Single Board Computers (SBCs)
Find suppliers and manufacturers of Single Board Computers (SBCs) for UAVs, Drones, Unmanned Vehicles and Robotics.
Find suppliers and manufacturers of Single Board Computers (SBCs) for UAVs, Drones, Unmanned Vehicles and Robotics.
X-ES-Single-Board-Computer-XCalibur1931-6U-VME
Single-board computers (SBCs) are complete functional computer systems, encompassing processor, memory, I/O and everything required for a computer to run, on one circuit board. Often based around processors from leading chip manufacturers, they provide a smaller footprint, as well as increased reliability due to fewer points of failure at interconnects, making them ideal for rugged and SWaP-limited robotics applications such as UAVs and drones. Industrial single-board computers are often used for such applications as process control and machine vision.
Single-board computers may connect to other sensors such as cameras, GPS or inertial sensors via a variety of protocols such as SPI, I2C, CAN or USB. Built-in analogue-to-digital conversion will allow them to utilise analogue sensors. Many SBCs will run Linux, other commercial operating systems, or a real-time operating system for mission-critical applications.
VersaLogic-SandCat-EPM-39-PC104-SBC
An advantage of using single-board computers for robotics is that there is no need to develop a bespoke design, which can be costly and increase development cycle time. If the SBC design is updated to a more advanced version with the same footprint, it can simply be swapped out, providing a level of future-proofing.
Typical robotics applications for single-board computers may include machine vision for obstacle detection and sense-and-avoid capabilities, interfacing with drone autopilots, and streaming video via a wireless connection.