Welcome to Embedded PC World Online News - vol.9 - Oct.


		Oct. / Nov. 1998 Vol.9

Application Stories

Advantech Inside European Automated Roulette Machine

A European company has combined a range of Advantech SBCs and expansion modules to build an unmanned roulette machine. Automation saves a lot in overhead wages in the mid- to long-run, since traditional roulette tables require eight employees (this one only requires 0.3!). This machine can support up to eight players at any one time. Each player is equipped with a multilingual display (8 languages), a keyboard, and bill and credit card acceptors (optional).

Advantech Inside

Each roulette machine uses nearly two dozen Advantech components. Each of the eight player 'terminals' uses a PCM-3864 386-based SBC with VGA/LCD interface in conjunction with a PCD-1230 IDE Flash disk module with 2 MB of memory. Each of these 'terminals' is connected to a 'server' by means of an RS-485 connection. This server is composed of a PCM-4825 486-based SBC with VGA/LCD and audio, also in conjunction with a PCD-1230 IDE Flash disk module with 2 MB of memory. By exploiting 386-based boards for terminals and 486-based boards as servers, a significant cost savings was achieved. Using IDE Flash modules also makes the system more rugged and tolerant of the bumps and vibrations inherent in publicly operated devices.

Alternative Application Ideas

Beside using this setup simply as a roulette table, virtually the same configuration could be used in any multiple player games or other multiple user applications. For additional ideas and/or ordering information, contact your local Advantech representative today.

Industrial PC & Scale Integrated into an Affordable Solution

A long-term Advantech partner has chosen the PCA-6153 (Pentium-processor based half-size CPU card with PCI, LCD/CRT interface) as the heart of its multirange industrial PC and scale. The highly-precise scale is designed for use in laboratories or supermarkets, and its pairing with a Pentium-level computer allows for flexible and extensive software application support for nearly any project you are working on.

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  Cover Story

  Tiny PC/104 CPU Module Breaks Size Barriers

  New Products

  Popular LVDS Demo Kit Now Available

  Application Story

Advantech Inside European Automated Roulette Machine
Industrial PC & Scale Integrated into an Affordable Solution

Product Upgrade

  Advantech Introduces Its Revised Multimedia SBC
  Advantech's IDE Flash Module Upgraded

Product Upgrades & Info.

  New Features on Upgraded Pentium POS Board
  PCA-6154/L Passes CE Certification

  Product Information

  Phase-in/Phase-out List for EPC Products

Announcement

  Goal of Leadership in Automation Emphasized at Conference
  EPC's Volume 91 Master Catalog Available in Decenber
  AE Training in D sseldorf on Sept. 28-29
  Product Searches Are Now a Snap on EPC's Web Site

RECENT NEWS

Aug/Sep 1998
Jun/Jul 1998
Feb/Mar 1998

Why Advantech?

Advantech's PCA-6153 was chosen because it comes with LCD interface and is designed for Pentium processors. Maybe an even more important reason why Advantech was chosen over its competitors was because of pre- and post-sales service. The quality and reliability of this service has been important, not only for this project, but also for an on-going project (based around Advantech's PCM-4862) and possible future projects (based around Advantech's PCM-4823 and Windows CE).

Alternative Application Ideas

Besides this example, there are several similar kinds of applications in which Advantech products can be used efficiently and effectively. Temperature or pressure measuring systems and lab- or factory-based sensor monitoring networks are only a few examples.

Your Total Solution

These kinds of applications only touch the tip of the iceberg of potential uses for Advantech's large array of industrial grade computing products. These powerful, flexible, yet inexpensive components can serve as the solution for nearly any systems integration problem that you may have. Contact your Advantech representative for more detailed information.

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