Computex 2011：瑞傳科技主打Q7格式工控模組，讓嵌入式系統也能容易升級

Chevelle Fu
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瑞傳科技Portwell是一家台灣的工業電腦廠商，今年在Computex主打的是各式以Intel晶片為主的嵌入式解決方案，主要應用數位看板、遊戲機台、音控設備、航太設備、軍規強固型電腦產品，採用的解決方案以Intel的Atom、Core i處理器，也可照客戶需求提供ARM架構應用處理器以及AMD等解決方案；今年特別標榜採用Q7（Qseven）工業標準介面的插卡電腦模組，Q7標準的尺寸為70 x 70mm，瑞傳表示，Q7介面擁有小巧的體積，並且可把I/O與電腦主要架構分開。

而採用主架構與I/O分離的好處，主要在於嵌入式系統平台的輸出介面鮮少更換，導入Q7模組可提供便利且成本較低的硬體升級能力，並且Q7模組上的電子組件也是比較容易損壞的核心零件，萬一核心組件故障，不須將整台工業主機送回廠，直接替換Q7模組即可快速維護。

而瑞傳也透露，目前已經有些許客戶要求ARM架構搭配Android系統，用於包括數位看板以及POS系統等領域，不過較大的問題還是在於Android系統（指Android 2.X以及以下的版本。）先天在解析度受到限制，較難滿足高畫質應用。

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Computex 2011: Portwell Showcases Q7 Embedded Industrial PC Solution

For this year's Computex, Portwell, a Taiwanese manufacturer specialized in industrial computers, showcases a variety of Intel-based embedded solutions for digital signage, arcade game consoles, audio control equipments, aviation equipments and military grade rugged computing products. Most of these solutions uses Intel's Atom or Core i processors, with ARM or AMD solutions available on customer request; And what gets most paraded about this year are their Q7(Qseven) modules, which by Qseven standard, is 70x70mm in size. According to Portwell, Qseven modules have small form factor, and the ability to separate I/O from core computing components.

And the best thing about separation of I/O and core computing components is the fact output interface components on embedded system rarely changes, by introducing Qseven module, it is possible to provide more convenient and less-costly hardware upgrades. On top of that, electronic components on Qseven module are usually the most prone to failure or damage parts in an industrial computer assembly, in the case of failure, it would be a simple matter of replacing the Qseven module on-site without returning the whole assemble for repair service.

During the interview for this article, Portwell also reveals there are already some customers requesting ARM-based system with Android OS for digital signage, POS and etc. However, the major hurdle with this kind of solution lays in Android (Android 2.x and below) system's limitation of screen resolution, which restrict its use in applications that requires high definition displays.