SBCs, or single-board computers, are growing in acceptance as more people become aware of their numerous advantages. From home use to the industrial control system, such tiny computers have a range of uses. We will give comprehensive information regarding single board computers in this post, along with a ranking of the top SBC manufacturers worldwide.
What are Single Board Computers?
As its name implies, single board computers can be described as whole computers that are assembled into a single printed circuit board. Input/output capabilities, a processor, a memory, and storage are often included.
Single board computers have been frequently employed in situations where there is a lack of available space or when full-sized computers would be either superfluous or too expensive.
SBCs, for instance, are frequently used within embedded systems; these are devices with a computer however are not meant to serve as general-purpose computers. Thermostats, the industrial control systems, and entertainment systems for automobiles are a few examples of the embedded system.
Uses of Single Board computers
Industrial and home applications for single board computers are numerous.
Single-board computers have industrial applications
Single board computers, as was already explained, is a whole computer present on the single circuit boards. A microprocessor is typically used as the central processing units in single-board computers.
Single board computers therefore provide a variety of benefits over conventional desktop computers. Also, they produce less heat because they are smaller as well as more energy-efficient and smaller.
Due to the fact that they have less potential failure points, they also seem to be much more reliable. These factors have led to an increase in the use of SBCs in various industrial applications.
Single board computers, also are typically employed in the embedded systems in different industrial applications where they are created to carry out a specific task within a bigger system. The single board computer, for instance, could be incorporated into the industrial controller which oversees and manages production machinery.
Industrial SBCs are built to withstand tough conditions and come with a variety of features which makes them perfect for particular applications.
Domestic Benefits for the single board computers
Single board computers are gradually making their way onto the household market, despite being initially created for the industrial applications.
An SBC is frequently used as the home server in domestic settings. An home server can be described as a computer that houses all your digital files as well as shares these files with other computers found in the house, including music, videos, and images. It can be utilized as the media server for transmitting media to the other household appliances like Smart TVs and the streaming media player.
More versatile computation can be done on one single board computer. That Raspberry Pi used in the previous example, for instance, can be utilized as a desktop, media center, or gaming console.
Benefits of Single Board Computer
As you’ll see, the single board computer is useful in many different contexts. They have a variety of capabilities, are inexpensive, and are becoming very common.
Industrial applications including robotics, data acquisition, as well as process control are frequently carried out on these computers. For these purposes, the single board computer frequently offers range of benefits over a regular desktop computer.
Perfect for usage in challenging conditions
Single board computers seem to be more suited for usage in hostile settings because they are much more durable, vibration and shock resistant, and produce less heat.
Lengthy lifespan
Single board computers frequently outlast desktop computers in terms of lifespan, making them a much more affordable choice for several industrial uses.
Numerous commercial and industrial applications
Single board computers are rapidly being used in fields including medical diagnosis, military applications, and security systems, despite their historical preference for industrial settings.
Suitable for hobbyists and home use
Additionally, storage units that are network attached and home servers (which include use as media servers) are typical examples as to how the single board computer is utilized in homes. The single board computer is also gaining popularity as the development boards.
Single board computers are probably going to be used in more applications as their price continues to drop and their computational capacity and performance continue to advance.
Top SBC Manufacturers
Digi-Key Electronics
An approved distributor of over 5 million components representing 650+ reliable vendors, Digi-Key Electronics is an international distributor of electrical components via the Internet. Customers keep choosing Digi-Key, benefiting from the industry’s largest variety of different electronic components that are immediately available for dispatch from its website, www.digikey.com, and contributing to the reputation of the company across the globe. Digi-Key is indeed the ideal resource for both buyers and design engineers because of its broad selection of items, which are offered in both production and design quantities.
In an ongoing attempt to provide the whole spectrum of electronic components required by clients, new items are being added daily. Digi-Key provides the parts needed, whenever you require them, whether they are semiconductors, interconnect, passives, electromechanical, lightning or wireless components.
At Digi-Key, they take great pride in their ability to give customers the greatest support. 365 days yearly, 24 hours daily, 7 days each week, a customer can place an order for electronic components online, via phone, email or fax. Talented technicians including applications engineers from Digi-Key are also on call around-the-clock by email, phone, or the company website, ready to address any inquiries. Throughout the years, their dedication to providing excellent customer service gave them several honors.
Congatec
Congatec is indeed a rapidly expanding technology business that specializes in industrial SBCs, computer-on-modules, and high-performance computing devices. With its excellent customer base that includes both start-ups and international businesses, this company can be described as the industry leader in computer-on-modules area globally.
Congatec’s solutions and modules are utilized in a variety of industries and systems, including telecommunications, transportation, medical technology, and industrial automation. he company, which was established in 2004 with its headquarters in Deggendorf area of Germany, has affiliates in the United States, China, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, France, United Kingdom, and Czech Republic. In 2018, it generated sales of about 133 million USD.
Extreme Engineering Solutions
Among the top SBC producers around the world is this company. Extreme Engineering Solutions, which was established in 2002, has its corporate office close to Madison, Wisconsin. For embedded computer market, Extreme Engineering Solutions can be described as a pioneer in the development, production, testing, as well as support of top-quality, economically viable software and hardware solutions.
High-performance SBCs, networking Input/Output modules, ethernet switches, embedded routers, storage drives in the solid state, and the development chassis are just a few of the options available in their product line. The dedication of X-ES to producing top-quality products is reaffirmed by their superior customer support and service.
A pioneer in innovation, Extreme Engineering Solutions offers hardware, software, plus support for the embedded applications. Your initial interaction with our knowledgeable and courteous team will make it very evident that this company is a special one. Customer satisfaction is thier most important business goal, and their dedication to achieving it through great product quality, outstanding service, and absolute customer pleasure has given them the status of being an amazing design and manufacturing company.
Digi International
IoT was not even a concept when Digi International was established in 1985. With sophisticated multiport serial board for personal computers as our starting point, we have always prioritized connecting things.
We innovated alongside the development of wireless data technologies, adding gateways, RF modules, cellular routers, as well as embedded wireless systems on the modules, as well as single-board computers to their product lines to support the development of next-generation products.
Digi now commutes to the workplace of the machines. vast fields of oil, units for intensive care, busy highways, floor of a factory, or frequently in circumstances that are quite challenging. These vital infrastructures’ millions of valves, sensors, and other parts are connected via them.
Digi offers the fundamental M2M communications layer that is required for the remote management and monitoring of key applications.
These days, M2M and IoT are hot topics. At Digi, the Internet for Making Things Happen is everything. Their clients must accomplish mission-critical objectives. Budgets will be met as well as the due dates.
Mouser Electronics
Over 1,200 brands of industry-leading manufacturer semiconductors as well as electronic components are distributed by Mouser Electronics on a global scale. They engage in quickly introducing the most cutting-edge goods and technologies to a design engineer and consumer groups.
There are 27 offices for Mouser spread out over the world. They operate in 34 different currencies and 21 languages. Modern wireless management systems at their worldwide distribution center allow this company to process all orders around-the-clock and provide pick-and-ship operations that are almost flawless.
Customer service is very important to Mouser. We have received recognition for our renowned, superior customer service around the world as a result. We appreciate the importance of having someone on hand who is informed and can respond to your inquiries swiftly. Customer-focused distribution is being redefined by Mouser.
Conclusion
Single board computers have been frequently employed in situations where there is a lack of available space or when full-sized computers would be either superfluous or too expensive. We have discussed some of the best SBC manufacturers out there. They are all very good at this and you can choose to work with any of them.