Embedded IoT Software Services(en-en)

Embedded IoT Software Services
— BIOS, OS, Utilities, and APIs

Connecting to Leading Edge Technologies

Embedded applications are becoming ever more complex. But no matter how fast things change, the System Integrator is looking for efficient solutions that seamlessly integrate embedded hardware and software. Based on years of experience in embedded computing, Advantech has a dedicated global embedded software team to provide a range of services from Embedded BIOS, OS, to software APIs and utilities. Making use of these seamless hardware and software integration services, embedded developers can decrease design effort and project complexity, and accelerate product development.

Key Benefits

• Accelerated Product Development & Deployment
• Enhanced System Reliability & Manageability
• Keeping Up with Current Software Innovations

Windows Embedded OS

Advantech provides a full range of Microsoft Windows Embedded OS designed to run on embedded systems such as POS, kiosks, digital signage, automotive computers, automation devices, and small footprint, real time, and handheld devices. We offer ready-to-use embedded OS images and a complete set of built-in applications, such as the Windows 10 IoT Lockdown Utility, WISE-DeviceOn, and SUSI API to enable efficient device management and application development.

Acquiring this solution:

When purchasing the following Windows 10 licenses with Advantech devices, users gain access to Windows 10 Lockdown Utility, SUSI API, HDD PMQ, and WISE-DeviceOn:

• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 LTSC
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2016 LTSB

Windows 10 IoT Lockdown Utility

Windows 10 IoT offers lockdown functions to manage OS operation settings. However, customers need to go through commands line-by-line to finish a setting. To enhance the convenience of lockdown settings from Windows 10 IoT, the Advantech Windows 10 Lockdown Utility is designed with an easy-to-use interface; allowing customers to enable/disable the lockdown features with just one click for easier-than-ever OS operations management.

Service Highlights

Customization Setup

Provides superior user experience without assistance from technical staff

• Shell Launcher
• Windows Boot Logo
• Ctrl+Alt+Del Screen Option
• OneDrive Settings
• LoginScreen
• Windows Update
• Automatic Logon

Operation safety

Prevents end-users from modifying OS settings for devices in public areas

• Unified Write Filter
• Keyboard filter
• HORM
• Touch Setting
• USB Device Policy
• Notification Setting

Windows 10 HDD PMQ

A damaged storage device can be caused be numerous factors — including temperature and aging. Storage device damage can cause costly downtime and raise maintenance costs. In an effort to forewarn users of potential damage, Advantech developed Windows 10 HDD PMQ utility to perform regular hard drives health checks aimed at predicting degradation. Users will be able to prevent data loss and backup files before incidents occur using this system.

Service Highlights

Storage Health Monitor

For HDD and Advantech SQFlash SSD

• Storage device health level monitoring
• Four month device degradation prediction

Provides Damage Warnings and Suggestions

Aids users in performing predictive maintenance

• Use big data ML to predict potential damage
• Provides advanced warning and related suggestions to avoid data loss

WISE-DeviceOn

As IoT applications continue expanding, device management is now more important than ever. Advantech DeviceOn software provides an intelligent networking and AI-based detection solution for device monitoring and predictive maintenance that ensures stable operation and convenient management for IoT devices. DeviceOn is included in Advantech hardware devices bundled with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, enabling improved device management.

SUSI APIs (Secure, Unified, and Smart Interface)

If you are a software developer or a system integrator, you are writing applications that require direct hardware access. Unfortunately, that access is no longer available in modern operating systems. So you have to locate and study reams of specifications to write the appropriate drivers, and that is a complex and time-consuming job. To ease the burden, Advantech has created SUSI (Secure and Unified Smart interface) with user-friendly, intelligent and integrated interfaces that speed development, enhance security, and offer add-on value for Advantech platforms. With them, customers can more easily program and configure features while keeping full control of their applications.

Advantech Industrial Computing Devices Now Support Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 LTSC

01.02.2019

February, 2019, Taipei – Advantech (2395.TW), a global leader in intelligent systems integration, today announced that a series of Advantech’s industrial computing devices support the latest version of Windows 10: Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 RedStone 5 (version 1809). Advantech provides integration services for their hardware and systems by building OS images with built-in drivers. Besides standard OS functions, Advantech also offer embedded customized OS images.

Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is well known as the OS of choice for industrial computing devices worldwide. Along with AI and machine learning trends, device applications are required to be smarter and more refined. Therefore, Microsoft offers Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 with Azure support and wide hardware choices, making IoT devices more intelligent and suitable for various fields by moving computing power and cloud services from cloud to the edge.

Easy to Build, Connect, and Manufacture

To fulfill a variety of application requirements, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise RS5 offers developers an easier tool set and environment that helps expedite development, and lightens the process with great App compatibility and visual studio support. RS5 also supports connection to different protocols (OPC-UA/Industry std protocols) and sensors (location, heart-beat, finger prints etc). Together with Azure IoT, RS5 allows IoT devices to be utilized everywhere and built faster. Benefitting from a strong Windows ecosystem built up from chipset vendors and hardware providers, manufacturing partners can quickly and easily deploy the new OS into their devices.

Advantech Industrial Computing Devices Now Support Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 LTSC

2/1/2019

February, 2019, Taipei – Advantech (2395.TW), a global leader in intelligent systems integration, today announced that a series of Advantech’s industrial computing devices support the latest version of Windows 10: Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 RedStone 5 (version 1809). Advantech provides integration services for their hardware and systems by building OS images with built-in drivers. Besides standard OS functions, Advantech also offer embedded customized OS images.

Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is well known as the OS of choice for industrial computing devices worldwide. Along with AI and machine learning trends, device applications are required to be smarter and more refined. Therefore, Microsoft offers Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 with Azure support and wide hardware choices, making IoT devices more intelligent and suitable for various fields by moving computing power and cloud services from cloud to the edge.

Easy to Build, Connect, and Manufacture

To fulfill a variety of application requirements, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise RS5 offers developers an easier tool set and environment that helps expedite development, and lightens the process with great App compatibility and visual studio support. RS5 also supports connection to different protocols (OPC-UA/Industry std protocols) and sensors (location, heart-beat, finger prints etc). Together with Azure IoT, RS5 allows IoT devices to be utilized everywhere and built faster. Benefitting from a strong Windows ecosystem built up from chipset vendors and hardware providers, manufacturing partners can quickly and easily deploy the new OS into their devices.

Advantech Industrial Computing Devices Now Support Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 LTSC

01.02.2019

February, 2019, Taipei – Advantech (2395.TW), a global leader in intelligent systems integration, today announced that a series of Advantech’s industrial computing devices support the latest version of Windows 10: Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 RedStone 5 (version 1809). Advantech provides integration services for their hardware and systems by building OS images with built-in drivers. Besides standard OS functions, Advantech also offer embedded customized OS images.

Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is well known as the OS of choice for industrial computing devices worldwide. Along with AI and machine learning trends, device applications are required to be smarter and more refined. Therefore, Microsoft offers Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 with Azure support and wide hardware choices, making IoT devices more intelligent and suitable for various fields by moving computing power and cloud services from cloud to the edge.

Easy to Build, Connect, and Manufacture

To fulfill a variety of application requirements, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise RS5 offers developers an easier tool set and environment that helps expedite development, and lightens the process with great App compatibility and visual studio support. RS5 also supports connection to different protocols (OPC-UA/Industry std protocols) and sensors (location, heart-beat, finger prints etc). Together with Azure IoT, RS5 allows IoT devices to be utilized everywhere and built faster. Benefitting from a strong Windows ecosystem built up from chipset vendors and hardware providers, manufacturing partners can quickly and easily deploy the new OS into their devices.

Lab 2: Device Lockdown Features

In labs 1a and 1b we installed the OS onto a reference device and made customizations in audit mode. This lab describes several ways lock down your device using device lockdown features that are built in to Windows. The device lockdown features aren’t listed in any particular order, and you can enable some, all, or none of the features, depending on the device you’re building.

This lab is optional. You can build an IoT Enterprise device without enabling any of the features described in this lab. If you aren’t implementing any of these features, you can continue to Lab 3.

For a fully automated approach to these steps consider using the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise deployment framework.

Prerequisites

Complete Lab 1a: Create a basic image.

Keyboard filter

Keyboard filter overview

The Keyboard Filter enables controls that you can use to suppress undesireable key presses or key combinations. Normally, a customer can alter the operation of a device by using certain key combinations like Ctrl+Alt+Delete, Ctrl+Shift+Tab, Alt+F4, etc. The Keyboard filter will prevent users from using these key combinations, which is helpful if your device is intended for a dedicated purpose.

The Keyboard Filter feature works with physical keyboards, the Windows on-screen keyboard, and the touch keyboard. Keyboard Filter also detects dynamic layout changes, such as switching from one language set to another, and continues to suppress keys correctly, even if the location of suppressed keys has changed on the keyboard layout.

Keyboard filter keys are stored in the Registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Embedded\KeyboardFilter.

Enable the Keyboard filter

There are several methods to enable the Keyboard Filter, we are providing instructions for one of those methods in this lab.

See Keyboard Filter for more information.

Enable the Keyboard Filter feature by running the following command from an Administrative Command Prompt:

You’ll be prompted to restart the reference cevice, type Y to reboot. The device will reboot into audit mode.

Once you’ve enabled the keyboard filter, see Keyboard filter PowerShell script samples to learn about blocking key combinations.

For this lab we are going to provide a demo on blocking the CTRL+ALT+DEL key. In an administrative PowerShell command window copy and paste the below commands.

Restart the reference device and then note the CTRL+ALT+DEL key is blocked.

Unified Write Filter (UWF)

Unified Write Filter overview

Unified Write Filter (UWF) is a Windows 10 device lockdown feature that helps to protect your device’s configuration by intercepting and redirecting any writes to the drive (app installations, settings changes, saved data) to a virtual overlay. This overlay can be deleted by rebooting or, in certain configurations, the overlay can be retained until the Unified Write Filter is disabled.

Enable the UWF

Enable the Unified Write Filter feature by running the following command from an Administrative Command Prompt:

Restart the reference device

Configuring and enabling the overlay and protection is best done through scripting but for this lab we will configure using command line

See Unified write filter for more information about the UWF, including sample scripts.

At an Admistrative Command prompt run the following commands

Restart the reference device

Now all writes will be redirected to the RAM overlay and will not be retained when the reference device is rebooted.

To disable the Unified Write Filter, at an Administrative Command prompt run the following command and then reboot the device.

When using the Unified Write Filter you must take into consideration the Operating System product activation. Product activation must be done with the Unified Write Filter disabled. Also, when cloning the image to other devices the image needs to be in a Sysprep state and the filter disabled prior to capturing the image.

Unbranded boot

Unbranded boot overview

Unbranded boot allows you to suppress Windows elements that appear when Windows starts or resumes, and can suppress the crash screen when Windows encounters an error that it cannot recover from.

Enable Unbranded boot

Enable the Unbranded boot feature by running the following command in an Administrative Command Prompt:

Restart the reference device

Configure Unbranded Boot settings at runtime using BCDEdit

You can customize Unbranded boot from an Administrative Command prompt in the following ways:

Disable the F8 key during startup to prevent access to the Advanced startup options menu:

Disable the F10 key during startup to prevent access to the Advanced startup options menu:

Suppress all Windows UI elements (logo, status indicator, and status message) during startup:

Anytime you rebuild the BCD information, for example using bcdboot, you’ll have to re-run the above commands.

Custom Logon

You can use the Custom Logon feature to suppress Windows 10 UI elements that relate to the Welcome screen and shutdown screen. For example, you can suppress all elements of the Welcome screen UI and provide a custom logon UI. You can also suppress the Blocked Shutdown Resolver (BSDR) screen and automatically end applications while the OS waits for applications to close before a shutdown.

See Custom logon for more information.

Custom Logon feature will not work on images that are using a blank or evaluation product key. You must use a valid Product Key to see the changes made with the below commands.

Enable the Custom Logon feature by running the following command at an Administrative Command Prompt:

If prompted to restart choose No.

Next at an Administrative Command prompt modify the following registry entries. If prompted to overwrite choose Yes.

Restart the reference device. You should no longer see the Windows UI elements that relate to the Welcome screen and shutdown screen.

Next steps

Your device now has device lockdown features in place. You can use group policies to further customize your device’s user experience. Lab 3 covers how to congifure policy settings.