ThinManager-ready tablet series Pad-Ex from Pepperl+Fuchs

Mobilizing thin-client management

Nov. 14, 2024

Pepperl+Fuchs and Rockwell Automation debut ThinManager-ready tablets

It’s been 25 years since the launch of ThinManager software. This device management and content delivery platform is used by plant operators and maintenance technicians in manufacturing and process industries to centralize thin-client device management. This year, with the help of Pepperl+Fuchs, operators and technicians will have an even easier and safer time working with ThinManager.

Attendees at Rockwell Automation Fair in Anaheim, Calif., this month will get a look at the companies’ newest innovation that makes ThinManager even more mobile, and further transforms the management of thin clients on the plant floor. Pepperl+Fuchs’ tablet series Tab-IND and Pad-Ex industrial-grade tablets for harsh environments are now their first ThinManager-ready tablet solutions, according to the companies.

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The tablets can run ThinManager’s proprietary firmware, and remove an operating system, such as Windows, from the plant floor, says Kimberly Gonzalez, senior product specialist at Rockwell Automation. “We changed the device that enables it to receive ThinManager firmware and be completely managed by ThinManager software,” she says. “[Tab-IND and Pad-Ex] are Windows tablets, but for this new offering, we stripped those operating systems and gave them ThinManager’s special sauce. That’s the novelty of this solution that we're excited about.”

This innovation provides a more streamlined, mobile operating device that can be managed just like traditional thin client devices in a ThinManager-managed plant or factory. It also increases the cybersecurity of the solution. “There’s nothing on that device that can be susceptible to security vulerabilities,” Gonzalez adds.

Pepperl+Fuchs removes the operating system, and in turn, no longer requires local maintenance such as patches and updates.

Tab-IND is an industrial-grade tablet with a bright, 700 and 800 cd/m2 display for outdoor use. It includes glove and pen support. The 10-in. tablet includes a shortcut button and fingerprint sensor for fast authentication.

It has an extended, -20 °C to 50 °C temperature range. It’s a rugged unit that’s designed for a long lifecycle. It will be available for at least five years, according to Pepperl+Fuchs.

SmartBlack technology allows easy USB accessory integration. Accessories include scanner frames, docking stations, holders and power supplies.

Pad-Ex is an 11-in. tablet featuring an Intel Core i5-1235U, 12 Gen processor. It has 16 GB of RAM and 256 Gbytes of internal memory with NVMe, PCle and SSD. It connects to a docking station via a 35-in. Pogo connector.

I/O ports include one Thunderbolt 4, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type A), one micro-HDMI, one audio in/out (combo jack), one microSD card (microSDXC) and one DC-in jack.

These features are designed to create a truly mobile, thin-client management system, unlike those used by many of today’s operations managers, who find their thin clients tethered.

“It creates an ease of mobility, especially with the rugged tablet in harsh environments,” adds Gonzalez. And that’s good news for operations managers and maintenance technicians with a lot of ground to cover.