Product of the Week: Aplex Technology AVS-600 AI Machine Vision System
October 25, 2021
Story
The combination of AI and Machine Vision is a game changer in industrial automation facilities. But that doesn’t make it any less complex. Unless you’re deploying with an application-ready industrial machine vision system like the APLEX Technology AVS-600.
Designed for factory automation use cases, the APLEX Technology AVS-600 is based on 9th generation Intel® Core™ and Xeon® processors and integrates advanced artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 technologies.
Before we address the AVS-600’s leading AI capabilities in the “in Action” section, let’s review the platform’s IoT features and physical characteristics.
Many of the Industry 4.0 features available on the AVS-600 are courtesy the companion Intel® C246 chipset. The C246 provides integrated Wi-Fi and built-in security via Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT) and Intel® Platform Trust Technology (Intel® PTT) for credential storage and key management on Windows systems. The AVS-600 supports both Windows 10 IoT and Linux 4.20.2.
The chipset also facilitates some of the machine vision systems’ extensive platform I/O, including:
- 2x GbE LAN
- 4x USB 3.1
- 3x USB 2.0
- 2x full-size mini PCIe slots
- 24 lanes of PCIe Gen 3 in x16, x4, and x4 configurations across three additional slots
These accompany onboard multimedia interfaces like an HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2, and audio ports, which can be found alongside the ample GPIO and serial interfaces you’d expect. There’s also a micro SIM socket.
As an industrial-grade platform, the AVS-600 is housed in a steel chassis and supports -20ºC to 60ºC operation with a fan, or 0ºC to 50ºC using only the designed-in aluminum heatsink.
Aplex Technology AVS-600 in Action:
These features make the AVS-600 well-suited for deployment as a machine vision system, but AI is what sets it apart. The APLEX AI Machine Vision System can run either simple or advanced vision tasks ranging from entry-level barcode reading to PCB inspection and fault detection, and quickly transition between them with precision and efficiency.
The platform supports the Intel® Distribution of the OpenVINO toolkit, a suite of neural network model optimization tools for x86-powered edge systems. It’s also compatible with the TensorFlow framework, which can be paired with high-end GPU cards like the NVIDIA RTX 2080 TI and AMD Radeon VII when added to the PCIe expansion slot that supports up to 400W. Sold separately, these cards add plenty of performance for image processing applications like deep learning-enabled product inspection or obstacle avoidance in advanced robotics.
To support all the data moving around in these applications, up to 64 GB of 2400 MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM is included, and 2x 2.5” SATA3 HDD/SSD removable drive-bays and 2 x 2.5” SATA3 HDD/SSD internal drive-bays are onboard.
And, yes, multiple types of machine vision cameras are supported.
Getting Started with the APLEX Technology AVS-600:
To get started with the AVS-600, just make sure you have room for the compact 200 mm x 200 mm x 350 mm system and a 12-36V DC power supply. Then request a quote from APLEX Technology. After, set up an account to download drivers and browse the user manual.
For more information, check out the AVS-600 product page in the resources below.
- APLEX Technology Inc. Website: aplex.com
- APLEX Technology AVX-600 Product Page: aplex.com/index.php/product/list/machine_vision_system/avs_-_6_series_---_9th_gen._core_-_xeon/3270/AVS-600?lang=5
- APLEX Technology Datasheet: https://alcom.eu/uploads/Aplex-AVS-600_V1.0.pdf
- Intel® Distribution of the OpenVINO™ Toolkit: intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/tools/openvino-toolkit/overview.html
