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New on Embedded.com
Exclusives
Vikas Varshney, Texas Instruments
Non-intrusive debug & performance optimization for multicore systems
David Kalinsky
Is lock-free programming practical for multicore?
Issue Highlights
Multiprocessing in your future
Scoping out new scopes
The purpose-driven CPU: Multiple tasks in Carrier Ethernet
Editor's Note
The contents of the April issue of ESD Magazine are now available online at Embedded.com and includes the following must-read articles and columns:
“Is lock-free programming practical for multicore?” by David Kalinsky
“Multiprocessing in the future,” by Ron Wilson
“Scoping out scopes,” by Jack Ganssle
“Dealing with the minutiae of fingerprint analysis” by TI’s Wen Li and Gurrapu
In this issue of the Embedded.com newsletter are links to design articles on: designing with multicore, carrier Ethernet CPU design, designing LED systems with 8 bit MCUs, safety-critical embedded systems, designing mobile navigation systems with FPGAs, and embedded memory design. If you are interested in learning more about these topics, be sure to register for the Spring ESC, May 2-4 and sign up for one of the following conference tracks:
HMI and multimedia
Programming for storage, I/O and networking
Microcontrollers in embedded designs
Safety Design
Programmable logic in embedded designs
Embedded Memory Design
If multicore design is at the top of your agenda, be sure to attend the Multicore Expo held in collaboration with ESC and sign up for some of the classes.
A last note : The big news this week is TI’s acquisition of National Semi for $6.5 billion. For an analysis of what this means read “TI-National deal a smart use of cash.” For some personal perspective on National Semiconductor’s role in the short history of the electronics industry read my Cole /bin column “Having serious fun at National Semiconductor.”
Bernard Cole
Site Editor, Embedded.com
(928) 525-9087
Design How Tos
Non-intrusive debug & performance optimization for multicore systems
While efficiently partitioned and bug-free software on multiple cores is crucial for taking full advantage of their power, debugging of such systems adds more complexity due to vanishing accessibility of the sub-system interfaces, buses and concurrency, requiring the use of advanced system trace technology.
Dealing with the minutiae of fingerprint analysis
Fingerprint analysis involves using fingerprint sensors and sophisticated DSP-based image-processing algorithms. Here's a description of the minutiae-based system for fingerprint analysis.
Is lock-free programming practical for multicore?
In a multicore environment, you can do resource sharing efficiently without locks, but there are some caveats.
Overcoming the challenges of multicore software development
Multicore processors are increasingly getting deployed in a vast majority of applications, making it important that developers realize the challenges associated with designing, developing, debugging and deploying the software on such devices.
The purpose-driven CPU: Multiple tasks in Carrier Ethernet
Service providers know that some functions offered by network equipment providers will be upgraded in silicon. The strategy followed by a semiconductor provider of distributing network intelligence and making devices in an Ethernet portfolio ready for advanced services, allows for future-proof network nodes from switch-routers to backhaul equipment.
Multicore architectures efficiently enhance automotive body electronics
The increasing use of electronics in automobiles faces hurdles as the continuing need for more performance confronts the reality of the power required to achieve that performance.
Is it time for another look at how we build safety-critical embedded systems?
This article discusses the repercussions of embedded software failure within such industrial segments as automotive, medical and mil/aero, looks at examples of erroneous code to look out for when looking for defects, and the different initiatives that drive software safety benchmarks such as DO-178B, FDA, and MISRA.
8-bit MCUs provide cost effective, efficient high-brightness LED control
High-brightness LEDs are rapidly gaining popularity in the automotive, consumer, and industrial markets. But controlling luminosity efficiently and reliably is not an easy task—power stage efficiency, thermal design, and EMC are some of the most critical design challenges.
Revolutionizing automotive HMI design through capacitive sensing
Capacitive touchscreens, enabling multiple-finger recognition, gesture decoding, superior light transparency and increased sensitivity are fast becoming the automotive human-machine interface of choice.
MicroBlaze hosts mobile multisensor navigation system
Researchers used Xilinx's soft-core processor to develop an integrated navigation solution that works in places where GPS doesn't.
Attofarad accuracy for high-performance memory design
In this article, Mentor Graphics Corp. explains that new parasitic extraction technology can eliminate guardbanding for memory designs
A look at 1588v2 and Synchronous Ethernet in mobile backhaul networks
A public demonstration of 1588v2 performance validation was featured at Mobile World Congress while Ixia test equipment was used to benchmark the performance of Alcatel-Lucent's 7705 Service Aggregation Router, verify its ability to maintain clock synchronization, and traffic forwarding under traffic load and highly scaled network conditions.
ESC Silicon Valley May 2–5 2011
Spring is here and ESC Silicon Valley 2011 opens just five weeks from today, on Monday, May 2, 2011, at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. This year's event promises to be both entertaining and educational, with a keynote by Apple co-founder (and self-proclaimed embedded systems designer) Steve Wozniak as well as technical training from these popular speakers:
–Jack Ganssle on Managing Firmware Projects and Mars Ate My Spacecraft
–W illiam Gatliff jumpstarts Android and Embedded Linux
–James Grenning demonstrates Agile and Test Driven Development
–Dan Saks debunks C++ Myths and shows how to Refactor C into C++
–Check out the full program.
This year ESC is also co-located with the Multicore Expo and TI Technology Day .
The early registration discount has been extended until Friday, April 8th for 4 day and all Access passes.
We are rolling back the Early Bird registration discount plus your 20% Alumni discount for one week only until Friday, April 8th for 4 day and all Access passes—up to $1,039 savings*.
Use Promo Code: EMBNL to get access to Early Bird pricing on 4 Day and All Access passes plus save an additional 20% 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 here.
Invite your colleagues! Group discounts are available.
*$1,039 savings off the on-site price for an All Access Pass. Includes 20% Promo and Early Bird pricing discount if registration is complete by April 8th, 2011.
Product News
Large diameter high temperature solder-in EMI filters
Large diameter high temperature solder-in EMI filters Spectrum Advanced Specialty Products added a high temperature version to its solder-in filter product line of 10.16mm (0.400″) diameter mounting EMI filters, with a construction able to withstand 300°C.
Infrared detector arrays provide 25% boost in measurement stability
Cal Sensors' latest line of infrared detectors features a 256-element array, providing sensitivity in the 1.0 to 5.5 μm wavelength region.
Altos boosts IP characterization throughput by 2-3X
Altos Design Automation, Inc. has introduced new versions of its IP characterization products, namely Liberate and Variety, which improve throughput by a factor of 2-3X.
Analog front end MCU eases anti-tampering in meter design
Driven partially by the demand seen most frequently in Asia to separate the analog front end control from the microcontroller used in metering applications, Texas Instruments has developed the MSP430AFE2xx series. The company has also introduced an Energy Library of software tools to ease metering design.
Atmel's integrated gate driver ICs for automotive BLDC motor-control apps tout 200°C chip temp
The ATA6843 and ATA6844 devices from Atmel Corporation are highly-integrated gate driver ICs designed for 3-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motor control applications, including turbo chargers, waste gates, EGR, pumps, fans, power window, power doors and power seats.
New low-cost VaultIC100 chip from INSIDE Secure prot
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