What Is a B&R APC (Automation PC)?
"B&R APC" refers to the Automation PC family of industrial computers from B&R Industrial Automation (ABB). These are cabinet-mountable, DIN-rail or rack-oriented industrial PCs designed to run machine control, HMI, SCADA, edge and vision workloads directly on the factory floor. The APC line shares a common architecture: rugged metal chassis, extended temperature tolerance, long-term component availability, and B&R's proprietary Smart Display Link (SDL) technology, which lets a single controller drive multiple remote operator panels over long cable runs instead of standard short-range video cables. Software support typically spans B&R's own Automation Runtime, plus Microsoft Windows and Linux distributions depending on the model.
Automation PC Models and Positioning
The family spans several tiers, from compact fanless units to high-performance box PCs:
| Model | Positioning | Notable Technical Details |
|---|---|---|
| Automation PC 910 | High-performance box PC | Intel Core i-series processors (6th generation class), maximum computing power for complex tasks |
| Automation PC 4100 | Performance / edge controller | Windows or Linux; used as an edge controller that pre-processes data before forwarding to cloud; Smart Display Link 4 (SDL4) |
| Automation PC 3200 | Future-proof automation PC | Emphasis on long service life, retrofit capability and long-term CPU availability |
| Automation PC 3100 mobile | Mobile machinery | Designed for vehicles and mobile equipment, vibration- and shock-tolerant |
| Automation PC |
