Intel’s Core i7 processor is now available in two of Advantech’s newest industrial-grade panel PCs, the 15-inch IPPC-9151G and the 17-inch IPPC-9171G. When I first read Advantech’s press release announcing the introduction of the Core i7 into its Panel PC line, I already knew the processor to be the flagship product of Intel’s premier processor series.
The Core i7 architecture supports an astounding 731 million transistors, employing Intel’s 32-nm Logic Technology, and locates the memory controller, the four processing cores and the caches on a single die, maximizing efficiency of communications between these critical elements. The memory controller now supports three memory channels instead of two. The Core i7 also eliminates the front-side bus, trading it for the increased bandwidth and latency reduction of Intel’s QuickPath Interconnect. Hyper-Threading is also built in, allowing each core to simultaneously process two threads.
Advantech has selected the Core i7-2710QE processor for its Panel PCs, and there’s a lot of information packed into that six-character designator. The “2” confirms that the processor is of Intel’s advanced 2nd-generation or Sandy Bridge version of the i7, while the following three numbers denote Intel’s estimate of the processor’s performance relative to its other versions. On that scale, 710 is excellent. The “Q” confirms that it is indeed a quad-core processor – most but not all i7s are. Finally, the “E” informs us that the processor is appropriate for use in embedded systems.
The Core i7 also features Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, which enables the processor to temporarily increase clock speed dynamically over its base rating. Turbo Boost algorithms maximize performance by managing power, current and temperature within system parameters. Performance is further enhanced by Intel’s Smart Cache, which enables each individual core to access 100 percent of available cache, prioritizing cache resources dynamically. Of course, Core i7 processors are equipped with a whopping 8MB of cache.
Advantech packages these systems in a NEMA4/IP65-rated enclosure that accommodates any mounting configuration and tops them off with its proprietary iManager and SUSIAccess system-management applications. iManager automatically debugs and repairs the system in real-time if a crash occurs, while delivering an intuitive graphical interface for management of embedded devices.