With network connections now everywhere, designers need easy ways to add interfaces to existing hardware For just $99, a new kit provides a simple method of adding Ethernet to a design. The NetBurner Eclipse Ethernet Development Kit offers a complete set of powerful developer hardware, software, and tools that enable rapid development of embedded network-enabled products.

The included NetBurner Mod5270 Ethernet Core Module features a 32-bit 147 MHz Freescale ColdFire processor with a 10/100 Ethernet port, 47 digital I/O lines, three UARTs, and 12C and SPI ports. The kit also includes NetBurner’s Eclipse Integrated Development Environment delivering time-saving features such as single-click compile and load capability, intellligent code completion, and integrated graphical debuger. This enables developers to interact with external devices by writing code in ANSE C/C++ within the Eclipse environment and compile and loat it into a NetBurner Ethernet Core Module in seconds.

Speaking of networking, often the performance of the network is only as good as the cable used. A quality cable can provide better signal integrity and span longer distances. A new solution for Double Data Rate (DDR) InfiniBand cables combines conductor technology with tiny active analog signal drivers to allow cables three times longer than previously possible.

GORE Extended Reach DDR CAble Assemblies utilize the patented self-equalizing GORE EYE-OPENER+ Conductor Technology combined with Q:Active ultra small low-power analog semiconductors from Quellan to deliver exceptional signal fidelity over longer distances in the smallest cross-sectional area. Fitting application needs in between passive copper and optical cables, these cables offer lower crosstalk, less latency, and increased airflow in sizes ranging from 24 to 30 gauge and lengths ranging from 5 to 50 meters.

With more and more compute power and software being designed into automotive environments, developers need better tools to get their complex ideas implemented and to market faster than ever. The AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture) specifications provide an open standard architecture for developing vehicular software, user interfaces, and management.

The Rhapsody AUTOSAR pack delivers an AUTOSAR modeling environment based on UML and SysML that allows users to capture AUTOSAR system models using AUTOSAR specific diagrams, notations, and terminology. This is achieved with five new AUTOSAR diagrams:

. Systems Diagram captures the overall. AUTOSAR system
. Software Component Diagram defines the software architecture
. Internal Behavior Diagram specifies the interface between the AUTOSAR System and standard
AUTOSAR Run-Time Environment with which it will integrate
. ECU Diagram defines the Electronic Controll Unit (ECU) types and their communication ports
. Topology diagram defines the physical topology or physical architecture of the system including all
the ECUs in the automobile and how they are connected.

Adding a USB hub and multiple ports to a system can be a bit of a challenge for designers. IPextreme and Cypress Semiconductor have teamed up to offer a low-power USB 2.0 hub core in an IP format for adding to third-party products using Cypress’ proven technology from the EZ-USB HX2LP and other products.

IPexteme’s USB20hub is configurable to accommodate two to seven ports. Customers can choose one transaction translator for all ports to minimize production cost or one transaction translator per port to maximize throughput. The USB20Hub design has very low power consumption and runs easily on USB bus power. Once implemented, the USB20Hub has externally configurable options such as the number of active ports, power management, port indicators, and remote wake-up. The USB20Hub IP core is fully synthesizable and comes packaged in an IPextreme XPack to maximize ease of integration through a simple IP configuration user interface with support for common EDA tools. The USB20Hub IP subsystem has received USB-IF compliance certification.

PCI Express is the de facto parallel bus of choice for many embedded designs. Custom I/O boards paired up with commercially available processor boards represent a large number of products. Developers of custom boards already have enough to worry about without letting thebus interconnect also become a point of design contention.

Kozio’s kDiagnostics products support testing the next generation of PCI Express peripherals, providing engineers with a tool to validate entire designs at the earliest prototype stages. Kozio supports multiple PCI Express links and provides testing of all memories, buses, and connected devices, including basic configuration testing, link protocol
testing, and transaction protocol testing, enabling a one-of-a-kind diagnostics solution for product developers in as little as two weeks.

Kozio, Inc.
www.kozio.com
kDiagnostics
RSC# 29962

Today, using FPGAs or ASICs provides the easiest way to add custom features to a microprocessor. Developers design the functions needed, then program the features into these additional
parts. Wouldn’t it be great if the microcode within the processor could be modified to create application-targeted microcode solutions for specific customer needs?

Freescale Semiconductor has introduced the Open QUICC Engine developer program for third-party developers and customers that want to optimize the communications functionality of applications
that leverage Freescale’s QUICC Engine technology. The program allows developers to customize Freescale microcode that runs on QUICC Engine technology to support industry-standard communications interfaces and protocols without having to add ASIC or FPGA devices to their applications. Customized microcode developed through the Open QUICC Engine program will be portable and scalable across QUICC Engine technology-based processor
platforms and applications.

Freescale Semiconductor
www.freescale.com/quiccengine
Open QUICC Engine
RSC# 30710

Imagine getting 32-bit microcontroller performance at the price of an 8- or 16-bit microcontroller. Now picture getting this same microcontroller within similar power budgets, one of the largest barriers to entry for 32-bit processors into 16-bit applications. Deeply embedded applications could have compute processing power only found in previously more expensive and power-hungry microcontrollers.

Luminary Micro, a fabless semiconductor company that designs, markets, and sells ARM Cortex-M3 processor-based microcontrollers, is the first to bring embedded developers ARM for
$1. Their Stellaris family of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) offers features such as an analog-to-digital converter and a sophisticated motion control unit, as well as large on-chip memories. The entire
Stellaris line of MCUs brings high-performance 32-bit computing to embedded microcontroller applications at a cost equivalent to legacy 8- and 16-bit devices. All of the Stellaris MCUs are targeted
at embedded and industrial applications, such as building and home automation, factory automation, motor control, and industrial power control devices.

Luminary Micro
www.LuminaryMicro.com
Stellaris MCUs
RSC# 30712

MultiWise Connector provides a new dynamic to satisfy the need for increased power density in small spaces. Configurations utilizing pins, contacts, and blades allow greater simplicity and flexibility in designs by offering engineers more options for lowering contact resistance while maintaining the necessary power/signal mix • OEM design engineers once restricted to packaging multiple connectors and circuitry together in an assembly can now combine the required connector features and circuitry together on one MultiWise Connector • With the introduction of blade pins, designers can take advantage of greater conductivity available in more rugged copper and brass alloy blades • Because these materials carry more current, the MultiWise Connector frees up precious space for additional components. Moreover, Onanon’s manufacturing processes can place SMT devices such as decoupling capacitors, resistors, and ICs directly on the connector.

It’s hard to imagine it has been 10 years since Microsoft announced an embedded Windows strategy at the last Las Vegas COMEX. it was not clear at the time what might result from the news and everyone was skeptical of Microsoft, but today the strategy is well established and many embedded applications now use either Embedded Windows or Windows CE. The latest announcement regarding Windows CE 6.0 further establishes Microsoft’s position in the embedded computing industry.

In conjunction with the 10-year anniversary of Windows Embedded, 100 percent of the Windows Embedded CE 6.0 kernel is now available through the Microsoft Shared Source program. By providing access to certain parts of the Windows Embedded CE source code such as the file systems, device drivers, and other core components, embedded developers can choose the code they need, compile it, and build their own unique operating systems, quickly bringing their devices to market.

Windows Embedded CE 6.0 boasts a reengineered kernel with capabilities such as capacity for 32,000 simultaneous processes and 2 GB of virtual memory address space per process while maintaining the software’s real-time capabilities. This enables developers to incorporate more robust applications into more intelligent, complex devices used on the road, at work, and in the home.

Does your embedded application involve significant decision-making capability? Expert systems based on rules can be more appropriate than a compute-intensive algorithm. Rules engines have been around for many years, yet they have not truly established themselves in embedded applications. However, for many embedded applications, a rules engine is the way to go. Jess 7.0, a rule engine created by Sandia National Laboratories that enables software developers to embed intelligence in the form of business rules directly into their Java applications, is now available for licensing.

“Programming with rules allows software to express real-world conceptsiin a natural expressive way that helps business and IT says Craig Smith, software licensing.

Among Jess’ new features is an integrated Development Environment (IDE) for rules that increases programmer productivity and enhances collaboration. The IDE is based on the Eclipse platform and features tools for creating, editing, visualizing, monitoring, and debugging rules. Sandia offers Jess licenses to commercial, academic, and government institutions.

Systems-on-chip (SOCs) often have a significant impact on the bill-of-material cost for embedded designs. Complete subsystems, components and boards can be replaced with an SoC that has the required functionality integrated into the chip.

The Connect One iChipSec C02 128 is a secure IP communication controller chip that reduces the cost and speeds the design of new IP-enabled Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminals. The chip also includes many hardware enhancements that ensure high throughput by offloading IP and network security protocols from the hose processor.

The C)2128’s integrated ARM7 core processor, RTOS, security and networking protocal stack ensure efficient and secure high-speed transaction processing. For high bandwidth applications like video streaming, C02128’s high-speed parallel interface supports 32 Mbps with UDP/IP hardware acceleration. Data encryption/decryption also is accelerated in hardware, which reduces SSL3 transaction processing. The C02128 includes a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet media access controller and USB v2.0 full-speed host and device interfaces, enabling the use of the newest Wi-Fi chipsets and other USB peripherals.

iChipSec can act as a router among LAN, Wi-Fi, and modem platforms, as it includes a network address translation and port-forwarding functionality. This allows a payment terminal to serve as an access point or gateway for other terminals connected to it. helping to reduce infrastructure cost and enhance network security.