Beyond Windows XP Part 1 – Windows 7/8 for Embedded Systems

As we covered in our previous post “Windows XP – Prevalent and Problematic” users of Industrial PCs have some decisions to make due to the End of Life announcements for Windows XP.

There are two valid paths for an Industrial PC user beyond Windows XP and both would require testing and validation to make sure they are going to work with no additional headaches. In this post we will explore the option to switch to Windows 7 or Windows 8 for Embedded Systems.

Windows 7/8 for Embedded Systems is a great choice when hard disk space is not an issue and when you want to be assured the widest compatibility with third party hardware and software.  One of the Windows Embedded platforms (either Windows Embedded Standard 2009 or Windows Embedded Standard 7) are a great choice when your system will effectively have all hardware and software predetermined and will not have any changes made to this configuration. Windows Embedded packages are built, adding needed components to support a specific application and therefore result in a small Operating System footprint and a more stable distribution. Microsoft naming conventions for their Embedded Operating Systems can be a little tricky, but know that “Windows for Embedded Systems” is different than “Windows Embedded”.

To ensure the most compatibility with hardware and software and when hard drive space is not an issue, installing Windows 7 (or Windows 8) for Embedded Systems may be your best choice. Granted, from both of these, Windows 8 is really too new to be considered for an Industrial PC application. Windows 8 was released in the first quarter of 2013 and has been met with a lukewarm reception in the desktop community. The operating system seems to be more geared to multi-touch tablet usage. However, with multi-touch touchscreens gaining some ground in the industrial space, it should be considered if multi-touch has merit for your application. This leaves Windows 7 as the best choice for users that need to run their applications in a Windows environment. Windows 7 was released on October 22, 2009. It is currently scheduled to have its extended support end date on 1/14/2020. Windows 7 has good support for legacy Windows XP applications and manufacturers of current plug-in bus cards generally offer drivers for Windows 7.

To learn about the second option, read our post “Beyond Windows XP Part 2 – Windows Embedded”.

Windows XP – Prevalent and Problematic

Released on December 31, 2001, Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems (XPP-FES) has been the long running OS of choice for most Industrial applications.  This is due to widespread acceptance of Windows XP as an operating system (and, until Windows 7, really no other accepted version of Windows in the Industrial market.)  If you have an open-platform Intel based Industrial PC in your facility or installed into machines your company makes, in all likelihood, XPP-FES is installed on that system. Essentially, XPP-FES is the industrial license for the Windows XP Pro OEM package you would have been able to purchase with your industrial computer.  XPP-FES is bit-for-bit identical to Windows XP Pro. If your Industrial PC system was purchased in the early 2000’s, it may have had a Windows XP Pro license sticker on it, but at some point, if you continued to purchase systems, that license likely changed to XPP-FES. Windows XPP-FES licenses will continue to be produced by Microsoft until December 31, 2016. While this means that Industrial PC manufacturers can still purchase these licenses for another three years and, presumably, could purchase enough licenses to continue to sell those licenses beyond that date, another critical date looms in the immediate future.

On April 8, 2014 (less than a year from the time of this document,) Microsoft ends their extended support coverage for the venerable Windows XP Pro Operating System.  

• This means that there will be no more Service Packs (granted, the last Service Pack for Windows XP Pro was SP3 release on May 6, 2008)
• And, more critically, no more OS updates issued beyond that date.

While Windows XP has been in the mainstream for a long time, bug fixes and security patches continue to be released.  After April 8, 2014, Microsoft does not plan to release any more updates for Windows XP even if a security exploit is made known.  Of course, this does not mean that your Windows XP Pro or Windows XPP-FES system will stop working.  It does mean, however, that if your Industrial PC Windows system is connected to the Internet or if your system can be accessed by your users, the possibility exists that a security exploit could occur.  Each company should evaluate their systems with a qualified IT professional to make a risk assessment of how Windows XP is being used.

Where do you go from here? Read our blog posts “Beyond Windows XP  Part 1 – Windows 7/8 for Embedded Systems” and “Beyond Windows XP Part 2– Windows Embedded” to find out.

Processor Performance Comparison

A great resource for processor speed benchmarks is PassMark Software (http://www.cpubenchmark.net). This site provides a wide range of processors compared to gain insight into a processors performance. Here is a short list of benchmark scores from this site. The processors on the list below are either processors currently offered on systems built by Computer Dynamics, or are common in the industry to help show some relative scores.

For more information, download our free guide “Comparing Processor Speeds For Industrial Computers”.

CDI Products Overview Number Two

Industrial & OEM Flat Panel Monitors

Flat panel monitors allow the advantages of a flat panel operator interface to be realized with almost any video signal, including standard RGB, Synch-on-Green (SOG), Composite Synch, NTSC and PAL. As an industrial flat panel monitor manufacturer, we offer systems with flat panel displays ranging from 6.4" through 47" are available as open-frame solutions or with a variety of enclosure and mounting options.

See Our Industrial & OEM Flat Panel Monitors

CDI Products Overview

Industrial PCs, Flat Panel Monitors & More

Flat Panel Computers - Industrial PCs

Choose from flat panel display choices ranging from 8.4" through 21", integrated with a touchscreen for operator input. Flat panel computers are powered by either an Intel® -based engine, including Core™ 2 Quad processors and offering all PC-compatible functions or low-power, wide temperature range and diskless operation systems. Flat panel computers and Industrial PCs are available in a variety of mechanical configurations ranging from open-frame to complete enclosed products with plastic enclosures and full agency approvals.

We understand the need for OEMs to control component changes in their designs, and our control over the product life cycle provides that service.

See Our Flat Panel Computers - Industrial PCs