Advantech: Demonstrating AI at the cutting-edge “edge” of embedded technology

Embedded World 2023 visitors will be able to see Advantech in Hall 3, Booth 339, with live demonstrations showing how to maximize the benefits of AI at the edge. This is the Advantech AIR-030, an ultra-compact edge AI system powered by NVIDIA.^® The Jetson Orin™ module series takes center stage. The company will also spotlight a number of discrete high-performance products for multi-stream edge applications, such as COM-HPC server modules and industrial motherboards.

A live demonstration is essentially a proof-of-concept system highlighting what is possible when Advantech and NVIDIA are combined.^®technology. At its core is Advantech’s AIR-030, which utilizes NVIDIA to provide powerful AI inference capabilities.^® Jetson AGX Orin™. Ideal for use in energy-efficient autonomous machines, this edge AI system includes I/O including CANBus for motion and orientation control, LAN and optional PoE for camera input, and DI/O for sensor control Equipped with options. In addition, AIR-030 supports multiple extensions to better support wireless modules and advanced edge AI applications.

NVIDIA^® Jetson’s board support package is directly integrated with Advantech’s remote monitoring and management (RMM) tool, WISE-DeviceOn, to support connectivity and device and data management. Together, these features facilitate AI development lifecycle management and over-the-air (OTA) AI model updates for retraining and performance optimization. DeviceOn for Edge AI also provides real-time monitoring and management from edge AI devices to cloud-based AI.

In particular, DeviceOn allows users to push their own models. There is no longer a model training requirement in the module itself. Instead, users can train in the cloud, on-premises, or on their own infrastructure. After training the model, the user can convert it to his NX format and deploy it to any edge machine on the factory floor, or hundreds of devices connected to DeviceOn.

Visitors to the booth can also see a demonstration on the new NVIDIA-based Advantech EPR-R7300 Edge AI box-pc.^® Jetson Orin™ module series. The system demonstrates object recognition capabilities and has potential applications in autopilot systems. This live presentation reveals how an autonomous robotic system perceives its surroundings and optimizes its route based on the data it acquires. Server-class edge AI systems such as the EPR-R7300 and AIR-030 are ideal for automated guided vehicles (AGV), autonomous mobile robots (AMR), and vision AI applications.

Another key theme of the booth is Advantech’s rich offerings for extreme performance edge computing applications. The company’s edge computers, COM-HPC server modules, and industrial motherboards provide system-wide control, monitoring, and OTA software updates. The robust design ensures system stability even in harsh environments, and the highly integrated data encryption and security features provide complete peace of mind for end users. Naturally, with Advantech’s years of expertise in hardware design, these products provide lightning-fast data throughput with low-latency transmission along with quick integration, easy scalability, and easy maintenance.

Among the products on display is the AIMB-592 MicroATX industrial motherboard that supports a 64-core AMD EPYC processor. At just 244 x 244 mm in size, the AIMB-592 is ideal for space/cost sensitive applications requiring less than 4 slots.

Advantech also touts SOM-E780, a powerful COM-HPC size E-server module with its own pinout, 64-core AMD EPYC CPU, and 79 PCIe lanes. As for edge computers, visitors will find his ARK-7060 powered by Intel.^® Zeon^® EPC-B5592 server-grade edge computer for server-grade computing and 10GbE data transfer capabilities and power-intensive graphics AI applications.

Last but not least, visitors can learn about all the local options and support offered by Advantech’s Customized Product Design and Manufacturing Services (DMS).

Advantech’s talented and welcoming team of experts will be present at the booth to discuss specific projects and answer questions.