Ruggon’s industrial rugged tablets overview

In this article, let’s take a look at the products of Ruggon company, which is one of the leading developers and manufacturers of rugged tablet computers worldwide.

First of all, it’s worth noticing how exactly industrial tablets differ fr om ordinary personal use ones. The main and most important difference is resistance to shock, vibration and temperature changes: they are designed to work in rain and direct sunlight and are suitable for solving the most demanding tasks in harsh operating conditions. In support of this, various tests are carried out for compliance with IP standards (degree of protection against ingress of moisture and dust) and certification according to the American army standard MIL-STD-810. All Ruggon tablet computers are IP65 waterproof and dustproof and are MIL-STD-810 certified.

Ruggon manufactures three lines of rugged tablet computers - Blaxtone, Rextorm and the new SOL series.

Blaxtone Series

The first series we'll explore is the Blaxtone series. These are ultra-rugged tablet computers for use in harsh environments.

The first model in the Blaxtone series that we will cover in this overview is the PM-311B.

The PM-311B tablet is a 7-inch rugged tablet PC based on Intel Celeron N2930 quad-core processor with a clock speed of 1.83GHz. The tablet is equipped with 4GB DDR3L RAM and 128GB of storage.

The tablet has a 7-inch WSVGA display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. What is remarkable for this display is the default brightness of 850 nits, which allows you to use this tablet in direct sunlight. Also, for ease of use, the display is covered with anti-reflective coating and anti-fingerprint coating.

Despite its compact size, this model offers quite wide functionality:

• Two USB 3.0 ports
• RS-232 port
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• Combo Audio Port
• MicroSD card slot
• Slot for installing a SIM-card in microSIM format
• 2MP front camera and 8MP rear camera with autofocus and flash

The communication capabilities of the PM-311B tablet are also quite diverse. In addition to the built-in Gigabit Ethernet port, the tablet is equipped with a Wi-Fi module supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac communication standards, a Bluetooth module with EDR support and an NFC contactless card reader. Another feature of Ruggon tablets is the integrated GNSS geographic positioning system, which supports Glonass and GPS systems. 4G/LTE wireless support is available as an option, too.

Special attention should be given to the optional features of this model. The first, foremost and rather often required option is the ability to integrate a fingerprint reader. The key feature of this reader is its high performance and reading resolution of 508 dpi. These high readings are perfect for security applications. In addition, the PM-311B tablet is the world's first tablet that can be equipped with a 3-line Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ) module and a magnetic card reader. An example of a machine-readable zone made in accordance with these recommendations is the MRZ of foreign passports of citizens of the Russian Federation.

Wide communication capabilities, a high degree of protection, ability to work in an extended temperature range and to equip the tablet with specialized modules as needed are perfect for use in the areas of public and state security.

In addition to being used in the security systems sector, the PM-311B tablet is perfect for use in other areas – such as logistics, warehouse management and many others. This is because this model can be equipped with a 2D barcode reader with a built-in magnetic label reader (MSR) or a similar reader with character recognition (OCR) capability.

The PM-311B tablet is a specialized device that allows you to solve a wide range of tasks in various fields of application - from border protection and public safety to warehouse and logistics applications.

The next model that we'll look at in our review is the PM-522 rugged tablet.

Like all Ruggon equipment, this model is IP65 rated and MIL-STD-810G certified. The PM-522 tablet can withstand drops from a height of 1.8 meters and is capable of operating in a wide temperature range from -20 to + 50C.

A distinctive feature of this model is its display. Unlike most tablet computers nowadays, the PM-522 model is equipped with a 10.4-inch display with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a resolution of 1024x768 pixels, which makes it possible to use this tablet in an upgrade of old solutions, wh ere tablets with an aspect ratio of 16:9 are not found suitable. For ease of use, the tablet is equipped with a 10-point capacitive touch screen. Two variants of this model are available for ordering: one with a basic brightness of 350 nits and another with an increased brightness of 700 nits, perfect for operation in bright sunlight.

The tablet is based on the mobile Intel Atom E3827 processor. PM-522 has 4GB RAM, and an industrial storage medium of the mSATA standard with a volume of 64GB is used as a storage device. A 128GB or 256GB drive may also be installed as an option.

Unlike the previous model, the PM-522 does not have an RJ-45 connector. To connect to the global network, the tablet is pre-installed with a Wi-Fi module supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac communication standards. To connect wireless devices, you can also use Bluetooth version 4.0 with EDR support. 4G/LTE support is available as an option.

Peripheral connectivity is not as widespread as the PM-311B tablet. The PM-522 has only two USB2.0/3.0 ports and an audio port for connecting external devices.

But special attention should be paid to the option of this tablet for collecting various data.

In addition to built-in cameras, 2MP front and 5MP main camera in the back, the tablet can be equipped with:

Another important feature of this model is the support of a second hot-swappable battery.

• When using the main battery, the operating time is approximately 5 hours.
• When using both the main and external battery, the operating time increases to 10.5 hours.

The high degree of protection, ample opportunities for data acquisition and transferring and long battery life - all these features make the PM-522 tablet a perfect solution for solving the widest range of tasks in the field. Thus, the PM-522 tablet with an integrated RFID reader was used in an extreme race - the Beskydy Seven in the Beskydy Mountains, as a control point control device.

Rextorm series

The Rextorm series is a high-performance series of tablet computers for a wide range of applications with expandable functionality.

The main feature of this model is the chassis. The whole series is designed in a single form factor.

At the moment there are 4 models in the series:

• PM-521 — based on Intel Atom E3827 processor
• PX-501B — based on Intel Core i5-5350U processor
• PX-501C with Intel Core i5-7300U processor
• And the newest model in Rextorm series - PX-501D based on the new Intel Core i5-8250U processor

The PM-521 has a fanless design while the PX-501 has an active cooling system.

Model name	PM-521	PX-501B	PX-501C	PX-501D
CPU	Intel ATOM E3827 1.75GHz	Intel Core i5-5350U 1.8GHz	Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6GHz	Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz
OS support	Windows 10 IoT Enterprise
Storage	128GB M.2 SSD
RAM	4GB RAM	8GB RAM
Display	10.1" WUXGA (1920x1200) TFT LCD, 1000 nits brightness 10-point capacitive touch screen allowing work with gloves on, wet hands, stylus and digital pen for PX-501C/D
Communication interfaces	Bluetooth version 4.0+ EDR Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac GNSS (GPS/Glonass/BeiDou) 4G/LTE (Option) NFC (Option)		Bluetooth version 4.2 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac GNSS (GPS/ Glonass / BeiDou) 4G/LTE (Option) NFC (Option)
Interfaces	USB3.0 type A x1, USB2.0 x1 RS-232 x1, Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) x1 Audio (combo port) x1 Micro SIM slot x1 Micro HDMI x1 Micro SD x 1	USB3.0 type A x1 RS-232 x1, Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) x1 Audio (combo port) x1 Micro SIM slot x1 Micro HDMI x1 Micro SD x 1	USB3.1 type A x1, USB3.1 type C x1 RS-232 x1, USB2.0 port or microSD slot (option) Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) x1 Audio (combo port) x1 Micro SIM slot x1 Micro HDMI x1
Design	IP65 rated, MIL-STD-810G certified vibration and shock, drop resistant up to 1.5 meters
Operation temperature	-20C … +50C	-20C … +60C
Power requirements	Hot-swappable 4500mAh standard battery Optional hot-swappable 9000mAh high capacity battery

Expansion modules may be installed in the Rextorm series tablets.

Rextorm SnapON modules are designed to provide great flexibility and to meet a variety of field application needs.

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Module 1: NFC + Smart card reader

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Module 2: UHF RFID reader

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Module 3: Fingerprint reader

• Capacitive type, 508 dpi resolution
• FIPS 201 PIV certified
• FAP10 certificate
• IPX5 protection
• Windows Hello plug and play support
• Connecting to the USB port of the tablet

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Module 4: 3D camera with support for face recognition and on-the-go measurement

For ease of use, when working with the tablet’s touch screen is not very convenient, a protected keyboard is available as an option:

• Snap-fastening, laptop-style closure and integrated touchpad
• Built-in backlight with 4 brightness levels
• Protection degree IP54
• Different layouts are available for offer

SOL series

And, the last but not the least, let’s take a closer look as the latest novelty in the line of rugged tablets from Ruggon, the SOL series tablet - PA501.

The PA501 is the first in its class fully rugged tablet with Qualcomm SD 660 octa-core processor, officially certified Android 9.0 with support for Google Mobile Services (GMS).

The tablet comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB eMMC soldered storage. The model is equipped with a 10.1-inch FULL HD display, 1000 nits brightness. A feature of this model is support for night mode and stealth mode:

• Night mode lets you dim to 1 nit at the touch of a button and automatically adjusts the display brightness to your ambient light conditions.
• Stealth Mode instantly turns off the display, all LEDs, speakers and RF modules when performing critical tasks or in flight mode.

Let's look at the technical specifications and communication capabilities of the PA501 tablet.

Communication capabilities and I/O ports are fairly typical for its class, but they also have their own characteristic features. The tablet can work in Wi-Fi networks with support for two multiuser data transfer modes without losing speed and quality of connection. This tablet also supports Bluetooth 5.0. There is built-in 4G/LTE cellular communication module. To ensure a stable communication channel, the tablet is equipped with two SIM card slots, the first of which also supports the hot-swap function. In addition, like most Ruggon tablet models, this tablet PC comes with integrated GNSS geographic coordinate system with GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU support.

NFC, OCR-enabled barcode reader and fingerprint reader are also available as options.

To connect peripheral devices, the tablet is equipped with one of the widest selections of I/O ports among similar models in the market:

• USB3.1 type C x 1 (supports DisplayPort converter)
• USB2.0 type A x 2
• RS-232 x 1 (optional USB2.0 port)
• Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) x 1
• Combo Audio port x 1
• Micro SIM Slots x 2
• Micro SD slot x 1

Special attention should be paid to the power system of this tablet PC. Two types of battery can be used to power the tablet:

• The main one with a capacity of 4500mAh, operating time up to 13 hours.
• Additional battery with high capacity 9000mAh, operating time up to 26 hours.

The PA501 tablet supports hot swappable batteries, voice prompts and fast charging, which expands the operational time and the amount of work done without recharging.

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For further technical information, inquiries about offers or placement of orders, please contact our sales team at sales@ipc2u.com