Install Embedded HMI on Windows Embedded device

Install the Embedded HMI runtime software on a Windows Embedded device in order to download and run projects on that device.

If Embedded HMI is pre-installed on your Windows Embedded device, you may skip this entire procedure. Many device manufacturers pre-install the software as part of a complete automation solution.

Before you begin this procedure, install the full AVEVA Edge software on your computer, because the program folder contains all of the redistributable files. For more information, see Install the full software.

The following items are required to install and run Embedded HMI:

• A Windows Embedded-compatible computer or device (hereafter called the target station);

• One of the following Windows Embedded operating systems:

  • Windows Embedded:

    • Windows 11 IoT Enterprise

      Note: The Mobile Access feature has additional web server installation requirements. For more information, see Mobile Access Installation.

• Minimum 1 GB available storage (hard drive or non-volatile);

• Minimum 512 MB available memory (RAM); and

• An Ethernet or Wi-Fi network adapter.

More storage and/or memory might be needed, depending on the size of your project.

The following items are optional but recommended:

• A USB port; and

• Serial COM ports and adapters, to be used for serial communication with PLCs and other devices.

  This is optional because many device protocols now use Ethernet communication (TCP or UDP) instead of serial communication.

Installing Embedded HMI is actually a two-part procedure. First, you will copy a utility program called Remote Agent to the target station; it lets you establish a connection between the project development environment and the target station. And then, through that connection, you will install the rest of the runtime files.

To install Embedded HMI on a Windows Embedded device:

1. Turn on the target station, and ensure it is connected to the same network as your computer.

   If Remote Agent is already installed on the target station and it runs automatically on startup, you can skip the next step.

2. Copy Remote Agent to the target station, and then run it:

   1. Locate the correct version of the Remote Agent program file (CEServer.exe) for the target station. All versions are stored in the program folder.

      Remote Agent for Windows Embedded is located at:

      C:\Program Files (x86)\AVEVA\AVEVA Edge2026\Redist\WinEmbedded\Bin\CEServer.exe

   2. Copy the Remote Agent program file to the target station, either by downloading it over the network connection or by transferring it on a removable storage device (such as a USB flash drive). You can save the file anywhere on the target station, as long as it is in persistent storage but not in the root folder.

   3. If you want Remote Agent to run automatically on startup, add it to the target station's list of startup items.

      The procedure to do this varies according to the version and configuration of Windows Embedded.

   4. Run Remote Agent, or restart the target station so that it runs automatically.

      The Remote Agent window is displayed.

   5. In the Remote Agent window, note the host name or IP address of the target station.

   6. Do not close the Remote Agent window.

      Remote Agent needs to be running in order for you to be able to connect to it.

3. Use the Remote Management tool to connect to the target station:

   1. On your computer, open the project development environment.

   2. On the ribbon, go to the Home tab.

   3. In the Remote Management group, select Connect.

      The Remote Management dialog box is displayed. Select the Target tab.

      

      

   4. In the Target Station group, type the host name or IP address of the target station in the Host box.

   5. Disable Use TLS. This feature is not used for Windows Embedded target stations.

   6. When the Connect button becomes active, select it to connect to the target station.

      When you are successfully connected to the target station, the connection status is shown in the Status box and the device specifications are shown in the Platform box.

      If you cannot connect to the target station, check both the connection settings and the physical network connections. In particular, check that port 4322 is open on any firewalls between your computer and the target station.

4. Install the rest of Embedded HMI on the target station: in the Remote Management dialog box, select Install runtime files.

   The Only newer files option is enabled by default to minimize the time required to install the files. If you want to reinstall all of the files (a clean install on the target station), clear the Only newer files option before selecting Install runtime files.

   When the installation is finished, the updated status of the target station is displayed in the Status box.

Once Embedded HMI is installed on the target station, you can download and run projects on it.

Keep in mind that some runtime features are not supported on the Embedded target platform, which includes Embedded HMI. Most of those unsupported features are automatically disabled when you change your project's target platform from Windows to Embedded, but some are not, so if you develop a project that uses those features and then try to run it on the target station, you might see unexpected behavior and possibly even serious errors during run time. You should always be aware of the differences between runtime editions as you develop your project. For more information, see About the software components.

Also, if you develop a project that uses the database gateway to connect to an external database (including AVEVA Historian) and then try to run that project on the target station, you might need to manually install the database gateway. For more information, see Manually install Studio Database Gateway.