Adobe Flash might seem like an unusual choice for embedded engineers, but we find Flash to be a neat solution to provide a sexy user-interface to low-cost embedded Ethernet devices.

For example, we developed an advanced graphing and configuration application in Flash for Silvertree's Icespy Ethernet based product. Not only did Flash enable us to implement a slicker user-interface, it also enables bi-directional communications, so graphs, data and alarms could be updated from the device. This is not easily done using only HTML.

We have also used ActiveX and .Net Applets for the same purpose, but these solutions restrict the user to Microsoft browsers. So they are not as appropriate for consumer devices. Although, we do find these approaches result in more maintainable projects, so if we do have control over the end-user's environment, then we would recommend considering an applet.

• XML socket
• Slick Ethernet User Interfaces
• Adobe Flash on Microchip PIC