Everything you need to know about System on Chip
If you’re new to digital signage, you may have heard the term “SoC” or “System on Chip” bandied around. In this article we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about SoC including the benefits, the downsides and the lingo.
What is System on Chip?
System on Chip (SoC) is not specifically a digital signage term. The definition of System on Chip is “An integrated circuit that integrates all or most components of a computer or other electronic system” – Wikipedia. Essentially, this means that a System on Chip can offer a built-in computer or electronic system. No separate hardware is required.
SoC in digital signage
In around 2013 the first SoC devices hit the market. The intention was to build a digital signage screen that had all of the components to run the digital signage software without the addition of a “player” (a device used to run the digital signage, similar to how your cable box or top box runs your TV content). The concept was to build an all-in-one solution that would be easier to install, more cost effective and easier to mass install. This would also help by reducing the number of components needed for any digital signage environment. An installation would typically only require 1 screen, 1 power cable and an ethernet cable (optional).
Since 2013, SoC has come a long way with more and more powerful chips being added to the devices to keep up with more complex demand from digital signage content.
SoC vs Standalone players
We’ve previously mentioned standalone devices such as Brightsign which is a player that can be connected to the back of (nearly) every single screen available. So why choose one over the other? The answer isn’t quite that simple and there are multiple factors to take into account, so let’s break those down.
Existing hardware – If you’ve already previously invested in digital signage and you’re now looking to upgrade your current solution, SoC might not be ideal if you don’t want to go and replace the 50 screens you invested in a few years ago. However, on the other hand, if this is a totally new installation and you’d like to keep hardware to a minimum, SoC might be the better fit for you.
Power – With more limited space to provide the power required to run some of the more CPU intensive content, your SoC might struggle. Standalone devices have the freedom to be as big as they need to hold the computing power required. As an example, you could look to run a Mac or Windows device running an i9 intel chip and that is always going to be more robust.
That being said, understanding what you’re potentially going to want to do with your digital signage is another thought you should have in advance. There’s no benefit to spending thousands of dollars/pounds on a dedicated computing monster if your only current and future goal is to display large JPEG files.
Space – Space issues can be variable but you should give it some thought before making your decision. SoC’s come with the benefit of not taking up any more space than is required. Standalone devices come in many shapes and sizes and most do a very good job of being a small form factor with the ability to slide behind the screen easily. The only time that space would become a real issue would be for small spaces with big devices (such as the previously mentioned windows devices), or if your screen is flush against a wall with zero margin for error.
Failover – If your SoC hardware fails (falls off the wall/ gets smashed/hardware failure) your only option is to lift and replace that hardware. With Standalone devices, you do have the choice to have backup devices on location for such an event. You could always look to store an SoC on site as a backup, just consider that variance on screen sizes and a storage location that works.
