LED Display Boards - Getting Noticed, Bringing People Together and How They Work!

In a world where the average person can be marketed to thousands of times a day, it begs the question, HOW DO I GET NOTICED?

Shopping centres, metro stops, train and bus stations, airports, football stadiums and city centres have always been hot spots for advertisers because of the traffic and footfall they offer. Standing out of the crowd and differentiating your message against competitors becomes extremely important in these lucrative areas.

Large Format LED screens are establishing a greater presence in prime advertising spaces, due to technology diffusion and cost reductions. They are also seen to be offering a welcome juxtaposition to the grey of a cityscape. Modern LED screens come with close proximity LED pitch and it’s not uncommon to have systems which feature a palette of over 281 million colours. LEDs provide high brightness and contrast together with lower energy consumption and can be embedded into water-resistant structures. This enables any advertiser to reproduce incredible image/video quality and exceptional brightness which rivals that of even LCD flat panel displays, but at a fraction of the cost. And the ability is there to shape LED tiles or curtains to just about any size or contour!

Outdoor digital display screens are simply out-performing any other medium for engaging mass footfall and traffic flow in public areas. If you need to be seen, you need an LED screen!

Whether it be standing beneath the live trains timetable at London Euston or sitting with a picnic on Henman Hill (or is it Murray’s Mount?), LARGE LED SCREENS BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.

Sporting events, royal ceremonies and music concerts are all national celebrations which are viewed by millions in their own homes yet could be much-enhanced by being watched in public together. Public realm space within town and city centres plays a vital role in attracting shopping tourists.  From a council’s aspect, large digital screens have the potential to contribute positively to town and city centre spaces by making their centre a more commercially viable opportunity for stores to be located. Not only that, LED screens support local policy objectives such as regeneration, economic development and community engagement, this is termed ‘placemaking’.

Swindon Town Square

A screen could attract new audiences to town centres and help to sustain activity in spaces by keeping potential customers within the commercial area for longer during core times and extending the visitor offer beyond normal shopping hours with a wider audience spectrum.

The High Street is under increasing competition from out-of-town retail parks and internet shopping. Public centres are challenged to create spaces which compete by offering a greater experience and adding value to leisure time spent shopping. LED large screens which create public focal points for get-togethers, celebrations and announcements are undoubtedly a powerful tool in enabling central shopping districts to thrive and survive.

WHAT ARE LEDs?

An LED is a light-emitting diode which is a semiconductor of light (glows when an electric current is applied through it.) Although research on electroluminescence goes back as early as 1907, the first unit which resembled a true LED was patented in 1962. Early LEDs emitted a low-intensity red light, but progress has led to spectrums ranging through millions of colour variations with very high brightness.

LEDs are used in thousands of applications due to their low energy consumption, extended temperature range and high-brightness. LEDs are cheap to manufacture and have a much longer lifespan than most incandescent light sources, and because they are individually encased, they are physically robust. Temperature affects the output of LEDs, brightness actually rises at lower temperatures down to around −30 °C so much of the research and development into LEDs has been focussed on maximising effectiveness and durability in higher working temperatures. Units have been developed with heat sinks and clever architecture to now allow for truly wide operating temperatures.

When configured together on a display module (tiles which can be fitted together,) LEDs can produce screens of virtually unlimited size. The largest LED display in the world is over 500 m long and is located in Suzhou, China, covering the Yuanrong Times Square. They can also be configured to flexible mesh, allowing for placement around the contours of walls and building exteriors, something which LCD screens are much more limited by. Many applications simply make use of the brightness and energy consumption benefits e.g. aviation and automotive lighting. However, it’s the high switching rate in LEDs which allows for the use in video and signage. 

The most common configuration of LEDs used to be where clusters of red, blue and green diodes were placed together to make one colour pixel. This is fine for much of the outdoor installations and indoor displays where the viewer is at a distance.

Discrete LED cluster makes one pixel

However, new SMD (surface-mounted device) LEDs which are essentially of the same configuration but are of a much smaller size (each diode the size of a pinhead) and built together into one unit to make a pixel, have reduced the optimum viewing distance down by 25% or so. SMD technology is now commonplace for indoor LED displays but as cost goes down and the quality of video is much improved, SMD boards are naturally taking over outdoor as well.

HOW THE TILES WORK TOGETHER

Ever seen a Meccano set? All the circuitry and LED configured pixels are housed in sturdy modules of either aluminium or other resistant metals built to withstand the designated conditions of the modules installed environment. For outdoor use, a durable yet transparent coating is applied which weatherproofs the LED frontage.

Industrial fixings then lock and grip the tiles together tightly to present a seamless frontage with a confidently secured reverse.

Assured Systems Outdoor LED Module

Each module is then configured and powered through a series of linking cables. Receiving cards (controlling up to 2 modules from one card) then present the information coming from a media player, using specific control software, to the LED circuitry. The control software used for Assured Systems outdoor and indoor units is called NovaLTC Mars.  This is the specific control software for Novastar receiving cards that are used in these displays. With this you can control screen layout, brightness, testing, reporting and other control related functions. 

Each installation differs in requirements from the modules used, but perhaps more pressing considerations with such large scale screens are daunting. Installations can be classed more as construction projects for larger screens and are just as subject to planning regulations. Assured Systems offer a full installation service which will make sure all due responsibilities have been met as well as working with any site management on the installation operation itself. Call us on 01785 879050 to discuss your LED project or visit our website section on indoor and outdoor LED options.

RUNNING YOUR CONTENT

Your content is important, to get the maximum impact you need to marry the correct LED screen with a media player with the correct competencies and durability to match your desired screen installation. Regardless of whether the screen is indoor or out, you will need to consider how you drive content to the display. It could be a small form factor media player running simple videos uploaded manually via a USB stick and left to run; alternatively, you may require a remotely managed solution which allows content to be updated from a central location, for example a marketing department in a different city, or even country from the screen’s location. Whatever the needs of the system are, Assured Systems offer a complete range of embedded computer systems designed specifically for the depth and breadth of challenges faced by presenting digital content. View our digital signage pc selection here or give us a call to discuss your requirements.

HIRE OR BUY

Hired LED Video Wall Being Tested Before Dispatch

Large format LED installations are reducing in price but are still a substantial investment to undertake. We are certain the benefits and commercial potential is well worth the initial financial investment. If however you want to experiment with a system temporarily, for exhibitions or temporary promotional installations; Assured can hire a relevant system without you having to commit to a purchase. Ask us about our hire service by giving us a call on 01785 879050.

by Jackson Cummings
www.assured-systems.co.uk 

CONNECTED DIGITAL SIGNAGE DELIVERS SEAMLESS RETAIL EXPERIENCE TO COMBAT SHOWROOMING

Although online shopping provides convenience to customers, brick-and-mortar stores still offer richer retail experiences that online stores cannot provide, such as exclusive in-store services and hands-on experiences where customers can see and touch actual products before purchasing. However, physical stores today face the challenge of showrooming, a growing trend where customers visit a store to see a product and then buy it for a better price online using their smartphones or other connected devices. To promote in-store sales and combat showrooming, digital signage can be used to build a connected store providing a unique shopping experience that can attract, engage and entice customers to make purchases on the spot.

This white paper details how NEXCOM’s NDiS B533 digital signage player can help combat showrooming. It will also highlight how the improvements in the graphics, multi-media and computing performance of 4th generation Intel Core processors help digital signage deliver a visual feast for the eye, provide customised messages based on viewer’s demographics, and offer compelling, interactive experiences in the store. In addition, the white paper will illustrate how Intel Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) New Instructions (Intel AES-NI) and Intel Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT) provide security for digital signage, and how Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT) technology simplifies post-implementation operation and maintenance of a large scale digital signage network.

Connected Digital Signage Provides Intelligent Interaction

In high-traffic retail environments, retailers need to design their storefronts to attract and welcome passersby, increase in-store visits, and boost sales. Storefront digital signage provides the perfect solution for impressing, entertaining, and encouraging passersby to come inside.

For storefront applications, the industry typically recommends large-screen digital signage, often over 40 inches in size or even sizes comparable to a human’s height, and a range of interactive features to create strong visual presence and stand out in high-traffic environments. Such storefront displays require a highly integrated digital signage player that is compatible with various large displays, provides high resolution video output, as well as multiple display outputs, and can interface with sensors, audio and cameras so a virtual storefront staff that can detect passersby and greet them with audio to capture their attention.

Figure 1. Storefront displays require a highly integrated digital signage player that can provide high resolution video output and multiple display outputs.

In other areas of the store, to enhance the shopping experience and combat showrooming, retailers need a digital signage that can deliver personalised content, context-aware advertising, inventory integration, point-of-sale (POS) capabilities, and the ability to engage customers through touch screens and gesture recognition. This requires a digital signage player with high computing performance capable of processing the context and visual data needed for audience detection, gesture recognition and context awareness. It also requires a solution capable of secure connectivity to the back end to enable a digital sign to tell a customer other store locations where an out-of-stock item at a particular store can be found and bought immediately for instant gratification—a key advantage of physical stores. Such connectivity can also enable Internet-like shopping experiences that allow a customer to access product recommendations, reviews, companion product suggestions, and shipping options for items not in the store or that a customer want to send as a gift.

Figure 2. Retailers can use AVA to analyze the gender and age bracket of a customer and display targeted advertisements.


To answer these technological needs, NEXCOM’s NDiS B533 is built with 4th generation Intel Core i7-4770TE processor. The 4th generation Intel Core processor family delivers significant improvements in computing, graphics and media performance. Processor performance is up to 13% faster than previous generation processors and comes with Intel Advanced Vector Extension 2 (Intel AVX 2.0), which greatly benefits image and video processing applications. Compute-intensive applications such as anonymous video analytics (AVA) and gesture controls can process software algorithms faster for audience detection and gesture recognition to respond to the real-time needs of customers and ensure more responsive experiences.

The graphic performance of the 4th generation Intel Core processor family surpasses the previous generation by up to 24%, and includes significant graphics and media enhancements. Based on the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600, the NDiS B533 supports 4K resolution with DirectX 11.1 and OpenGL 4.3 graphics to deliver engaging, high impact visuals. The NDiS B533 also benefits from Intel Clear Video HD technology, which provides full hardware-accelerated video decoding, to enhance the live streaming experience for customers.

Figure 3. Digital signage connected to the inventory system can dynamically change its content to promote overstocked items.




For instance, clothing retailers can use AVA— powered by software such as Intel Audience Impression Metrics Suite (Intel AIM Suite)— to analyze the gender and age bracket of a customer and display targeted advertisements, such as women’s clothing for female shoppers or children’s wear for kids. It can also display advertisements based on current weather conditions, such as rainwear or raingear during rainy days. Furthermore, equipped with touch screens and gesture recognition systems, digital signage inside a store can function as a virtual fitting room allowing customers to choose and try on clothes in front of the digital signage for faster buying decisions.

In pharmacies, it is crucial that licensed pharmacists be available to answer inquiries about drugstore items or prescriptions and help customer with purchase decisions. If they are occupied, digital signage can act as a virtual assistant by providing live video chat services and recorded messages to customers. In addition, digital signage can incorporate barcode scanners or radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors to work with a RFID-tagged product, allowing customers to access detailed product information.

In grocery stores, digital signage connected to the inventory system can dynamically change its content to promote overstocked items. For out-of-stock items, digital signage can end the advertisements or notify customers on other store locations where the items can be bought. Combined with the data gathered by AVA, digital signage can deliver personalized incentives on items likely to appeal to a customers’ gender and age bracket, helping to increase in-store sales. Furthermore, to empower customers to make purchases quickly during peak hours, digital signage with barcode scanners and/or RFID capabilities, near field communication (NFC)—a standard feature of 4th generation Intel Core processors— and credit card readers enables customers to purchase items right at the digital sign.


Securely Monitor, Manage and Protect a Connected Digital Signage Network

In a large retail network of up to thousands of connected devices, digital signage can face a number of network-based security threats. Threats that aim to hack the digital signage and steal or change sensitive data, or attempt to disrupt system operation can impact a retailers’ brand image and cause downtime.

For example, a hacker intercepting communication between a content management server (CMS) and a digital signage can potentially steal valuable copyrighted content. Sensitive payment information from credit cards processed by the digital signage may also be captured when a communication link is compromised or the digital sign is hacked. Furthermore, a hacker gaining control of digital signage can alter it to display inappropriate content.

These threats require a digital signage player that can provide hardware-enhanced security and remote manageability with out-of-band capabilities. To provide these features, NDiS B533 utilises Intel AES-NI, Intel TXT and Intel AMT.

Intel AES-NI is a set of instructions designed to enhance the performance of AES encryption and decryption. Using Intel AES-NI, NDiS B533 can protect valuable content and sensitive payment information—transferred or stored locally—from malicious access. New instructions in Intel AES-NI enable faster hardware-based encryption and decryption, providing up to 10 times performance over software-based encryption, freeing the processor from additional computing effort so there is virtually no impact on signage performance.

To enhance secure operation of digital signage and prevent system compromise, NDiS B533 supports a trusted platform module (TPM) for Intel TXT. Intel TXT, a hardware-based security technology, protects the system from software-based attacks that exploit the vulnerabilities of the applications that execute during system boot, such as the BIOS, firmware, operating system, and other software. Using Intel TXT, NDiS B533 can ensure that it is running on a trusted platform and secured from hackers attempting to override the control of the digital signage.

To simplify remote management and respond to downtime events quickly in a large retail network, Intel AMT technology provides out-of-band remote management with flexible provisioning features. Supporting Intel AMT technology, NDiS B533 can be tracked, monitored and managed through a single management platform. With out-of-band capabilities and Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) support, Intel AMT can enable technicians to control the keyboard and mouse of the remote device even when it is powered off, as well as view the contents of the remote display, giving full control and visibility of the remote device to streamline the troubleshooting process and minimize on-site visits.

Conclusion
Designed for high performance, the NDiS B533 signage player featuring the 4th generation Intel Core i7-4770TE processor provides retailers with a powerful solution for creating a compelling and personalised shopping experience that can help combat showrooming. The NDiS B533, using Intel AES-NI, Intel TXT and Intel AMT technologies, enables high availability while delivering robust security and remote manageability to help retailers overcome the challenges faced in deploying a large-scale digital signage network.

Figure 4. Intel AMT technology provides out-of-band remote management with flexible provisioning features to simplify management. 

© 2013 NEXCOM International Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Published in Sep 2013


About NEXCOM Founded in 1992, NEXCOM has five business units which focus on vertical markets across industrial computer, in-vehicle computer, multimedia, network and communication, and intelligent digital security industries. NEXCOM serves its customers worldwide through its subsidiaries in seven major industrial countries. NEXCOM gains stronghold in vertical markets with its industry-leading products including the rugged fanless computer NISE series, the in-vehicle computer VTC series, the network and security appliance NSA series and the digital signage player NDiS series. www.nexcom.com


About Assured Systems
Assured Systems is a leading technology company offering innovative computer solutions to the embedded and industrial market sectors. Visit us at www.assured-systems.co.uk or call on 01785 87 90 50. Assured works closely with Nexcom to provide solutions to the DOOH (Digital Out Of Home) sector and we would be your first port-of-call to source any of the products mentioned within this article.

About the Intel Intelligent Systems Alliance
From modular components to market-ready systems, Intel and the 200+ global member companies of the Intel Intelligent Systems Alliance provide the performance, connectivity, manageability, and security developers need to create smart, connected systems. Close collaboration with Intel and each other enables Alliance members to innovate with the latest technologies, helping developers deliver first-in-market solutions.Learn more at: intel.com/go/intelligentsystems-alliance

PUT MORE DIGITAL IN YOUR DESIGNS

Useful information for retail concept designers and branding professionals

Assured Systems supply digital signage systems to retail design companies and branding agencies. We’re finding more and more that digital signage is being incorporated into branding concepts in everything from the smallest coffee shop to public healthcare spaces and right up to inner-city public squares. We also find that agencies have a great deal of imagination for using commercial grade LCD screens but need the technical knowledge Assured Systems has to get the right systems for the application. We’re basically really useful to know if you win any retail concept, outdoor or other such branding lead architectural projects.

We are useful for you to keep us on file

There’s no doubt that everyone from independents to major flagship stores are turning more and more to digital displays and LCD walls to wow the high street footfall into their shops or onto their exhibition stands. You can provide those concepts with our help. Branding creatives turn ideas into reality, but to do that in an ever changing technical world you need a supplier with the right knowledge of providing digital players (with the correct performance,) to the right LCD digital display screen or screens. The application you want to express in your concept will have an impact on the power of the system, how much storage and processing power is needed and what inputs and outputs need to be configured. These are fanless computers so make no noise to interfere with your media content. You then need to marry your digital signage player with the correct commercial grade LCD display. It may be that you want to incorporate digital signage into a window display, in which case you will need to include high-brightness into the screen parameters. To create large LCD walls or more bespoke display shapes you may need commercial grade LCD screens with a thin bezel, or even stretched bar LCD screens. The digital signage influence in the public realm is already out there, if you’re thinking of using more digital in your designs then Assured Systems can guide you through what has now become an extensive array of possibilities.

Free-standing and cost-effective all-in-one digital signage solutions include the hardware and software businesses need for creating, scheduling, updating and monitoring high-definition displays. These are turnkey solutions for clients with a need for a versatile and mobile digital solution. Also for those who have an eye on their budget but realise the need to be part of the digital signage revolution.  Takea look at our range of free-standing digital signage pods.

Theatre Severn Shrewsbury, demonstrating the difference in impact of digital signage vs traditional display

The Sureview range of wall-mounted slimline digital LCD display posters offer sleek and trim digital posters with rounded corners, aluminium frames and buttonless tempered glass frontages. These beautiful machines resemble a larger version of a certain high-end brand of tablet computers. Whether positioned in landscape or portrait, these impressive looking commercial grade LCD displays are going to attract attention and frame your content in style.

Thanks to a built-in HD media player these machines don’t need additional hardware to play your movies or poster designs. Simple and intuitive software is included which allows you to schedule different media along with scrolling text. Just load onto a USB stick, plug it in and the poster will download the content to play as designed.

Designed to be both affordable and easy to use, these all-inclusive solutions have played a key role in levelling the playing field for small businesses.  However, for greater impact, open frame digital screens combined with a suitable digital signage PC can easily be incorporated into shop-fitting and exhibition designs. New technologies also now allow more visually dynamic and engaging displays on high brightness LCD screens with thin bezels which when locked together, can create space specific shapes or full digital walls. Assured Systems have helped branding agencies and retail conceptualists to realise the most cost-effective solutions for these major investment installations.

Japanese brand Neutra Jeans Digital Signage Display including open frame LCD screens as well as a versatile free standing unit

Consumers expect professional content everywhere, providing a digital medium is one thing but if the content presented isn’t up to the same standard the sales message fails. That is why Assured Systems has a digital media content designer on hand if needed. With an experienced content designer; the architecture of the environment, the digital hardware and the video design then works together to deliver multi-screen synchronised displays which work hardest for a brand. You may want to consider this service when thinking about how your display fits in with the surroundings.

To conclude, Assured Systems offer a complete range of hardware and software solutions for digital signage, gaming, kiosks and other applications where high reliability solutions which cope with the demands of modern HD media content are required. Digital signage engines can be mated with today’s commercially available displays, or we can provide all-in-one display systems where the computer is designed into the rear of the LCD panel making installation very simple.  All our products are designed with a focus on reliability and long-term availability, allowing you total confidence when choosing Assured Systems for your design.

An Introduction To 64-bit Computing - Assured Systems

Explaining 64-bit Computing
You may have heard people talking about 64-bit computing, be it in relation to processors, operating systems or applications. If you've searched online for information about 64-bit computing you may have seen terms such as x64, x86, memory addressing and more.

So what is 64-bit? In the simplest terms, it's the latest evolution in computer hardware and software technology.  It enables more intensive processing to be carried out faster and more efficiently.

A Brief History of Evolution
We're not talking about Darwinism here! Computing has changed so much since the beginnings, that the forefathers such as Charles Babbage and Alan Turing would most likely not recognise it today. Here is a brief history of some important events over the last two centuries - yes, two centuries!

Date	Event
1631	The first recorded use of the word computer, derived from the Latin words computus and computare, meaning 'to compute'. In the 17th century it meant 'one who carries out mathematical calculations'.
1820's	Charles Babbage, the 19th century mathematician, reasons that a mechanical device can carry out mathematical calculations more accurately, reliably and faster than a human. He begins work on what he called a 'difference engine'. Unknowingly, he is about to provide the foundations for what we all now consider to be computing.
1830's	Charles Babbage begins work on the designs for his 'analytical engine' - a more sophisticated computer which used punched cards to enable programming and calculations. Unfortunately, the machine was never built.
1911	The Computing Tabulating Recording Company is founded through a merger of three companies. The company would later change its name to IBM.
1936	Alan Turing, the British mathematician famous for designing the bombe machine which broke the German Enigma codes during World War Two, published a paper addressing the ‘Entscheidungsproblem’ by reasoning about a simple (but theoretical) computer, which is today known as a Turing Machine.
1939	HP (Hewlett-Packard) was established with a princely initial investment of approximately $500.
1946	The world’s first general-purpose electronic computer, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) was unveiled. It was capable of 50,000 calculations per second and weighed around 30 tonnes. It was used to run computations for the hydrogen bomb and to calculate ballistic trajectories.
1949	In an article, Popular Mechanics magazine stated that “Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons”
1957	The first Dot Matrix Printer was marketed by IBM
1965	Moore’s Law is first published, stating that the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles approximately every two years. This oft-misquoted and misunderstood prediction has been accurate for nearly half a century.
1971	Intel unveiled the first commercially available 4-bit CPU, the 4004, which had a clock speed of 740 kHz. Used in conjunction with the 4002 support chip, it could address up to 40 bytes of RAM.
1972	Intel unveiled the first commercially available 8-bit CPU, the 8008. It had a maximum clock speed of 0.8 MHz and could address up to 16KB of RAM.
1975	The world’s largest software company, Microsoft, is founded.
1977	Ken Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, was quoted as saying “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” He was actually referring to having a computer to run the home, with automated doors, voice-activated taps, etc.
1978	Intel unveiled the 16-bit 8086 CPU. It had a maximum clock speed of 10 MHz and could address up to 1Mb of RMA. It was the first x86 microprocessor and would set the standard for computing for decades to come - the x86 architecture is still in use today.
1980	AT&T Bell Labs introduce the world’s first fully 32-bit CPU, the Bellmac-32A.
1981	The IBM PC has a usable RAM limit of 640KB. Bill Gates is quoted as saying “640K ought to be enough for anybody.” He never actually said this!
1991	MIPS Technologies produces the first 64-bit CPU. It would be another 12 years before a 64-bit CPU architecture which is backwards compatible with the 32-bit x86 architecture is released.
1992	OS/2 2.0 became the first commercially available 32-bit operating system, following the breakdown of the IBM/Microsoft collaboration in 1990.
2000	AMD release the full specification of their x86_64 architecture, which has now become the standard for 64-bit computing and is more commonly known as x64.
2003	The first CPU to support the x64 architecture is released – AMD’s Opteron. Theoretically, 64-bit CPUs can address up to 16 exabytes of RAM – that’s one billion gigabytes!
2005	Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is the first Windows version to support x64. Due to a general lack of third-part support however, it meets with limited success.
2009	Windows 7 is released, which fully supports x64 computing.
2010	46% of all PCs running Windows 7 have the 64-bit edition installed.

Bits?
Everything to do with computing all boils down to what are called bits. The term bit is a contraction of 'binary digit'. A binary digit can either be a 1 or a 0, but never both. You can consider bits to be logical values, such as Yes/No or True/False or as an activation state such as On/Off. The more bits a system can support and use, the more powerful and the faster it is.

RAM Limit Comparison
The main difference between the various 'bits' of computing you will notice, is the amount of RAM which can be addressed (or utilised) by the hardware and software. The limits given below are theoretical limits, and can be exceeded with compatible hardware, firmware and software - the exception to this is 64-bit, where the theoretical limit has not yet been reached due to lack of hardware support.

Bits	Theoretical Addressable Memory (bytes)
8	256	256b
16	65,536	64KB
32	4,294,967,296	4GB
64	18446744073709600000	16EB

The more RAM a system has, the more processes can be stored in memory which is quick to access, making the computer faster and more responsive. In combination with a 64-bit CPU and operating system, a computer can access and utilise huge files extremely quickly as more data can be addressed directly.

With modern Windows operating systems (Windows 7, 8, Server 2008 R2 & Server 2012), Microsoft recommend using at least a 2Ghz x64 processor with 2GB RAM. Add to that the overhead of additional programs (2GB of RAM is recommended for Microsoft Office 2013 for example) and when you consider that to run at its best the OS would be using most of that 2GB RAM, it's easy to see why 4GB+ RAM is recommended on most systems.

Hang on, what's an EB?!
You will be familiar with bytes (b), Kilobytes (KB), Megabytes (MB) and Gigabytes (GB), but many of you may have never seen the term Exabyte (EB) before. So what exactly is an Exabyte?

An Exabyte is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes or 1 billion gigabytes.

A 64-bit operating system can (theoretically) see up to 16,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes or 16 billion gigabytes.

To put that in perspective, if you were to put all of that data onto CDs they would stretch out more than halfway around the earth. The global data volume (that is, all the data in the world) was estimated to by just over 15EB in 1993, although today it is much more.

Software compatibility
Most software is currently only available in 32-bit versions. This is larger due to previous lack of demand for 64-bit versions, lack of system compatibility and a lack of skills in developing 64-bit applications. As 64-bit operating systems and hardware matures, this is changing though. More and more applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Internet Explorer, are available in 64-bit versions.

Such applications can handle a large amount of information at any one time, and the difference is noticeable. From our experience, Adobe Photoshop 64-bit is considerably faster than its 32-bit counterpart.

Fortunately with modern operating systems, such as Windows 7, software compatibility isn't an issue most of the time. Most new OSes have built in compatibility which allows 32-bit programs to run on a 64-bit OS.

Windows on Windows (WoW) is on such example of built in compatibility. It is essentially a virtual copy of 32-bit Windows which runs in the background (and completely transparently) and allows 32-bit programs to be installed and run on Windows 7. As an end user, you don't see anything different from normal - the programs just work as expected.

There are always exceptions of course, and it is worth checking with your software vendor to ensure that your OS is supported.

Driver compatibility
As you will know, hardware such as printers, sound cards, webcams etc. requires drivers. Usually the type of driver isn't a concern as you can simply install the hardware and the operating system installs the driver automatically (in the case of Windows 7 and Mac OSX) However with 64-bit systems, driver availability needs to be carefully considered. 

64-bit operating systems will only run 64-bit drivers. They will not accept 32-bit drivers and trying to install them will result in failure. Therefore it is extremely important to check with your hardware manufacturer to ensure that 64-bit drivers are available. For most peripherals over the last few years, this should not be a problem.

An additional consideration is if the drivers which are available are compatible with your chosen operating system. Many drivers which are available for Windows 7 with also work on Windows Embedded Standard 7, as they are an almost identical product. This isn't always the case however, so it is important to test the hardware thoroughly and if in doubt, contact the manufacturer. 

But what does this all mean for me?
It means that applications which process large amounts of data can do so more quickly and efficiently, with fewer errors. In short, it generally means faster, more efficient computing.

Because 64-bit computing can see, use and store more RAM, less time is spent using the hard drive as more operations can be carried out from RAM. As RAM is considerably faster than traditional spinning disks, more operations per second can be carried out. You could call it extreme multi-tasking!

64-bit computing is starting to mature, largely driven by the success of Windows 7 64-bit, and a greater understanding of this technology is prompting hardware and software developers to ensure their products are compatible with the latest OSes.

An Introduction to Linux - Assured Systems

An Introduction To Linux
Almost everyone who is familiar with computers will have used a version of Microsoft Windows at some point. It seems to be everywhere - at work and home, in libraries, colleges, universities and almost anywhere else you can think of. The problem with the ubiquity of Windows is that many people don’t realise that they have a choice of operating system when deciding to purchase a new computer.

Over the last decade or so, there has been an increasing amount of attention paid to something called Linux. However, a large majority of people do not know or understand what exactly Linux is. Here at Assured Systems we are seeing an increase in the number of systems requested with Linux installed. This blog post will help you become familiar with Linux, as a free alternative to the Windows operating system.

So, What is Linux?
In its simplest form, Linux is a free (as in beer and speech) operating system, designed to work on most modern computers. Basically, if your computer can run Windows, it should run Linux with ease – sometimes even better than it does with Windows. Like Windows, it has a graphical user interface (GUI) which you can navigate using your mouse and keyboard. Different versions of Linux (called distributions) come with different GUIs installed. Here, we will focus on one of the most popular Linux distributions (and the one we recommend for use with our systems) – Ubuntu.

Free, as in Beer and Speech?
Generally speaking, Linux is free (though there are some distributions which you must purchase to use.) Both free to own and free to do with as you wish. This means, that you can achieve an incredibly high level of customisation for your system, only including the components you require. You can change the GUI to any one of many different choices available to you, including Unity, KDE and Gnome, or even your own GUI if you have the resources to develop one!

The Ubuntu operating system is available for free as the company who are responsible for it (Canonical) provide services for which there is a charge. These included business support, hardware certification, installation services and merchandising. Together these services pay for the time, effort and resources required to continually develop a world class operating system.

Bundled Applications
One of the reasons for the popularity of Ubuntu is the number of high quality applications which ship with the OS. Productivity applications such as LibreOffice, web browsers such as Firefox and Chrome, social and email apps such as Skype and Thunderbird, media applications such as Rhythmbox and Banshee, and many more are all available in Ubuntu. More applications (both free and paid-for) can be downloaded from the Ubuntu Software Centre.

There is a high level of compatibility with files you will be familiar with, such as Microsoft Office documents, photos, music and videos. Ubuntu also provides compatibility with files formats out of the box which Windows does not support without extra software!

Unity
Unity is the latest GUI for Ubuntu. It provides a desktop environment similar to Windows, with a ‘launcher’ where you can create shortcuts to your most used applications, a search box to find documents and applications, and a menu to access your applications (similar to the Windows start menu)

The Unity Desktop Environment

The Launcher
To the left hand side of the desktop is the Unity Launcher. It’s similar to the Windows taskbar in that you can pin applications and folders to it, to provide quick access to your most frequently used items. At the top of the launcher is the Ubuntu button. Clicking this gives brings up the Ubuntu ‘lens’, which provides you with a similar experience to the Windows start button.

The Ubuntu ‘Lens’

From the lens you can find documents, photos, music, videos and applications (both installed and available to install).

The Ubuntu 'Lens'

The Global Menu
Ubuntu has a menu bar across the top of the screen called the ‘global menu’. Similar in functionality to the Apple Mac OSX menu, the Ubuntu global menu provides access to your applications traditional menu options, such as file, edit, tools, etc., as well as the maximise, minimise and restore buttons. The options on the global menu change according to the application you are currently using.

Settings
Many of the system settings in Ubuntu can be changed, much like any operating system. The appearance can be changed to suit your requirements, along with the input methods, network settings, power options and more.

The Ubuntu System Settings Panel

The Terminal
Ubuntu comes complete with a terminal application, which allows Windows command line style access to the operating system. Unlike the Windows command line, the Ubuntu terminal is incredibly powerful. As well as the standard options for creating folders and files, moving things around and changing simple settings, the Ubuntu terminal provides powerful options for changing lower level system settings.

The Ubuntu Terminal

The Community
Ubuntu has an excellent community of developers, engineers and users who all contribute to each version of the operating system. Community forums are a great way of finding out more about Ubuntu, requesting technical support to resolve issues and providing help to new users who are unfamiliar with Ubuntu. The chances are that any question you have about Ubuntu will have either been previously asked and answered on a forum somewhere, or someone will be able to answer very quickly.

Quick Comparison
We have produced a chart of some of the most common features of Windows and Linux, to help you to easily compare the basic features of the operating systems.

Conclusion
Every computer needs an operating system, this is a prerequisite.  However, what is now clear is that users have a choice other than Windows, and good choices at that.  For commercial applications, sometimes the cost of a licence from Mr Gates can make up 50% of the cost of the actual system – this means the cost to the end user can be over-inflated before the system even leaves the R&D team.  Whilst we still use Windows on the majority of our systems, we are seeing an increase in people requesting Linux for all kinds of applications.  Some argue it’s more stable; some that it’s faster; some prefer the customisation possibilities; but everyone likes the fact it’s free.  If you’d like to consider it on your application then give me a call and we can look to get some test hardware together.

Cheers,

Alan Shenton
Systems Engineer (and chief Linux aficionado)
+44 (0) 1785 879050  


About Assured Systems
Assured Systems is a leading technology company offering high quality and innovative applied computing solutions to the embedded, industrial, and digital-out-of-home markets across the world.  Headquartered in Stone, England and with offices in North America, our reach is truly global. Our impressive product portfolio includes a full range of Fanless Embedded Computer Systems, Digital Signage & Multimedia Computer Systems, Touchscreen Panel PCs, Human Machine Interfaces, Vehicle Mount Computers, Rackmount Computer Systems, Single Board Computers, Rugged Laptops & Tablets.  Please call the numbers listed above or visit our website at www.assured-systems.com for more information.

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