IN THE CHIPS

Embedded Systems Musings.

October 2007

DDC-I has announced OpenArbor, a tool that the company claims is the first Eclipse-based mixed-language development and run-time environment to integrate C, Embedded C++, Ada, and real-time Java. Moreover, Open Arbor claimes to make it possible to develop hard real-time applications that combine Java, C, EC++, and Ada.

OpenArbor is a mixed-language, object-oriented IDE for developing and deploying real-time, safety-critical applications. The core environment combines optimizing compilers and libraries for C and EmbeddedC++ with the SCORE multi-language debugger. The SCORE debugger features an intuitive multi-window GUI, project management support, and automated build/make utilities. SCORE's symbolic debugger recognizes C/EC++, Ada, and Fortran syntax and expressions, and can view objects, expressions, call chains, execution traces, interspersed machine code, machine registers, and program stacks.

OpenArbor provides separate Eclipse plug-ins for Ada and Java development. These plug-ins can also be used with IDEs such as Wind River Workbench and LynuxWorks Luminosity.

The Ada plug-in, known as SCORER-Ada, features an optimizing Ada compiler and run-time environment optimized for safety-critical embedded Ada projects. The SCORE-Ada debugger supports full Ada-level debugging, including constraints, attributes, tasking, exceptions, break-on-exception and break-on-tasking events. The debugger is non intrusive, can debug at the source or machine level, and can be enabled without changing the generated code.

OpenArbor's real-time Java plug-in, known as Scorpion, provides deterministic garbage collection, a prerequisite for executing bounded, hard real-time applications. Scorpion features a Java compiler, a builder for ahead-of-time Java file compilation, and a virtual machine (ScorpionVM) for executing real-time Java applications. Scorpion also features a smart linker that reduces code size (up to 80 percent) by removing unused objects from closed systems, and a profiler that helps optimize speed/size tradeoffs by determining the best mix of compiled and interpreted code.

Scorpion is also available with an Eclipse plug-in that automatically maps Java native method calls directly to existing Ada/C code. This tool enables Java programs to call existing C and Ada programs, thereby supposedly simplifying mixed language development and the migration of legacy C/Ada code.

Posted by Jon Erickson at 01:45 PM  Permalink |

So how is Linux doing in the embedded systems arena? According to a report from market research firm Venture Development Corporation, it's doing pretty darn well.

In the report entitled Linux in the Embedded Systems Market, compiled by VDC senior analyst Matt Volckmann, a significant number of embedded software and systems engineering teams are adopting Linux as their primary target OS. Furthermore, Volckmann's research suggests that this migration may be lasting, as the majority of current Linux users surveyed plan to use Linux again as their primary operating system on future projects.

When asked about the primary OS planned for the next project, 71 percent of the respondents said Linux (free distribution), 16 percent said Linux (paid distribution), 12 percent said commercial OS, and 1 percent said in-house, roll-your-own OS.

Volckmann says that Linux remains an attractive OS of choice for a number of reasons, including royalty free run-time costs, advanced networking capabilities, and technical features, the large base of engineers familiar with Linux, as well as many other factors.

"Linux has proven itself to be well suited for a wide range of applications across various industries, and continues to gain market share, despite not being particularly well matched for certain embedded applications types," says Volckmann. "Changes in the way that systems are designed will also allow Linux to continue to penetrate into segments of the market where the lack of capability was previously perceived as a barrier."

A more complex question, says Volckmann, is how opportunities for commercial solution suppliers will progress given the promise of more widespread Linux adoption in the embedded market. Currently, a most Linux projects do not obtain their Linux distributions from commercial suppliers. However, innovation within embedded Linux to date has relied heavily on support from commercial suppliers like MontaVista and others to make Linux a more viable operating system option within the embedded market. "At the root of most of the challenges faced by commercial suppliers is the question of how to bring significant additional value to an operating system that is freely available, continually improving, increasingly supported by embedded system/component suppliers, and in demand from companies interested in decreasing their overall development costs and/or bill of materials," says Volckmann.

While Linux has found its way into a number of embedded industries, VCD thinks one of the key opportunities for Linux over the next several years will be in the mobile phone market. I might be able to find out the flip side of that issue, as I'll be at the Symbian Smartphone conference next week. Symbian might have a different take on the idea. I'll let you know.

Posted by Jon Erickson at 11:33 AM  Permalink |

Trolltech has released an initial technology preview of Qt for Windows CE (Qt/WinCE) to its commercial customers and the open source community for testing and feedback. Qt/WinCE is a port of the Qt API and developer tools to the Windows CE.

Qt/WinCE is based on Qt 4.3 and includes:

• Support for Windows CE and Windows Mobile version 5.0 and 6.0. (Qt/WinCE does not provide complete support for the Windows Mobile API. If you want to access Windows Mobile-specific APIs, for example for PIM and telephony, you must access these operating system features directly.)
• Complete port of relevant modules in the Qt 4.3 API: QtCore, QtGUI, QtNetwork, QtSQL, QtSVG, QtScript, QtXML and Active Qt (Qt3Support and QtOpenGL not included)
• Qt development tools: Qt Designer, Qt Linguist and Qt Assistant
• qmake extended to create Visual Studio Project Files (.vcproj), simplifying deployment to Windows CE embedded devices and emulators
• Complete Qt/WinCE source code
• Documentation, demos and examples

The final release is scheduled for late Q1 2008, with an interim beta release scheduled for late 2007. The technology preview is available now for downloading and feedback. To collect feedback, a special mailing list has been set up: qtce-preview-feedback@trolltech.com. To subscribe, send a message containing just the word subscribe in the subject to: qtce-preview-feedback-request@trolltech.com.

Posted by Jon Erickson at 05:47 PM  Permalink |

Back when GPS was still a twinkle in some entrepreneur's eye, my buddy Bill Cramer went to work for an outfit that was developing GPS-based vehicle tracking systems. Alas, the company had trouble getting established in the U.S. because fleet truck drivers didn't like to be tracked, and the antennas mysteriously tended to be broken off a few blocks after leaving the yard. Luckily, the company Bill worked for got a contract in Saudi Arabia where things like breaking your employer's antenna were taken a bit more seriously, if you know what I mean. Needless to say, the tests went well in that country.

But GPS tracking has come a long way since then. For instance, Remote Dynamics, a company that focuses on GPS-based vehicle tracking and fleet management for commercial fleets managers, contractors, and equipment rental companies, has released version 2 of its web-based GPS applications.

REDIview is hardware/software tool (that is, the hardware transponder is attached to the vehicle, and the software that interacts with hardware is back at the office) that has web-based UI, and provides minute-by-minute reporting. Managers can generate all kinds of reports, including trip reports, travel history, cost analysis, time at location, exceptions, and the like.

Features in REDIview 2.0 include:

• Map features. New icons for different types of assets, including color changes associated with the current status of the asset and the direction of travel for mobile assets.
• GeoFence Alert Schedule. Users can configure GeoFence activation based upon the work schedule of the assigned assets, therefore allowing alerts to occur only during specific days/times.
• Alerts. The system can notify users in real time of exceptions including speeding, excessive idling, and geofence crossings. Pop-up alerts with optional sound will direct the manager to the Alerts page where they can review and manage alerts. Alerts may also be sent via email and text message.
• Enhanced Administration Reports. Administrators will now be provided information pertaining to the usage of the system. This includes items such as user status, last login, login duration, and if a user is currently logged in. As with all reports, these can be generated in real-time or automatically scheduled to arrive via email.

Bill can probably attest to this much better than I, but GPS tracking has come a long way over the past few years. System development is easier and the results are more sophisticated. And you don't have to go to the Middle East to find this out.

There's also more money around these days, when it comes to GPS. At least the case with the news that Nokia is buying U.S. navigation-software maker Navteq for around $8.1 billion. Navteq maintains digital maps which it licenses to GPS and Web sites. Navteq has around 3,000 employees in 168 offices in 30 countries.

Posted by Jon Erickson at 12:02 PM  Permalink |