Robotics server features real-time hypervisor tech

Article By : EE Times Asia

The hardware virtualised server is built on COM Express Type 7 server-on-module standard, according to Congatec.

Introduced at the Embedded Systems Expo and Conference in Japan, Congatec AG's embedded computing portfolio for robotics and real-time automation includes a hypervisor technology from German real-time virtualisation supplier Real-Time Systems.

The demo shows Congatec's virtualised robotics server platform built on COM Express Type 7 server-on-module standard, which was launched recently by the PICMG. Congatec said the server platform enables application specific designs of industrial edge and fog severs technologies at low customisation cost. The hardware virtualised server hosts the PLC control for the robot, the HMI for the operator, the IoT gateway for remote/mobile monitoring and maintenance as well as the 10GbE Industry 4.0 gateway for real-time collaboration of machinery in cyber-physical smart factories.

Meanwhile, Big Data storage is hosted on PCIe connected SSDs in highly efficient and secure RAID-5 configuration. Predictive maintenance analytics of system fans and SSDs are executed by the rule engine of congatec’s new cloud API for IoT gateways. The system’s cloud is virtualised on the IoT gateway partition as well. It can also be automatically mirrored to central clouds, according to the company.

The application-ready combination of embedded boards and computer-on-modules from Congatec with real-time hypervisor technology from Real-Time Systems targets applications such as connected robotics, industrial machine controls and medical systems. Engineers benefit from application-ready and functionally-validated real-time platforms, a comprehensive documentation package ready for own certifications and personal integration support delivers the real-time capable, virtualisation ready platform.

These allow engineers to exploit the full Congatec multi-core embedded board and computer-on-module range, from Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium processors (Apollo Lake) up to Intel Core and Xeon D processors (Kaby Lake) and AMD G-Series and R-Series, for their various applications, according to the company.