How are computers embedded in devices?

This type of user interface needs intelligence to drive it, provided by a suitable computer. Especially with colour graphics displays, the Windows environment provides an easy and universally recognised starting point for implementing the graphics interface. However, we cannot simply use a desktop PC as it is much too large, power-hungry, environmentally fragile and expensive. It also has no direct connections to the colour graphics display, and possibly not to the touch screen. A laptop computer may be marginally acceptable under some circumstances, but would share many of the desktop PC’s disadvantages.

Instead, the established and most successful solution is to use an industrial or embedded single board computer – often abbreviated to SBC – as the computing engine. As its name suggests, it has all necessary functionality built onto a single board, which can be mounted up close behind many display units to achieve a compact user interface module. The SBC will have suitable connectors for direct cabling to the display and touch screen, a solid state hard drive and a processor chip that will run without a cooling fan. The whole display, touchscreen and computer subassembly can be mounted within a compact, environmentally hardened and heat managed enclosure or within an open frame for integration into a larger application.

The SBC itself can be supplied as a single unit, or as one of our Computer on Modules mounted on a standard or custom base board. Whichever solution you choose, it’s important to note that the SBC is a fully-functional computer, not just a user interface chip. It handles all other computing functions, including communications and networking, storage and process input/output. In fact, in many applications the combination of display panel, touch screen, packaging and SBC – loaded with suitable software – can become the complete product, rather than just the UI for a larger system.