Geological surveying may seem difficult and unfamiliar to laymen, it’s only when disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis happen and when experts explain geological activities in the media, that most people get an idea of what the term means. In fact, geological investigation is often required to analyze natural resources and subsurface structures before building construction, soil and water conservation, mining, and the extraction of oil and natural gas can be carried out. Geological surveying mostly involves field study and laboratory simulation, scientists go to the field to observe the environment and collect specimens, and then take them back to the laboratory for further analysis. Because of this, scientists are able to make suggestions for important construction plans or assist the government in reducing damage likely to be caused by natural disasters.
Technological advancement and high-speed computers are of great help to the surveyors. Many geological models, once difficult to simulate, can now be realized by computers. To improve investigation efficiency, a leading geological survey company in the US is planning to build powerful and high-performance computer systems at work places including ships, airplanes, and even unmanned investigation stations in deserts and it is Advantech’s rugged computers that are at the top of the company’s list.
According to Advantech’s Industrial Automation Group, geological survey systems usually have to process large amounts of data, so the key to overall system performance always lies in their computing power. Therefore, Advantech suggests users adopt duo-core embedded computers such as the UNO-2182. It not only processes data at high speed, but also provides PCI-104 expansion slots for Internet connection and information retrieval. Take the US survey company for example, while using technological instruments like sonar and GPS, it still succeeds in connecting them through Advantech’s PCM-3641I RS-232 module.
To facilitate geological survey, the solution Advantech suggests is compact, fanless, and low power consumption investigation hardware. Complying with extended temperature testing standards, it is able to adapt to various kinds of challenging environmental conditions. It also provides a simple yet reliable embedded operating system so that geologists can carry out their investigation with ease and success.
