In industrial automation, an HMI (Human-Machine Interface) is no longer limited to displaying machine status. Many equipment manufacturers and system integrators are looking for a more flexible industrial HMI solution that can combine touchscreen operation, data visualization, device communication, and edge computing in a single platform.
For applications that require a customized interface or embedded HMI functionality, SBC2332 from BEILAI Technology provides a practical hardware platform based on Embedded Linux and LVGL.
This solution combines an embedded computer, LCD touchscreen, and lightweight graphical interface to build a customizable Linux-based industrial HMI.
An embedded Linux HMI uses an embedded computer running Linux as the core platform for displaying machine data and providing local operator interaction.
Compared with fixed-function HMI devices, an embedded HMI architecture can give developers greater control over:
This makes embedded Linux HMI solutions suitable for industrial automation equipment, energy systems, machine control, data acquisition equipment, and customized automation projects.
The SBC2332 is an embedded single-board computer designed to provide a compact computing platform for industrial applications.
For this HMI project, the hardware configuration includes:
The hardware provides the computing and display foundation, while the HMI application is developed using LVGL, a lightweight graphical user interface framework.
LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) is designed for embedded graphical applications and can be used to create customized interfaces for embedded devices.
In this project, LVGL v8.3.11 was used together with lv_drivers v8.3.0. The application was compiled directly on the SBC2332 using GCC 9.4 and Make.
For developers, this architecture provides several advantages:
The interface can be designed according to the requirements of different machines and applications instead of being limited to a predefined HMI layout.
LVGL provides a lightweight graphical framework suitable for embedded hardware with limited computing resources.
Developers can integrate the HMI application with the Linux environment and other software components.
Different pages, status indicators, buttons, data displays, alarms, and control functions can be developed according to the equipment application.
The demonstration interface developed with SBC2332 includes multiple industrial data and equipment functions, such as:
The interface also provides navigation pages for data, control, communication, extensions, scheduling, alarms, and system settings.
This architecture allows the same embedded HMI platform to be adapted to different types of industrial equipment.
The HMI application was tested on the actual SBC2332 hardware rather than only through a software simulation.
The measured results included:
These results demonstrate that a lightweight LVGL-based interface can run efficiently on the SBC2332 platform.
A customizable embedded HMI can be used in a wide range of industrial applications, including:
Machine builders can develop dedicated operator interfaces for non-standard automation equipment.
The HMI can display operating parameters, electrical data, alarms, and system status locally.
Real-time operating status and equipment parameters can be presented through a touchscreen interface.
An embedded HMI can combine local visualization with communication and data processing functions.
For OEM and ODM projects, the HMI software and interface can be customized according to the machine manufacturer's requirements.
The combination of SBC2332 + Embedded Linux + LVGL provides a flexible architecture for developing customized industrial HMIs.
Instead of treating the HMI as an isolated display terminal, manufacturers can use an embedded computer as the foundation and develop the required interface, communication, and application functions around it.
For OEMs, machine builders, and system integrators, this approach can provide a more customizable way to develop embedded HMI, Linux HMI, and industrial touchscreen solutions.
SBC2332 is more than an embedded display platform—it can serve as the computing foundation for a customized industrial HMI application.
