Driven by innovations in geospatial technologies and artificial intelligence, the maritime sector is rapidly advancing towards autonomous operations. This progression encompasses a range of autonomous and unmanned maritime technologies designed for diverse purposes and applications, including Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). Shifting away from traditional methods, maritime applications have increasingly adopted unmanned and automated systems. This transformation underscores the importance of task efficiency and personnel safety by reducing human errors and personnel injuries.
Both traditional maritime operations and modern autonomous systems, such as USV and MASS, require swift, reliable, and adaptable solutions to navigate this evolving landscape. Therefore, these robust systems must not only withstand harsh maritime conditions, but also optimize routing, enhance monitoring, and ensure rapid emergency responses.
Industry: Maritime
Application: Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS)
Solution: DFI ECX700-AL Ruggedized IP67&IP69K Grade Embedded System- For Offshore Applications
In line with this transformation, one of our customers introduced the new USV. Designed to navigate vast oceans and shallow waters, the USV is an essential asset for first responders, emergency services, and government agencies, enabling rapid rescue operations and expedited beach evacuations. Our customer compared various samples from different IPC manufacturers, and DFI's ECX700-AL passed all the customer-specific tests, showcasing its durability, waterproof capacity, and resilience to harsh environments. These features guarantee its performance in tough conditions, thereby enhancing the safety and efficiency of USV management.
DFI's ECX700-AL is in high demand for maritime applications in the US and Europe. This further demonstrates DFI's commitment to providing robust embedded ruggedized solutions tailored to the needs of today's USV applications. Our customer appreciates the ECX700-AL for its reliability, strength, and ability to withstand tough offshore conditions.
Challenges Faced by our customers & DFI's offering
1. Meeting demands for ocean monitoring and crisis management
DFI's ECX700-AL embedded system is tailor-made for harsh outdoor environments, meeting the specific needs of our customers' USVs. This robust and reliable embedded solution ensures seamless operations in ocean monitoring and crisis management scenarios. The ECX700-AL's rugged design and advanced features enable USVs to effectively navigate and respond to emergencies, such as firefighting and rescue missions, enhancing mission success rates and safety. Notably, DFI's adherence to high production standards ensures compliance with international certifications, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, IPC J-STD-001, and IPC-A-610. Our comprehensive quality management and electrical validation system ensures our customers' success in critical missions throughout the product lifecycle. This is our commitment to quality.
2. Critical communication hub for maritime networks
As a critical communication hub, the ECX700-AL plays a vital role in USV operations, serving as a gateway for receiving and transmitting critical information. Tailored to withstand challenging weather conditions and vibrations, this fanless ruggedized embedded system comes with intricately designed I/O setups and an airtight mechanism. It features waterproof connectors, each equipped with a locking mechanism to ensure secure connections. DFI has chosen connectors equipped with waterproof M12 connectors and cables, enhancing signal transmission stability with waterproof features. Additionally, these features help prevent cable disconnection due to vibrations and ensure consistent connection quality.
Protected by a sealed cover, the ECX700-AL supports 4G with an external Nano SIM slot for easy maintenance. Moreover, it includes a protective pressure relief vent to balance internal and external pressure, effectively preventing heat dissipation that could reduce the device's lifespan and affect component performance. In maritime networks, the DFI's ECX700-AL embedded system facilitates seamless communication between USVs, onshore command centers, and other assets, improving users' awareness of the situation, and enabling timely decision making.
3. Outstanding ruggedized embedded solution for extreme conditions
The DFI's ECX700-AL stands out as a certified embedded system for extreme conditions. Its IP67&IP69K-rated sealed casing ensures dependable performance in harsh climates, enabling USVs to reliably fulfill their missions in maritime environments. The ECX700-AL delivers stable performance in maritime navigation, monitoring, and automation systems, enhancing reliability and longevity.
The operation vibration test IEC 60068-2-64 and operation shock test (with the following specifications: half-sine wave, 15G, 11ms, 3 shocks per axis) have validated this robust embedded solution's durability against strong vibrations. Its ability to endure temperatures as low as -40 and as high as 70 degrees Celsius guarantees uninterrupted operation in challenging conditions. It has attained the CE, FCC Class A, and ROHS certifications, among others. Moreover, it has successfully met our customer's certification requirements. In the next section, we describe in detail the rigorous tests conducted by one of our customers that the ECX700-AL has undergone.
The ECX700-AL underwent rigorous testing and was launched successfully in the market
DFI's ECX700-AL is designed to withstand extreme environmental conditions, including temperature fluctuations, humidity, and vibrations, which are inherent to maritime operations. In the realm of USVs, reliability and durability are paramount, as these vessels operate autonomously for prolonged periods, navigating intricate routes and maintaining seamless communication with onshore command centers and other USVs.
The ECX700-AL underwent rigorous testing by one of our customers, which included specific evaluations such as the Operational Endurance Test, Environmental Stress Test, High-Speed Operation Test, and High G-Force Stress Test. The flawless performance of the ECX700-AL during these tests unequivocally underscores the superior quality of DFI's craftsmanship. Moreover, these results, alongside other successful offshore deployments, highlight the ECX700-AL's reliability and efficacy in meeting the unique demands of USV maritime operations.
Learn more about DFI's ECX700-AL at: https://www.dfi.com/product/index/1534
DFI's response and results
DFI's ECX700-AL ruggedized embedded system stands as a comprehensive solution tailored to meet the unique demands of the USV industry. Boasting an industrial-grade design and having passed rigorous testing, it ensures both safety and performance even in the most challenging offshore environments. Its versatile capabilities, including peripheral connectivity and the ability to control multiple electronic devices, make it the ideal choice for a wide array of maritime applications.
From supporting USV operations at sea to enhancing real-time monitoring and communication capabilities, the ECX700-AL drives innovation and efficiency, facilitating the transition towards autonomous maritime operations, including first response missions, emergency services, search and rescue, and expedited beach evacuations. Moreover, its data collection capabilities extend beyond land-based applications, with successful maritime deployments in the US and Europe.
Its precision design ensures outstanding durability, even in harsh maritime environments, while features like IP67&IP69K waterproof and dustproof ratings guarantee ruggedness and longevity. Moreover, its high-gain antennas and 4G LTE modules with an external SIM slot ensure optimal wireless connectivity and simplify maintenance, thus stabilizing wireless signals and further enhancing operational reliability. Capable of operating in extreme temperatures from -40 to 70 degrees Celsius and featuring numerous I/O interfaces, the ECX700-AL ensures a seamless integration and exceptional performance across various USV applications.
In addition to the offshore applications mentioned above, the ECX700-AL's compact design, measuring only 217 x 188 x 87 mm, is highly suitable for tight spaces. With its IP67&IP69K rating, it is especially well-suited for outdoor applications such as traffic management, green energy facilities, weather stations, shoreline equipment, high-altitude or high-latitude regions, as well as high-humidity and extreme temperature environments like refrigerated food factories. Thanks to its features, the ECX700-AL ensures stable data transmission and reduces maintenance costs.
ECX700AL-Waterproof Test Video
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