At Dell OEM, we are always on the lookout for changing market trends so we can be well equipped to enable the latest technologies and solutions for our customers. One such trend, based on a recent publication from VDC Research, projects the 5-year CAGR growth of Slot Single Board Computers (SBCs) at 11.2%. Here are some insights on what factors are driving this growth and what to expect from this trend, even when we don’t currently offer the new technology.
A computer’s architecture is typically composed of multiple circuit boards, the primary one being the mother board that houses the processor(s). SBCs, however, contain a single circuit board with microprocessors, memory, I/O and other features of a functional computer. SBCs are typically plugged into a backplane to provide provision for I/O cards.
SBC-Backplan from Wikipedia.com
Why are SBCs gaining momentum?
- Scalable performance for multiple applications
- I/O mix more suitable to industrial application with provisions such as on-board I/O and bootable flash memory (eliminating the need for a disk drive)
- Standard mother boards (as found in PCs) offer up to 7 slots. Backplanes can extend the SBC’s offering to 20 slots with 12 slots for I/O in virtually any configuration.
SBC-Components from Wikipedia.com
These added benefits come at a relative cost. Mother boards enjoy the economies of scale as they are housed in millions of personal and office computers worldwide. However, SBCs reduce component and connector counts and are considered more power-efficient and reliable due to the high level of integration between the on-board components.
These factors are driving widespread adoption of SBCs, particularly in the Communications and Military/Aerospace verticals. This projected trend is further fueled by the growth of the communications segment, technology upgrades in the defense sector and increased demand for backplane systems.
What does the 11.25% growth mean to you as a supplier or re-seller?
As a supplier or a re-seller, there are several factors to consider – the supply chain could potentially see some simplification as multiple components and circuit boards are being replaced by a single board. SBCs could fuel their own growth as maintenance/repair may require the entire board to be replaced versus a single component. As SBC adoption grows, a proportional increase in demand for backplane systems can be expected. What can also be expected is price competition on the SBC offerings – as a supplier or re-seller, developing a good services portfolio to support the SBC offerings can help provide better value proposition to the customer.
How are you preparing for this projected growth of 11.25%? Would you like to learn more about this architectural change? Feel free to contact our specialized consultants or ask questions in the comments.
First off, it was an honor to see Trenton’s single board computer and backplane featured in your blog post – we’ve been designing and manufacturing SBC and backplane products since the standards were first defined!
As to the technology benefits, we are seeing renewed interested in high slot count computer systems as complementary technologies, such as multi-channel video display cards and GPU computing solutions, come to market.
As you mention, SBCs are ideal for communications and military/aerospace applications, and we continue to see strong demand coming from medical, factory automation, test & measurement, modeling & simulation and video wall segments. It’s a robust architecture that continues to satisfy demanding customer requirements.
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