The iDevOS operating system by Itron

In addition to optimising various design costs, the operating system has also enhanced display performance. The key feature has proved to be the speed of development, which allows specific customer demonstrations to be created in a matter of hours to provide a rapid proof of concept within the given customer’s organisation. This facility has also allowed Itron (UK) Ltd’s website resources to expand rapidly so customers could download complete operating screen images and code for keyboards, interface setup, graphs, menus and animations to plug directly into their application.

The ability to create and upload a library of fonts and images (namely in the file formats jpg, bmp or png) to the 128M/4G byte of onboard storage has produced a level of display quality to match more powerful systems.

The iDevOS script-based programming language (with commands like TEXT, DRAW, IMG, LOAD, SETUP, and so on) has made it highly accessible to hardware design engineers as well as experienced C++ programmers. Depending on the context, the 32 core commands expand up to 300 functional operation. Moreover, being a 'Real Time' operating system, the technology allows new functions and structures to be created ‘on the fly’ if required.

The free-to-download iDevTFT development suite runs on a Windows PC to provide project control, font editing, program development, syntax checking, and full debug. The built-in real time syntax check makes it possible for Itron UK to analyse customer submitted programs when help is required. Users can copy their code to an SD card and plug it in or upload to the display via a USB.

Several customers have now transferred their complete application onto the iDevOS hardware/software platform as Itron (UK) Ltd’s display modules evolved into modular programmable logic controllers with isolated digital interfaces, PT100 and Thermocouple inputs and pulse-width modulation motor drive outputs. Although iDevOS provides the solution for 90% of customer applications, Itron also supply embedded Linux display modules for those applications already written in C/C++.