An introduction to different types of edge computers

Before buying edge computer hardware, we must first be familiar with the different types of edge computers. So, what are the types of edge computers?

What are the types of edge computers?

The three main types of edge computers are: air-cooled edge computers, fanless edge computers, and rugged edge computers. Here are the details of the different types of edge computers:

1. Air-cooled edge computers

Air-cooled edge computers are computer systems designed for industrial use that use fans to pull hot air out of the system for cooling. They are extremely reliable and capable of running specific controlled applications for business operations in a variety of compute-intensive scenarios.

The only downside to using an air-cooled edge computer is that it doesn't offer the same protection from dust, dirt, and debris as other rugged fanless edge computers. Air-cooled edge computers are more practical because they use fans to transfer heat away from the system's internal components. Deploying an air-cooled edge computer system must be done in a clean and temperature-controlled environment. This is because the chassis has openings that allow the system to draw air into the case to cool the internal components.

Air-cooled edge computers are used in indoor applications such as kiosk systems, surveillance, and security systems.

2. Fanless Edge Computer System

Fanless edge computers are ideal for deployment in environments that are hostile to conventional computers and electronic devices, often deployed as digital media players and data monitoring devices in the Internet of Things.

Fanless edge computers are able to withstand extreme high and low temperatures. Fanless edge computer solutions are able to operate in a wide temperature range of -40°C to 85°C. If SSDs (solid state drives) are integrated in all configurations. This improves the reliability of edge systems and reduces the downtime that is typically experienced with hard drives, which have a much higher failure rate than SSDs.

Heat sinks are used to transfer heat from critical components to the external chassis, where it is dissipated by natural air convection. Fanless edge computers have a relatively small footprint and can be installed in a variety of small locations.

3. Rugged Edge Computer

Rugged PCs are more expensive than regular PC systems because a lot of engineering resources are invested in designing, building, and testing them. These systems are ideal for deployment in high-stress environments that are either extremely hot or extremely cold. They are also designed to withstand harsh environments such as dust, debris, vibration, and movement, so they are more reliable than regular consumer computers.

Rugged edge computers are deployed for different purposes such as vehicles, outdoor kiosk machines, railways, manufacturing plants, and other outdoor deployments such as surface and underground mining.