A Fanless Arm-Based Solution for Outdoor Parking Meters with Self-Pay Technology

Introduction

Increases in rent and labor costs have yielded a rise in demand for self-service devices. A recent Research and Markets report predicts that the global self-service kiosk market is expected to grow by USD 2.29 billion between 2020 and 2024. Modern self-service kiosks integrate license plate recognition and cashless transaction technology to automate traffic management.

Solution Requirements

A Taiwan based system integration company focused on public parking services was seeking a fanless low-power solution self-service pay station solution capable of operating in outdoor environments. This solution needed to support USB, GPIO, and UART ports for connecting to, such as cameras for license plate recognition and NFC card readers for cashless transactions. Additionally, this solution required advanced wireless connectivity to ease deployment.

Solution Description

Advantech’s RSB-4411 embedded single board computer, was integrated with the NXP® i.MX6 Cortex®-A9 processor, delivering powerful energy efficient computing within a reliable application platform. RSB-4411 supports 3 x RS-232, 5 x USB, 20 x GPIO, and 4G/LTE expansion interfaces, meeting parking meter and self-service pay station requirements for cameras, card readers, vehicle detection sensors, buttons, indicators, and 4G/LTE card compatibility. This system’s wide power and temperature range operation protects it from power instabilities and ensures stable operation in outdoor environments. Additionally, RSB-4411 is equipped with Advantech WISE-DeviceOn, remote management software, which reliably conducts remote monitoring, tracks equipment operational status, and supports over-the-air software (OTA) upgrades.

Wireless Module Integration

These parking meters and self-service pay stations required reliable 4G/LTE Internet connectivity and corresponding drivers. Advantech met these requirements by integrating FDD-LTE\TDD-LTE\WCDMA\GSMA network modules with mini-PCIe. The 4G/LTE modules paired with RSB-4411 feature integrated antennas and RF cables which enable Advantech’s customer to choose wireless connections according to their needs.

AIM-Linux/Android Embedded Software Service and Longevity Support

Advantech provided specialized hardware solutions and AIM-Linux/Android embedded software services. They helped their customer develop customized features, including boot up screens, timing switches, and screen rotation functions for their parking meters and self-service pay stations. Advantech further offered Android OS with longevity support to enable access to future Android upgrades.

WISE-DeviceOn Remote Management Integration

Advantech recommended the integration of WISE-DeviceOn device operation management software to fulfill remote management requirements. By using WISE- DeviceOn, the customer can easily monitor parking status as well as remotely control and diagnose devices independently or collectively.

Conclusion

By adopting RSB-4411 and utilizing remote management, this Taiwan based system integrator improved their ability to manage parking meters and self-service pay stations while reducing maintenance costs. This application demonstrates Advantech’s commitment to helping customers achieve efficient field-side control.

Key Features