Going Mobile for Internet of Things and Traceability

Here are some characteristics that a mobile computing tablet should offer to be effective and withstand the conditions in a farming or food-processing environment.

Ability to handle any environment. Even though the data will be stored safely in the cloud, it is being entered on the plant floor or the farm. Expect these units to be dropped from time to time. Look for MIL-STD-810 shock and drop resistance that can withstand typical 3-foot drops.

Component-level rugged design. Many industrial rugged tablets utilize onboard SSDs (solid-state drives) that help reduce a component’s footprint, resulting in a thinner and lighter mobile computer. Solid-state technology brings additional stability to the hard drive, especially when jostled. Electrical and mechanical components are designed to withstand industrial working conditions.

Designed to run with a variety of operating systems. Successful management involves getting the most useful life possible from your devices, and they need the ability to handle a range of operating systems. These systems are designed to work with an embedded roadmap, which has a longer life than consumer OS platforms and includes Windows Embedded (IoT), Windows Professional, and Linux, along with optional Android platforms.

Touchscreen design. The two must-have features for a tablet in an IIoT environment are readability and responsiveness. Information must be easily viewable from the screen at a quick glance as miscomprehension can lead to severe consequences. Rugged tablet PCs have various settings, automatic light sensors (ALS), and screen film options that account for low-light, sunlight, glare, and wide viewing angles. High-tech screens on rugged tablets are responsive to touch, even when the user is wearing gloves.

Protection against environmental hazards. Tablets will be used in dirty, dusty working conditions and areas with temperature extremes, especially for low-temperature operations. Throughout production facilities, operations frequently wash down equipment, so exposure to water is possible. Most industrial grade tablets are rated IP65, which keeps all dust and water out of the internal circuitry. Some tablets have unique wide temperature range options allowing processors to maintain optimal operating temperatures regardless of outdoor conditions.

Swiss army design. The goal for a computer tablet to be a truly mobile tool is to give a technician everything needed in the palm of his or her hand. To interface with the IIoT, rugged industrial tablets can have a variety of inputs. These can include having an RFID reader, a barcode scanner, Bluetooth, light sensors, temperature sensors, and an accelerometer. A built-in camera is ideal for transmitting still images and video to other collaborators in the system.

Going Where the Data Are

The power of the IIoT comes from its combination of connectedness, intelligence, and speed. Industrial computing tablets add the factor of mobility in their ability to acquire data and to act on them. It is about connecting devices throughout the supply chain and production processes to collect and interconnect operational data, which can be organized and quickly analyzed. This connectivity enables a multitude of powerful capabilities—including real-time process optimization, to an extent previously not possible.

Collecting, analyzing, and displaying production data from across a plant, product line, or enterprise in real-time enables IIoT systems to identify and rectify instances of non-compliance with standard operating procedures. Your mobile computing tablet representative can help you sort through the variety of designs to determine which is the best fit for your operation.

Hovanetz, a product manager at Teguar Computers, has 16 years of experience in the industrial computer hardware industry spent in engineering, sales, and product management. Reach him at [email protected].