From kindergarten to Kickstarter

Resurgence of the Do It Yourself (DIY) community has driven a range of open networking platforms, giving aspiring technologists cheap and easy access to embedded development. Outside of hobbyist toys and educational devices, however, “hacker” boards are increasing performance and I/O flexibility, and have become viable options for professional product development.

MinnowBoard is an Intel Atom-based platform equipped with interfaces like SATA, Gigabit Ethernet, and PCI Express, and is suited for applications such as Networking Attached Storage (NAS) and Network security, Garman says (Figure 3). “Professional embedded developers working on commercial products will like the fact that the MinnowBoard is open hardware, and can be customized without having to sign any Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs),” he adds.

refer to:
http://embedded-computing.com/articles/diy-pushes-open-hardware-kindergarten-kickstarter/

IT Technology for industrial controls

With that said, the controls world is going to be moving with anautomation that has a definite consumer bias, with product development and release cycles of six months or less. In an industry where the average life expectancy of an automotive production line is eight years, it is impossible to expect the networking in an industrial setting to keep up with modern IT standards. Therefore, we turn our attention to the technologies that have existed the industrial, with the most open standards and the very best support. These are the protocols we wish to use and keep, and this article highlights and explains some of these technologies. This article does not focus on the technical implementations of each piece of technology. Rather, it is assumed the reader will be using packaged solutions such as a function block for a PLC.

refer to: http://www.automation.com/leveraging-it-technology-for-industrial-controls-applications

 

Associated complexity of wide application

In the early days of embedded Linux development (circa Y2K), a significant part of the embedded computer was to port the open source code to run on the hardware platform being targeted. Unless engineers were running code on an Intel x86 board, it was not a trivial effort to develop the embedded computer and cross-compile the open source middleware to run on the hardware. In the years since, an increasing number of hardware companies have discovered that providing free Linux BSPs is necessary to ensuring the wide adoption of their hardware into embedded applications. Whereas in the early days it might have taken weeks or months to get to a Linux shell prompt over a console port, these days it should only take a few hours.

refer to: http://embedded-computing.com/articles/the-not-code-quality/

New information for car pc selection

With the first car makers committing to the MOST150 network in selected vehicles from 2011. The new Intelligent Network Interface Controller (INIC) In-Vehicle computers architecture complies with Specification Rev. 3.0 and expands the audio/video capability for next generation automotive infotainment devices such as Head Units, Rear Seat Entertainment, Amplifiers, TV-Tuners and Video Displays. The MOST Cooperation – the organization through which the leading automotive multimedia network Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) is standardized – proudly announces that the newest Specification Rev. 3.0 is on its way to production. Various In-Vehicle computers  have already started with first series projects implementing this latest MOST Technology. MOST150 enables the use of a higher bandwidth of 150 Mbps, an isochronous transport mechanism to support extensive video applications, and an embedded Ethernet channel for efficient transport of IP-based packet data. It succeeds in providing significant speed enhancements and breakthroughs while keeping costs down.

refer to: http://embedded-computing.com/news/most150-series-adoption/

Quick review for 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors

The 4th generation Intel® Core™  processors

The 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors serve the embedded computing space with a new microarchitecture which Kontron will implement on a broad range of embedded computing platforms. Based on the 22 nm Intel® 3D processor technology already used in the predecessor generation, the processors, formerly codenamed ‘Haswell’, have experienced a performance increase which will doubtlessly benefit applications. Beside a 15% increased CPU performance especially the graphics has improved by its doubled performance in comparison to solutions based on the previous generation processors. At the same time, the thermal footprint has remained practically the same or has even shrunk.

With improved processing and graphics performance as well as energy efficiency and broad scalability, the 4th generation Intel® Core™ processors with its new microarchitecture provide an attractive solution for a broad array of mid-range to high-end embedded applications in target markets such as medical,  embedded computing, industrial automation, infotainment and military. This whitepaper gives engineers a closer look into the architectural improvements of the new microarchitecture and delivers the answers as to how they can integrate these most efficiently into their appliances.

refer to: http://embedded-computing.com/white-papers/white-intelr-coretm-processors/

Remote tele-health advancements

This is just one example of why telehealth strategies are poised solutions to revolutionize medicine. Telehealth not only provides quick access to specialists, but can also remotely monitor patients and reduce clinical expenses. Many of the systems needed to realize these benefits will operate on the edge, and require technology with the portability and price point of commercial mobile platforms, as well as the flexibility to perform multiple functions securely and in real time. All of this must be provided in a package that can meet the rigors of certification and scale over long lifecycle deployments.

The ability to transition between x86 and ARM processors is critical for low-volume medical applications because a single carrier board solutions – often the most costly component of a COM architecture – can suit the needs of both graphics-intensive systems and platforms that require more mobility and lower power. In addition to reducing Time-To-Market (TTM), this decreases Bill Of Materials (BOM) costs and eases Board Support Package (BSP) implementation, says Christoph Budelmann, General Manager, Budelmann Elektronik GmbH in Münster, Germany (www.budelmann-elektronik.com).

refer to: http://smallformfactors.com/articles/qseven-coms-healthcare-mobile/

New advancements supply embedded module memory design

Embedded OEMs are looking to the latest memory technologies to solve their specific design needs and market demands. But which memory modules provide the most optimal solution for excessive shock and vibration or increased thermal dissipation? And what new testing and validation techniques are being used to reduce overall design risks and increase reliability? Designers must evaluate these factors and other key embedded considerations when specifying memory devices for embedded systems in rugged environments.

refer to: http://embedded-computing.com/articles/ruggedization-memory-module-design/

Woman in embedded industry

Victoria (Vicki) Mitchell would like to share her experience in managing an embedded computer company. 2 points of view from her perspective:

MITCHELL: For women in technology fields, success requires fostering two personal attributes that nullify stereotyping and demonstrate significant advantage to the organization:

1. Leadership: It cannot be taught, but it can be mentored. As Sheryl Sandberg writes, “Female leaders are key to the solution.” It is up to today’s leaders to set an example and to inspire. There are practical aspects of leadership applicable to anyone, but women can leverage our innate abilities to nurture and build community.

2. Fearless creativity: This is hard to foster when preparing for a tech career because applied science is not fantasy science embedded computer. An active interest in literature, art, music, and dance helps inspire out-of-the-box thinking and provides a little bravado when voicing ideas.

refer to: http://embedded-computing.com/articles/2013-influential-engineering-altera-corporation/

About in-vehicle infotainment

Infotainment is one of the key megatrends fueling the pervasiveness of microelectronics in cars. Users want to be connected and conveniently access their personal content anywhere, anytime, on all of their devices. The in-vehicle becomes just another node in the network, an extension of the user’s digital and social lifestyle (see this article’s lead-in photo). A “connected” car is also more comfortable, safer, and energy efficient, having early access to important information such as weather reports, traffic jams, or road accidents. According to a recent study, 60 percent of new cars will be connected by 2017. Given this scenario, in-vehicle electronics are dictating features in the car, and the innovation cycle time is becoming shorter and shorter. Meanwhile, a key to this automotive infotainment innovation is the system’s enabler: memory.

 

refer to: http://embedded-computing.com/articles/automotive-industry-innovation-driven-electronics/#at_pco=cfd-1.0

Embedded computers are just alright

Industrial computer, Panel PC, networking appliance

“Back in the 2005 timeframe, Northrop Grumman had hundreds of data centers and consolidated them down to five data centers in 2011,” says Joe Cloyd, Director of Technology, Defense Cyber Security and Enterprise Services at Northrop Grumman (www.northropgrumman.com). “In our next round of Embedded Computer consolidation we will go down to three enterprise data centers. The DoD will eventually do this as well, consolidating each respective network, and far down the road of embedded computer a totally segregated approach to having multiple networks with duplication.”

 

refer to : http://mil-embedded.com/articles/cloud-security-the-dod/