Windows embedded (7) - repurposing a thin client PC

**Voicecoil** · 03-11-2019

That's kind of odd - you would have thought that with a thin client in it's intended role getting all it's data and apps from the central server decent ethernet would have been the first thing they'd get right.

**Doddy** · 03-11-2019

Light weight IRQ handling? I don’t know.

As OP to this thread if you have the inclination to take this thread to a conclusion then I’d happily throw the 610 in your direction if you can source a W7CE install/licence. PM me if interested

**Voicecoil** · 27-03-2020

Well I've been using the machine for real for something like 4 weeks now, so thought I ought to report on what I ended up with computer-wise. My original plan to run UCCNC on the HP610 that Doddy kindly gifted me (or an old Dell I had knocking about) came to nowt as they wouldn't support the version of open GL that the latest version of UCCNC uses, so I swapped out for the Dell/Wyse D90D7 I was using to run my audio test gear (£30 from the Bay of fleas). Some probing about revealed that you can't easily get these devices to run any other version of Windoze apart from what they came with, so I set about trying to make it work on Windoze CES7. I deleted all the networking stuff and had a few fights with the FBWF (File Based Write Filter) that's used when it's a thin client, but after that it seems to work pretty well. To change anything you have to log in as Admin, but when it comes to actual machining, I just turn it on and plug in a USB stick with the G code files. If I wasn't working remotely from my design PC I's have had a shot at networking it, but since they're 3 miles apart we'll leave that for a bit.

**Doddy** · 28-03-2020

Interesting write-up - I think we all like the idea of a dedicated, small, contained (and in my case, cheap) controller. Something that doesn't bugger off on a 2 week vacation whilst it updates to the latest and greatest patch.

I have to admit that I don't practise what I preach and I prefer a machine that I can CAD/CAM and machine as an all-in-one, simply I do not have the space for multiple monitors, keyboards and mice (even now I'm behind KVMs for linux and windows with a WAN and two LANs for the two separate machine controllers).

Just a thought - and I'm showing my ignorance for CE - is there no general "config" file used to configure what is supposed to be a deployable embedded system - that you could offer as a starter-for-ten for others here that may want to use a similar thin client? (I'm thinking if the settings are held in a single file, rather than the usual bloated windows registry crap.

EDIT: "gifted"?, hardly, we came to an arrangement that you honoured.

**Voicecoil** · 28-03-2020

Originally Posted by Doddy

Just a thought - and I'm showing my ignorance for CE - is there no general "config" file used to configure what is supposed to be a deployable embedded system - that you could offer as a starter-for-ten for others here that may want to use a similar thin client? (I'm thinking if the settings are held in a single file, rather than the usual bloated windows registry crap.

Well, I spent a bit of time looking into that side of things - being a bit perfectionist I wanted to slim down the Windoze Compact Embedded (WCE) as much as possible - but didn't really manage to sort it. It appears you're largely stuck with what you've got, the only way to thoroughly customise it is to create your own WCE image which you then install that can have as few or as many features as you want. To do that requires a development kit, one day if I'm feeling brave and with a lot of time to kill I might just give Microsoft a buzz and find out how you get one, however I can't help but feel it will be expensive

.

PS there seem to be some 3rd party developers doing development kits which might be worth a look at too. With WCE7 coming to end of life in 2021, there might be something going cheap?

PPS Another thing I discovered is that WCE (unlike NT based versions) is a real time OS.

Originally Posted by Doddy

EDIT: "gifted"?, hardly, we came to an arrangement that you honoured.

Yes, with all the chaos of the last few weeks I'd forgotten that - but it was a generous arrangement and I thank you for it.