ADLINK & Elma partner to offer rugged computing for railways

ADLINK Technology and Elma Electronic have entered into a strategic partnership to deliver integrated rugged computing solutions aimed at railway and mission critical applications.

The collaboration brings together ADLINK's CompactPCI (CPCI), CPCI Serial, and VPX computing platforms and Elma's expertise in backplanes, chassis, and system integration. The companies state that the joint solutions will be tailored for harsh environments where high reliability and scalability are required.

According to the companies, the resulting rugged systems can be configured to withstand extreme temperatures ranging between -40°C and 70°C, as well as significant shock and vibration, thereby promoting mission-critical performance in demanding use cases.

Rex Chan, Product Manager of Rugged Computing Group at ADLINK Technology, said, "This collaboration is a turning point for system integrators and OEMs in railway and mission critical sectors. By uniting ADLINK's advanced computing expertise with Elma's rugged chassis and backplane technologies, we simplify system integration, accelerate deployment, and ensure long-term reliability for mission-critical applications."

Regina Moss, Global Growth Manager at Elma Electronic, commented, "The synergy between ADLINK and Elma allows us to offer fully integrated and high-performance rugged computing solutions especially in railway and mission critical scenarios. Customers can now benefit from a streamlined approach to building powerful embedded systems without the typical challenges of multi-vendor integration."

ADLINK's portfolio includes CompactPCI, CompactPCI Serial, and VPX processor blades. When integrated with Elma's backplanes and chassis, the companies state this combination provides seamless system integration, which is intended to eliminate compatibility concerns and reduce development time. The joint systems are specifically designed to function in environmental extremes, with an emphasis on resistance to both physical shocks and significant temperature fluctuations.

The partnership aims to address the increasing need for modular and scalable computing platforms across several sectors. Customers are expected to receive validated, future-proof systems that can support next-generation AI and edge computing technologies. According to the companies, example applications include railway control and signalling, onboard train computing and surveillance, military command and control systems, as well as radar and sensor data processing.

The companies intend to make the solutions available to organisations requiring durable and validated embedded systems for their critical infrastructure and defence needs. The partnership is structured to allow system integrators and original equipment manufacturers to accelerate their project timelines through pre-integrated solutions, and to focus on specific application requirements instead of resolving interoperability issues.

ADLINK Technology is a specialist in edge computing, which is pivotal for artificial intelligence. ADLINK manufactures edge hardware and develops edge software for embedded, distributed and intelligent computing, from powering medical PCs in the intensive care unit to building the world's first high-speed autonomous race car, more than 1600 customers around the world trust ADLINK for mission-critical success. 

The company holds partnerships with Intel, NVIDIA, AWS and SAS, and also participates on the Intel Board of Advisors, ROS 2 Technical Steering Committee and Autoware Foundation Board. ADLINK contributes to open source, robotics, autonomous, IoT and 5G standards initiatives across 24+ consortiums, driving innovation in manufacturing, telecommunications, healthcare, energy, defense, transportation and infotainment.