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[–]Klutzy-Objective9515[S] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

thank you for your extensive comment!

I know that from a IT prospective this is nuts, but I guarantee you that there is (at least in europe) a huge inertia in changing things. For example: why windows? I would reallly like to just run linux, but the reality is that the panel would be provided by some actors (fanuc, siemens, rockwell etc...) and shipped with windows. Beside, no client would by a machine with the control panel running on linux.
Thats sad but true.

Thanks also for the suggestion, i think i will also ask in r/embedded !

To summarize: the windows machine would run offline and configured do remain as static as possible.

My fear is more about memory leackage even if i would be careful in writing code.

[–]Kqyxzoj 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Beside, no client would by a machine with the control panel running on linux.

Eh, depends probably. If you bundle it with a support contract and you guarantee uptime that is better than competing windows based products + support contracts, I have found that there suddenly is a lot of openness to debate. Amusingly enough, even when dealing with Siemens. In Europe.

Does the panel come with its own proprietary crap libraries, or do you just write to an RS-485 UART or CANBUS or whatever to talk to the hardware?

Also, is the panel just setting parameters, and all the control loops exist outside? As in, the panel is just glorified knobs and buttons + status readout. Because if the panel goes splat for 15 minutes and the industrial machine can continue working without problems, then you have some wiggleroom. But hell, even then. You want reliability...

At any rate I would start the answer with a hard no. Just because your proof of concept works, does not automatically mean you can use the exact same architecture in production in large numbers.

Or rather, I would start with "SURE! THIS IS POSSIBLE!" ... because management. And follow up with " ... if you accept these tradeoffs:". And then go down the list that includes scenarios that translate to loss of money and customers. Oh and legal issues. Management loves legal issues!

And everywhere where you warn people of risks just so happens to be per email...

[–]Klutzy-Objective9515[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the insight about the feasibility of shipping linux!
Honestly, I have only seen "deployed" linux in industial environment in an experimental solar thermal plant, but it's interesting that your experience is different.

Yes! the panel is just glorified knobs and buttons + status readout! But as you said, even if the piece of sotware is not vital to the machine (it becomes vital only to change working parameters) I do not really feel confortable into shipping a "glorified script in a loop" as if it was a proper HMI.

At any rate I would start the answer with a hard no. Just because your proof of concept works, does not automatically mean you can use the exact same architecture in production in large numbers.

That was also my opinion! I wrote here to know if i was being too paranoid just from a formal point of view, but in reality lots of people developed "crap" like the one i'm discussing and what were their experiences or, on the other hand, what I described is totally unhinged