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DT Research DT372AP
Compact, handy, multifunctional rugged 7-inch Windows 10 IoT Enterprise tablet
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)
There are times when even the biggest smartphone isn't quite big enough, certainly not rugged enough for serious outdoor work, and you need Windows 10. That's what DT Research made the DT372AP for. It was introduced, together with the similar but lighter duty DT370CR, late 2018 as a military-grade multi-purpose tablet with a 7-inch sunlight-readable display.
Since we referred to the DT370CR, how is the DT372AP different? The DT372AP has the same screen size, but is a little larger and heavier, has quite a bit more performance, a much larger battery, more function keys, and it can handle much lower temperatures. The DT372AP also comes in a separate DT372AP-TR GNSS tablet version with a built-in survey-grade RTK GNSS module with optional foldable antenna.
There are 7-inch consumer smartphones available now, but screen size is where the similarity to the DT372AP ends. The DT Research tablet is larger, thicker and much heavier than a sliver-thin phone, and infinitely tougher. And it is also a powerful Windows 10 computer with on-the-job functionality and versatility far beyond what phones can do. Features include:
- A GNSS receiver that can use real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning for greatly increased location accuracy. Users can create 3D Point Clouds with centimeter-level accuracy, as required by tasks such as forensic mapping, collision reconstruction, land surveying, e-construction and building information modeling.
- A high-bright (800 nits) sunlight readable and anti-reflective display with capacitive touch.
- An industrial-grade 2D barcode scanner that can also read 1D codes.
- Integrated WLAN, long range (1,000 ft) Bluetooth and 4G LTE/AWS Mobile Broadband deliver seamless information capture and transmission.
Powered by a quad-core Intel "Apollo Lake" Pentium N4200 processor, the fanless DT372AP is a considerable step up from the DT370CR. Expect about twice the overall performance. There's 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB of Flash storage, which can be complemented via a micro SD Card slot. WLAN is at the 802.11ac level. There's optional Level 1 Bluetooth 4.0 LE, the kind that can transmit within a 1,000 feet range, optional uBlox M8 GNSS, and optional 4G LTE mobile broadband.
Compared to the DT370CR, the DT372AP has twice the battery power (62 vs 31 watt-hours). And if even that's not enough, a massive 91 watt-hour is optionally available. That's not only because of the DT372A's higher performance electronics, but also because it is more likely to spend extended time away from any electrical outlet.
Measuring 9.2 x 5.8 inches, the DT372AP has a fairly compact footprint for a rugged tablet. It's a bit over an inch thick and weighs about 2-1/2 pounds. The functionally designed ABS+PC polymer body with corner rubber bumpers is grippy and easy to hold and operate. Five programmable function buttons and a navigation diamond with enter key complement the capacitive multi-touch display.
On the ruggedness side, the DT372AP is tough enough for serious outdoor deployments. Ingress protection is at the IP65 level, which means it's fully dust-proof and can handle low-pressure water jets from all directions. The standard operating temperature range is a wide -4 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Shock and vibration testing was performed to MIL-STD-810G procedures.
Overall, in either the standard or the special GNSS version, the DT372AP platform brings full Windows 10 performance to a fairly small tablet package that can go anywhere. -- Conrad Blickenstorfer, January 2019
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