Harsh environment vehicle mounted computer
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

The TREK-776 is a rugged vehicle mount computer with a bright 12.1-inch display and extensive onboard connectivity and expansion to be suitable for a wide variety of data capture and real-time communication applications. An extremely wide operating temperature range of -22 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit allow operation in freezers and cold storage as well as docks, container yards and warehouses.

Since vehicle mount systems are usually fanless and sealed, they can use economical low or ultra low voltage processors. The TREK-776 can be ordered either with an ultra low voltage Intel Celeron M processor running at 600MHz or a low voltage Pentium M processor running at 1.1GHz. The device is very flexible when it comes to operating systems. Depending on the intended application, it can run either Windows XP (or the older Windows 2000), Windows XP Embedded, or Windows CE. System memory is up to 2GB of DDR SDRAM. There is an IDE interface and room for a standard 2.5-inch hard disk for Windows 2000/XP systems. Windows XP Embedded and Windows CE implementation use Flash memory mounted in the internal Type II CompactFlash socket.

For expansion, the TREK-776 has two PC Card Type II slots (or one Type III) and also an internal Type III Mini PCI A/B slot. These can be used for a variety of wireless options, such as 802.11a/b/g, GSM/GPRS or GPS.

Users will appreciate the TREK-776's large 12.1-inch display. It not only ha a bright 450 nit backlight, but also 160 degree viewing angles both horizontally and vertically. This makes central mounting with use from both front seats in a vehicle easy. 1024 x 768 XGA resolution allows advanced applications, browsing, and mapping. Operation is either via the analog resistive touch screen or external mouse and keyboard, or both.

The TREK-776 has superb onboard connectivity. There are two USB 2.0 ports, two DB-9 RS232 serial ports, two more DB9 serial ports that also support the RS422/485 protocols, an RJ45 LAN jack, and two PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports. All ports, along with power input and power switch, are located at the bottom for extra protection.

Since the unit will not be carried around, the TREK-776 uses anywhere from 9 to 58 Volt vehicular DC power instead of an internal battery.

The TREK-776 is a rugged device able to withstand, in addition to extreme temperatures, 30G peak acceleration, one or three G vibration depending on whether it is operated with a hard disk or Flash, and it is EMC and Safety certified. "Intelligent" sealing is applied so that it protects the unit where it needs it: the DC power inlet has an IP66 rating; most seals are IP65; back cover, front bezel and sides also have IP65 sealing; and the I/O block on the bottom can be protected with an IP53 cover.