Vecow’s rugged “RCX-1000 PEG” series runs Linux or Win 10 on 8th or 9th Gen Coffee Lake CPUs with up to 2x PCI/PCIe x16 slots for graphics plus PCIe x4, 2x M.2, 2x mini-PCIe, 4x SATA, 6x USB 3.1 Gen2, and 2x GbE ports.

Vecow announced another rugged, PCIe-enabled system with Intel 8th/9th Gen Coffee Lake processors to join its GPC-1000 and water-cooled RCX-1500W systems. While those models have up to 4x PCIe x16 slots for graphics cards, the RCX-1400 PEG has only 2x PCIe x16 slots, but also offers other PCIe and/or PCI interfaces, depending on the model.

Two members of the RCX-1000 PEG family: RCX-1400FR PEG (left) and RCX-1400F PEG, both positioned sideways
(click images to enlarge)

Vecow’s RCX-1000 PEG announcement showcases a design win from a Chinese mining company. However, we saw no mention of mining in the product pages, and the computer would appear to have much broader applicability. Linux and Windows 10 are supported.

There are 6x different models in the family, which Vecow splits into two product pages. The 3x RCX-1400FR PEG models offer 4x externally accessible SATA trays while the 3x RCX-1400F PEG models locate the 4x SATA slots internally.

The F models have a lower 5.4 Kg weight compared to 5.6 Kg for the FR systems. Otherwise, the 330 x 210 x 172mm systems are identical. As shown in the ordering chart below, all the systems are available in three PCI/PCIe configurations: PCIe x16, PCIe x4, and PCIe x1; PCI, PCIe x16, and PCIe x4; or 2x PCI, PCIe x16.

RCX-1400FR PEG with accessible SATA trays (left) and SKU comparison chart with CPU choices
(click images to enlarge)

All the systems are available with an Intel C246 chipset and a wide choice of quad-, hexa-, and octa-core 8th or 9th Gen Coffee Lake flavors, as shown in the chart above. The processors support Intel UHD graphics 630.

The RCX-1000 PEG can load up to 128GB DDR4-2666 via dual sockets, with the Xeon SKUs supporting ECC RAM. The 4x SATA III interfaces support RAID 0,1,5,10.

In addition to the PCI/PCIe slots, there are 2x mini-PCIe slots with mSATA support and USB, which are available with 2x external SIM card slots. There is also an M.2 M-key socket that supports SSDs and an M.2 E-key socket for WiFi, which is available as an option along with a 4G/GPS mini-PCIe module — both with antennas.

The system supports up to 7x independent displays at up to 8K resolution, claims Vecow. We can see the possibility of 6x independent displays with the 3x PCI/PCIe slots filled with graphics cards or modules and the other 3x available via 4K-ready DP and DDI ports and the HD-capable DVI port. Presumably, the 7th output comes from a graphics card with dual displays. It is unlikely that more than a few of the outputs could offer 8K resolution. There is support for Nvidia and AMD graphics cards, including Nvidia Tesla, Quadro, and GeForce cards up to 300W.

RCX-1400FR PEG (left) and RCX-1400F PEG
(click images to enlarge)

The RCX-1000 PEG is equipped with 2x GbE ports with WoL and PXE: one with an Intel I210 controller and the other with an I219LM with iAMT 12.0. There are also 6x USB 3.1 Gen2 ports with 10Gbps throughput along with an internal USB 2.0 port. Other interfaces include 4x RS-232/422/485 ports (ESD 8KV), 32x isolated DIO, and dual audio jacks driven by a Realtek ALC892 codec.

The system is powered by a 24-36VDC terminal block or optional 12VDC jack. Other power features include 16-mode ignition control, a remote switch terminal block, and surge protection. Additional features include a watchdog, HW monitoring, a wallmount kit, optional TPM 2.0, and accessories including a fan sink and power adapters.

The RCX-1000 PEG has a -25 to 45°C operating range with 5% to 95% non-condensing humidity tolerance and offers IEC 61373:2010 rated shock and vibration resistance, which is said to be suitable for railway and other rolling stock applications. EMC certifications include CE, FCC, EN50155, EN50121-3-2.

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the RCX-1000 PEG series. The system is also available from Rugged Science in the U.S. More information may be found in Vecow’s announcement, as well as the RCX-1400F PEG and RCX-1400FR PEG product pages, which offer extensive documentation.