Workstation Client
Overview
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The Workstation Client is a desktop application designed to connect client
computer peripheral devices. It enables the modeling of Mendix web
applications interacting with local devices of a PC on client-side. Example of
peripheral devices are smartcard readers, barcode scanners, label printers,
measurement devices (e.g. industrial scale) or smart tools (e.g. torque
driver) that are connected to the client computer via USB port, serial port,
TCP/IP, Bluetooth Low Energy or the local file system.
By design, web browsers cannot access local resources of a client computer.
With Mendix Workstation Client, a Mendix web application can interact with
local peripherals using Nanoflows. The Workstation Client runs on the client
computer, acting as proxy between the Mendix Web Client Runtime and the client
computer local resources in a secure way.
Mendix Workstation Client is complementing Mendix' Artificial Intelligence and
Integration capabilities, enabling Mendix developer to create even smarter
apps for manufacturing operators that are adapted to the operator needs.
Build low-latency, hands-of-the-wheel Mendix applications that do not require
frequent use of the computer keyboard or mouse. Instead, users can focus on
operating the peripheral devices to capture data, trigger events, or inform.
Communication with peripheral devices happens with low response time and
without a detour to the Mx runtime server. The peripheral raw data are
processed locally, saving network resources and leading to low latency.
This package of Workstation Client is an installer for all users of a Windows
computer. It requires administrator rights.
Use the Windows Portable package if you don't have administrator rights.
Use the Linux ARM64 package for Linux Single Board Computer like Raspberry PI.
Use the macOS package for Apple silicon.
The Workstation Client is used in combination with the Workstation Management
and the Workstation Connector.
The Workstation Connector requires Mendix Studio Pro 9.24.11 or higher
versions.
Mendix Workstation Client is available for all Mendix users for development
use.
Since version 4.0.0, Mendix Workstation is Generally Available. For production use, a Mendix Workstation Client license is required for each station used, that is, each station that has been connected to at least one app within the current day. For more information about monitoring station usage, see Monitoring Mendix Workstation.
Documentation
Please see the documentation on Mendix Docs.
Releases
New Features
- Client diagnostics - The Workstation Client now provides its diagnostics to Workstation Management.
- Camera devices - We added support for USB cameras and webcams, including barcode and motion detection.
- Device testing - We added a test view to the Workstation Client to test devices directly on the computer, like the Test Your Station page in Workstation Management.
Improvements
- Credential storage - The Workstation Client now encrypts its API key at rest with the secret store of the operating system. Existing API keys are encrypted automatically after the upgrade. This has the following implications:
- Potentially breaking change - The Workstation Client now requires a secret store of the operating system and does not start without it. On Linux, ensure that a keyring is available.
- In some scenarios, such as copying the configuration folder to another computer or downgrading the Client, the Workstation Client must be registered again.
- Credential storage - The Workstation Client now encrypts its API key at rest with the secret store of the operating system. Existing API keys are encrypted automatically after the upgrade. This has the following implications:
Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue with the mapping of the keyboard layouts that resulted in wrong interpretation of keyboard inputs
New features
- Keyboard wedge connector allows to get on event message from input devices sending data as keyboard keystrokes wherever the current focus is, in the web app, in input field, or somewhere else.
Improvements
- Registering a computer now prevents accidental double submissions and shows a "Registering..." indicator while the request is in progress.
New Features
- Improved client reporting - The client now sends detailed installation information (Client Type) to the Management system, providing better visibility into your deployment.
- Consistent device states - We have refactored how devices are managed to ensure they consistently report their status as available, connected, or in an error state.
Improvements
- Enhanced Bluetooth reliability - Bluetooth devices now actively scan (poll) for status updates, and peripherals not seen within 30 seconds are automatically marked as unavailable. Connect can now be aborted through disconnecting. Disconnects are no longer marked as an error. Scanning state and seen devices are now visible in diagnostics.
- Card reader - Card connection failure no longer results in an error and make the device unusable.
- Improved printer status - Printers now actively poll to keep their availability status up-to-date.
- Serial device polling - Serial devices now poll for status whenever a device is not connected, ensuring you always have the latest availability information. Disconnects are no longer marked as error.
- TCP client validation - TCP client connections now include a 10-second timeout, can be aborted through disconnecting, and include validation to ensure the host and port are correctly configured.
- Configuration warnings - The system now provides warnings if it detects potentially incorrect serial or TCP delimiter configurations, helping you avoid setup issues.
GA version - no breaking changes
New features
- Anonymized Client ID Reporting – The Workstation Client now generates and sends an anonymized Client ID, derived from the machine's hardware/OS identifier, to the Management server. This enables more accurate and privacy-conscious usage metrics.
- Single WebSocket Connection for Multiple Devices – The Workstation Client can now connect to multiple devices over a single WebSocket connection, improving efficiency and reducing overhead.
- New SendDeviceRequest API Support – The client now supports the new SendDeviceRequest API, allowing for more direct and streamlined communication with devices.
- PDF Printing Support (Windows) – We've added support for PDF printing on Windows Workstation Clients, expanding your printing capabilities.
Bug Fixes
- Serial/TCP-IP Encoding Fix – Fixed issues with non-UTF-8 delimiter/suffix encoding in serial, TCP-IP client, and TCP-IP server devices, ensuring reliable data transmission.
New Features
- Printer Device Support – The Workstation Client now fully supports the new printer device type. This means your Workstation Clients can seamlessly interact with configured printers.
- Note: Only raw text and label printers are supported in the current version.
- New Diagnostics Page – A new Diagnostics page is available on the Client (when developer mode is enabled). This page displays crucial information like available printers, serial ports, card readers, credentials, station configuration, system info, and log levels, making troubleshooting much easier.
- Serial Device Detection by pnpId – The client now supports detecting serial devices using their pnpId. This enhances the reliability of connecting to serial devices, especially in environments where port assignments might change.
Fixes
- Studio Pro Login Blocked – Fixed an issue where the client blocked sign-in to Studio Pro when six or more devices were configured, due to an overlap in port usage. Studio Pro users can now sign in without issues, regardless of the number of configured devices.
New Features
- Automatic Client startup: The Workstation Client application now automatically launches silently in the background when your system starts up. This ensures your workstations are always ready to go without needing manual intervention after a reboot.
- Smart Serial Device finder: The client can now use the Friendly Name, Serial Number, or Manufacturer to find and connect to serial devices. This means your client can reliably connect to the right device even if its assigned port changes.
Improvements
- Granular configuration change response: The client now handles configuration changes more smoothly and with less downtime. This means your stations will experience fewer interruptions and apply new settings more efficiently.
- Minor Bluetooth Fixes: Addressed minor issues within the Bluetooth functionality, including improved handling of Bluetooth protocol errors to prevent unexpected behavior.
- Prevent Crash on Windows Movement: Fixed a crash that could occur during window movement if the client configuration was not writable, improving application stability.
- Updated Smart Card Reader Dependencies: We've updated the underlying dependencies for the smart card reader functionality, enhancing stability and compatibility.
Fixes
- Robust remote deregistration error handling: We have fixed an issue where an uncaught error pop-up could occasionally appear if Workstation Management crashed immediately after a remote deregistration of a station. This ensures a more stable and resilient client experience.
New Features
- Automatic client reset on deregistration: To ensure a clean slate and seamless management, the client now automatically resets itself when it is deregistered from Workstation Management.
- Improved handling of unknown computer status: When a computer is not matched to an available station, the client now displays a Waiting message, indicating that the system is awaiting configuration.
Fixes
- Uninstallation cleanup: We have resolved an issue where the Mendix Workstation folder was not being completely removed during uninstallation. This fix ensures a cleaner uninstallation process.
- Error handling for bulk registration: We have fixed an error that occurred when attempting to bulk re-register an unassigned station from PowerShell, leading to a more robust registration experience.
- Special character display in license agreements: We have fixed an issue that caused special characters to display incorrectly within the license agreement. All text is now rendered accurately.
- Flexible BLE characteristic matching: We have resolved an issue where BLE characteristics and services were case-sensitive and did not accept standard UUID formats. Now, BLE characteristics can be specified in uppercase and can contain dashes, providing greater flexibility and compatibility. For example, EF680301-9B35-4933-9B10-52FFA9740042 will now be correctly recognized.