Contec Co., Ltd. will start selling its cloud-based equipment monitoring software service "FacilityView for PLC," which provides the necessary hardware and software for remote monitoring of equipment in a one-stop solution with the concept of easy implementation, from April 2022. "FacilityView for PLC" is a cloud-based software service (SaaS) that connects a dedicated IoT gateway device (sold separately) to PLCs operating in factories and infrastructure facilities, providing functions to visualize, accumulate, and notify collected data via the internet. It is a subscription service (annual fee) that includes communication costs and does not require initial investment, server operation maintenance, or management of communication lines by the customer. The IoT gateway device (sold separately) is a product developed in collaboration with IDEC Corporation, known for its environmental resistance and reliability as an FA control device. It is equipped with LTE communication capabilities and comes with a pre-installed communication SIM (kitted), allowing immediate operation upon connection to the on-site PLC.

Contec has developed the .NET component collection "DAQ-DNC-FE" for the development of the DAQfast measurement system and began offering a free download service starting April 18, 2022. The new product is a GUI-based measurement system development support tool compatible with the integrated development environment Visual Studio, which enables low-code development. It is a very convenient collection of components for application development using our extensive range of measurement and control devices, the PC-HELPER series (PCIe/PCI, USB, Ethernet), and the industrial IoT CONPROSYS(R) nano series. The new product is a tool that makes it easier to perform everything from device settings and control to data collection and integration, providing handy parts such as labels, buttons, text boxes, and graph display components, allowing for simple application development in just three steps. The numerous high-quality GUI components and device controls included provide an ideal low-code development environment with high productivity, significantly shortening development time, thereby reducing the burden on engineers and contributing to a substantial reduction in development man-hours.

Contec has developed 15 models of fanless embedded PCs equipped with the "Power Failure Protect®" function, which supports operation without OS shutdown during power loss, achieving a thickness of approximately 30mm and a size comparable to A5 paper. Orders for these models, part of the "Box Computer® BX-T3000 series," began on March 29, 2022. The new products are embedded computers that feature an 8th generation Intel Core processor (Whiskey Lake-U), while maintaining a slim and compact size (182(W)×155(D)×30.3(H)mm) with a thickness of about 30mm and an operating temperature range of -20 to 60°C. These new products are equipped with carefully selected expansion interfaces, including 2x 1000BASE-T, 4x USB3.2 Gen2, 2x USB2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, analog RGB, M.2 card slot, CFast card slot, and RS-232C/422A/485, all within a limited chassis space. Additionally, they excel in vibration resistance (5G) and shock resistance (100G), making them widely usable as controllers and operation terminals for industrial equipment that requires environmental durability.

Contec has added 22 new models to its lineup, featuring the "Power Cut Protect®" function that supports power-off operation without shutdown processing for its fanless embedded PC "Box Computer®" and all-in-one industrial PC "Panel Computer" with a touchscreen display. The release began sequentially on April 12, 2022. The new products are fanless and spindle-less industrial computers that utilize CFast SSDs for the boot drive and come pre-installed with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016. They can protect data being written even during sudden power outages, and when used in conjunction with Windows' lockdown (disk write suppression) feature, the "Power Cut Protect®" function allows for safe power-off without OS shutdown processing. When a voltage drop occurs, the system immediately stops accepting new write operations to the SSD, performs the final write operation before power is lost, and prevents data loss. Additionally, the write protection feature for the SSD can be easily enabled through BIOS settings.

Contec Co., Ltd. and Cybertrust Japan Co., Ltd. announce the development of a new product that comes pre-installed with MIRACLE LINUX 8.4 on the high-reliability, high-durability FA computer VPC-5000 series, with orders starting in mid-April 2022. The new product being offered is a high-power FA computer VPC-5000, compatible with Intel(R) Xeon(R) processors, optimized for fields requiring advanced multiprocessing such as HPC, transportation, social infrastructure, medical devices, security, and amusement. It comes with "MIRACLE LINUX 8.4," which can be used as a successor to CentOS, providing a stable operating platform for Linux. 【Main Features】 ● High-performance FA computer optimal for image processing and edge AI ● Pre-installed domestic Linux "MIRACLE LINUX 8.4," a stable operating RHEL clone as a successor to CentOS ● Special provision of OEM license equivalent to the paid support menu "MIRACLE LINUX Standard Support"

Contec has developed a FA computer compatible with the 3rd generation Intel(R) Xeon(R) Scalable processors, and will begin accepting orders for the new high-end class of the FA computer VPC series, the "VPC-7000 series," starting December 1, 2021. The VPC-7000 series is a FA computer designed with availability and maintainability for continuous 24-hour operation. It is widely applicable in fields that require stable multi-processing, such as industrial equipment, medical devices, transportation, social infrastructure, security, and amusement. As the pinnacle of the series, it supports a many-core CPU with up to 32 cores/64 threads, high-speed memory with 8 channels of DDR4-3200, and is equipped with three PCI Express 4.0 (x16) expansion slots to unleash the performance of high-end GPU boards, achieving server-class specifications for environmental resistance and reliability in FA computers. It provides an HPC/GPU computing environment capable of comfortably handling demanding workloads in embedded applications such as high-definition machine vision, AI/deep learning, VR/AR, and virtual machines.

Contec will begin accepting orders for the 15-inch square industrial flat panel display "GPD-H64XT-AC" (hereinafter referred to as the new product), which features a non-glare TN LCD panel, starting in April 2022. The new product is a 15-inch industrial touch panel monitor equipped with a low-power LED backlight. It uses a TN LCD panel that has excellent characteristics with minimal ghosting and fast display speed, and the surface is treated with a non-glare finish to reduce reflections from external light. The front part complies with IP54 for dust and drip resistance, making it suitable for a wide range of applications such as process management on manufacturing lines, work instructions, industrial operation panels, access control, and retail. Additionally, by removing the included stand, it can be mounted using VESA (100x100 mm), allowing for installation on display arms or as a wall-mounted display. It complies with various safety standards such as CE marking (EMC Directive Class B, RoHS), FCC Class B, and VCCI Class B, supporting the global deployment of the devices and equipment it is integrated with. *To comply with CE standards, please use the included cable.

Contec has added a model with a smooth, fingerprint-resistant oil-repellent coating to the VESA mount thin touchscreen PC "PT-V10W series," and will begin accepting orders for the new products, "PT-V10WB-210 and PT-V10WB-210R series," starting in April 2022. The new products are industrial-use VESA-mounted computers with an integrated touchscreen display, featuring a fanless and spindle-less design, powered by a quad-core Intel Atom processor E3940. In recent years, the issue of "finger snagging" due to rubber friction has been a significant challenge in environments such as food manufacturing and processing, where wearing rubber gloves is necessary. The new products are a model with a fingerprint-resistant oil-repellent coating applied to the display section of the PT-V10WB-200 series (currently on sale). They allow for smooth operation with minimal adhesion of sebum during bare-hand use, and provide a smooth operation with less "finger snagging" even in situations where rubber gloves are required. The slip performance reaches the level of glass coatings used in luxury cars (as measured by our company). At the same time, they are resistant to dirt and fingerprints, maintaining visibility and cleanliness.

Contec has developed the wireless LAN access point FLEXLAN® "ZCA5200," compliant with the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, and the 10Gbit Ethernet PoE power supply unit "POW-CB70AT," with orders starting from April 2022. The ZCA5200 is a wireless LAN access point that supports simultaneous connections for Wi-Fi 6 (5GHz band: IEEE802.11ax/ac/n/a and 2.4GHz band: IEEE802.11ax/n/g/b), and is the successor to the "ZCA1200," which has been used for wireless LAN communication in office environments. It supports the high-speed communication standard IEEE802.11ax and the secure encryption technology WPA3 standard, enabling the establishment of a faster and more secure wireless network environment. The installation method allows for mounting on walls or ceilings using the included mounting bracket. By using the optional 10Gbit Ethernet-compatible PoE power supply unit "POW-CB70AT," compliant with the IEEE802.3at standard, power can be supplied via LAN cables, making it possible to install in locations where power supply is difficult.

Contec has started selling the model "PT-D10WB-100-J103L07W," an industrial PC with a fanless design and a built-in UPS battery featuring a capacitive touch panel, from February 8, 2022. The PT-D10WB is a new model that incorporates a capacitive touch panel, adding to the already popular desktop panel computer (PT-970 series) that uses a resistive touch panel. It is equipped with a built-in UPS battery that can operate for over 5 minutes in the event of a power outage or momentary power failure, contributing to improved system stability and reliability by allowing the OS to be automatically shut down using the included utility software. Additionally, the display section can be adjusted in angle and can be completely closed like a laptop by folding it forward 90 degrees. It can be placed on a desk using the included rubber feet or fixed to a device with screws like an embedded computer. It can be chosen as an operation terminal for a wide range of applications, including medical devices, manufacturing and inspection equipment, and ordering and reception systems.

Contec has newly added 9 types of fanless embedded PC box computers, the "BX-U200 series" and "BX-T210 series," which come standard with the "Power Cut Protect" feature that supports operation without shutdown, and began sales on January 20, 2022. The series' smallest and lightest embedded PC, the "BX-U200 series," includes a total of 12 types, such as models pre-installed with McAfee whitelist-type antivirus software. The "BX-T210 series," a slim embedded PC with a thickness of about 30mm, has been developed as IoT devices for edge computing, including a total of 8 types with wireless LAN/Bluetooth models. With the addition of the new types featuring the "Power Cut Protect" function, the "BX-U200 series" now has 18 types, and the "BX-T210 series" has a total of 11 types in its lineup.

Contec has developed the EPC-4000 series, an embedded PC for edge computing equipped with the 8th generation Intel® Core™ processor, and will begin accepting orders from February 2022. The new product features various expansion interfaces, including three Gigabit LAN ports, two serial ports, and eight USB 3.2 ports, allowing for connections with field networks, FA control devices, and industrial communication equipment. In the PCI Express expansion slot type, it is possible to implement expansion boards for image processing, camera input, FPGA, NIC, and more. Despite its space-saving design that adopts a DC12-24V single power supply for easy integration into devices, it is equipped with one DisplayPort and one DVI-D, supporting full HD output. The built-in GPU HD630 also supports 4K resolution, enabling high-definition image display and smooth video playback. It is suitable for applications requiring real-time high-speed computation and advanced graphic processing, and can be utilized as an edge computer for data collection and analysis processing in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and CNC machines, which are becoming more advanced and compact.

The "Integrated Lighting and Air Conditioning Control System," developed primarily by the Intelligent Office Environment Promotion Council, will be commercialized starting next fiscal year. Contec Corporation is participating in this demonstration experiment alongside lighting manufacturers and companies related to building air conditioning, and will be responsible for the development and provision of a lighting and air conditioning linked control controller based on the HUE-HEAT effect for small to medium-sized buildings that do not have BACnet. The HH controller incorporates the HUE-HEAT lighting and air conditioning linked control algorithm into our IoT solution, CONPROSYS, allowing for easy operation and use of an air conditioning system that combines existing dimmable and color-adjustable LED lighting fixtures with air conditioning equipment via a web interface on smartphones and other devices. The HUE-HEAT effect refers to the psychological sensation of warmth or coolness felt by the human eye due to the colors it perceives. Warm-colored lighting, such as orange, makes a room feel warmer, while cool-colored lighting, such as light blue, makes a room feel cooler, utilizing the effect of perceived temperature. This system achieves this by varying the color temperature of the lighting.

Contec has simultaneously released the Windows device driver group API-TOOL as a version officially compatible with Windows 11, enabling over 250 of our measurement, control, and communication devices to work with the latest OS, Windows 11. API-TOOL is a software development kit that includes device drivers compatible with more than 250 types of measurement, control, and communication devices. It is offered in an integrated form for various functions such as analog input/output, digital input/output, counters, and motion control, ensuring high compatibility at the API level regardless of the bus used, allowing for minimal code modifications when changing hardware configurations. It supports multi-platform compatibility, ensuring that development assets are not wasted. Additionally, a wealth of tools to assist developers is provided, including rich sample programs created in popular programming languages such as Visual Basic .NET, Visual C#, Visual C++, and Python, tutorials for beginners, an online help format API function reference, and convenient device diagnostic utilities.

Contec has started offering a free download service for a major functional update of its application software "C-LogicDesigner," now at Ver. 2.0. "C-LogicDesigner" is a GUI-based software that utilizes our non-isolated high-speed bidirectional digital I/O devices (32DM series) to generate digital signals and implement logic analyzer functionality through sampling. Previously, it provided the capability to generate digital signal patterns, but the newly released Ver. 2.0 now supports logic analyzer functionality that displays signals sampled at high speed. The generating function has also significantly evolved, now supporting automatic creation of basic data patterns, a rich set of trigger functions, and enhanced data editing capabilities on graphs.

Contec has announced three types of antiviral and antibacterial treated protective films for touch panels, designed for its fanless all-in-one industrial PCs "Panel Computers (PT Series)" and "Flat Panel Displays (FPD Series)" (IPC-CV-AV Series). Sales began on December 9, 2021. The new products are protective films for touch panels that are compatible with our panel computers (PT Series) and flat panel displays (FPD Series), available in three sizes: 10.1 inches, 12.1 inches, and 15 inches. They utilize "Kansen Guard(R)," which meets the safety standards of the SIAA (Antibacterial Products Technology Association), providing not only protection against scratches on LCD touch panel screens but also functionality to reduce attached viruses and bacteria in a short time. Thanks to the dual effect of copper ions from monovalent copper compound nanoparticles on the film's surface and reactive oxygen, viruses and bacteria are rapidly reduced, with a confirmed reduction of over 99.99% for various viruses within 30 minutes. The antiviral function remains intact even after repeated cleaning with disinfectants, allowing for long-term safe use.

Contec has newly developed an extended 2-slot model of the fanless embedded computer "Box Computer® BX-M1500 Series," which comes standard with the "Power Failure Protection™" feature that supports operation without shutdown. A total of 12 types (6 types with PCI Express (x8) expansion and 6 types with PCI expansion) have been newly added to the lineup, and sales began on November 30, 2021. Our company has been offering six types of the fanless, high-performance embedded computer "BX-M1500 Series," equipped with a 6th generation Intel® Core™ processor and various interfaces, excelling in expandability for IoT devices aimed at edge computing. With the addition of 12 new types featuring the standard "Power Failure Protection™" function and equipped with extended 2 slots, the total lineup now consists of 18 types.

Contec has newly released operation confirmation documents for the FA computer VPC series "VPC-1700/3100/5000-J," which is designed for 24-hour continuous operation and incorporates highly reliable, long-life components, ensuring availability and maintainability, with various Linux distributions. The release of these operation confirmation documents follows those for our embedded computers (BX series, DX series) and provides information not only on the distributions and versions but also on the necessary settings and packages for the operation of the Linux OS in the FA computer VPC series. We will continue to provide hardware, software, and services, ensuring that our customers can build systems with confidence while enjoying the benefits of open-source software (OSS), including Linux, by making the operation confirmation results available.

Contec has developed a wireless LAN converter for embedded devices that supports high-speed communication standards IEEE802.11ac/n/a/b/g, and began selling it as "FLEXLAN(R) FXS4000 and FXS4020" on November 9, 2021. The new products are embedded wireless LAN models that comply with the high-speed communication standard IEEE802.11ac and the secure encryption technology WPA3 standard, newly added to the currently available FX4000 series. With a mode switch, they can be used as an access point (parent station), station (child station), or repeater (relay station). The FXS4000 has a built-in antenna, making it space-saving, while the FXS4020 allows for the installation of various optional antennas in addition to the standard antenna, enabling more adaptable system configurations based on the environment. It supports power supply not only from an AC adapter (sold separately) but also from a DC power source (5-30VDC), allowing use without voltage conversion within devices or control panels. Additionally, it supports various mounting methods, including DIN rail installation, wall mounting with screws, and magnetic fixing.

Contec has added three new models and a DIN rail mount kit to its HAT-sized board "CPI Series," which utilizes Raspberry Pi(R) in the fields of factory automation (FA) and measurement control, starting sales on November 2, 2021. Contec has developed a multi-stage connection compatible HAT-sized board that extends the HAT specifications and has been selling it as a general-purpose product under the "CPI Series" since April 2021. With the addition of three new products (analog input/output and up/down counters) to the seven currently available HAT-sized boards (digital input/output, RAS, relay output), the lineup has been expanded, further broadening the application range in the field of measurement control, where the number of I/O points varies by system and diverse signals need to be handled. Additionally, the other new product, the DIN rail mount kit, not only allows for easy installation on DIN rails but also supports various mounting methods such as wall or tabletop installation.

Contec has developed a fanless all-in-one industrial PC with a touch screen, equipped with a quad-core Intel Atom processor E3940 (Apollo Lake), featuring an analog resistive membrane touch panel display. The new products, "PT-M12SA" and "PT-M15SA," were launched on October 21, 2021. The new products are fanless touch panel computers with a quad-core Intel Atom processor E3940 (Apollo Lake) and touch panel displays available in 12.1 and 15-inch sizes. They come with various expansion interfaces, including 1000BASE-T, USB3.2 Gen1 (USB3.0), USB2.0, DisplayPort, analog RGB, M.2 card slot, CFast card slot, and RS-232C/422A/485. Installation is made possible through a panel mount method that allows embedding from the front of devices. Additionally, they comply with IP65 (front part), preventing the ingress of dust and water droplets.

Contec Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section, Securities Code 6639) has jointly developed a general-purpose media converter that wireless-ifies field network communication with high reliability and low latency in collaboration with NEC Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section, Securities Code 6701, hereinafter referred to as NEC). The industrial Ethernet wireless converter (Model: RP-WEE-SR1, hereinafter referred to as the new product) will begin accepting orders and shipping on October 5, 2021. The new product is a general-purpose media converter that wireless-ifies Ethernet-based communication. It adopts NEC's ExpEther wireless IP core and achieves low-latency communication with significantly reduced packet loss rates through three different frequency bands: IEEE802.11n 2.4GHz, 5.2GHz, and DECT 1.9GHz, along with proprietary coding technology. By using the new product, it becomes possible to wireless-ify field networks where real-time communication is crucial, such as PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and CC-Link IE Field Basic, which have been challenging to implement wirelessly until now.

Contec Co., Ltd. will start offering a self-consumption solar power controller (product name: SolarView(R) SC) that utilizes AI for optimal control of power conditioners and battery systems, thereby suppressing the occurrence of reverse power flow, starting September 1, 2021. SolarView(R) SC is an output control controller for self-consumption solar power systems that maximizes the use of renewable energy through load-following functionality powered by AI (artificial intelligence). It intelligently and efficiently optimizes electricity usage in response to the constantly changing power demand. 【Main Features】 ● Prevents reverse power flow to power companies It controls the power conditioner and battery in accordance with the consumption power of the user's equipment, achieving optimal consumption power-following control. This minimizes the occurrence of reverse power flow to power companies. ● Compatible with battery systems It performs output control of the power conditioner linked with the battery system. This output control allows for efficient utilization of the electrical energy generated by solar power. ● Visualization of electricity and remote monitoring functions A variety of monitoring screens are provided via web browsers.

Contec has started selling the FLEXLAN(R) FX series "FXE4000-WP," a wireless access point with IP65 compliant dust and water resistance, from September 28, 2021. The FXE4000-WP can be used in harsh environments, such as factories with a lot of dust, due to its IP65 compliant dust and water-resistant structure. It can operate in different modes as an access point (parent station), station (child station), or repeater (relay station), making it suitable for IoT communication with machine tools and industrial robots, as well as for wireless LAN communication in outdoor environments like warehouses. The FXE4000-WP supports the high-speed communication standard IEEE802.11ac and is compatible with the secure encryption technology WPA3 standard. It also complies with the IEEE802.3af standard, allowing it to be installed in locations where power supply is difficult by using commercially available PoE power supply devices to provide power via LAN cables.

Contec will start selling the palm-sized computer "BX-321" from August 31, 2021. The new product is a successor model to the "BX-320 series," which has contributed to the miniaturization of various devices as a compact, fanless computer equipped with an Intel Atom processor and capable of being mounted on a DIN rail. Maintaining the same size and basic specifications, it is equipped with an external PCI Express (PCIe) expansion connector, allowing for the expansion of PCI/PCIe interface boards by connecting to our PCI Express Cable-based PCI bus expansion chassis. 【Main Features】 ● Contributes to the miniaturization of devices. Condenses computer functions and expandability into a compact size (94.0(W)×120.0(D)×74.7(H)) ● Usable as a controller for measurement/control/communication devices in the F&eIT series ● PCI and PCI Express boards can be added ● Can be mounted on a 35mm DIN rail ● Supports a wide range power supply of 10.8 to 31.2VDC ● Designed with reliability necessary for embedded applications

Contec has announced the start of providing WPA3-compatible firmware for its embedded wireless LAN board "FXE4000." WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3) is a security standard announced by the Wi-Fi Alliance that offers more robust authentication and enhanced encryption compared to the increasingly popular WPA2. There are modes for both WPA3-Personal and WPA3-Enterprise, and the firmware being provided supports both modes. With the application of this firmware, the FXE4000 will become compatible with WPA3 in addition to WPA2/WPA, IEEE802.1X authentication, and the proprietary encryption technology WSL that can be used in conjunction with these. This will further enhance the security of wireless systems. Additionally, the firmware has measures in place against the vulnerability commonly referred to as "Dragonblood" in WPA3-Personal, so you can use it with confidence.

Contec Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section, Securities Code 6639) has developed an industrial edge AI computer equipped with the NVIDIA(R) Jetson Xavier NX(TM), and will begin accepting orders for the "DX-U1200 Series (hereinafter referred to as the new product)" starting July 27, 2021. The NVIDIA(R) Jetson Xavier NX(TM) included in the new product features 384 Volta cores as its GPU, along with two NVDLA (NVIDIA Deep Learning Accelerator) units, enhancing deep learning performance. In comparisons during ResNet-50 inference execution, it can achieve approximately 5.5 times faster execution at FP16 precision and about 21.5 times faster at INT8 precision, which is advantageous for inference execution, thereby enabling faster edge inference execution for high-performance AI applications. The software environment comes pre-installed with Ubuntu, similar to various NVIDIA Jetson developer kits, and the NVIDIA JetPack(TM) SDK is available, allowing the execution of applications created with the developer kits.

Contec has newly added two models equipped with the "Power Cut Protect(TM)" function, which supports operation without shutdown, as a standard feature in the IoT Edge controller "CPS-BXC200 series," and started sales on June 29, 2021. The palm-sized, highly expandable IoT Edge controller "CPS-BXC200 series" has been developed into a total of eight models as IoT devices for edge computing, including models pre-installed with McAfee whitelist antivirus software and models compatible with the Edgecross platform. With the addition of the two new models featuring the "Power Cut Protect(TM)" function, the lineup now consists of a total of ten models.

Contec has developed and started selling a fanless all-in-one industrial PC with a quad-core Intel Atom processor E3845 (Bay Trail) equipped with an analog resistive touch panel display, launching one model in the "PT-M series" and three models in the "PT-F series" on June 8, 2021. The new products are fanless touch panel computers featuring a quad-core Intel Atom processor E3845 (Bay Trail) with touch panel displays available in sizes of 7, 10.4, and 12.1 inches. They come with various expansion interfaces including 1000BASE-T, USB3.2 Gen1 (USB3.0), USB2.0, DVI-I, CFast card slot, RS-232C, and DIO. For installation on devices, users can choose between an open frame type and a panel mount type according to their application. The open frame type does not require a housing due to its robust frame design, allowing compatibility with a wide range of devices. Additionally, the panel mount type is IP65 compliant, preventing the ingress of dust and water droplets.

Contec has developed the "Panel Computer PT-V15WB Series" (hereinafter referred to as the new product), a fanless all-in-one industrial PC equipped with an Intel® quad-core CPU (Apollo Lake) that supports Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, and began sales on May 25, 2021. The new product features a quad-core Intel Atom processor E3940, achieving a fanless and spindle-less design, and is a VESA mountable computer for industrial applications with an integrated touch panel display. In recent years, as tablets and laptops have become widely adopted, the demand for smooth touch operations and multi-touch capabilities has also increased in the fields of industrial and business equipment (such as POS terminals, order terminals, and equipment operation terminals). The new product maintains the long-term stable supply and robustness characteristic of industrial PCs while achieving smooth touch operations comparable to tablets. It can be used in various industrial applications such as controllers for business devices, HMI terminals, printing machines, manufacturing equipment, pharmaceutical devices, and reception terminals, contributing to space-saving solutions.