Intel® Quad-Core Atom® Fanless Industrial PC with 4G/LTE Options

Yes, all our Industrial Panel PC and Embedded Box PC units are fanless design.

Fanless PCs, also known as passively cooled systems, offer benefits like silent operation, enhanced reliability (fewer moving parts, less dust), greater durability (vibration resistance), improved energy efficiency, and suitability for harsh/dusty environments, making them great for quiet spaces, industrial settings, or anywhere you need a low-maintenance, long-lasting computer.

See our What are the benefits of Fanless Industrial PCs FAQ for a deeper dive into the benefits.

Excellent question — this is a very practical feature that’s often overlooked. Here’s a full breakdown of how and when to use the 4G SIM card feature on a Maple Systems Panel PC, along with real-world examples:

Overview of what the 4G SIM Card Slot Does

The 4G SIM card slot on a Maple Systems Box PC allows the unit to connect directly to a cellular network, just like a smartphone or tablet.
Instead of relying on Ethernet or Wi-Fi, the Panel PC can use mobile data (LTE/4G) to communicate with remote systems, transfer data, or provide remote access — ideal for mobile, outdoor, or isolated industrial environments.

How to Use It

1. Insert a SIM Card
   • Use a standard-size SIM card from your preferred cellular carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.).
   • The card goes into the SIM slot located on the back or side of the Panel PC (location may vary by model).
2. Configure Cellular Settings
   • In Windows or Linux, open Network Settings and enable the Cellular/Mobile Broadband option.
   • Enter your APN (Access Point Name) details provided by your carrier to establish a connection.
   • Once connected, you’ll see a mobile signal indicator and can use the data connection like any other network interface.
3. Verify Network Access
   • Test connectivity by opening a browser, pinging a remote server, or verifying connection to your cloud SCADA, MQTT broker, or VPN.

When to Use the 4G SIM Card Feature

You’ll want to use this feature in any situation where a wired or Wi-Fi connection isn’t practical or reliable, such as:

Helpful Tips

• Use a static IP SIM or a VPN connection for secure remote access.
• Check your data plan — industrial applications that send frequent updates may require higher bandwidth.
• Consider signal strength and antenna placement — Maple’s Panel PCs often include SMA connectors for external antennas to boost reception.

Conclusion

You’d use the 4G SIM card feature when your Maple Systems Panel PC needs independent, reliable, and remote connectivity — especially in locations where Ethernet or Wi-Fi aren’t available or practical. It’s ideal for mobile, outdoor, or remote automation systems that require data logging, monitoring, or control through the cloud.

We have large amounts of inventory and can typically ship with in 2 business days!

Not all applications require a monitor/display, however it would make it easier if you had a display to see the outputs and interact with the system! Choosing the right monitor for your application can be just as important as selecting the CPU and RAM – after all, a small 7-inch display may not be suitable for a large factory environment, while a 21.5″ high brightness display may not be the right choice for a smaller assembly station, maybe a mobile display is needed? Options like screen size, enclosure material, touch function, brightness, viewing angle and backlight lifetime can all be limiting factors. Check out our full listing of Industrial Monitors, ideal for applications in Healthcare, Education, Finance/Banking, Industrial & Home Automation, Retail, and Transportation.

When installing or reinstalling the Microsoft^® Windows^® Operating System to a PC, it must be activated using a Product Key. For Maple Systems products, Product Keys come in one of two forms: PKEA and ePKEA.

PKEA (Product Key Entry Activation) are non-embedded Product Keys purchased by the end-user either individually, or alongside a PC. If purchased with a PC, it will be on a sticker attached to the unit. The end user must manually activate Windows^® before use by entering the Product Key into the Activation page while connected to the internet. The Product Key can be re-used on the same PC if Windows^® needs to be re-installed.

A PKEA unit will feature a badge that looks something like below:

NOTE: The PKEA label on some units may appear with a different color scheme depending on the release of Microsoft^® Windows^® it is for

ePKEA (Embedded Product Key Entry Activation) are embedded Product Keys that are only be purchased alongside a PC. The Product Key is embedded in the PC and activated by Maple Systems. If Windows^® needs to be reinstalled on the PC, it must come back to Maple Systems for re-activation.

An ePKEA unit will feature a badge that looks something like below:

We are proud to offer Aveva Edge^® a our recommended SCADA software our Industrial Box PC and Panel PCs. Award-winning Aveva Edge^® is an innovative SCADA-Ready software enabling the creation of custom industrial control applications for any industry imaginable.

With easy-to-use commands/tool bars and a Microsoft^® Windows^® environment, Aveva Edge’s feature-rich applications puts you in the driver’s seat of creating your industrial process.

With unlimited number of communications drivers; tags from 1,500 to 64,000; support for Windows^® Pro, Windows^® Embedded, and Windows^® CE applications, Aveva Edge’s offers you a powerful software solution with the flexibility you desire.

All of our Windows^® based Industrial PCs will also run any 3rd party SCADA software as long as it too is Windows^® based.

Yes! Are you using one of our HMIs or IPCs?

You can use our Windows or Linux based IPCs and Touch Panel PCs to run Ignition Edge locally.

You can also use our HMIs to communicate with Ignition via Modbus TCP, OPC UA, and MQTT, which makes a programmers life easier when building distributed edge gateways, dashboards, or data collection nodes within an Ignition-powered architecture.

Absolutely! Maple Systems can provide you with another cost effective PanelView alternative using any of our rugged-Windows based IPCs or Touch Panel PCs.

Why would you want to use one of our products instead of Allen Bradley or Rockwell hardware?

• If you need a wider screen size range: We offer 7.0, 8.0, 10.1, 10.4, 12.1, 15.0, 15.6, 17.0, 18.5, 19.0, 21.5, 23.4, and 27.0″ options.
• If you need higher brightness for outdoor use: We offer Panel PCs with up to 1000nits.
• If you need IIP65/IP66/IP67/IP66-IP69K rated, or stainless enclosures: We offer a wide range of IP ratings, fully enclosed waterproof, front panel mounted waterproof, even UL Listed IPCs.
• If you want to avoid the high costs of a PanelView: We offer rugged, heavy duty Industrial PCs at a much lower cost. And, you don’t need to pay us any annual service fees when using our products.
• If you need to run additional apps alongside FactoryTalk like: SQL logging, MES clients, Web dashboards, VPN tools, Ignition Edge, etc. PanelView can’t do this.

If you want to save money, use more flexible hardware for more modern automation setups, we recommend giving us a try. You still have to purchase your software license from them, but we’ll deliver faster, your project will typically run faster, its easy to install, you get more peripheral support, full Windows remote access tools, and more advanced IIoT/Cloud Integration features.

They sure do! Contact our sales department today for more info on our Windows based Industrial Box PCs and rugged Touch Screen Panel PCs.

Why use a Maple IPC instead of a GE/Emerson hardware? If you want high performance at a lower cost, need larger screen sizes, higher flexibility, the option to run multiple apps on the same device, more SSD and RAM options and fast delivery times, stick with us, we’ve got you covered!

Yep, absolutely yes and definitely a cost effective alternative with regards to hardware.

All of our Windows based IPCs and Touch Panel PCs can run WinCC Runtime Advanced as well as WinCC Unified. Using our IPCs running WinCC, you’ll generally get a higher performance device per dollar with a more ruggedized enclosure with higher screen resolution, more RAM and SSD options, and the ability to run other industrial software on the same machine with more advanced remote access tools.

On another note, when used with Siemens PLCs, our HMIs support multiple Siemens drivers and protocols, including native S7 communication drivers.

Yes, yes they do. Quite well actually. If you’re looking for a cost-effective, unbranded hardware option with the flexibility to run this SCADA software along with other apps simultaneously, multiple screen size options, high-brightness options, more SSD and RAM options, with expansive I/O, Maple Systems is the right choice.