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        Sealed panel PC survives being dunked

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Jan 13, 2011 | Comments: 1


        Arbor announced a panel PC suitable for use in marine or industrial applications. The P1585 includes a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, a 15-inch touchscreen, hard disk or solid state disk (SSD) storage, waterproof I/O ports, and an IP67-compliant, stainless-steel case, the company says.

        Arbor's P1585 is superficially similar to many other panel PCs that, like it, have employed the evergreen Intel Atom N270 processor (along with the 945GSE and ICH7M). But, while most feature only waterproof front bezels (if that), Arbor's device has a stainless-steel casing all around.

        The fanless, sealed P1585 is claimed to meet the stringent IP67 standard, meaning that it could even survive complete immersion for up to 30 minutes. To achieve this, the device employs waterproof I/O connectors (below right), including a special 10-pin connector that relays two of its USB ports (there's also a standard Type 3 connector for a third), and an eight-pin connector for serial ports (RS232/422/485).


        The front and back of Arbor's P1585
        (Click either to enlarge)

        Internally, the P1585 has three additional USB ports and four more RS232 ports, though these are all cited on the data sheet as being "reserved for OEM project." It also has a Mini PCI Express card, a CompactFlash Type II socket (optional), and a 2.5-inch bay that can accept a hard disk (160GB) or an SSD (8GB), according to Arbor.

        Arbor says the P1585 has 1GB of soldered-on RAM, while its 15-inch resistive touchscreen offers a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels and a 350-nit brightness rating. Equipped with a watchdog timer and 12VDC power input, the device withstands shocks of up to 20GB while operating with solid-state storage, according to the company.

        Features and specifications listed by Arbor for the P1585 include:

        • Processor -- Intel Atom N270 clocked at 1.6GHz
        • Chipset -- 945GSE northbridge and ICH7M southbridge
        • Memory -- 1GB of soldered-on RAM
        • Storage -- 2.5-inch bay for 160GB hard disk drive or 8GB SSD
        • Display -- 15-inch touchscreen with 1024 x 768 resolution and 350-nit brightness rating
        • Expansion:
          • Mini PCI Express card
          • CompactFlash Type II (optional)
        • Networking -- 1 x gigabit Ethernet
        • Other I/O:
          • 2 x RS232/422/485 (external via 8-pin connector)
          • 4 x RS232 (internal, "reserved")
          • 3 x USB 2.0 (1 x Type A, 2 via 10-pin connector)
          • 3 x USB 2.0 (internal, "reserved")
        • Power -- 12VDC
        • Operating range -- 32 to 122 deg. F
        • Dimensions -- 15.75 x 12.2 x 2.17 inches
        • Weight -- 15.5 pounds

        Further information

        Arbor did not cite pricing or availability for the P1585, but the device appears to be available now, and runs Windows or Ubuntu Linux, according to the company. More information may be found on the P1585 product page.

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