New on Embedded.com
Exclusives
Ken Grob, Elma Electronic Inc.
Developing and building systems using OpenVPX Profiles
Susanne Bornschlegl, MEN Mikro Elektronik
ANSI/VITA makes computer-on-modules mission-critical
Highlights
Taking the podium
Quirky chips
Quiet down out there!
Controlling network flow with the OpenFlow protocol
Underfill revisited: How a decades-old technique enables smaller, more durable PCBs
Editor's Note
The January/February issue of Embedded Systems Design Magazine has been published in print and digital form and the content is now available on line. It includes:
“Taking the podium“, by Colin Holland, the new Director of Content for the UBM Embedded franchise, inlcuding DESIGN West. He brings some fresh perspective to the scope and intent of UBM's new effort in San Jose, Ca., in March. His short pithy summary: “Design West is ESC on steroids . ”
“Quirky chips“, by Jack Ganssle, another installment in his history of the microprocessor, surveying some of the odd CPUs he has run into in past years;
“Quiet down out there!” by Jack Crenshaw, the third in a series of columns on noise and how to filter it out. As with previous installments, it is a technically challenging column, but worth making the effort for the insight offers.
“Controlling network flow with the OpenFlow protocol , ” by Daniel Proch, on a new network flow processing architecture which could fundamentally change the way the Internet operations are done.
“Underfill revisited , ” an article by Michael Yu and Syed Wasif Ali on how a how a decades-old technique enables smaller, more durable PCBs in consumer electronics and military/ aerospace, each of which present their own unique challenges. Complementing this article are two Embedded.com exclusives on new board standards from VITA that are breaking new ground: “Developing and building systems using OpenVPX Profiles, ” and “ANSI/VITA makes computer-on-modules mission-critical . ”
In addition to checking out the dozen or so important embedded system design news stories and product introductions also included here, take the time to visit “DesignCon Buzz “, and “EET DesignCon Coverage“, and read some of the continuing series of announcements rolling out of DesignCon 2012 this week.
Design How Tos
Developing and building systems using OpenVPX Profiles
Here is how systems can be implemented using the standard Profiles defined by OpenVPX and what you need to consider when weighing OpenVPX versus other existing legacy system interconnect standards.
Controlling network flow with the OpenFlow protocol
A new twist on network flow processing gives network administrators programmatic control of network flows to strategically place traffic where resources exist. Here's why you may be building the open-source specification OpenFlow (or similar protocol) into routers, switches, and other devices to realize the benefits of Software-Defined Networks.
Underfill revisited: How a decades-old technique enables smaller, more durable PCBs
A well-orchestrated PCB design and assembly plan is required to successfully implement techniques such as underfill in next generation OEM embedded consumer and mobile designs.
ANSI/VITA makes computer-on-modules mission-critical
While embedded system designers struggle to meet high demands in compact mobile or mission-critical computers, an ANSI/VITA standard takes computer-on-modules to new levels of rugged performance.
How to go about selecting a microcontroller
From time to time, I read articles about MCU selection. One in particular really got me thinking about the selection process…
Agile development of real-time systems
In this Product How-To Henk Muller of XMOS uses the company's dual Xcore architecture to illustrate his argument that given a predictable underlying processor architecture, agile development is very well suited to real-time software.
Managing test code provides flexibility
Software development in a dynamic analog R&D environment requires sophisticated project management to meet tough time challenges.
Basics of embedded firewalls – Part 1: Exploding the myths
Firewalls are a simple and effective tool for protecting embedded devices from Internet-based threats, yet most embedded devices do not have a firewall. This article discusses Internet-based threats for embedded devices and why a embedded devices need a firewall.
Embedded digital control facilitates adaptive power control strategies
Able to swap seamlessly between utility ac line and local battery backup power, the intermediate-bus architecture (IBA) that the telecoms industry has refined over decades to become cost-competitive with traditional offline-only sources is an attractive alternative for system architects needing high availability in a wide range of industries. New developments in areas such as intelligent power management strengthens the arguments in favor of the IBA.
Test mobile devices by emulating the radio channel
Emulating a radio channel's fading in the lab is essential for testing throughput in the multiple-antenna systems used in cellular LTE and IEEE 802.11ac devices.
Embedded Systems Bookshelf
Excerpts
Embedded Books Reading Room Bernard Cole's favorite links to book excerpts.
Reviews
Engineer's Bookshelf Airport fiction blows. A look at books other engineers are reading and why you should read them, too. Recommend and write a review yourself. E-mail Brian Fuller.
Jack Ganssle's Bookshelf A list of book reviews by Jack Ganssle, contributing technical editor of Embedded Systems Design and Embedded.com.
Max's Cool Beans Clive “Max” Maxfield, the editor on Programmable Logic DesignLine, often writes about interesting books.
Product News
Connect One's Nano WiReach and Nano Socket iWiFi modules bring WiFi to industries at 25% reduced cost
Connect One has launched commercial-grade versions of its Nano WiReach and Nano Socket iWiFi modules at a 25% cost reduction.
ST unveils industry-first car door controller IC with integrated window control
STMicroelectronics claims that their L99DZ80 car door controller IC is the market's first multi-functional door-zone driver with an integrated electric-window control.
AMC boards with highest speed TI DSPs target high-performance DSP and wireless apps
CommAgility's AMC-2C6678 and AMC-2C6670 DSP boards are now shipping with the fastest versions of the high-performance TMS320C6678 and TMS320C6670 digital signal processors (DSPs) from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI).
Strategic's low-cost i.MX283 COM targets fanless applications
Strategic Test has announced the tTX-28S, a new low-cost addition to its line of Freescale-based i.MX Computer-on-Modules (COMs).
Intelligent Power-on Built-In Test Solution for Kontron processor boards enables a complete system check with no learning curve
Kontron has announced the availability of the intelligent Power-on Built-in Test Solution Kontron PBIT on itsVPX/OpenVPX and VME processor boards which serves to improve the reliability, safety and security of mission critical installations.
New version of PLS Universal Debug Engine simplifies multicore control and debugging
PLS Universal Debug Engine (UDE) 3.2 features new functions for multicore control, unique visualization capabilities at system level, and dedicated support for a wide range of the latest 32-bit SoCs from different manufacturers.
RISC Computer-on-Module with ARM-based Cortex-A8 Series processor
Advantech's ROM-1210 Computer-on-Module (COM) integrates an ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz Freescale i.MX53 series and an ultra-low power SoC and intensive I/O solution chips.
News
EE Times’ Coverage of DesignCon
All the EE Times coverage of DesignCon 2012 from Santa Clara, Calif.
ARM tips ‘gods and giants’ roadmap
Processor and related IP licensor ARM Holdings plc has disclosed the names, but little else, on the roadmap of cores it is working on in 2012 and revealed a gods and giants theme. The roadmap includes high performance processors, a low power microcontroller and graphics cores.
Tilera appoints CEO, announces processors
Fabless chip company Tilera Corp. (San Jose, Calif.), has announced the immediately availability of 36- and 16-core 64-bit processors in its Tile-Gx series together with evaluation systems.
Intel samples Atom server SoC, snags Xeon win
Intel is sampling an Atom-based system-on chip for servers, a company executive said at a press conference announcing a new low-power system using one of its Xeon processors.
Samplify offers speed up for multicore processors
Samplify Systems Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.), a startup fabless chip company with expertise in compression, has announced it can provide application acceleration technology called APAX that can more than double the performance of multicore processors.
ARM sales, profits rise as partners gain market share
Processor technology licensor ARM Holdings plc exceeded expectations of revenue with a strong fourth quarter and full year 2011 that outperformed the semiconductor industry as a whole in terms of growth.
AMD’s CTO talks heterogeneous systems architecture
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