ADLINK MXC-3300/3340 Embedded Industrial Control Computer Hardware Integration and Debugging Manual

ADLINK Introduction: A Compact Computing Platform for Rigorous Industrial Scenarios

In the fields of industrial automation, intelligent transportation, and facility management, edge controllers need to simultaneously meet the multiple challenges of high-performance computing, rich I/O, wide temperature operation, and long-term reliability. The MXC-3300 and MXC-3340 series fanless embedded computers launched by ADLINK are equipped with Intel ®  N series or Atom ®  The X series processor, with its extremely compact mechanical design (MXC-3300 size only 80mm wide), provides interface density far exceeding that of similar products: four Gigabit Ethernet, dual isolated CAN, four serial ports (RS-232/422/485), 16 isolated digital I/O, and multiple display outputs. More noteworthy is that the MXC-3340 extends three PCIe slots (x8+2 × x4) through the backplane, providing strong flexibility for scenarios that require the addition of motion control cards, image capture cards, or dedicated communication cards.

Analysis of Hardware Architecture and Core Features

1.1 Processor and Memory

The MXC-3300/3340 adopts Intel N97 (4-core 3.6GHz, 12W) or Atom X series, paired with a single DDR5 SO-DIMM slot, supporting up to 16GB @ 4800MHz. Compared to the previous generation DDR4, the bandwidth improvement is significant, which is beneficial for multi-channel video streaming and real-time data caching.

1.2 Storage and Expansion

MXC-3300: Equipped with a detachable SSD tray (2.5-inch SATA) for quick on-site replacement of storage media.

MXC-3340: Equipped with a built-in SATA interface and three PCIe slots (1 x8, 2 x4, both supporting PCIe Gen1/2), it can accommodate standard size expansion cards.

M. 2 three slots: 2280 M Key (PCIe x2) for NVMe SSD; 2230 E Key (PCIe x1+USB 2.0) supports Wi Fi 6 module; 3042 B Key (USB 2.0) supports 4G LTE module and has a built-in SIM card slot.

1.3 Rich front panel I/O

Network: 4 × GbE LAN (Intel i210IT controller), supporting IEEE 1588 time synchronization, jumbo frames, and PCIe boot.

Serial and CAN: 2 x isolated RS-232/422/485 (DB9, 2.5KV isolated); 2 x Isolated CAN (DB9, SJA1000 controller, 2.5KV).

Digital I/O: 8-way isolated DI (5-24V input, 8.2k Ω impedance)+8-way isolated DO (MOSFET output, peak 250mA/channel, 5-35V), all with 1.5KV optoelectronic isolation.

Display and Audio: 1 x HDMI 2.0（ 4K@60Hz ）+ 2×DisplayPort 1.4（ 4K@60Hz ）Support independent display of three channels; The Realtek ALC888S audio codec provides Line-in/out/Mic.

USB: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (1A)+3 x USB 2.0 (0.5A), with overcurrent protection.

Power supply: 3-pin terminal supports 9-36V DC wide voltage input, suitable for unstable scenarios such as in car and solar power supply.

Mechanical installation and storage/expansion card practical operation

2.1 Dimensions and Wall Mounted Installation

MXC-3300: 80 (W) × 219 (D) × 210 (H) mm, extremely narrow width suitable for space constrained cabinets.

MXC-3340:142 (W) × 219 (D) × 210 (H) mm, due to the increase in PCIe expansion slot width.

Wall bracket: Comes with two sets of wall brackets (P/N: 34-35509-0000-A0). To install, first remove the 6 screws on the rear panel, fix the brackets, and then restore them. Pay attention to the orientation of the bracket to ensure that the ventilation holes are not obstructed when the equipment is installed horizontally or vertically.

2.2 Differences in SSD Installation

MXC-3300: Loosen the screws on the front panel SSD tray, pull out the tray, secure the 2.5-inch SATA SSD in the tray, push it back and lock it.

MXC-3340: First, unscrew the front cover screws to remove the front panel, then remove the internal SSD bay, install the hard drive, and restore it. Be careful not to excessively bend SATA cables and power cords during operation.

2.3 PCIe card installation (MXC-3340 only)

Loosen the screws on the front cover and remove the entire front panel.

Remove the PCIe baffle, align the standard PCIe card with the slot, and press it in evenly with force.

Secure the rear bracket of the card with baffle screws.

Note: The maximum length of the card is limited by the internal space, and it is recommended to use a half length card (length ≤ 168mm). The power consumption should be controlled within the slot power supply capacity (maximum 25W per slot).

2.4 Installation of M.2 module

For MXC-3300, it is necessary to first remove the 6 screws on the rear panel and side cover to expose the M.2 slot on the motherboard.

For MXC-3340, simply open the front cover to access the internal M.2 position.

Pay attention to anti-static during installation, insert the module diagonally and press it down, then fix it with the attached M3 screw (recommended torque of 4-5 kgf · cm). Be sure to avoid damaging the surrounding cables (especially the front panel connection wires).

Power supply design and electrical protection mechanism

3.1 Definition of Wide Voltage Input and Terminal

Front panel DC socket three pins (from right to left): V+, Chassis GND, V -.

Input range: 9-36V DC (+5% tolerance), suitable for mainstream power sources in vehicles (12/24V) and industrial sites (24V).

Rated current: It is recommended that the power supply provide a peak capacity of at least 5A (referring to power consumption data, MXC-3340 has a full load of about 42W, which is about 1.75A at 24V, but the startup impulse needs to consider twice the margin).

3.2 Power consumption reference and heat dissipation

The manual provides measured power consumption (24V power supply):

MXC-3300: idle about 20W, typical (with EIST enabled) about 38.6W, full load about 36.2W (with EIST enabled); S3/S4/S5 standby power is about 9.2W.

MXC-3340: idle about 25W, typical about 42W, full load about 32W (with EIST enabled); Standby power is about 7.7W.

Temperature limit: When using DC input, the operating temperature is -20 ° C~60 ° C; if using an external adapter (not for chassis cooling), the maximum temperature is reduced to 50 ° C. Storage temperature is -40 ° C~85 ° C, humidity is 95% @ 40 ° C, and there is no condensation.

Heat dissipation suggestion: The equipment should adopt passive heat dissipation without fans, and it is necessary to ensure a ventilation gap of at least 50mm around to avoid dust accumulation. If the ambient temperature is close to the upper limit for a long time, additional external fans can be considered to assist in convection.

Definition of key interface pins and signal debugging

4.1 DB9 serial port (COM1/COM2)

The RS-232/422/485 mode can be switched through BIOS (see subsequent chapters). Pin definition:

RS-232 mode: Pin1 DCD#, Pin2 Rx, Pin3 Tx, Pin4 DTR#, Pin5 GND, Pin6 DSR#, Pin7 RTS#, Pin8 CTS#, Pin9 RI#。

RS-422 mode: Pin1 TXD - (485-), Pin2 TXD+(485+), Pin3 RXD+, Pin4 RXD -, Pin5 GND.

RS-485 mode: Pin1 DATA -, Pin2 DATA+, other N/C (actually two wire half duplex).

Engineering reminder: RS-485 requires adding a 120 Ω terminal resistor at both ends (or terminal nodes) to reduce reflection. If the distance is long (>100 meters), it is recommended to use shielded twisted pair cables, with the shielding layer grounded at one end.

4.2 CAN bus interface (DB9)

Pin2: CAN_L，Pin7: CAN_H， Other NCs.

The controller is SJA1000, supporting CAN 2.0B and isolation voltage of 2.5KV. The default bit rate needs to be configured through software (usually 125k/250k/500kbps). Note that the terminal resistor (120 Ω) usually needs to be connected at the beginning and end nodes, but MXC does not have a built-in terminal resistor and needs to be connected at the external cable end.

4.3 Isolated digital I/O (16 channels)

Use a 40 pin Hirose DF13E-40DP-1.25V connector (with a spacing of 1.25mm, requiring a specialized crimping tool).

DI input: High level 5-24V, low level 0-1.5V, input resistance of 8.2k Ω (0.75W), optocoupler isolation of 1.5KV. There is a 100k Ω pull-down resistor inside, so it is at low level when suspended.

DO output: MOSFET is used, with a continuous current of 100mA per channel and a peak value of 250mA. The external power supply is 5-35V (provided by the user's VDD pin). The output circuit is connected in series with a flyback diode to protect MOSFETs when driving relays or solenoid valves, but the positive terminal of the external power supply must be connected to the VDD pin to form a flyback circuit.

Isolation power supply: The internal DC-DC converter provides isolated 5V ± 0.5V, maximum 180mA, for external sensors or DO pull-up use.

4.4 Ethernet LED Status

Each RJ45 port is equipped with dual color LED:

Left side (yellow): bright=connected but inactive, flashing=data transmission and reception, off=not connected.

Right side (green/orange): Off=10Mbps, Green=100Mbps, Orange=1Mbps.

4.5 Front panel indicator lights

PWR: Blue light, constantly on, flashing (S3/S4 sleep mode), turned off and turned off.

WDT (yellow): The watchdog timer flashes when it starts and remains on after timeout.

HDD (orange): Blinks during SATA/SSD activity.

DG (green): Always on indicates no physical storage device connection.

Digital I/O Programming (Windows API)

The manufacturer provides Matrix_dio. h and Matrix_dio. lib for reading and writing 16 isolated DIOs.

GPIO_Init(): Initialize the DIO resource, which needs to be called before all operations.

GPI-Read (U16 * pwState): Read the status of 8 DI channels and return bits 0-7 corresponding to channels 1-8 (bit=1 indicates high level, bit=0 indicates low level).

The corresponding DO write function (not fully listed in the manual, but usually has an interface similar to GPOWriteWrite (U16 wState), please refer to the complete SDK).

Practical application: DIO status can be reported to SCADA in combination with Modbus or OPC UA, or DO output can be triggered 

Key points for troubleshooting and daily maintenance

Common startup abnormalities

System not turning on: Check if the DC input voltage is within the range of 9-36V and if the polarity is reversed (V+and V - swapped). Observe whether the front panel PWR LED is lit.

No display when turned on: Try HDMI and two DP interfaces to confirm that the monitor supports them 4K@60 Or 1080p. Check if the BIOS has been mistakenly configured with serial port redirection causing display output switching (CMOS recovery is possible).

PCIe card not recognized: Confirm that the card is PCIe Gen1/2 standard, Gen3 card may not be able to downgrade (card compatibility needs to be checked). Try replacing the slot.

Serial/CAN communication failure

Confirm that the COM mode setting in BIOS matches the actual physical wiring (RS-232/422/485).

Use loopback testing (RS-232 short circuited Tx Rx) to verify if hardware transmission and reception are normal.

Check the terminal resistance and baud rate matching of CAN communication, and use a CAN analyzer to monitor bus error frames.

Overheating and Frequency Reduction

If the ambient temperature exceeds 60 ° C, the equipment may experience frequency reduction or shutdown due to overheating protection. At this point, it is necessary to check whether the heat dissipation channel is blocked or consider installing an external fan.

The power consumption data shows that the typical power consumption of MXC-3340 is higher than that of MXC-3300, so its heat dissipation requirements are greater. After installing PCIe cards, more attention should be paid to airflow organization.

Unexpected reset of watchdog

Check if the application has a dead loop or prolonged blocking that prevents feeding the dog. Suggest placing the dog feeding operation in a high priority thread and monitoring the system load.

Compliance and Safety Reminders

Power certification: An IEC/UL certified LPS or SELV power supply must be used, with a maximum working altitude of 5000 meters.

Battery warning: There is a button lithium battery (RTC) inside, and the same model should be used for replacement. Discarded batteries should be recycled according to local regulations.

California Proposition 65: Products may contain substances such as lead and cadmium, but comply with RoHS requirements.

Maintenance permission: Only authorized technicians can disassemble the machine for maintenance. Users need to allow operations such as wall installation or replacement of storage/expansion cards, and must not touch the high-voltage area of the motherboard.