App with several kinds of coffee on a mobile phone

How to Quickly and Flexibly Create Your Technical App?

The Standard Design Platform for Technical Apps

We all carry mobile computers with us all the time which have many times the computing power of an embedded controller. With their large screens, multiple sensors, diverse communication interfaces, and constant Internet connectivity, they are ideal to complement your devices and systems.

Such mobile computers, from laptops to smartphones, are suitable for simplifying or extending the operation of a device control system. The user can be on site at the device or access the device "remotely" via the Internet.

The possible use cases for mobile applications are diverse. During product manufacturing, serial numbers, configurations and key material are stored into the device via app. The service technician is interested in quickly locating a fault via logs and diagnostic functions, or he wants to update the software. An intermediary gets the opportunity to configure the device for its intended use. And the end customer can operate the device remotely, display device statistics or conveniently adapt the device to his needs.

You can digitalize your business cases to save cost and lower the barrier between customer and company. Possible topics are: Service (e.g. remote maintenance, ordering consumables by scanning a QR code, etc.), variant management (enabling device functions), usage-based billing, detecting product counterfeiting, etc. There are no limits to the imagination.

The design of the user interface is important for mobile applications. It is not enough that the application looks nice. The be-all and end-all for user acceptance is logical and consistent operation. Together with our UX/ UI partner, we create applications for you that are easy to use, look nice and can be implemented with reasonable effort. Data security is also an important aspect, which is why we focused on software quality and, in particular, information security (cyber security) when developing the standard design.

Since you get the sources and schematics of the whole project, there is no dependency, no vendor lock-in.

Fields of Application

  • Remote operating /remote control
  • Customer interaction (e.g. service, spare parts, payment etc.)
  • Service tool
  • Production/ test tool

Fast and efficiently realize a customized PC and mobile software, based on our standard platform kit.

Hardware

The apps run on standard mobile computers (laptop, notebook, tablet and smartphones). Communication with the device takes place via Bluetooth or NFC. Wi-Fi (WLAN), mobile radio, LoRa or Ethernet are used for access via the Internet.

Software

Our standard mobile app design is based on C# and MAUI/ Xamarin. With this technology stack, it is possible to create cross-platform applications for Android, iOS and Windows from a single common .NET codebase, with a native look and feel. Also it is possible to share code parts with our IoT backend standard design.

The software toolbox contains ready-made solutions for recurring tasks, such as device communication via BLE or NFC, backend communication with a cloud (e.g. Azure) or a custom backend (MQTT, ASP.NET), authentication and authorization, secure data storage, device configuration, monitoring, and an infrastructure framework that leads to a maintainable software architecture. By using these components, it is possible to get quickly a running application, as development can focus entirely on domain functions.

Graphical representation (block diagram) of the structure of the Solcept App Platform

Functionality of the Standard Design

The platform offers these options (see also the drawing above: blue part):

  • Communication with the operator
    • standard operating interface of the smartphone/ tablet/ laptop
    • touch
  • Communication with your (IoT) device
    • USB
    • WLAN/ Bluetooth
  • Communication with the internet/ cloud
    • Wireless LAN
  • Application framework
    • infrastructure framework for modular and maintainable applications

The non-functional requirements that the design fulfills are also important. These are often the larger limitation than the functional aspects:

  • Data security
    • secure software update via the Internet
    • data security through encryption
    • encrypted end-to-end communication
  • Industrial quality
    • developed according to Solcept processes (CMMI for Development (Maturity Level 3), ISO 9001)

Your Application

The specific application (developed in C# .NET) can include, but is not limited to:

  • User interface
    • with "look and feel" of the respective device
  • Evaluation and signal processing of sensors
    • camera
    • microphone
    • GNSS
    • position/acceleration sensor
  • Maintenance of devices
    • parametrization
    • software updates
    • debugging/ logging
  • Any other functio

Technology Base

This Standard System Design is based on the following technologies:

  • Operating system
    • Mobile: iOS, Android
    • PC: Windows, macOS
  • Web API
    • HTTPS (Web-API)
  • Solution Stack
    • C#, .NET, .NET MAUI, Xamarin Forms
  • Security
    • TLS, DTLS, X.509
    • AES, RSA, ECC
    • SHA
  • Interfaces & protocols
    • Wireless
    • Wired (only for PC/ Laptop!)
      • Ethernet
        • IPv4, IPv6, TCP
      • USB, UART
    • "IoT/ IIoT"
      • MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport)
      • AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol)
      • Push-Nachrichten
    • Interfaces/ Sensors
      • USB, UART
      • camera, microphone
      • GNSS, position/ acceleration sensor

Projects? Ideas? Questions? Let's do a free initial workshop!