ADLINK MXE-5600 Fanless Embedded Computer

Overview

The ADLINK MXE-5600 is an integrated fanless embedded computer from ADLINK Technology’s Matrix line, built around 9th Gen Intel® Xeon® and Core™ i7/i3 or 8th Gen Core™ i5 BGA processors paired with the Mobile Intel® CM246 chipset. It packs workstation-class processing, six serial ports, digital I/O, triple independent displays and dual-drive RAID storage into a sealed, wall-mounted chassis that has no fan to clog, fail or draw dust into the electronics. The ADLINK MXE-5600 is aimed at machine control, data acquisition, HMI and edge-gateway duty where a desktop PC would not survive the vibration, heat and electrical noise of a plant floor.

Seven Star LLC supplies the ADLINK MXE-5600 series to system integrators, OEM panel builders and end users across Oman and the GCC, with engineering support in Muscat. Our team helps match the right processor SKU, memory and storage build to each project, from SCADA nodes in oil and gas gathering stations to controllers on desalination and packaging lines in the Sohar and Salalah industrial zones.

Operating Principle

As a fanless computer, the ADLINK MXE-5600 removes processor and chipset heat by conduction rather than forced air. The CPU, platform controller hub and memory sit on the main board under thermal interface material that couples them to the finned aluminium enclosure, so the whole housing acts as the heat sink and dissipates heat into the surrounding cabinet air by natural convection and radiation. ADLINK specifies the standard operating range as 0°C to 50°C with airflow, and an extended build with industrial-grade storage that runs from −20°C to 70°C with a single SODIMM or −20°C to 60°C with both SODIMMs fitted.

On the ADLINK MXE-5600, eliminating the fan and rotating disks removes the two parts that most often end the life of an industrial PC. With solid-state CFast, M.2 or 2.5-inch SSD storage fitted, the datasheet rates the unit for 5 Grms random vibration from 5 to 500 Hz on three axes and 100 G operating shock, while ESD immunity reaches ±8 kV contact and ±15 kV air discharge. The practical consequence is a sealed computer that keeps running on a skid, in a motor control centre or inside an outdoor enclosure without filter changes or fan replacement.

Engineering Design of the ADLINK MXE-5600

The ADLINK MXE-5600 measures 210 × 240 × 86 mm, weighs 3.6 kg and is wall mounted, with its working I/O brought out to the front for easy cabling inside a panel. Dual SODIMM sockets accept 4 GB as standard and up to 32 GB of DDR4-2400, with ECC memory supported on the Xeon and i3 variants. Display output comes from two DP++ ports and one HDMI port, networking from two Intel® GbE controllers (i211AT and i219 with iAMT), and peripheral connectivity from two USB 3.1 Gen 2, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 and four USB 2.0 ports plus an internal USB 2.0 dongle port.

Industrial interfacing is where the ADLINK MXE-5600 separates itself from commercial mini PCs. COM1 and COM2 are software-selectable RS-232/422/485 and COM3 to COM6 are RS-232, giving six serial channels for Modbus RTU instruments, analysers and legacy PLCs. An 8-channel digital input and 8-channel digital output block, two I2C buses, a TPM 2.0 security chip and five user-defined LEDs complete the I/O. Storage options include two internal 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s bays with RAID 0/1, a Type II CFast slot and an M.2 socket, while a full-size Mini PCIe slot, the M.2 3042 position and two USIM sockets accept Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G LTE or LoRa modules. Power enters through a 9 to 32 VDC input with ±10% tolerance, and an optional 160 W AC/DC adapter (P/N 31-62120-0010) is available.

Key Features

The ADLINK MXE-5600 combines the following engineering features in one compact fanless platform:

• Four processor options are offered: Intel Xeon E-2276ME and Core i7-9850HE with six cores, Core i5-8400H with four cores at 45 W, and Core i3-9100HL with four cores at 25 W.
• Dual SODIMM sockets support up to 32 GB of DDR4-2400 memory, with ECC modules available for the Xeon and i3 models.
• Six COM ports, two of them RS-232/422/485 selectable, connect directly to serial field devices without external converters.
• An onboard 8-channel DI and 8-channel DO block lets the computer read alarms and drive indicators or relays without a separate I/O module.
• Three independent display outputs (2 × DP++ and HDMI) support multi-screen operator stations and video walls.
• Two internal 2.5-inch SATA bays with RAID 0/1, plus CFast and M.2, allow mirrored storage for data logging and historian duty.
• Mini PCIe, M.2 3042 and two USIM sockets prepare the unit for cellular, Wi-Fi or LoRa backhaul from remote sites.
• A 9 to 32 VDC wide-range input suits 12 V and 24 V cabinet supplies, and TPM 2.0 supports secure boot and disk encryption.

Industrial Applications

In the oil and gas sector, the ADLINK MXE-5600 is well suited to wellhead and gathering-station RTU and gateway roles, where its six serial ports poll flow computers, gas analysers and multivariable transmitters while the GbE ports forward data to the control room. The DI/DO block can monitor cabinet door switches and trip signals, and the cellular slots provide a backup link from remote desert locations. In power and water utilities the ADLINK MXE-5600 serves as a SCADA front-end or protocol converter at pumping stations, reservoirs and reverse osmosis desalination plants, and the Xeon option gives headroom for local historians or machine-vision inspection.

Manufacturing users in the Sohar and Salalah free zones and the Rusayl and Nizwa industrial estates apply the ADLINK MXE-5600 to packaging-line control, quality inspection with multiple cameras and production dashboards on multi-monitor operator stations. Seven Star LLC supplies the ADLINK MXE-5600 with engineering support in Muscat, helping integrators specify memory, storage, wireless modules and operating system images so that units arrive ready for commissioning across Oman and the GCC.

Technical Specifications

The table below summarises the main ADLINK MXE-5600 specifications from the manufacturer datasheet; confirm the exact SKU before ordering.

How to Order

To source the ADLINK MXE-5600 for your next control, SCADA or edge computing project, send a formal RFQ to Seven Star LLC with the required processor, memory, storage and wireless options. Our instrumentation and automation division confirms regional warehouse availability and lead times, shares the ADLINK MXE-5600 datasheet attached to this page, and supports integration with related hardware such as the ADLINK NuPRO-852DV single board computer or the Advantech IPC-623 rackmount chassis. For compact networking alongside the computer, see the Moxa EDS-G508E managed Ethernet switch. Seven Star LLC is a trusted supplier with engineering support in Muscat for customers throughout Oman and the GCC.