Platform Architecture

This page explains how TelemetryOS is engineered to deliver predictable outcomes in the field. It’s written for technical leaders who need systems that keep playing through network blips, are simple to operate at scale, and remain flexible when business needs change.

Executive Summary

TelemetryOS is a vertically integrated stack: Node Pro hardware at the edge, a hardened operating system TelemetryOS Edge, a purpose‑built runtime (TOS Player), and a managed cloud control plane. Controlling these layers removes the brittle seams common in multi‑vendor solutions. The result is offline‑capable playback, consistent performance envelopes, and a Git‑to‑screen operational model that makes deployments routine rather than risky.

System Overview

At a high level, the cloud publishes content and applications; devices download, validate, and cache what they need ahead of time; and playback continues from local storage even when connectivity is intermittent. Health and proof‑of‑play data stream back to the cloud for monitoring and reporting. This division of labor—control in the cloud, execution at the edge—keeps the system fast, resilient, and manageable.

Layered Architecture

Edge

The device is opinionated about doing one thing well: play the right content on time and keep doing so regardless of network conditions. Devices pre‑fetch and verify assets before they are scheduled, run applications locally, and react to real‑world inputs (serial, GPIO, peripherals) without cloud round‑trips. If connectivity drops, playback continues from cache and state is reconciled when the link returns.

Operating System

TelemetryOS Edge is a minimal Linux distribution tuned for signage. It boots quickly, exposes only what’s necessary, and enforces a secure boot chain. Services responsible for updates, health reporting, and recovery are orchestrated so that the system returns to a known‑good state after power loss or failed updates. The goal is predictability: identical images, consistent behavior, minimal drift.

Runtime (TOS Player)

TOS Player separates responsibilities between the display surface, background work, and settings. Applications render with hardware acceleration, long‑running tasks execute out of band, and inter‑component messages are brokered through a hardened channel. This structure gives developers a clear model while protecting device stability through isolation and explicit permissions.

Cloud Platform (Managed PaaS)

The cloud is the control plane: it packages applications, orchestrates deployments, enforces policy, and provides a single place to understand fleet health. Publishing follows a Git‑to‑screen workflow with staged rollouts and one‑click rollback. Devices are treated as a fleet rather than one‑offs, so large changes remain boring on purpose.

Layer summary

Data and Content Flow

Teams author media, playlists, and applications in the dashboard or source control. Build and packaging steps validate assets before the platform distributes them via a global CDN. Devices fetch ahead of schedule changes, verify integrity, and commit content to a deterministic cache. Playback is driven locally; when dynamic data is available it augments the experience, and when it isn’t the experience remains intact. Telemetry returns continuously so operators can see what’s playing, where, and how it’s performing.

Security Posture

Security is layered and practical. Devices enforce a verified boot chain and encrypt stored secrets. All traffic is TLS 1.3 with certificate pinning. Applications are signed and sandboxed; the platform governs identity (SSO, RBAC), keys, and audit trails. Controls are mapped to SOC 2 practices and are designed to be lived with, not bypassed.

Performance and Scale

The TelemetryOS Edge targets fluent 4K playback, sub‑100ms responses to local inputs, and long offline windows measured in weeks, not minutes. The control plane is built for large fleets with fast APIs and multi‑region redundancy. Most importantly, optimizations like adaptive bitrate and predictive caching are automatic—operators don't micromanage bandwidth or schedule around it.

Integration Approach

Integrations meet you where you already work. REST and webhooks connect business systems to publishing workflows; MQTT and serial allow physical environments to drive on‑screen experiences in real time; and the SDK provides a safe, typed interface to device capabilities. The same platform that runs a playlist can run a data‑aware kiosk without changing foundations.

Deployment and Operations

Deployments favor safety. New versions are rolled out to a small slice of the fleet first, observed, and then promoted. If signals degrade, the platform rolls back quickly and cleanly. Operators get a single pane for device health, alerts, and proof‑of‑play, and governance controls ensure the right people can act while changes remain auditable.

Why Vertical Integration

Most failures in connected screens happen at the seams: different vendors for players, OS, runtime, and cloud rarely fail in compatible ways. By owning these layers, TelemetryOS reduces configuration drift, shortens incident resolution, and ships defaults that reflect signage realities—offline operation, quick recovery, and low operational overhead.

Conclusion

TelemetryOS combines an offline‑capable edge, a hardened operating system, a purpose‑built runtime, and a managed cloud control plane into a coherent whole. For teams, that coherence translates into fewer surprises in the field, simpler day‑to‑day operations, and a clear path from basic playlists to sophisticated, data‑driven experiences—all without re‑architecting.

Continue with the practical details in the companion guides: start with the Getting Started walkthrough, explore the SDK for custom experiences, or integrate workflows via the User API.