Aaeon launched a rugged, Linux-friendly line of “Boxer-6841M” industrial computers based on 6th or 7th Gen Core CPUs with either a PCIe x16 slot for Nvidia GPU cards or 2x PCIe x8 slots for frame grabbers.

The Boxer-6841M line of six industrial box PCs is designed for edge AI and machine vision applications. Like last year’s Boxer-6839, the rugged, wall-mountable computers run Linux (Ubuntu 16.04) or Windows on Intel’s 6th Generation “Skylake” and 7th Generation “Kaby Lake” Core and Xeon processors with 35W to 73W TDPs. The systems use T and TE branded Core CPUs and Intel H110 PCH or C236 PCH chipsets.

Boxer-6841M-A2 (left) and smaller, fanless -A5
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Aaeon refers to the Boxer-6841M as “compact,” but even the two smaller A5 and A6 models with dual PCIe x8 slots are considerably larger than the Boxer-6839, measuring 260 x 300 x 155mm. The PCIe x8 slots on the fanless A5 and A6 are intended primarily for loading video frame grabber cards. The only difference between the A5 and A6 is that the A6 provides 4x RS232 ports via a side-mounted addition.

The fan-powered A1-A4 models, meanwhile, measure 400 x 200 x 155mm. This gives them room to fit a single PCIe x16 slot for AI-enabled Nvidia Tesla graphics cards.

Boxer-6841M A1 through A4 models (left) and BOXER-6841M power specs
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The A1 and A3 models can drive 180W of power to their PCIe x16 slot while the A2 and A4 offer dual 12V inputs to support up to a 250W PCIe x16 card. The dual input design “makes the system more stable by reducing the level of wasted heat that would be produced by a single 24V input,” says Aaeon. (See power specs above.)


Boxer-6841M A5 and A6
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The difference between the A1 and A3 models and between the A2 and A4 models is that only the A1 and A2 support the 73W TDP Intel Xeon parts. All six systems also offer single PCIe x1 slots and dual mini-PCIe slots with USB support. There’s also a single SIM slot and 4G and WiFi options with antennas.


Boxer-6841M-A1 front view, which is the same as A2, A3, and A4 (left) and A4 rear view with extra 12V input, a feature it shares with the A2
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The Boxer-6841M systems support up to 32GB of DDR4 (including ECC) RAM. They offer dual 2.5-inch SATA bays with removable drive support, with an option to expand to 4x bays. The system provides 5x GbE ports that support machine vision cameras.

A VGA port and 2x HDMI 1.4b ports handle video duty, backed up by audio in and out jacks. You also get 4x USB 3.0 ports and an RS-232/422/485 port.

Boxer-6841M-A5 (left) and A6 model with quad-serial port extension
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All six models provide 12-24V inputs on the front, as well as a power switch, a remote power connector, and LEDs. The system support -20 to 55°C temperatures with 35W TDPs and -20 to 45°C with the 73W Xeons, both with 0.5m/s airflow. Anti-vibration support is listed as Random, 1Grm, 5~500Hz.

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the Boxer-6841M computers. More information may be found at Aaeon’s Boxer-6841M product page.