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Highlights of this issue include new product releases from Direct
Insight, Eurotech, Express Logic and NXP Semiconductors; design
features on embedded debugging tools and single-board RIO modules;
embedded computing-related design ideas; the announcement of
Embedded World Conference 2009 and HiPEAC 2009; and an overview
of the 2008 Embedded Market Study and Europe’s industrial research
in microcomputers.
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Direct Insight unveils SwiftModule
Direct Insight has announced SwiftModule, a production-ready
platform optimised for Windows Embedded CE 6.0. This ultra-low-power
module is suitable for a wide range of embedded system based
products, including GPS location systems, industrial controllers,
instruments, medical systems and handheld devices. A wide range
of interfaces are implemented on the module that include Ethernet,
USB, LCD controller, touch, audio, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, RS232 and
SD Card.
Click
here
Eurotech unveils PROTEUS single board computer
Eurotech has released the PROTEUS single board computer. PROTEUS
is available in two configurations, allowing it to be deployed
either as a stand-alone device, or as a COM Express module.
In either version, PROTEUS offers all the benefits of Intels'
embedded Atom processor, at a fraction of power previously needed
for comparable systems. The product features soldered RAM and
Flash memory coupled to the low heat generation of the Atom
processor, and a rugged, fanless package.
Click
here
Commercial RTOS integration of Multicore Communications API
Express Logic and PolyCore Software have announced the commercial
RTOS integration of the Multicore Association’s recently released
Multicore Communications API (MCAPI) specification. MCAPI provides
an implementation agnostic API for multicore systems communication.
PolyCore Software’s Poly-Messenger/MCAPI is a communications
framework simplifying multicore communication. Express Logic’s
ThreadX RTOS is a small, fast real-time operating system for
embedded applications.
Click
here
ARM Cortex-M3 microcontrollers
NXP Semiconductors has introduced the LPC1700 series, a fast
MCU (microcontroller) family. The operating speed up to 100MHz
allows these MCUs to operate the high-bandwidth communications
peripherals such as Ethernet, USB On-The-Go/Host/Device, and
CAN simultaneously without bottlenecks. The LPC1700, based on
the new Cortex-M3 Revision 2 core, adds tightly integrated power
control, including a Wake-up Interrupt Controller (WIC) that
allows for efficient entry into and exit from lowest power sleep
states.
Click
here
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Shedding light on embedded debugging
Text: For each year of Embedded Systems Design’s annual market
survey of embedded-system developers, the single most requested
area of improvement for design activities is debugging tools.
The percentage of respondents making this request has remained
steady at around 32% throughout the three years of the survey.
In contrast, the percentage of respondents seeking improved
programming tools has dropped from a high of 25% to 10%.
Click
here
Module targets embedded system design
Building on its popular FPGA-based PXI (PCI extensions for instrumentation),
PC, and Compact- RIO (reconfigurable input/ output) platforms,
National Instruments has announced a new line of single-board
RIO modules that offers a lower-cost, integrated-hardware option
for embedded control and data-acquisition applications. The
RIO- 96xx devices combine a real-time embedded processor, a
reconfigurable FPGA, and analog and digital I/O on an 8.2 5.6-in.
PCB (printed-circuit board).
Click
here
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Silicon simplifies embedded-system security
As the increase in cloning and intellectual-property theft demonstrates,
securing embedded systems from hackers is rapidly becoming a
necessity for many organisations. Dedicated hardware greatly
simplifies this difficult task. In last month’s edition of EDN
Europe, Steve Robinson introduced many of the cryptographic
techniques currently in use and described methods of implementing
security algorithms on commonly available microcontrollers in
software. From his analysis, it is clear that developing your
own security regime is a nontrivial task that many engineers
will find challenging.
Click
here
Shrinking standards squeeze embedded designs
As new embedded designs mix highly integrated silicon, portable
platforms, and soaring data rates, the industry is adopting
smaller form factors that emphasize cooling, reliability, and
performance. Continued pressure to reduce the size of industrial,
medical, consumer, and other space critical applications has
sparked a new wave of embedded computing platforms with extremely
small form factors. Employing both open standards and proprietary
designs, these new platforms give system designers a growing
selection of off-the-shelf computing and peripheral modules
to simplify size-constrained applications.
Click
here
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4|
Events |
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Embedded
World Conference 2009
The embedded world Conference is scheduled from March 03 to
March 05, 2009 in Nuremberg, Germany. The embedded world Exhibition
& Conference is a meeting-place of the international embedded
community. Embedded technologies are in action everywhere -
whether in the car, data and telecommunication systems, industrial
and consumer electronics, military systems or aerospace.
Click
here
HiPEAC 2009
The 4th International HiPEAC Conference on high performance
and embedded architectures and compilers will be held on January
25-28, 2009 at Paphos, Cyprus. The HiPEAC conference provides
a high quality forum for computer architects and compiler builders
working in the field of high performance computer architecture
and compilation for embedded systems, but is also open to general
purpose research which is becoming increasingly relevant to
the embedded domain.
Click
here
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5|
Research & Analysis |
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Europe
speeds up industrial research in Micro-Computers
The European Commission launched last week a major Joint Technology
Initiative (JTI) called ARTEMIS. With an investment of € 2.5
billion, this initiative, which has been endorsed by the Council
of Ministers and by the European Parliament at the end of 2007,
addresses embedded computer systems that – while running almost
unnoticed by users – improve the performance of all kinds of
machines: from cars, planes and phones, to factories, washing
machines and televisions.
Click
here
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Business Information.
EPN and EDN Europe are members of the Reed Electronics Group
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