Remote access to QNX Photon microGUI applications from a Windows desktop

A remote connectivity tool for the QNX® Photon® microGUI windowing system, Phindows (Photon in Windows) lets you interact with your QNX Photon microGUI application from a remote Windows desktop across an IP network or serial link. It features advanced technologies such as data compression, data and font caching to ensure the best possible performance over all types of remote connections.

Technology overview

Remote interaction is an important feature of the Photon microGUI. The "phditto" (Photon ditto) program provided with the Photon runtime environment allows for remote graphical interaction between QNX machines. The Phindows program provides this same remote interaction between a QNX Photon session and a Microsoft Windows desktop, allowing developers to use a mouse and keyboard from Microsoft Windows to control Photon applications.

Example Consider a Photon program for controlling multimedia that runs on a QNX target machine.

Flexible interaction

Developers can connect to a QNX target system in the following ways:

• Start new Photon session. Multiple sessions can be started by multiple independent Phindows users all at the same time. Each user feels as if they own the QNX target system
  
• Interact with running Photon session; share input devices. A user moves their mouse and the remote user sees it move. The remote user moves their mouse and the first user sees their mouse cursor move. Very useful for remote support and training
  
• Interact with running Photon session; unique input devices. Users can have multiple mouse cursors appear in different colors. They can interact with a Photon session using many different mice and keyboards
  
• Launch specific Photon application. The Photon application looks like a regular Windows program on the Windows desktop
  
• Launch in kiosk mode. The Photon session takes over the full screen of the Windows desktop
  
• Launch in multiple-screen mode. A single Photon session is much larger than the visible display connected to the target system. The Phindows program can connect to non-visible portions of the Photon session, effectively turning a single display target in to a multiple display target. Developers can visually drag Photon applications from the Photon target to the Windows desktop. The application is still running on the QNX target, but all of its graphics now appear remotely
  
• Launch in view-only mode. Developers can connect to an existing Photon session but not allow interaction from the Windows mouse or keyboard
  

Tunable performance and security

Performance can be tuned depending on the speed of connection to the remote Photon session and available RAM and disk resources:

• Enable data compression on transferred data. This option is useful for a slow link but fast computers.
  
• Enable security. Developers can specify an encryption key for the Windows remote end that must match the key on the QNX host. Userid and password are required before connection is made
  
• Specify RAM and disk cache sizes. Graphic images such as bitmaps and jpegs are cached on a Windows machine. This reduces the need to transfer an image more than once from the QNX target to a Windows desktop. Disk caches are kept persistent so that after a restart, the request to display the same image file can be satisfied without any re-transmission of the data
  
• Enable local Window fonts. Fonts can be rendered as bitmaps and sent from the Photon session to the Windows desktop (and stored in font cache). Optionally, fonts can be rendered on Windows using local font files. Developers can choose the proper blend of font options in order to reduce transmission data load when drawing fonts, while maintaining the same font appearance. Anti-aliased fonts are also supported
  

Technology highlights

Allows multiple clients to interact with the same application

• Simultaneously and regardless of where clients are located on the network
  

Combines familiar Windows desktop interface with powerful realtime QNX environment

• Application looks and behaves like native Windows application
  

Accesses applications from single familiar desktop

• Windows applications, QNX development tools, and QNX target systems can all be accessed from a single desktop
  

Optimizes performance over remote connections

• Data compression, data caching, font caching
  

Simplifies remote support

• Remote diagnosis, monitoring, and technical support
  

Business benefits

Reduces hardware costs

• Embedded device does not require a dedicated physical screen or keyboard
  

Increases developer productivity

• Photon applications can be built and tested from a Windows desktop, reducing the need for clumsy simulators
  
• A Photon program can run on both a QNX target and (virtually) on a Windows desktop without any re-coding or re-compiling
  

Reduces the need to be on-site to debug problems

• When you connect to the remote target you are directly connecting to the remote application. A mouse click created by the remote user is exactly the same as a mouse click created by the local user.
  

Specifications

• Phindows Windows executable program
  
• Configuration files for storing launch options
  
  • Options for configuring
    
    • RAM and disk cache sizes
      
    • Compression
      
    • Connection parameters (IP address etc.)
      
    • Screen size
      
    • Auto-launch of remote Photon applications
      

System requirements

• QNX 630 and higher
  
• Windows 2000, XP
  
• Target systems include:
  
  • X86, PPC, SH4, ARM, MIPS