Is the Box the New SBC?

摘要

I've written before in this column about how box-level embedded computers have emerged as a vital technology for today's mid- to high-end embedded system designs. Working on this month's Datasheet piece on Embedded PCs (p.46) inspired me to revisit the topic here. On the previous publication that I was Chief Editor of, we saw the transition of box-level computers move from being a custom designed sort of product-typically designed and built for a specific customer-to what they are today: a vast catalog product category with many subsets and many manufacturers. At the time, these box-level computers had no official name in the industry, so in the previous job I coined the term "stand-alone rugged box." That was a good ten years ago, and today the term has become obsolete. Moreover, today there are many different types of subcategories of these embedded computers. For example, in-vehicle computers are types of systems with their own unique industry-specific specs and features. And there are even products designed specifically for railway systems. There are also box-level systems marketed as vision systems, AI/IoT processing systems, digital signage boxes and more. Meanwhile, another huge percentage of box-level systems are designed for generic use, suited for wide areas of applications, much the same way a single board computer (SBC) is used.