[Interest] [Development] Windows 7 support will be dropped in Qt 6

[Jérôme Godbout]

This is exactly my point, that device is STILL on Qt3 because you don't want to go all over that certifications/testing just for changing a Qt versions. You can enchance it, but you will need to proof the changes impacts have been cover in testings and no risk have been added. Those system, nearly never get update libs or anything at large because you have to retests and recertify the whole thing. Just changing the model of an harddrive into a machine make a need to recertify. So those device will never care if the bleeding edge Qt doesn't support their platform. They are fixed with known version of differents libs that are known to be workign together and tested.

Those device are not using anything bleeding edge, so let alone runing any Windows 7 or Windows 10 with Qt6 in the near time. If anything into those domain start using Qt6 it will probably be a new design or a new version that will need to be certified all over again anyway, so the upgrade path is not there.

-----Original Message-----
From: Roland Hughes <roland at logikalsolutions.com> 
Sent: June 15, 2020 10:11 AM
To: Jérôme Godbout <godboutj at amotus.ca>; interest at qt-project.org; Thiago Macieira <thiago.macieira at intel.com>
Subject: Re: [Interest] [Development] Windows 7 support will be dropped in Qt 6

I seriously beg to differ.

In America "upgrades" and field patches have a completely different certification path than "shiny new device." What has to be certified is based on the extent of the changes and how well the FDA documentation is filled out.

That OS/2 Qt3 medical device I get an email about ever 18 months or so continues to get enhancements. Changing to even Qt for or Linux would push it to "shiny new device" depending on the assessed risk level.

A patient monitor like this one

https://www.welchallyn.com/en/products/categories/patient-monitoring/vital-signs-devices/connex-spot-monitor.html

Has a completely different risk level than say, an infusion pump.

I have worked on products that just added new features to existing lines. In America it happens all of the time.


On 6/15/20 8:33 AM, Jérôme Godbout wrote:
> I have work for medical devices for over 10 years and used Qt from 4.x to 5.8 (move out to IoT lately), designing system and software. Cie who do that, did it wrong, you have to ensure your software will run and you maintaint it, but in no way you will add any new features (you will need to certify again!). You keep a system images that can recreate the exact same output (OS, build tools, ...), you patch the bug that's all you should do. New features will be done into a new system that will need to be certify all over again.
>
> Upgrading to Qt6 for already certified devices is a no go, no matter what for them. This is totally irrelevent. You only upgrade tools and libs when you create a new system (version, design, etc) that will be certified again.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Interest <interest-bounces at qt-project.org> On Behalf Of Roland Hughes
> Sent: June 13, 2020 11:08 AM
> To: interest at qt-project.org; Thiago Macieira <thiago.macieira at intel.com>
> Subject: Re: [Interest] [Development] Windows 7 support will be dropped in Qt 6
>
> Medical devices are certified with their manufacturing process.
> Certification of something like a surgical robot can take 5+ years of clinical trials. That is _after_ you have done all of your internal development and cadaver trials.
>
> On 6/13/20 5:00 AM, interest-request at qt-project.org wrote:
>>> That's partially for their own peace of mind and stability, but along
>>> with that, many tool vendors take quite a while to certify their
>>> offerings, both hardware and software, which gives people another
>>> reason to stay behind.
>> More than two years?
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-- 
Roland Hughes, President
Logikal Solutions
(630)-205-1593

http://www.theminimumyouneedtoknow.com
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http://www.johnsmith-book.com
http://www.logikalblog.com
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