DFI VP101-M8M NXP i.MX 8M 10.1" In-Vehicle Panel PCs with 500 or 1200-Nit Touchscreens and Front IP65

A larger driver display earns its place when the cab application has maps, job details and vehicle data on screen at once, but it still has to run from the vehicle supply and survive the cab. The DFI VP101-M8M series is a family of 10.1″ in-vehicle panel PCs that puts an NXP i.MX 8M Arm computer behind a PCAP touchscreen with an IP65 front. DFI aims it at in-vehicle driver HMI, with smart ignition control that sets power delay and protection times.

All four VP101-M8M builds share one design. The 10.1 inch display runs at 1280 x 800, storage is 16 GB of eMMC 5.1 with up to 64 GB optional plus microSD, and Android 9.0 is the default image with Yocto Linux 2.5 as an option. I/O covers one GbE port, COM4 as RS-232/422/485, three RS-232 ports, CAN bus on DB9, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports and micro USB OTG. M.2 slots take an optional 4G LTE module with Nano SIM and optional Wi-Fi, and a 6-axis IMU and a 3 W speaker are built in.

The builds differ in processor and brightness. The VP101-M8M-D-500 and VP101-M8M-D-1200 carry the i.MX 8M Dual, two Cortex-A53 cores at 1.3 GHz with 2 GB of LPDDR4, at 500 or 1200 nits. The VP101-M8M-Q-500 and VP101-M8M-Q-1200 carry the i.MX 8M Quad, four cores with 4 GB, for terminals running several applications. The 500-nit screens suit enclosed cabs, and the 1200-nit screens suit open cabs and machines in direct sun. All four use the same housing, I/O and mounting, so the choice comes down to the application load and where the screen sits relative to the windows.

In practice the VP101-M8M series suits buses, coaches, tractors, construction plant and delivery fleets. Power is 9 to 36 V DC with ACC/IGN control and configurable power delay, all four builds run fanless from -20 °C to 70 °C, and the aluminium and steel housing fits by panel or VESA mount. DFI lists E-Mark (E24), CE, FCC, UKCA and RoHS compliance for the VP101-M8M. Storage temperature runs from -30 °C to 80 °C for vehicles parked outdoors, and the reset and re-download switches make reimaging in the field simpler.