I am working on a low volume product for someone. We need an OEM SBC for use in a product. Likely 10 to 20 units of production a year. We have been considering the Rabbit BL4S200 20-101-1220 from http://www.digi.com/products/wirele...tions/single-board-computers/bl4s200#overview

One of the problems I am having is what really makes an OEM Ready product.

The three things that I think does are these:

1. Operating Temperature -20° C to +85° C
2. Long time on market The Rabbit board seems to be available for at least 5 years from first release.
3. RoHS approved
4. Good Connectors (added to list after first submit)

What can you add to my list?

Can you point be to any sites/products that are good OEM Ready SBC?

The product design currently has at least 4 ADC inputs and 1 DAC output and about 10 digital outputs.

Tim S.

 

You need to understand the environmental requirements of the product - for example, do you really need the thing to operate at -20C to +85C? If so, then you need to be looking at boards which are intended for automotive environments, not commercial/desktop applications (0C - 70C). This will add some to cost/reduce some of your selection. What about electrical environment? Will you add I/O "hardening" to withstand EMI, ESD, etc. accordingly. Industrial environments are MUCH more harsh from EMI/ESD and power transients perspective than office environment. And, if this thing is going to go outdoors where nearby lightning can occur or long communications lines are involved (>200m, for example) then transient suppression on I/O will likely be necessary, or can be added to protect IO which requires it.

What sampling rates are required for the ADC/DAC. How many bits of resolution are required? Do you need communication interface(s)? High level protocols? Do you need to update code and/or retrieve data remotely? What is your power budget? What is your target cost? What is your target MTBF, or MTTR? These are the sorts of questions that you need to consider to help select good candidates - the options are almost limitless otherwise, but that doesn't mean that they'll all work well for what you want to do.. What could be an absolutely perfect fit for one person's product idea would be totally inadequate, or tremendous overkill for two others.

 

Ah ha, the brain cell finally fired. These guys seem to make some fine industrial controllers. I have never personally used their products but have always been impressed with them.

Sorry, lost their link 2 jobs back, finally thought of a phrase to search them out.

 

@ErnieM:

Thanks for the link; products look good; not what I expected. But, they all look OEM Ready. This is the type of Supplier I was looking for this project. Now to see which items match the needs.

@ftsolutions: We are already going with a Metal inclosure with rubber seals to protect the item from the environment. Factory floor with likelihood of harsh Chemicals. I personally think the high temperature is what we need; but, the one that pays the bills think we need both ends of the range.

Tim S.

 

Metal enclosures have seams - depending on the electromagnetic environment, the board itself still has to withstand significant EMI. I/O points and/or communications lines still have to run in/out, and are points of ingress for both radiated and conducted EMI and voltage transients. Slots in enclosures to allow cooling can also be antennea/apertures to specific bandwidth EMI. But, if you aren't trying to run this thing next to very large electric motors or things like plasma cutters or pulse welders, you may be fine from a cabinet perspective. Just don't disregard noise/voltage transients on the I/O or comms lines. Items like the BB controllers are often used in factory-environments, and, as long as things are not as highly demanding as, for example, plasma torch operation/proximity, you should be OK with them.

Semiconductors are bin-sorted for speed and temperature factors, the ones with the best temperature performance that the mfgr will guarantee operation across the widest range get the military, automotive, industrial, or commercial grading applied, in order of best-to-worst temperature extreme invariability.

 

I have used Tern computers in the past:

http://www.tern.com/