Diamond Debuts DALI Software For Internet-Based Remote Access of Machines

Business Wire, Sept 26, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Unique Dual Web Server Architecture and Intelligent

Java Applet Technology Provide Unsurpassed Power and

Flexibility for Remote Control Applications

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 26, 2000

Embedded Systems Conference -- Diamond Systems(TM) Corp., a leading supplier of PC/104 boards for embedded applications, Tuesday announced its new DALI(TM) Embedded Remote Access software for data collection, monitoring, and control of remote instruments or systems over the Internet.

DALI software utilizes the latest in advanced Internet technologies to provide a complete solution for Web-based access to equipment installed at distant locations.

Due to the extensive use of open standard technologies such as Apache, XML, and PHP, as well as several advanced techniques and concepts incorporated into the design, DALI software provides unprecedented flexibility for users who wish to communicate with and control their equipment and systems via the Web.

Jonathan Miller, Diamond Systems founder/chief executive officer, said, "Our DALI software provides an opportunity to transform the way people interact with equipment, do their jobs, and live their lives. The Internet gave us the convenience of anywhere, anytime access to data. DALI extends that concept to provide anywhere, anytime control of machines, equipment, factories, and homes."

Forgot to turn off the stove? Just browse your home and click!

By running DALI on miniature embedded CPU boards available from Diamond Systems and dozens of other manufacturers around the world, entirely new applications are now possible. For example, a doctor can browse patient monitoring equipment at the hospital, making his rounds from any desktop.

Travelers can browse their homes while away to check the status of appliances, utilities, or home alarms. Process control equipment users have global access to their machines via the Internet for Human-Machine Interface (HMI) applications. Systems manufacturers can use the DALI software for remote diagnostics, dramatically cutting the cost and time of service calls.

A Complete Solution Utilizing Open Architecture

Diamond Systems' DALI Embedded Remote Access software includes: the core Web server that serves the pages and handles security and user authentication; a second Web server that manages data communications and hardware I/O; administrator pages for system configuration; and an Intelligent Email Manager, which generates notification emails (alarms) based on user conditions.

All applications run on a single CPU board. An applet builder application is provided for customization of the screen controls, and an automatic installation script installs and configures the product in just a few minutes. Everything needed for a complete remote control solution is provided. The developer just needs to create and upload custom Web pages to provide a custom look and feel.

The server utilizes open standards at each critical point to enable utilization on a wide variety of hardware configurations. For example, DALI software will work on any CPU running the Linux or Windows NT operating system. The back-end I/O hardware interface is generalized to allow other I/O board manufacturers to write drivers enabling DALI software to work with their products.

In addition, Diamond is publishing its XML-based DALI communications protocol as an open standard to enable developers to write their own control applications for configurations where an operator display is unnecessary.

How DALI Software Works

DALI includes a library of Java applets that simulate real-life control panel objects to provide monitoring and control of I/O points on the embedded hardware. The style and behavior of these applets can be customized, and they then can be embedded into any standard HTML Web page just like an ordinary image, enabling Web designers to create custom control panels.

These Web pages with embedded applets are installed, along with the DALI server, onto the host CPU embedded inside the product. When a user browses the product, he is served these Web pages and can manipulate the applets on the screen to control the product in real time.

The applets communicate with the server using the DALI Protocol and can log remote data directly to a local storage device in real-time.

The DALI Web Server Software currently runs on the Linux(a) and Windows(a) NT operating systems. For Linux applications, Diamond utilizes TimeSys(a) Corp.'s Linux/RT(a) real-time kernel and can achieve operation at rates of up to 2,000 transactions per second.

Intelligent Java Applets Increase Flexibility

For simple, direct control of I/O points, DALI's Java applets can be used out of the box. For more complex actions, DALI contains a unique C-like scripting language with a drag-and-drop user interface for defining the behavior of the control elements.

A developer can insert formulas to convert raw sensor data into engineering units or even write entire programs to describe the behavior of a group of applets on a single page acting together.