SEGGER introduces VNC over USB

For an embedded system without a display, the virtual display content can be shown.

Being able to connect to the embedded system via USB is very cost-effective and opens a vast array of options. And since USB is already widely used, emVNC-Server can be implemented very easily just by plugging into an existing interface. There is no extra hardware cost and very little memory – in flash and RAM – is required meaning emVNC-Server can even be used in small embedded systems with limited memory. emVNC-Server transports human input, such as mouse or touchscreen interaction, over USB to the embedded system, enabling control of the application, working in parallel with existing functionality.

“emVNC-Server is a VNC-over-anything software module,” said Rolf Segger, founder of SEGGER. “I see the key use case as creating a remote display for a ‘headless’ system. We extend the use of the standard VNC protocol to USB. This has the potential to become very popular. Creating a virtual display for an embedded system essentially makes the physical display superfluous while delivering significant cost savings in the process.”

emVNC-Server was designed specifically for embedded systems. It provides both the server module for the embedded system and the client. The PC-side application is multi-platform, for Linux, macOS, and Windows, and is available for download free of charge.

The emVNC-Server is GUI-independent. It works seamlessly with SEGGER’s emUSB Device plus a graphics library, such as SEGGER’s emWin. This makes it uniquely suitable for use on embedded devices as there are no limitations on the display hardware. emVNC-Server comes with examples for use with and without emWin.