Advantech's PWS-8033M is said to offer an IP67 rating, "guaranteeing total protection against dirt, dust, and water." The chunky-looking device, featuring shock-proof corner bumpers for protection against drops, also meets MIL-STD-810F and MIL-STD-461E standards, according to the company. The device survives a five-foot drop onto any of its sides, and can withstand random vibration of up to 1.29Grms while it's operating, Advantech adds.

Advantech's PWS-8033M

The PWS-8033M appears very similar to a handheld that was previously introduced by Glacier Computer as the Ridgeline Q100, by Industrial Computing as the Guardian Model 37, and by Newport Digital Technologies as the P37M, leading us to wonder about the device's actual manufacturer. Details of this latest variant are slightly different, however, in that Advantech ships only a VGA-resolution screen, and offers the PWS-8033M with either Windows CE 5.0 or Windows Mobile 6.1.

The rugged Advantech PWS-8033M looks nearly identical to the previously-released Guardian Model 37 (pictured)

The handheld, further pictured above via images originally supplied by Industrial Computing, features oversize buttons and labels, for operation by gloved fingers. It also includes three locking doors on its left and right sides, designed to protect the ports for its wired interfaces when not in use.

In fact, the PWS-8033M provides a greater than average number of wired interfaces, including two USB 1.1 host connectors, a USB 1.1 device connector, two RS232 ports, and a 10/100 Ethernet jack. In addition, the device has a microphone jack, a line output, and a docking connector, according to Advantech.

Wireless interfaces include 802.11b/g wireless networking, Bluetooth 1.2, and a GPS receiver based on the U-blox LEA-S5S chipset. A "3.5G" cellular modem offering HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) is an available option, says Advantech.

According to Advantech, the PWS-8033M uses a 624MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, with 256MB of RAM and 256MB of onboard flash storage. The device includes both microSD and CompactFlash slots for memory expansion, the company adds.

Features and specifications listed by Advantech for the PWS-8033M include the following:

• Processor -- Marvell PXA270 clocked at 624MHz
• Memory -- 256MB of RAM and 256MB of flash storage
• Display -- 3.7-inch touchscreen display with VGA (640 x 480) resolution
• Keys -- Power button, navigation key, four function keys, one "terminal" key
• Wireless:
  • 
    
  • WAN -- 3.5 cellular modem (optional)
  • WLAN -- 802.11b/g
  • PAN -- Bluetooth 1.2
  • GPS
• Other I/O:
  • 2 x USB 1.1 host
  • 1 x USB 1.1 client
  • 10/100 Ethernet
  • 2 x RS232
  • Audio mic in and headphone out
  • DC input jack
• Expansion:
  • microSD slot
  • CompactFlash slot
  • Docking connector
• Battery type -- 1880mAh lithium-ion battery
• Operating temperature -- -20 to 60 deg. C (-4 to 140 deg. F)
• Dimensions -- 6.1 x 3.8 x 1.7 inches
• Weight -- n/s

Availability

Advantech did not cite pricing or availability for the PWS-8033M, but the device appears to be available now. More information may be found on the company's website, here.

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