In the world of smart displays for elevators, functionalities such as lift signals, multimedia data, weather data, device management, monitoring and access control play a central role. These functions require seamless communication with various services in the elevator, in the building and in the cloud. Different protocols are often required for this, often even proprietary protocols from integrators or manufacturers. This is where the innovative technology of flexyPage displays comes in, enabling flexible connection to various fieldbuses or cloud services via plugins.
Modular design and flexible protocol adaptation
The software architecture of flexyPage displays is characterized by a modular structure that allows functions to be flexibly adapted. In smart buildings, the displays have to communicate with many different services. There are often no standards for individual services and the protocols have to be adapted to the specific project. For this purpose, flexyPage displays offer the option of implementing protocol adaptations via plugins without affecting the display application. This approach also offers manufacturers the opportunity to adapt the devices to their individual environment without revealing internal know-how. By using plugins, manufacturers can benefit from the continuous further development of the smart displays and integrate them optimally into their own environment.
Advantages at a glance
The advantages of these flexible integration options are diverse:
Modular design: The displays have a modular design, which makes them easy to adapt to different requirements.
Flexible customization of protocols: Protocols can be flexibly adapted without affecting the application.
Manufacturer control: Manufacturers retain control over the protocols and do not have to disclose internal know-how.
Code reusability: The development of own plugins is facilitated by the provision of tools and an SDK, which promotes the reusability of code.
Maximum security: The execution of the plugins in a sandbox, encryption and digital signature guarantee the highest security standards.
Comprehensive monitoring: The internal MQTT broker provides a lot of internal sensor data and information about the installed plugins, enabling effective monitoring of the devices.
Continuous integration: The Display API enables the automated testing and roll-out of plugins.
Development of own plugins with ELFIN Technology
ELFIN Technology provides a comprehensive range of tools to support the development of custom plug-ins. A Software Development Kit (SDK) enables the creation of user-defined applications on the flexyPage displays. The plugins run in a secure sandbox and communicate with the display applications via internal interfaces.
Testing and monitoring
For developers, the Display API offers the option of automatically installing, starting and stopping self-developed plug-ins and persistently saving or deleting data. The internal MQTT broker facilitates the monitoring of devices in the field by providing sensor data and information about the plugins. Plugins can be used to customize communication with your own monitoring cloud, e.g. if communication is to take place via HTTP requests instead of MQTT. Details about the flexyPage Display API can be found in the API description.
Focus on cyber security
Cyber security is a crucial aspect. The plugins run in a secure environment and can only be installed if they are encrypted and have a digital signature from the manufacturer. Secure authentication is required for communication with the Display API, which takes place via OAuth 2.0. Separate certificates can be stored in the displays to encrypt communication with the cloud. If integrated into a dedicated public key infrastructure, the certificates can also be updated automatically.
This ensures that only trusted and authenticated plugins are executed on the displays.
Conclusion
Overall, plug-ins offer a powerful and flexible option for integration into various environments. They enable a wide range of applications to be implemented quickly while maintaining the highest safety standards. The flexyPage displays in combination with ELFIN's developer tools help to integrate elevators more safely, efficiently and flexibly into a wide variety of environments. This innovative technology sets new standards and has the potential to change the standards in the elevator market in the long term.
Would you like to learn more about developing your own plugins? Then contact our sales department.