GUI-based operating system to control thermal equipment

Project background

Cooking has become our daily routine. Still, there is always room for improvement in this sphere. Over the years Graphical User Interface (GUI) based systems are becoming more and more accepted by the users to interact with the electronic environment through graphical icons and visual indicators. 

In the cooking industry, GUI-based systems are really essential for monitoring and controlling the entire process. Our client wanted to implement a GUI app for the embedded control board of the commercial oven and was looking for a professional C++ development team. 

This GUI application in C++ has to allow users to:

– cook various foods using a library of recipes; 

– provide the recipes manually, copying from a thumb drive, or automatically downloading from the Internet;

– support some book-keeping tasks like daily cooking stats.

Business needs

Cooking has become a daily routine. Still, there is always room for improvement in this sphere. Our client wanted to implement a GUI app for the embedded control board of the commercial oven and was looking for a professional C++ development team.

The client’s primary client’s challenges are:

– Incomplete and delayed documentation and visual assets;  

– Integration with multiple teams (hardware developers, IoT subsystem developers); 

– Need to react to the customers’ requests and feedback. 

Product features

1. Recipes library. Recipes library is arranged via different categories
2. Settings. Settings submodule for C++ GUI application
3. Testing mode. Factory and after-factory testing mode
4. Connectivity. Connection to a web portal (via ethernet cable or WiFi connection) and import/export of recipes
5. Cooking modes. Cooking modes include a range from a professional chef level to a simpler press & go mode
6. Language. Multiple languages support

Solution

We set up and enforced a code review process from the project launch of this GUI-based operating system.

– The application has a “factory setup” mode which is activated at the factory for quality control. It allows hardware testing and system parameter adjustment prior to shipment from the factory.

– This GUI-based application allows users to cook various foods using a library of recipes. These recipes could be provided manually, copied from a thumb drive, or automatically downloaded from the Internet.

– Additionally, the app supports book-keeping tasks like various cook statistics: the number of preparations for a specific recipe; a daily load of the oven (number of recipes that are cooked at a certain time, for example, at 2 p.m.); and Oven cavity cleaning, etc.

Our technology stack

• C++11
• Qt, Qt l10n, Qt i18n
• QML
• D-Bus
• SQLITE
• Yocto Linux
• NetworkManager
• NTP
• Systemd
• MODBUS
• RS485
• ARM iMX.6
• u-boot

Key achievements delivered

1. Our team is responsible for providing necessary expertise, and for applying it to create the application.
2. We speeded up the cooking methods up to 80%.
3. The development of this GUI-based operating system is still ongoing.