuable insight into their investment in the quality and build processes of the production line for the Winmate products.

“My first impression of the Winmate facilities was that it appeared very organised and streamlined. Their state of the art production line included SMT and DIP lines, and excellent pre- and post-build testing facilities. Their EMC and environmental test chambers ensure product reliability, and along with their clean rooms to minimise particle interference between the glass and touch screen, Winmate are clearly industry leaders and at the cutting edge of LCD touch screen technology and production.”

Craig Stone
General Manager

Impulse and Winmate – working together for the future

It is clear that Winmate, like Impulse, is constantly looking to develop their product mix and to move forward in the industrial display and panel PC market. Their increasing support within the new, yet growing mobile computing sector ensures to cement their status as a key partner with Impulse.

From all at Impulse, we look forward to continuing to develop our relationship with Winmate in all aspects of the Industrial Computing market in the UK for many years to come.

15 years at Impulse

2012-07-25T15:30:00.000+01:00

Craig Wright - Operations Director

Back in 1993, at the time of its incorporation, Impulse was simply a specialist electronics distributor based in Cannock. In 1997, 4 years on, I joined as a Technical Sales Engineer where I quickly found my feet in the industrial computing industry. Since then I have been proud to be part of the success and development of the company, and now as Operations Director continue to help drive Impulse to new levels in the industry.

During the past 15 years, the directors of the company have developed Impulse’s core competences to move from simple distribution into a complete solutions provider and system integrator. As well as the manufacturing and automation, transportation and defence markets, We now service industries as unique and diverse as oil and gas, security and surveillance, medical and point of care markets, each one bringing its own challenges and opportunities.

With the help and dedication of the directors, and the experienced and ever expanding team here at Impulse, we continue to be a leading UK hardware and software partner for our customers in the design, development and deployment of their industrial and embedded projects and requirements.

I am confident we will continue to go from strength to strength through our continued investment in our core competences, including our technical and project management capabilities. We will endeavour to continue to be of great assistance to all of our customers for many years to come, many of whom have been with us since the Company’s inception in 1993.

New and improved flooring in System Integration facility at Impulse

2012-07-25T15:21:00.001+01:00

Here at Impulse, we are constantly looking to improve our services and processes in all areas, whether it is in technical, logistics, sales or marketing. As part of this endeavour, we have just fitted our System Integration facility with brand new, state of the art ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) flooring.

Our Microsoft certified engineers work tirelessly on customised embedded systems, and are extremely disciplined in keeping the working environment as clean and static free as possible. Even so, static electricity built up from walking on ordinary carpets throughout the building can affect sensitive computer components, such as the processor (CPU), hard drive, memory and expansion cards. It is sometimes hard for the technicians to keep a completely static electricity free workshop, so the installation of the new ESD flooring does all the hard work for them.

By wiping out the threat of static electricity and the problems it can cause to installations, we are completely eradicating a variable which can potentially cause hardware failure or malfunction.

This is just one aspect of our System Integration facility that makes Impulse one of the leading System Integrators in the UK. For more information please see our System Integration facility page, or call one of our experienced technical sales team on +44(0)1782 337 800.

Sealevel and Impulse in the UK

2012-06-06T16:57:00.000+01:00

Ben Jervis – Marketing Manager, Impulse Corporation Ltd

During a highly successful relationship that has spanned over 10 years, Impulse and Sealevel have continued to develop and strengthen our brands together in the UK market.

Back in 1999, Impulse first put pen to paper on a distribution agreement which allowed us to distribute Sealevel’s innovative board level and distributed I/O products and solutions to our customers here in the UK. This was a major milestone for Impulse, as it allowed us to develop in to a market that had previously been untapped due to lack of good product and service.

Since then, Impulse has become a leading name in Europe in the design, assembly and distribution of Industrial and Embedded Computing platforms and solutions, with an experienced System Integration team, fully qualified and Microsoft certified.

Now at the cutting edge of marketing in the Industrial Computing industry, Impulse is working closely with Sealevel to increase and promote the brand image of both companies in the UK. Here at Impulse we believe that joint marketing ventures between supplier and distributor can ultimately provide the most success. Getting product exposure and brand recognition is paramount in today’s market, and using the experience and knowledge of the product and industry that Sealevel can provide, undoubtedly proves invaluable.

We are looking forward to continuing to work closely with Sealevel in promoting their products and services. Their ethos and marketing methods compliment those of Impulse, and can only bolster an already successful relationship that we are confident will span many years to come.

AAEON Boxer PC range

2012-05-29T09:51:00.000+01:00

It is not surprising that the Boxer PC range from AAEON has been a cornerstone of the Impulse product range since its launch in 2004. At the time, the designers of the Japanese bullet trains needed a rugged low powered, industrial computer, and thus AAEON was commissioned to develop the now industry leading Boxer PC. Since its inception over 8 years ago, AAEON’s Boxer PC range has been expanded to over 20 systems with a wide range of specifications, designed to accommodate most industrial applications.

View entire range

What makes Boxer PCs so rugged?
The first thing you will notice about the Boxer PC is its unique aluminium “fin” style chassis. This is reminiscent of the type of heatsink found on CPUs for decades, which creates a large surface area capable of dispersing heat generated by the components within the PC. Whereas traditional PCs require a fan to cool the internal components, the fan being prone to wear and failure, AAEON’s Boxer PC does away with this as the temperature is kept under control by the natural airflow over the highly thermally conductive chassis.

The advantage of having no moving parts in a PC is that the number of failures due to wear and tear is dramatically reduced, if not eradicated completely. When combined with Solid State Storage, a type of hard drive with no mechanical parts, the Boxer PC has no moving parts at all. This creates an extremely rugged system capable of withstanding knocks and vibrations that may normally cause fans or traditional hard drives to fail.

Why should I choose a Boxer PC for my application?
For many of our customers, longevity and availability is key to deciding which products to use in their industrial applications. For this reason, alongside the Boxer PC’s rugged reliability, AAEON also ensure that all components that make up the Boxer PCs have long term availability.

The components and processors used in AAEON’s Boxer PCs, such as Intel’s Atom N270, are on long-term roadmaps, meaning supply and availability can be sustained for up to 7 years.

The Boxer PC range also has design features ideal for industrial environments. Features such as a wide DC voltage input, wide operating temperature range and industry leading certifications ensure that AAEON’s Boxer PC range is ready and capable to support your industrial computer requirements.

How flexible are AAEON’s Boxer PCs’ I/O options?
With over 20 different system specifications available in AAEON’s Boxer PC range, the I/O options are extremely varied and flexible. Many systems include isolated ports, configurable serial ports and high performance LAN interfaces as standard, with options to expand systems with extra PCI, PCI Express and Mini PCI Express slots.

If there isn't a system that meets your exact I/O requirements, you can even specify your own I/O configuration on request.

In summary

Fanless rugged design

The aluminium “fin” design of the boxer’s chassis enables the system to run entirely fanless, increasing its reliability and gives it the ability to be a truly rugged system.

Long term product availability

AAEON’s Boxer PCs are designed with long life industrial components, allowing for sustained supply and availability for as long as seven years.

Comprehensive I/O choices

The Boxer PC range has a wide choice of I/O options including isolated ports, configurable serial ports, high performance LAN interfaces and expansion such as PCI, PCI Express and Mini PCI Express.

Innovative industrial features

The Boxer PC range has design features ideal for industrial environments such as a wide DC voltage input, wide operating temperature range and industry leading certifications.

Touch Screen Technology

2012-04-12T14:48:00.000+01:00

Does your application require a touch screen display? Unsure what type of touch screen technology to use? Impulse has created a series of resources to help explain the pros, cons and application use for each of the common touch screen technologies.

An overview of touch screen technology

View our touch screen comparison table

There are five mainstream technologies of touch screen utilised in our industrial LCD displays and Panel PCs. The most common and widely used is Resistive followed by Capacitive, Surface Acoustic Wave, Infrared and the latest Projected Capacitive (PCT).

Each type of touch screen technology has its own distinctive characteristics, some providing advantages and some limitations.

Please see below for a summary of the five key types of touch screen technology available from Impulse. Click the heading of each section to view more detailed explanations of the touch screen technology.

Resistive touch screens

Resistive touch screens offer the lowest cost type of touch screen on the market. Resistive touch screens can accept an input from almost any object, be it a bare finger, a gloved hand or even a pen.

Being so versatile, resistive based touch screens also have some disadvantages. Due to the way resistive touch screens are constructed, they are easier to scratch compared with their glass based counterparts. In addition, resistive touch screens are also affected by extreme temperatures although the latest 8-wire resistive options eliminate this problem.

Learn more about Resistive touch screens

Capacitive touch screens

Capacitive touch screens are commonly found on modern day smart phones and tablet computers. Capacitive touch screens are commonly constructed from glass and are much more resistant against scratches, abrasion and extreme temperatures. Again, capacitive touch screens have their own limitations too. Due to the way the touch sensors work, capacitive touch screens only detect touch from an organic input, such as a bare finger.

Learn more about Capacitive touch screens

SAW touch screens

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology uses ultrasonic waves that pass over the touch screen panel. When the panel is touched, a portion of the wave is absorbed. This change in the ultrasonic waves registers the position of the touch event and sends this information to the controller for processing.

Learn more about Surface Acoustic Wave touch screens

Infrared touch screens

An infrared touch screen uses an array of X-Y infrared LED and photodetector pairs around the edges of the screen to detect a disruption in the pattern of LED beams.

The LED beams cross each other in vertical and horizontal patterns. When a user touches the screen, the sensors detect an interruption in the X-Y infrared pulses enabling the controller to calculate the touch location.

Learn more about Infrared touch screens

Projected Capacitive touch screens

Traditional touch screen interfaces, such as resistive, capacitive and surface acoustic wave are surface activated. Surface activated means the user’s input needs to make physical contact with the touch interface for it to work.

Projected capacitive (PCT) touch screens do not require physical contact to operate. PCT touch screens are made up of a thin film, covered in a grid of micro-fine sensing wires.
A low voltage current is applied to the sensing wires, creating a uniform electro static field.

Learn more about Projected Capacitive touch screens

Do you know the ADAM family?

2012-03-28T09:29:00.000+01:00

The ADAM-6050

Advantech is a global leader in data acquisition I/O module design and manufacturing, offering complete stand-alone data acquisition modules which are broadly used in industrial applications such as facility monitoring, industrial process control and environmental monitoring.

Advantech remote I/O modules are categorised into two families, Ethernet I/O (ADAM-6000 series) and RS-485 I/O (ADAM-4000 series), further subdivided into Analog I/O and Digital I/O modules some of which support the industry-leading Modbus communication protocol.

The ADAM Remote I/O module series has been a consistent and reliable figure in the industrial automation field for almost 20 years. Whether you are implementing large or small automation systems, Advantech’s ADAM Remote I/O modules offer the cornerstone for your e-automation requirements.

The ADAM-4000 Remote I/O series

ADAM-4000 modules are the perfect choice for establishing a cost-effective remote I/O system. Customers can benefit from ADAM-4000 modules through its simple wiring - using only two wires to communicate with their controller or other RS-485 devices. ADAM-4000 modules use the EIA RS-485 communication protocol; the industry's most widely used bi-directional, balanced transmission line suitable for industrial environments.

The robust ADAM-4100 series is designed for reliable operation in harsh environments and feature a wider -40C to +85C operating temperature range, higher noise immunity with isolated input/output and a broader 10V to 48V DC power input range.

Click here to learn more about the ADAM-4000 series remote I/O

The ADAM-6000 Remote Ethernet I/O series

In the past, integrating automation and enterprise systems required changing the entire architecture of the control system. The Advantech ADAM-6000 series accomplishes this integration easily using the latest internet technology to remotely monitor device status’ more flexibly.

Industrial Ethernet is fast becoming the de facto standard in industrial networks as its open network architecture provides seamless integration between layers. This makes the ADAM-6000 series an easy choice for your automation control system as they provide the most popular and open communication interfaces available.

Click here to learn more about the ADAM-6000 series Ethernet I/O modules

Post Embedded World 2012 roundup

2012-03-15T10:50:00.000+00:00

Embedded World Exhibition and Conference 2012 is the world’s largest international trade fair and congress event for all things embedded. From February 28th to March 1st 2012, Embedded World featured around 900 international companies, including many of Impulse’s partners, showcasing their latest products and services.

Embedded World 2012 lived up to its expectations with a wide variety of cutting edge embedded technology on show. Having visited Embedded World numerous times in the past, it certainly felt like there was an increase in visitor numbers for 2012, with many of our partners also commenting on an upsurge in visitors to their stands this year.

The Impulse team utilised some serious shoe leather in their pursuit of the latest embedded computing technology and the increased number of exhibitors and seminars certainly made for a busy few days.

Our partners showcased many of their new products and technologies, with many of them focusing on Cedar Trail based products and also a selection of very interesting rugged mobile computing products. Importantly, our team gained considerable first hand knowledge on the new products from the wide variety of technical experts that were on hand during the event.

Our marketing and technical teams are now hard at work to launch these products to the UK industrial computing market and we look forward to highlighting these in our forthcoming newsletters, blogs and press releases. You can also expect to see these products on our brand new Impulse website, which was launched just before Embedded World 2012.

For Impulse, Embedded World is not just about evaluating new products; Our management team spent time with each of our partners to help discuss our joint plans for 2012 and beyond. These talks are invaluable and further build on strong partner relationships we have built over the last 19 years of business and also allow us to provide valuable feedback to our partners from our customers.

It’s always difficult to choose one highlight from all those we experienced during the show, but the strong showing from our partners such as Advantech, AAEON, DFI, DIGI, ICOP and Winmate is always good to see. Not only were their stands chocked full of the latest products and technologies but there was a clear focus and direction on how these products fit to specific industry verticals and markets, something we are great advocates of here at Impulse.

Finally, it was interesting to see the further adoption of Intelligent Systems and the Internet of Things, with both Microsoft and Intel showcasing a number of concepts and products based on these topics. It was also good to see Impulse featured on the Microsoft stand on their Windows Embedded Silver Partner display.

Local Contact Makes a Difference

2012-03-13T11:09:00.000+00:00

Guest Blog Post Earle Foster, VP of Sales and Marketing at Sealevel Systems

Advances in digital communications and information technology has made the world we share a smaller place. A mere 25 years ago when I first began my career in industrial electronics, the mail was the primary method of transferring information such as purchase orders, technical manuals, and any other written information. Engineers usually searched for products using industry magazines and vendor catalogs. Product distributors were primarily valuable in the logistics of moving products from the manufacturer to the customer.

Everything changed of course with the advent of email and the internet. Today we live in an age where customers expect immediate response to their requests, and manufacturers must find a way to meet these expectations if they expect to be successful. Sealevel Systems, Inc. has worked very hard to provide our customers the easy ability to access information, place orders, and receive technical support using our website and other assets. However, even in this digital age, our most important asset is the people that make up our team.

A critical component of the Sealevel team is our network of international distributors we call SeaPartners. One of our longest standing and most successful SeaPartners is Impulse Corporation in the United Kingdom. The team at Impulse is well trained on Sealevel products and does a fantastic job of taking care of our customers in the U.K. with support and services that cannot be replaced by a website or an email. It has been my pleasure to see Impulse continue to grow successfully while we have worked together, and we the value they add to Sealevel’s products and support for our customers.

Sealevel Partner Page

Discover our Live Chat system

2012-02-20T11:14:00.000+00:00

On the 14th of February we launched our brand new website, and with it a number of new features to make it easier to find and obtain information about your product quickly and easily.

We appreciate it’s not always possible for you to pick up the phone, or spend time writing an email, just for a simple queston or enquiry. To help with this, we have introduced a new Live Chat function allowing you to get in contact with our sales team quickly to get answers to any enquires you may have.

What is Live Chat?

Live Chat is a system whereby you can talk to one of our technical sales team without having to wait for an email response. By typing messages, which will be responded to straight away by our technical team, you can get the answers you need quickly.

How do I use Live Chat?

The Live Chat system works in a similar way to most instant messaging services you may have used in the past. To start a discussion, simply click on the “Click here for live chat” button located at the lower left hand side of your screen. Select your enquiry type, enter your name and email address, and click Start Chat. Our team of technical sales staff will be alerted and will respond to your chat request as quickly as possible. You can then ask any questions and receive an instant answer.

Frequently asked questions:

Q. Do I need special software to use Live Chat?
A. No. Our Live Chat system will work on most Javascript enabled web browsers.

Q. What can I chat about, using this system?
A. The Live Chat service is ideal for receiving quick answers to basic technical and sales questions. If the discussion progresses to a point where more details is required, your Live Chat operator will be more than happy to take down your details and contact you at a convenient time.

Q. Can I request a copy of the discussion?
A. Yes. At the end of a discussion you have the option to email yourself a copy of the transcript.

Q. When is Live Chat available?
A. Live Chat is available during our standard business hours:

Monday: 9:00AM – 5:30PM
Tuesday: 9:00AM – 5:30PM
Wednesday: 9:00AM – 5:30PM
Thursday: 9:00AM – 5:30PM
Friday: 9:00AM – 5:30PM
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: CLOSED

Q. Where can I send feedback?
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Looking for a reason to try new hardware? Experience the benefits of SSDs

2012-01-30T13:59:00.001+00:00

Like you, we are constantly adapting our hardware and technology to keep at the forefront of our industry. When new boards and systems are launched we are first to identify if it has any positive benefit in our product range. This is true also for our range of peripherals.

Up until recently, solid state storage has always been an expensive technology reserved only for high end specialist enterprise applications. More recently however, there has been a rise in the adoption of Solid State Drives in the consumer computing industry. This sudden growth in demand for Solid State Drives has moved manufacturers to produce a cost effective alternative to traditional hard drives.

What are Solid State Drives?

Unlike traditional mechanical hard drives, which are made up of a series of magnetic platters, motors and reading arms, Solid State Drives contain flash memory. Flash memory is found in a wide range of every day products including smart phones, digital cameras and USB memory sticks.

What are the benefits of Solid State Drives?

When we first looked into solid state storage technology, we quickly identified the advantage it can bring to the industrial computing market. As explained by our Technical Manager, Chris Durose, the physical properties of Solid State Drives are very desirable in our industry.

“Solid State Drives offer a number of advantages over traditional magnetic hard drives. The main benefit being that Solid State Drives have no moving parts. With no moving parts, Solid State Drives are not affected by jolts, drops and vibrations.

In addition, Solid State Drives are not affected by magnetic fields and produce very little heat. These kinds of features are desirable in the industrial market where electromagnetic interference and high environmental temperatures are common.”

Thanks to not having to rely on power hungry motors, Solid State Drives consume over 20% less energy than its mechanical counterpart and produce no sound. With no mechanical parts to fail, many of the Solid State Drive manufacturers have published MTBF figures that double that of mechanical hard drives.

In addition to its physical properties, Solid State Drives also bring a number of performance advantages. For example, operating system boot up time is approximately 1.5 times faster compared to mechanical drives. Software has been noted to load within seconds and reading and writing data can reach speeds of up to 500MB/s.

With so many benefits, as well as a lower overall total cost of ownership, it is no wonder why we are taking full advantage of Solid State Drives as a rugged and reliable alternative to mechanical hard drives.

If you would like to trial a Solid State Drive in your next embedded system or would like to know more about solid state technology, then contact our technical account team on +44 (0)1782 337 800 or email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk.

Related links
Alternative high performance storage solutions available at Impulse

Discover our system integration facility

2012-01-18T13:18:00.000+00:00

Click to enlarge

Did you know that Impulse has a system integration facility based in Stoke-on-Trent? Our engineers take full advantage of the state-of-the-art facility when designing, building and customising industrial computer systems for our customers.

Many of our customers take advantage of our flexible build and delivery scheduling service. They rely on Impulse to ensure they receive the right hardware at the right time. With our build and delivery scheduling service we can ensure we have sufficient hardware in stock ready for testing, building and dispatching, on time and on budget.

Why do customers choose us for their industrial computing needs? Here are five reasons why:

Purpose built production facility based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Experienced team of highly qualified engineers
Flexible system build and delivery scheduling service
Strict quality assurance and revision control policies
Custom Windows Embedded OS design service

Click here to find out more about our system integration facility

For more information about our system integration facility and how it can benefit you, contact our technical account team on +44 (0)1782 337 800 or alternatively email sales@impuse-corp.co.uk.

The ARK-1120 – high performance yet compact embedded system

2012-01-18T09:57:00.002+00:00

The ARK-1120 from Advantech

This week we launched our latest embedded PC, the ARK-1120 by Advantech. The ARK-1120 is an ultra compact embedded system powered by the popular Intel Atom N455 and includes the Intel ICH8-M chipset providing a powerful combination features and performance.

The first thing we noticed about the ARK-1120 was how small and light it was. The ARK-1120 measures in at just W133mm x H43mm x D94mm and weighs only 0.7kg. The chassis is constructed out of a rugged yet lightweight aluminium alloy featuring a series of solid fins designed to help disperse heat generated by the processor and board components. The ‘fin’ design gives the benefits of a true fan-less system without the need to rely on noisy and unreliable chassis fans. The chassis features VESA mounting holes on the underside allowing you to mount it on the back of a monitor or on a wall via a mating VESA bracket.

Although the ARK-1120 is very compact it still includes an impressive range of I/O features. As standard it has four USB2.0 ports and two RS-232 serial ports. Inside the system it features a SATA port, a CompactFlash Type I/II socket and a half size Mini PCIe socket. The Mini PCIe socket is quite a useful feature to have as it allows you to expand the system’s capabilities by including a WiFi or HSDPA/3G modem card.

The Intel Atom N455 processor is part of the embedded CPU range from Intel. Integrated into the processor for better reliability is a GPU and memory controller. The GPU is based on the Intel GMA3150 and performs at a 200MHz clock speed ensuring fast graphic performance. It features DirectX 9c and OpenGL 1.5 support and is capable of hardware accelerated MPEG-2 video playback. The integrated memory controller supports up to 2GB of DDR3 SODIMM memory and up to 384MB of this memory can be shared with the GPU through Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT). In total the Atom N455 consumes only 6.5W making it an ideal solution for high performance yet low power embedded systems.

You can view the press release here. A full specification list and datasheet can be found on the product page. For more information on the ARK-1120 you can get in contact with us on +44 (0)1782 337 800 or alternatively email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk.

Impulse launch new Industrial Ethernet Switch range

2011-10-03T17:12:00.000+01:00

Impulse is pleased to launch the new EKI Series Industrial Ethernet Switches from Advantech. These new Industrial Ethernet Switches are designed to meet the demanding requirements of the industrial environment and come with communication standards such as Fast and Gigabit Ethernet. These Industrial Ethernet Switches are avaliable with copper and fibre optic connections.

Our new Industrial Ethernet Switch range includes:

To learn more about our Advantech Ethernet Switches then contact our Technical Account team on +44 (0)1782 337 800 or alternatively email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk.

Leading UK Advantech Distributor

2011-09-21T17:04:00.000+01:00

Did you know that Impulse is a leading UK Advantech distributor? Founded in 1983, Advantech has provided leadership for innovative ePlatform products and services for over 25 years. Advantech offer comprehensive system integration, hardware, software, customer-centric design services and global distribution support.

Impulse has been a leading UK Advantech distributor since 2003 and has provided customers with a comprehensive range of Advantech Single Board Computers, Panel PCs, Industrial Ethernet Switches and Distributed Analog and Digital I/O adapters.

Click here to find out more.

Impulse announces partnership with DFI inc

2011-09-19T15:10:00.000+01:00

Impulse is pleased to announce that we are now an official UK distributor for DFI. DFI are a leading Taiwanese manufacturer and developer of high performance embedded computing technology. Since 1981 DFI has been leading the industry with cutting-edge boards and systems designed for embedded applications.

Impulse was keen to work with DFI as they ensure strict revision control and long life availability on their industrial computer products. DFI use the latest technology platforms and manufacturing techniques to produce cost-effective products for use in medical diagnostic & imaging, ATM/POS, industrial control, kiosk, security & surveillance, digital signage, gaming, and many other embedded applications.

Key benefits offered by DFI

Strict revision control
DFI is committed to strict revision control and ensures consistency by using the same components across its entire product line. DFI ensure that all customers are notified in advance if any revisions are required. When a change to a critical component is required, DFI perform extensive testing with their testing facilities to ensure every aspect of the component is tested before launch.

Long product lifecycle supply
DFI guarantees that their products will be available for a minimum of 3-5 years and do this by maintaining stock of critical components. This minimizes the risk of discontinued items and will issue end of life notices as soon as components become unavailable.

Manufacturing capability
DFI have a large in-house manufacturing facility that ensures that they offer stability and quality control. DFI have a wide range of manufacturing methods such as: Surface Mount Technology (SMT), Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), In-line Circuit Testing Machine (ICT) and Manual Insertion (MI). This allows DFI is able to fulfil the demands of off-the-shelf products, custom design service and EMS in various industries.

Quality control
DFI follows the ISO 14001 & ISO 9001 Quality Management System with QC080000 to ensure that customers receive only the highest quality product. This process includes product evaluation starting at functional/environmental/shipping tests to lifecycle analysis and quality reliability tests that consist of high frequency design analysis and thermal/humidity/vibration/drop tests.

Impulse is a leading UK DFI Distributor. For more information on our DFI product range then contact our Technical Sales team on +44(0)1782 337 800 or email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk.

Impulse launch GENE-LN05 Rev B

2011-09-16T17:40:00.000+01:00

Impulse is pleased to launch the GENE-LN05 Rev B from Aaeon Technology. The GENE-LN05 Rev B is a high performance Single Board Computer featuring the Intel Atom D525/N455 processor and Intel ICH8M chipset.

The GENE-LN05 Rev B can also support DDR3 SODIMM memory making it an ideal solution for resource intensive applications.

GENE-LN05 Rev B specification and features

2 x 10/100/1000Base-TX RJ45 Ethernet
7 x USB2.0
6 x COM
1 x Parallel
1 x 8-bit Programmable digital I/O
1 x VGA
1 x 18/24-bit single channel LVDS
1 x 4/5/8-wire touchscreen controller
2 x SATAII
1 x CompactFlash
1 x Mini Card
1 x LPC Bus

Impulse is a leading UK distributor of Aaeon products and can configure your hardware to meet your exact requirements. Impulse is a Microsoft Windows Embedded Silver Partner and can create a tailor made embedded operating system built to your exact specification to suit your application.

For more information on the GENE-LN05 Rev B and our custom Embedded Windows Image solutions then contact our Technical Account team on +44 (0)1782 337 800 or alternatively email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk.

See our official GENE-LN05 Rev B news article

Panel PC Solutions at Impulse

2011-09-07T17:21:00.001+01:00

Did you know that Impulse is a leading UK distributor and Integrator of Panel PC solutions? Since 1993, Impulse has been offering a wide range of Panel PC solutions such as Industrial Open Frame, IP65 Panel Mount and Full IP67.

Our Panel PCs have a wide range of processing capabilities with processors such as the Intel Core i7, Core2 Duo, Atom and RICS based SOC. We can off you a tailor made solution for your industrial computing requirements.

Find out more about our Panel PC solutions

Impulse launches new Intel Atom D525 Fanless PC

2011-08-17T17:43:00.000+01:00

Impulse is pleased to announce the launch of the TANK-101B Fanless Embedded PC from IEI Technology. The TANK-101B features the Intel Atom D525 processor and utilises the Intel ICH8M system chipset. The unit also includes 1GB built-in DDR3 memory with optional expansion up to 2GB. The design of the TANK-101B allows the processor to be passively cooled and handle temperatures from -20C to +70C.

The TANK-101B I/O includes 4 x USB2.0, 3 x RS-232, 1 x isolated RS-232/422/485 and 2 x isolated CAN-bus. Storage includes 1 x 2.5” SATA hard drive bay and a CompactFlash socket. Networking consists of 2 x Gigabit Ethernet and optional 802.11 b/g/n WiFi.

The TANK-101B system includes IEI’s unique One Key Recovery software solution. The software eliminates the frustration of system recovery after an unexpected system failure. One Key Recovery easily creates a full system backup on demand and allows recovery by restoring to a previously made backup with a single click.

For more information on the TANK-101B Fanless Embedded Controller, please do not hesitate to contact our technical sales team on +44 (0)1782 337 800, or alternatively email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk.

Low cost HMI solutions at Impulse

2011-08-08T12:10:00.003+01:00

Impulse is now offering an extensive range of low cost, low powered HMI products. Our latest HMI units offer you a cost effective solution for your industrial automation needs. We now have low cost HMI solutions starting at 5.6” up to 10.4” with a display resolution from 640 x 480 up to 1024 x 600.

Our latest Intel Atom HMI use the latest Intel Atom Z500 series processor. The low powered processors utilise the same instruction sets and architecture found in mainstream processors but with the added benefit of having a small footprint. The Z500 series feature such features as SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3 and Intel SpeedStep.

Impulse can pre-configure your HMI Panel PC to your exact specification including memory, storage and OS requirements. We can also assist in the supply chain management offering flexible call off scheduling of products direct from our stock.

As a Microsoft Windows Embedded Silver Partner, we offer development support for all Microsoft Embedded OS Solutions. Our qualified Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists can support you in the design and implementation of your own custom Windows Embedded OS images.

For more information on our low powered HMI solutions, you can contact our Technical Account team on +44 (0)1782 337 800 or email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk

Sealevel 8004e and 8012 available at Impulse

2011-08-01T17:03:00.002+01:00

Impulse is pleased to announce the availability of the 8004e and 8012 digital I/O interface PCI Express cards from Sealevel Systems. The two digital I/O interface cards offer isolated input that protects the pc and other sensitive equipment from voltage spikes and ground loop currents that are commonly found in an industrial environment. The outputs provide high quality, long life, low current (10 Watt maximum) and dry contact switch closures. Reed relays are well suited for low current applications. The relays are normally open, and will close when energized.

8004e features

16 optically isolated inputs
16 Reed relay outputs (SPST)
Highly reliable 10VA DIP Reed relays
3 – 13 VDC input range
300V isolation
Socketed dip resistor allows user configurable input range up to + 24V

8012 features

8 optically isolated inputs
8 Reed relay outputs (SPST)
Highly reliable 10VA DIP Reed relays
3 – 13 VDC input range
Socketed dip resistor allows user configurable input range up to + 24V
MD1 low profile and Universal Bus (3.3V and 5V) compatible

Both boards are designed to be used with a variety of Operating Systems including Windows, Linux and DOS. The SeaI/O API Application Programming Interface included on the CD shipped with the digital I/O boards provides a variety of useful high-level function calls implemented as a Windows dynamic link library (.DLL) and as a Linux static library (.a). In addition to the API, SeaI/O includes a device driver, sample code and utilities to simplify software development.

Impulse is the exclusive UK distributor for Sealevel products. For more information on the 8004e, 2012 or any of the Sealevel digital I/O boards then contact our Technical Account team on +44 (0)1782 337 800 or email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk.

What Are: Capacitive Touchscreens

2011-07-21T16:29:00.000+01:00

A capacitive touch screen is a panel of glass coated with a special transparent conductor such as Indium Tin Oxide. A small voltage is applied to the layer resulting in an electrostatic charge. Because the human body an electrical conductor, touching the screen results in a distortion of the panel’s electrostatic charge.

When a finger touches the surface, a capacitance is formed at that location. Sensors located at each corner of the panel will measure the frequency variations to calculate the coordinates of the user’s touch. The coordinates are then fed back to the controller which translates this information in to something that allows software on an operating system to understand.

Capacitive touch screens have no moving parts and are impervious to grease, dirt and water making them an ideal interface for outdoor Kiosks.

Impulse has an extensive range of capacitive touch screen Panel PCs and Industrial Displays. For more information on our capacitive touschcreen range, contact our Technical Account Managers on +44 (0)1782 337 800 or alternatively email sales@impulse-corp.co.uk.