When global government drives to further increase the efficiencies of their national transportation systems in delivering reliable and flexible services, the involvement of technology to play its part in helping deliver those services has never been greater.
BVM’s Transport (in-vehicle, marine and rail) and SMART City Solutions can help address, what can often be, complex requirements via Rugged Motherboards and Industrial System PC’s. Our products can meet the demands of harsh working temperatures (-40°C to +85°C) and are equipped with a wide power input range to ensure operation remains ‘up’ and continued in those environments.
Where a more befitting or tailored Transportation Solutions is required, with its complement of integration services BVM can help you with BIOS or O/S customisation. With more than 30 years of experience of being a provider of embedded solutions & associated services, BVM can comprehensively support you in providing and assisting with intelligent transportation applications.
Industrial and Embedded Motherboards
Not surprisingly, transportation system solutions rely on technologies to provide safe and reliable data transmission – with increasingly faster and more efficient transfer; applications where network connectivity and computing capability are embedded in smart objects, sensors and other devices, allowing them to exchange data over a network. Transportation hardware solutions can achieve stable, high-speed information transfer between devices by utilising high bandwidth interfaces (typically Ethernet, PCIe, and miniPCIe) on reliable, high-performance industrial-grade motherboards.
Where quite often space-constrained applications can be the norm, the size of embedded motherboard can quickly become the focus of attention – equally as much as its functionality. Applications such ticketing machines, fare collection machines, and card application systems are designed with small/ slim footprints that still achieve the provision of functionality whilst retaining flexibility in space-constrained environments. Compact Industrial-grade Motherboards such as Pico-ITX Solutions and 3.5” SBCs Solutions provide feature rich i/o for such applications.
On the latter, the challenge is to be able to provide the required i/o, inclusive of the i/o shield, within a ‘thin envelope’ of space. With BVM’s selection of certified board lay-outs, our narrow-width boards can provide features such as three independent display outputs supporting HDMI, LVDS, VGA, DVI or DP– additionally supporting up to 9 USB 3.0/2.0 ports, 4 COM ports and expansion slots.
Motherboards and SBCs
Industrial Grade Motherboards and Embedded System PCs provide the backbone for Transportation Solutions, they are revision controlled and are available for a longer time scale compared to commercial motherboard’s and typically operate over a wider temperature range than their commercial equivalents.
Mini-ITX Motherboards and SBCs
Long Life Industrial and Embedded Mini-ITX Motherboards. A Mini-ITX Motherboard is a solution that offers performance with low power and long-life availability. Mini-ITX is a specification for a motherboard measuring 170 x 170 mm with a conventional I/O shield as used on larger scale motherboards.
System-on-Modules (SOMs)
BVM’s SOM (system-on-module) hardware solutions and value add design services provide upgradable designs in combination with ensuring life-time availability of product. Our System on Module solutions come with both high powered Intel iCore, AMD Ryzen and low powered Atom series processors.
Where the cost of product development can be dramatically reduced as each generation of your product moves on to meet future demands of its environment, equally – this hold true from the commence of product life, where SOM’s promote :-
- Lower engineering costs
- Lower product costs
- Lower cost of life cycle management
Basic changes during the next design phase, or even in the middle of the products life, are more easily manageable. Plug in the next generation of SOM module to :-
- Lower design risk
- Lower transition risk
Consequently providing for :-
- Faster time to market for product
- Faster reaction time to market changes
Items such as coin & note validators or ticket dispensers – where changes in legislation, tender or just general technology improvements may need to apply, expansion capabilities required for transportation systems and their ‘future proofing’ become critical design considerations.
With multiple expansion interfaces, our modules allow various peripheral devices such as smart card readers, receipt printers, cash and coin counters, LCD monitors and coin hoppers to be incorporated via a vast array of I/O connectivity.
System-On-Modules
COM/SOM modules are ideal for applications where product time to market and longevity of solution are critical to your business. Today’s COM modules mainly come in two main formats; COM Express (COMe) in Mini, Compact, Basic and Qseven.
Plugged into carrier boards (baseboard), they can be upgraded to newer, backwards-compatible versions as processor technology capability progresses. COM/SOM modules are typically used in Industrial, military, aerospace, gaming, medical and transportation.
• Why use a Computer-on-module? What are the Benefits?
• COM Express vs Qseven vs SMARC: A Comparison of Modular Embedded Computing Standards
Industrial Computing
- Rugged and Reliable: BVM industrial and embedded PC systems are engineered for continuous 24/7 operation in industrial environments. Ideal for heavy-workload ITS.
- Mechanical Robustness: Designed with cable-free internals for enhanced anti-vibration features and shock resistance.
- Adverse Conditions Ready: High anti-vibrational attributes and an operating temperature range built for challenging scenarios, such as rough terrains and harsh weather.
- Customization and Flexibility: Adaptable to complex applications with custom dimensions and thermal designs suitable for confined spaces.
- Power Protection: Supports a 9-36 volts input range to prevent damage from unstable power and utilizes modular I/O boards for maximized uptime.
- Proven Track Record: With over 30 years of expertise, BVM tailors systems for in-vehicle use, traffic management, and rail safety applications.
BVM can tailor your System PC of choice to your exact specification including processor, memory, storage and operating system.
In-Vehicle PCs
In-vehicle and Intelligent Transportation Solutions available with Intel i3 / i5 / i7 / Celeron CPU’s. Tested under extreme temperature conditions and designed to withstand the shock and vibration that comes with driving a vehicle. All our In-Vehicle and Intelligent Transportation solutions meet the demands of harsh working environments.
• In-Vehicle Fleet Management: IVS-110-AL
• License Plate Recognition: ES220-CS (5G)
• Roadway Transportation: VC300-CS (MXM, 5G), VC230-AL (5G)
• Railway Transportation: RC300-CS (MXM, 5G)
Rail PCs
Railway Certified Embedded PC Systems available with Intel i3 / i5 / i7 / Celeron CPU’s. EN45545, EN50155 and EN50121-4 Certification. Suitable for demanding IIoT applications in the railway sector, including tasks like monitoring and controlling speed, temperature and security, or for fleet management.
• Rail Solutions
• Case Study: Rail Communications – Custom Modem
• Case Study: Rail – Level Crossing Safety Systems
Marine PCs
IEC60945 Marine Certified PCs are reliable, rugged and highly rated for their waterproof, durable and fanless designs, ideal for use within harsh environments. Aimed at maritime professionals and found in the dock, on the deck, the bridge and control rooms, Marine Embedded PC Systems are protected from water, dust and any stray electrical signals making them perfect for use on ships.
• Marine Solutions
• Case Study: Transportable Control Centre
• Winmate ECDIS Marine Panel PCs
AI-based Transportation Solutions
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented in various industries to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance safety. One of the areas where AI is being extensively used is the transportation industry. AI-powered technologies such as autonomous vehicles, logistics and supply chain management and air transportation are being developed and implemented to optimize delivery schedules and routes, reduce transportation costs, improve delivery times, enhance safety and provide more personalized and efficient customer service. AI is expected to revolutionize the transportation industry and bring significant changes in how transportation systems work.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Transportation and the SMART City
Here are a few examples of how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in transportation and the smart city:
- Autonomous vehicles: AI is being used to enable vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses and drones to operate without human intervention. AI can be used to help these vehicles navigate, avoid obstacles and make decisions about routes and destinations for travelling efficiency.
- Traffic management: AI can be used to analyse data from sensors and other sources to optimise traffic flow and reduce congestion. This can include everything from adjusting traffic light timing to routing vehicles onto less congested roads.
- Public transportation: AI can be used to optimise routes and schedules for public transportation, such as buses and trains, improving efficiencies and reduce costs. AI can also be used to provide real-time information to passengers about delays, re-routing and other disruptions.
- Logistics and supply chain management: AI can be used to optimise the flow of goods through the supply chain, reducing waste and improving efficiency. This can include everything from routing trucks to identifying the most efficient warehouses for storing and distributing goods.
- Energy management: AI can be used to optimise energy use in buildings and other infrastructure, improving efficiencies and reducing costs. This can include everything from adjusting heating and cooling systems to managing the flow of electricity through a grid network.
- Environmental monitoring: AI can be used to monitor the environment and identify patterns and trends that may be relevant to public health or the environment. This can include everything from analysing air quality data to tracking the movements of wildlife.
AI-ready Transportation Solutions
The hardware required to support artificial intelligence (AI) can vary depending on the specific application and the type of AI being used. Some AI algorithms are computationally intensive and require powerful hardware to run effectively.
Deep learning algorithms, which are used for tasks such as image and speech recognition, typically require specialised hardware such as graphics processing units (GPUs) to run efficiently. GPUs are designed to perform the complex matrix calculations that are required for deep learning – and they can be much faster than traditional central processing units (CPUs) at these types of tasks.
Other types of AI, such as rule-based systems, may not require as much computational power and can be run on standard CPUs.
Industrial Displays
Advances in digital signage technology in recent years has given rise to further use of TFT displays in transportation hubs such as airports, railway stations and bus stops to provide real-time travel information, interactive advertising and enhanced customer services for travellers.
Displays used both for indoor & outdoor applications require 24/7 reliable operation with resistance to environmental factors such as sunlight, dust or humidity. BVM provides bar-type display solutions available in multiple panel sizes designed to accommodate the demands of non-standard mechanical sizes with tight space constraints, lending themselves to bus, tram or rail.
Features including wide viewing angles, high brightness, wide operating temperatures and industrial-grade ruggedness for operation in a wide range of transportation application environments; bus stop information systems, ticketing machines and outdoor advertising.
In addition, BVM provides customisation services to design and manufacture displays that meet your unique demands. With our OEM partner network, we can tailor bespoke solutions to your exacting requirements into cost-effective and well engineered solutions for virtually all kinds of transportation environments.
Displays and Touchscreen Monitors
We frequently marry IPC solutions to drive & control TFT displays in the provision of an overall solution; whether that’s the need to simply read & understand data output or providing a means of interaction (HMI) for the control and interrogation of parameters.
For user interaction, we can provide single point touch through to ‘pinch’, ‘zoom’ and multipoint gesturing. We can accommodate for ambient lighting conditions with the application of anti-glare or anti-reflective coatings, optical bonding and upgrading of backlighting.
