Insight
EMBEDDED SOLUTIONS Power and performance
increased GPU (graphics processing unit) requirements. To support these future developments, Heber has included a PCIe express graphics expansion slot in their Pluto A400. Tis enables clients to expand the graphics performance of the product when required.
Craig Stapleton, Advantech-Innocore: As the largest embedded PC manufacturer in the world Advantech has many R and D projects on going to leverage the latest technologies and package them for our customers in the varied embedded market sectors that we service. Gaming is certainly a sector that demands high performance from the hardware in the visual and audio areas. Te best strategy to meet these demands is to be sure to choose hardware that uses the latest chipsets, CPUs and GPUs and can therefore support the enabling software and new API technologies that are coming out for virtual reality, machine vision etc. At Advantech we are fortunate to have earliest access to new hardware and our gaming products can leverage reference designs from other divisions to accelerate their availability on our platforms for regulated gaming applications.
Another strategy that the gaming OEM should look to adopt is that of using open architecture designs. Select hardware that allow for easy update especially of the CPU and GPU hardware components.
Tat way he is not locked into last year’s technology when new advances come along. With Advantech products customers can usually easily update the CPU to the latest and greatest (perhaps Intel releases a refresh version of their Core –I CPU range which enables a new API for virtual releaty rendering, or the new AMD or Nvidia graphics hardware is needed to support a new technological advance in machine vision). Our products mostly support full spec. PCI-E x16 Gen 3 expansion via convention industry standard graphics card slot whereby the latest graphics hardware can be fitted to our gaming platforms without losing the security and IO features needed for a casino machine while still supporting the latest GPU hardware.
Are today’s gaming machines pushing the boundaries of what the technology can offer?
Craig Stapleton, Advantech-Innocore: Regularly, we have customers come to us with requirements such as “I want the same hardware as an XBOX or Playstation 4”. Fortunately we can offer gaming platforms with this kind of performance with the latest CPUs from AMD and Intel combined with open architecture graphics solutions. In most cases we can fulfil the performance requirements with embedded hardware.
Sometimes the customer will have to make some compromises such as accepting that the GPU graphics hardware may not have the kind of lifecycle that he/she would desire. Or indeed the cost point. So in general I don’t think gaming machines are pushing the boundaries in a significant way but other compromises come into play for the ODM trying to leverage the latest technologies in a production gaming product.
Jon Jayal, Quixant: Studios are always pushing the envelope of the available graphics and processor
performance to create more captivating, vibrant games. Recent developments, such as the move to 4K displays and content, has placed additional demands on the gaming platforms driving the games. Tat said, there is a relentless march in the advancement of the technology available. Quixant enables customers to adopt the latest technology early with a straightforward upgrade path and quick time to market whilst using that technology efficiently. Tis means that there remains plenty of performance available to power the latest games.
Clyde Chen, Axiomtek: Today’s gaming machines are actually utilising the near-full potential of what the current technology can offer. Most technologies are capable of reaching 4K resolutions, but the market adaptation is growing slowly. We believe that once true 4K game content, along with 4K displays, is readily available to general audience, we will see another big push in terms of technology needs.
Mark Perkins, Heber: Quite simply no, pushing the boundaries of technology tends to also significantly increase machine cost. Gaming machine developers tend to adopt technologies when they are becoming mature and more cost-effective.
How do you strike the right balance between speed/performance and cost?
Clyde Chen, Axiomtek: Depending on gaming manufacturers target market, it can create market segmentation by using highly scalable processors. Processor manufacturers are creating various pin compatible options across their processor family line with various cost options adding flexibility to the overall hardware design.
Jon Jayal, Quixant: Quixant constantly assesses the technology available in the market from a cost/performance/availability perspective and cherry picks the products it integrates into its gaming platforms to suit different markets and machine types. AMD offers an incredible level of graphics performance, which is typically one of the greatest bottlenecks faced by developers. Te other aspect which is crucial to consider is the power consumption which high performance computers require and how you address cooling the components reliably.
Craig Stapleton, Advantech-Innocore: As we alluded to the cost of the “bleeding edge” hardware can be an issue as well as the lifecycle of the hardware. Much of the very highest performance hardware our customers may want to use is high price targeted at the “prosumer” and “enthusiast” market where typical longevity for a particular model may be six months before the next model is introduced. So the gaming ODM definitely has to strike a balance between cutting edge performance hardware and a platform that will be around for a reasonable period of time and at a cost that is within budget.
Mark Perkins, Heber: Different machine types and different geographical markets have varying cost/performance requirements. For this reason Heber offers a range of Pluto controllers that cover a price/performance curve from the Pluto T100 through to the Pluto A300 and A400.
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
247.COM P55
Mark Perkins, Heber Gaming Product Manager, Heber Limited
Mark has been taking products from concept to production at Heber for over two decades.
Mark is a multi-skilled engineer with strong commercial awareness and has worked in many application areas including gaming, vending and white goods.
Mark likes to get involved in customers projects and enjoys being able to look at end products for sale and say, “We did the electronics for that”.
Clyde Chen, Product Sales Manager, Axiomtek Gaming
Clyde Chen is the Product Sales Manager of Axiomtek Gaming and has over five years experience in the gaming market supplying industrial computer components for Logic Board, Logic Box, and various components to complement EGM and ETG needs covering markets from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Products and services provided by Axiomtek are off-the-shelf products and customised products to meet and improve the customer’s solution.
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