Tech Focus: Putting Android to work at the 2011 ESC

HIGHLIGHTS

Android at ESC 2011: Deja vu all over again?

Android Beyond the Phone – A Progress Report

Differentiating your Android-based embedded device

Android, Linux & Real-time Development for Embedded Systems

Editor's Note

Bernard Cole Site Editor Embedded.com

The majority of the 200 plus classes and events at the 2011 Embedded Systems Conference this week in San Jose are related to using traditional embedded OSes, tools, and hardware. But they share the stage with a new player: Google’s open source, Linux-based Android development platform.

Numerous classes are available on how to develop apps for Android-powered smartphones as well as on how to use and adapt Android for more traditional embedded systems designs. Some of the relevant classes include:

Android jumpstart
Android vs. Meego
Android in an hour
Differentiate your Android
Your Android Multicore strategy
Using and leveraging Android’s sensors

There is a special open source/Linux/Android class track, and at the TI Technology Day on Tuesday there are sessions on mobile development with Android and Linux. Finally, there are several company Sponsored Sessions on the same topics.

Below are recent Android and related open-source design articles, white papers, and online classes. My Editor’s Tip Picks are:

Android, Linux & Real-time Development for Embedded Systems
Fundamentals of Google Android
Android beyond the phone

If you can't make it to ESC, you can watch our live programming online. From Tuesday May 3 to Thursday May 5, we’re providing live-streaming broadcast segments from the show floor on our UStream channel. Here’s a link to the latest broadcast schedule.

Design How Tos

Differentiating your Android-based embedded device

In this Product How-To article, Mentor Graphics' Philip Burr provides a few tips to developers who want the low development cost that the Android standard provides, but want to differentiate their designs from competitive devices using the same platform.

Android, Linux & Real-time Development for Embedded Systems

Colin Walls of Mentor Graphics provides a quicky look at the Android Mobile OS and Linux and their use in a wide range of embedded applications, its architecture, how apps are developed and the deployment of Android on a variety of multicore based devices.

Android-based platforms–Four important tips for UI development

Android is available. What now? How do I maximize user experience by focusing on UI development? Here are four important tips.

Teach yourself Android application development–Part I

Here's an excerpt from Sam's Teach Yourself Android Application Development in 24 Hours. Representing Hour 1, this segment of the two-part series covers a brief history of the Android platform, a quick overview of Eclipse, and creating Android projects.

The promises–and pitfalls–of open mobile platforms

This article covers the relative strengths of open source mobile technology, the barriers, and how the entire mobile community needs to adopt a holistic approach to allow the open source mobile revolution to realize its greatest potential.

Open source in consumer electronics: What, why and how

This article looks at the motives behind open source, explains where open source is (and isn't) succeeding, and reveals Texas Instruments' thinking on Linux and the Open Handset Alliance (OHA).

Adapting UI designs to multiple embedded/mobile device display needs

The key elements and approaches needed to build user interfaces to meet the varying display requirements of mobile devices and any embedded system with a display and GUI.

Validate hardware/software for nextgen mobile/consumer apps using software-on-chip system development tools

A new breed of mobile smartphone platforms and embedded consumer devices is now emerging requiring applications software and extensions that go far beyond just enabling user-level software customization

Under the Hood: Android dreams, GooglePhone delivers

People are talking about smartphones again: This time it's the T-Mobile G1, a distinctly un-Apple, un-iPhone-like slider. But, is the new “GooglePhone” a true revolution, or creative re-use?

Inside the Samsung Galaxy Tab: Taking on the iPad

We look at the design choices Samsung made for the Galaxy Tab, which packs features designed to give Apple's iPad real competition.

Beer and Boards Training

It's less than a month now until ESC Silicon Valley 2011 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California and we are getting fired up about all the great hands-on educational opportunities. We are especially excited about the just-announced Beer and Boards training available for All Access pass holders!

Pick one of the development kits to take home: 

•   Texas Instruments CC2540DK-MINI Development Kit
•   XL_STAR complete MCU development environment
•   Avnet Spartan-6 LX9 MicroBoard
•   Freescale Semiconductor: TOWER SYSTEM KIT K60N512

Info on each board is here:
http://esc.eetimes.com/siliconvalley/boards_beer?cid=EET_BNBPV

Then attend a gathering and meet with the board's designers, where you will learn about the kit and share a few beers. Development kit supplies are only available to All Access Pass Holders—so make sure you register now, quantities are limited.

Register Online:  https://esc.embedded.com/sv/2011?cid=EET_BNBPV

Here are some additional the other hands-on training courses at this years conference:
•   Hands-on TCP/IP Half-Day Tutorial
•   Capacitive Touch Workshop
•   Hands-on with USB/I2C/SPI Protocol
•   Check out the full program
•   You can also interact with industry experts, such as Jack Ganssle, at Shop Talks.

Use Promo Code: “Beer&Boards ” for and additional 20% discount* and be entered to win a free seat
at Embedded Software Boot Camp or one of twenty copies of the Embedded C Coding Standard book.
Register Online:  https://esc.embedded.com/sv/2011?cid=EET_BNBPV

Products

Android platforms gets support from TRACE32 debugger

Lauterbach GmbH (H�henkirchen-Siegertsbrunn, Germany) has added support for debugging and profiling of the Android platform to its TRACE32 in-circuit debugger.

SYSGO's SSV RTOS PikeOS offers Android Personality

SYSGO has announced that its Safe and Secure Virtualization (SSV) product PikeOS now supports the Android operating system as a guest OS, or 'Personality'. PikeOS technology enables Android apps to run concurrently with other executive environments having more real-time, safety and/or security constraints on the same hardware device, and allows strict partitioning between critical and non-critical applications.

Open NFC 4.2 brings true NFC hardware independence to Google Android 2.3

Open NFC version 4.2 from INSIDE Secure is the first hardware-independent, open-source NFC protocol stack for Google Android 2.3. Open NFC simplifies interoperability and provides the NFC ecosystem with a consistent NFC application programming interface (API) and functionality. It offers chip vendors, smartphone manufacturers, wireless carriers and software developers a way to implement NFC independently of the underlying NFC hardware, important as Gingerbread is adopted for use in a broad range of mobile products around the world.

Synopsys supports Android on ARC processor

EDA software and IP licensor Synopsys Inc. has announced that the Froyo 2.2 version of the Android operating system is supported on the ARC 750D configurable processor core.

Startup offers FAT32 for Android, Linux

Tuxera Inc., a provider of computer files systems that are compatible with the Windows operating system, has announced a GPL-compliant FAT32 replacement package for Android- and Linux-based systems.

Mentor offers UI maker for Android

EDA and embedded software vendor Mentor Graphics Corp. has announced the availability of user interface development kit for the Android operating system comprising graphics and user interface creation tool.

Electric Cloud adds tools for Android

Enhancements to Electric Cloud's ElectricCommander and ElectricAccelerator aim at improving the software build-test-deploy process for teams developing Android devices

Enabling native applications of Linux and Android for ARM-based systems

ARM Development Studio 5 (DS-5) Application Edition is now generally available following a four-month trial period. The software development suite was created to simplify the development of Linux and Android native applications for ARM-based systems, is available for use in commercial software development.

QuickLogic introduces VEE Apps Builder for Android

QuickLogic's customizable VEE Apps Builder Android application facilitates mobile product differentiation by offering a better viewing experience and longer battery life.

Getting FAST about Android software testing

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