Published in Electronic Product Design and Test September 2025
In modern product development, efficiency, customisation and industrial integration are key – time and differentiation is everything. A smart embedded display solution is no longer a luxury – it’s a strategic enabler. Beyond offering a polished UI, these solutions dramatically streamline design cycles, reduce BOM complexity, and speed up the route to market.
In this article, we’ll explore how adopting a smart embedded display solution can transform your project from the ground up, touching on inventory optimisation, R&D efficiency, GUI customisation, industrial connectivity, and supply longevity. With integrated tools like TouchGFX, Embedded Wizard, and features like CAN, Modbus, and web-based remote access, the road from prototype to product has never been smoother.
1. Accelerated Development and Scalable Architecture
Traditional embedded GUI development—writing drivers, optimising memory, and building display stacks from scratch—can eat up months of valuable engineering time.
Smart embedded display solutions change the game. Tools like TouchGFX (STM32) and Embedded Wizard enable developers to:
Use drag-and-drop GUI design environments
Auto-generate optimised C/C++ code
Preview and debug in real time (WYSIWYG simulators)
Leverage function templates and hardware abstraction
These capabilities dramatically reduce development overhead, allowing teams to focus on application logic and user experience. Many developers report saving four to six months of R&D time. In addition, smart display solutions are designed with scalability in mind. GUI components and application logic can be reused across different screen sizes or hardware variants – ideal for product families or tiered offerings. The benefits are:
Faster time to prototype and production
Minimal effort for GUI updates and iterations
Seamless integration with STM32CubeIDE and embedded frameworks
Scalable GUI design across product ranges
2. Rapid GUI Customisation
Whether it’s brand identity, multilingual support, or UX enhancements, GUI changes are often needed late in the development cycle—or even after deployment.
Smart embedded display solutions provide the flexibility that’s needed:
Theme-based visual design systems
Resource management for dynamic text, images, and animations
Support for OTA (Over-the-Air) or USB-based GUI updates
This ensures your product stays fresh and competitive, even post-launch.
3. Built-in Industrial Connectivity: CAN Bus, Modbus & More
For industrial and automation applications, connectivity is critical. Many smart embedded display modules built on STM32 or MPU offer native support for:
CAN/CAN-FD for real-time industrial control
Modbus (RTU/TCP) for PLC and sensor integration
RS-485/UART for legacy equipment compatibility
This makes it easy to integrate the display as a front-end HMI panel into existing factory or building systems—no external converters required.
The result is faster integration, simplified wiring, and robust communication in harsh environments.
4. Remote Access & IoT-Ready via Web Server
Modern systems increasingly demand remote access and monitoring. Many smart embedded display platforms support a lightweight embedded web server, providing:
Web-based dashboards accessible from PC, tablet, or smartphone
Remote diagnostics, firmware updates, and parameter tuning
Secure connectivity over Ethernet
This adds IoT functionality to your system with minimal effort, enabling remote control and cloud integration without additional gateways or external controllers.
5. Smarter Inventory Management
Maintaining separate part numbers for various display sizes or MCU configurations increases risk and complexity—especially in high-mix manufacturing environments.
Smart embedded display solutions address this by combining the MCU/MPU, display controller, flash memory, RAM and capacitive touch sensing into one cohesive module. This lets you standardise hardware across multiple products or variants and focus your differentiation at the software/UI level:
Reduced SKU count and BOM complexity
Streamlined procurement and stocking
Easier servicing and replacement in the field
6. Longevity and Supply Assurance
In industrial and medical markets, long product lifecycles are the norm. Your chosen components must be available – not just today, but for 10+ years to support serviceability and minimise redesigns.
STM32 and MPU-based smart embedded display solutions are backed by STMicroelectronics/NXP long-term supply commitment, ensuring availability and support for extended production runs. This is especially critical for OEMs operating in regulated or high-reliability sectors:
Secure long-term availability for product families
Reduced risk of unexpected EOLs (End-of-Life)
Simplified compliance and maintenance planning
Conclusion
STM32 and MPU Smart Embedded Display Solutions are a smarter choice. If you are building industrial, medical, or consumer products with a graphical interface, a smart embedded display solution can be the game-changer your team needs:
Simplified hardware design
Accelerated development with TouchGFX or Embedded Wizard
Seamless integration via CAN and Modbus
Remote monitoring via built-in web servers
Supply stability with long-term availability from ST
Inelco Hunter offers a wide range of STM32-based and MPU-based smart embedded display solutions, supporting screen sizes from 3.5 inches to 10.1 inches. Whether you’re building compact handheld devices or large-panel HMIs, these solutions scale with your needs – enabling faster development, easier integration, and a premium user experience.