Intel NUC 13 Rugged "Bravo Canyon" fanless Alder Lake-N mini PC is designed for 24/7 operation

The Intel NUC 13 Rugged, codenamed “Bravo Canyon, is an upcoming fanless and dust-resistant mini PC powered by an Alder Lake-N processor and designed for 24/7 operation suitable for business and industrial applications, albeit just in a 0°C to 40°C or 50°C temperature range.

The rugged computer is offered with either an external or internal heatsink, supports up to 16GB DDR5 memory, comes with 64GB eMMC flash, M.2 sockets for NVMe and/or SATA SSDs, two 4Kp60 capable HDMI 2.1 ports, two 2.5GbE networking interfaces, four USB 3.2/2.0 ports, and optional support for WiFi 6, 4G LTE cellular connectivity, and an internal expansion bay.

Intel NUC 13 specifications:

Alder Lake-N SoC (one or the other)
- Intel Atom x7425E quad-core processor up to 3.4 GHz with 6MB L3 cache, Intel UHD Graphics; 12W TDP
- Intel Atom x7211E dual-core processor up to 3.2 GHz with 6MB L3 cache, Intel UHD Graphics; 6W TDP
- Intel Processor N50 dual-core processor up to 3.4 GHz with 6MB L3 cache, Intel UHD Graphics; 6W TDP
System Memory – Up to 16GB DDR5-4800 via a single SODIMM slot, optional “in-band” ECC support for select models (it should be the Atom parts)
Storage
- 64GB eMMC soldered-down, M.2 2280 Key-M slot for PCIe x2 NVMe SSD
- M.2 3042 Key-B slot for SATA SSD as well as PCIe x1 and USB 3.2 Gen2 expandability
Video Output – Dual HDMI 2.1 TMDS compatible up 4Kp60 with Pipelock & built-in CEC for both ports
Camera – MIPI CSI headers for off-the-shelf third-party MIPI CSI camera modules
Networking
- Ethernet
  - 2x 2.5GbE RJ45 ports via Intel i226 controllers
  - Intel TCC/TSN for real-time computing applications
- Wireless (on some kits only)
  - Optional Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 M.2 module, external antennas on chassis with external heatsink, internal antennas on chassis with an internal heatsink
  - Optional 4G LTE connectivity via M.2 key B slot and SIM card slot
USB – 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports, 2x internal USB 2.0 headers
Expansion – Internal expansion bay compatible with Intel NUC Pro’s internal expansion modules
Misc
- Front-panel header with Vcc5/1A, 5Vsby/2A, 3.3Vsby/1A
- Display emulation (headless display, 2nd virtual display, persistent displays)
- “Robustness status LEDs”
- Kensington lock slot
Power Supply
- 12 to 20V DC via power barrel jack or internal 2×2 power connector
- Delayed AC start; DC transient voltage suppression
- Support for DC cable strain relief
Dimensions
- With internal heatsink – 174 x 108 x 25.9 mm [+3.4mm rubber feet]
- With external heatsink – 174 x 108 x 35.8 mm [+3.4mm rubber feet]
- Board only – 146 x 101.7 mm (3.5-inch SBC)
Temperature Range – 0 to 50°C on select kits (probably the ones with the external heatsink), 0 to 40°C otherwise
IP50 / Fanless, dust-resistant chassis, with cover plugs for unused ports

Intels says the Intel NUC 13 Rugged supports Windows 10 IOT Enterprise LTSC, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 operating systems, as well as the Intel NUC Pro Software Suite for Windows & Linux used to monitor/restart unresponsive applications and provide failover display services for digital signage deployments.

The mini PC will ship with a 65W or 90W power supply adapter with country-specific power cords, support multiple mounting options such as cable ties, direct-to-wall, 100mm VESA, keyholes, and DIN rail, and has been qualified for 24×7 sustained operation with up to 80% activity over five years.

The “Bravo Canyon” mini PCs have not been officially announced yet, and the information above comes from a catalog published on Mouser, so we don’t have pricing and availability information, but FanlessTech reports they will “be priced extremely competitively”. We also know the Intel NUC 13 Rugged will be sold with a three-year limited warranty, the company offer at least five-year product availability, and be available either as a kit or an SBC (single board computer).

Via Liliputing.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.