April 18
18
E
mbedded
C
omputing
Getting the right Linux distribution
for your embedded application
By Janez Ugovsek,
Densitron
This article looks at how selecting the
most appropriate distributions and
pre-configured embedded systems
have become critical success factors
in speeding up new product develop-
ment and time to market.
Nowadays in digital world, manufactur-
ing and other industries are becoming more
complex and increasingly automated. This is
being driven by the ever-growing demands of
B2B customers looking to achieve maximum
output at minimum costs through the opti-
mization of overall production efficiencies
and streamlining of processes. One area of
enhancement that has seen significant activ-
ity in recent years is that of Human Machine
Interface (HMI). This platform of commu-
nication and information exchange between
electromechanical processes and the operator
is undergoing considerable evolution, with
the introduction of feature-rich graphical
displays, monitors and touch screens, already
commonplace in mobile consumer products,
fast becoming increasingly popular in indus-
trial applications. Whether this is part of a
trend towards establishing The Industrial
Internet of Things or simply to deliver more
effective and user-friendly operator capabili-
ties, the role of the HMI is now more import-
ant than ever.
This is a trend supported by the findings of a
recent report published by Global Industry Ana-
lysts, Inc, which forecasts that the global value
of the HMI solutions market will exceed $5 bil-
lion by 2020 (Human Machine Interface (HMI)
solutions: A Global Strategic Business Report –
June 2015 (Global Industry Analysts, Inc)).
While innovation, new product development
and delivering what the customer wants in
terms of an enhanced Graphical User Interface
(GUI) is the lifeblood of future success, so too
is the time to market and the speed at which
these latest solutions turn from concept into
reality. In such a fast-moving society, reduc-
ing development time and speeding up time
to market will help achieve that all- import-
ant product differentiator and maintain com-
petitive advantage. One area of the solutions
development cycle that has the potential to
reduce time is in selecting the most appro-
priate Linux distribution that is best suited
to the display and graphics technology and
their application. While the very nature of
these open-source Linux-based distributions
make for easier configuration and customi-
zation, choosing the right one from the vast
selection of distributions available, even for
the most discerning software engineers, can
be a challenge. Make the wrong selection, and
additional development required to configure
the distribution with your chosen GUI and it
will not only cost time, it will also cost finan-
cially. Get it right however, and you will end
up saving yourself a lot of time and effort,
and enable you to deliver the finished solu-
tion a lot quicker to market. When it comes
to choosing the right Linux distribution for
your chosen GUI, there is rarely a perfect,
ready-made solution. However, by working in
close partnership with a specialist technology
provider, significant advantages can be gained
through tapping in to their own expertise and
understanding of which distributions, tools
and peripherals provide the best fit in terms
of your end-user requirements. In the case
of Densitron, our software engineers have
already developed fully optimized embedded
boards that are pre-loaded with the latest QT
cross platform software and pre-configured
with the most appropriate distributions. This
further streamlines development and custom-
ization requirements and accelerates integra-
tion by offering an almost instant plug and
play solution.
In terms of the GUI, there are a number of
Linux distributions that have been identi-
fied as being particularly suited to systems
integration. Take for example Ubuntu based
on the stable, multi-purpose and trusted
Debian distribution. Ubuntu has become
one of the most popular and best-known dis-
tributions. Not only is it well designed and
easy to use for NAS and web-servers, it has
also advanced the use of Linux as a desktop
operating system more than any other distri-
bution. Ubuntu comes as a managed package,
with full hardware integration, and ongoing
support through the availability of a reposi-
tory of applications, software and pre-com-
plied packages for download, all enabling
