by Brianna Crandall — March 15, 2017 — Multinational computer technology company Dell, said to be the broadest Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure solutions provider, recently introduced the new Dell Edge Gateway 3000 Series that offers customers flexibility, connectivity and real-time intelligence from harsh environments and small spaces. The 3000 Series includes three unique models targeted specifically for use cases and embedded solutions in the industrial automation, energy, transportation, and digital signage markets.
With these new Edge Gateways, customers will be able to securely transfer and analyze important data at the edge of the network to glean real-time intelligence from the physical world. According to Dell, ideal deployments include predictive maintenance for vehicles, energy microgrids, point-of-sale kiosks, digital signs in an elevator, or inside rooftop HVAC units.
According to Dell, ideal deployments include predictive maintenance for vehicles, energy microgrids, point-of-sale kiosks, digital signs in an elevator, or inside rooftop HVAC units. (Shown: Gateway 3002; black box on right)
Customers are looking for faster, real-time analysis of the massive amount of data produced by devices on their networks, to perform immediate, smart decision-making, points out Dell. For some, it is too expensive to move all the data from the edge of the network near the devices to the data center.
Computing at the edge helps determine which data sets are interesting, relevant and need to be sent back to the data center or the cloud for further analytics and longer-term storage, saving bandwidth and reducing costs and security concerns. Dell offers a complete edge-to-core-to-cloud portfolio of infrastructure for Industrial IoT (IIoT) solutions that includes everything from Edge Gateways, security and manageability solutions, data center infrastructure and connectivity.
The Gateway 3000 Series joins Dell’s award-winning line of IoT-enabling hardware including the Edge Gateway 5000 Series and Embedded Box PC 3000 and 5000 Series. It comes with the Dell Command Suite and an optional upgrade to remote manageability through Dell’s Edge Device Manager, allowing customers to manage all their Dell IoT devices through a single tool.
The Dell Edge Gateway 3000 Series offers customers flexibility, connectivity and real-time intelligence from harsh environments and small spaces.
All solutions benefit from Dell’s end-to-end support services, including the base Limited Hardware Warranty, or optional Dell ProSupport for up to five years, and Dell Deployment services. ProSupport on the Gateway 3000 Series includes proactive, automated support, 24/7 access to ProSupport engineers, and Advanced Exchange Service to minimize downtime with a quick unit replacement.
There is also pre-qualification with over 65 technology and service providers in the award-winning Dell IoT Solutions Partner Program; inclusion in more than 20 scalable, repeatable IoT blueprints; and financing options through Dell Financial Services.
The Gateway 3000 Series is designed by Dell’s expert team of rugged product engineers and put through a rigorous 10-step testing process. The product line was designed for scale per tens of thousands of hours of feedback through customer advisory councils, industry consortiums and market feedback.
The rugged 3000 Series is complementary to its big brother, the 5000 Series, which is designed to excel in fixed-use cases that require modular expansion, large sensor networks and more advanced edge analytics. The 3000 Series is ideal for both fixed- and mobile-use cases requiring smaller sensor networks, tight spaces and simpler analytics.
All three models include:
- Intel Atom processor
- 2 GB RAM and 8 GB eMMC storage (32 GB and SD card for additional storage options)
- Ethernet, USB, certified for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE
- Integrated 3G or 4G LTE cellular options for select countries
- Support for hot or cold operating temperature extremes from -30ºC to 70ºC
- Integrated digital GPS, accelerometers, and atmospheric pressure sensors
- Support for a wide input power range from 12-57 VDC (with vehicle transient voltage protection)
- Ability to be powered via Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)
- An ignition pin for easy operation while connected to a battery-powered device
Differentiating features between the three models include:
- Model 3001, Industrial Automation and Energy Management: Multi-function input/output (I/O) port and programmable serial ports (RS-485/422/232)
- Model 3002, Transportation and Logistics: CAN bus for land/marine protocols, integrated ZigBee for mesh sensor networks
- Model 3003, Digital Signage and Retail: Display Port output for video displays (2560×1600) and 3.5mm line in/line out for quality audio streaming
While each gateway model is designed to meet core needs in its respective target market, the 3000 Series is suitable to many other industries and use cases, notes Dell. Additional I/O needs can be addressed via third-party USB dongles and distributed I/O options as required.
Accessories are also available, including a mounting ecosystem for placement in locations like a factory wall DIN rail or under the hood of an 18-wheeler using the available panel-mount bracket that also includes cable retention. Several antennas are also certified to match the integrated wireless capabilities as well as expandable storage up to 64GB via SD card.
The Dell Edge Gateway 3000 Series will be available in early summer 2017 in select countries. For more information visit the Dell Web site or contact a Dell EMC OEM Solutions representative.
