| Home automation panel runs Windows XP Embedded |
May 19, 2008
 VidaBox LLC has announced a touchscreen panel PC that runs Windows XP Embedded (XPe) and targets home entertainment installations. The fanless TouchClient12 features a 12-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution, two 10/100 Ethernet ports, two serial ports, stereo speakers, and optional 802.11b/g wireless, says VidaBox.
Contrasting the TouchClient12 to lower-cost panel PCs that merely run an RDP (remote desktop protocol) client, VidaBox says the device's use of XPe allows it to run a wide variety of software locally, with no need to piggyback off another system. As part of an elaborate multi-room installation, the TouchClient12 can connect to servers manufactured by VidaBox or third parties.
The TouchClient12 ships with XPe's Enhanced Write Filter (EWF) turned on, which, as VidaBox notes, hardens it against viruses, spyware, malware, or other misuse -- since a quick restart will always restore the panel to its original condition. However, EWF can be disabled by installers and integrators looking to add additional software or tweak the panel's configuration, then re-enabled before final use.
VidaBox does not specify what processor the TouchClient12 employs, although the cited 500MHz clock speed and fanless operation are suggestive of AMD's Geode LX800. Random-access memory is a non-expandable 512MB, and storage is provided via a 1GB CompactFlash card that appears not to be externally accessible.
The device has a touchscreen display that measures 12.1 inches diagonally, and provides 1024 x 768 resolution. Stereo speakers are built in, though with no pretensions to high fidelity, these are intended merely for interacting with the system, not playing music. Indeed, the system seems intended more as a means of remote control and automation than media playback, since it does not have an analog audio output jack. There are no external user-accessible buttons, merely a bezel intended to be painted to match a wall.
The TouchClient12 (left) clamps magnetically into a "rough-in box" (right)
Featuring an aluminum and steel case, the TouchClient 12 comes with what VidaBox calls a "rough-in box" (above, right), which is 13 inches wide, 10.5 inches high, and 3.5 inches deep. This box is intended to be built into a wall, at which point the panel PC itself simply pops in and is held in place magnetically.
Of course, the rough-in box also has a cut-out for the required power, Ethernet, and USB cables to exit. As the photo below shows, the bottom of the TouchClient12 has a 12VDC power input, two serial ports (one RS232, one RS232/422/485), two 10/100 LAN ports, and two USB ports. Wireless (802.11b/g) networking may be added via a Mini PCI slot.
The TouchClient12 has dual 10/100 Ethernet ports
Features and specifications listed by VidaBox for the TouchClient12 include:- Processor -- 500MHz, likely AMD's Geode LX800
- Memory -- 512MB RAM
- Display:
- 12.1-inch touchscreen display
- 1024 x 768 resolution
- 450-nit brightness rating
- 700:1 contrast ratio
- Storage -- 1GB CompactFlash
- Networking -- 2 x 10/100 Ethernet
- Other I/O:
- 2 x serial (1 x RS232, 1 x RS232/422/485)
- 2 x USB
- Expansion -- Mini PCI
- Power requirements -- 12VDC
- Dimensions -- 13 x 10.5 x 3.5 (rough-in box), 13 x 10.5 x 1.75 (device)
The TouchClient12 is available now for approximately $2,500.
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