Also in this issue

Also in this issue VITA 42 Standard Update A Look at Industry Web Sites The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

December 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

to

Control Challenges

An RTC Group Publication

2006 Editorial Index

–40 to +85

OS Embedder™ kits Our kits are the shortest path to a successful OS on an Ocatgon embedded computer:

Pick your Octagon SBC Pick the OS you prefer: Linux or Windows®

D D

Octagon delivers a high performance, total solution.

EPIC™ XE–900 1.0 GHz CPU Features

XE–900

XE–800

XE–700

CPU

Via Eden

AMD Geode GXI

STPC

Clock speed

400 MHz; 733 MHz; 1.0 GHz

300 MHz

133 MHz

BIOS

General software

Phoenix

Phoneix

DRAM support

to 256 MB

to 256 MB

32/64 MB

Compact/Flash

Type I or II

Type I or II

Type I or II

COM 1

RS–232

RS–232/422/485

RS–232

COM 2

RS–232

RS–232/422/485

RS–232/422/485

COM 3

RS–232

NA

RS–422/485

COM 4

RS–232

NA

RS–232

COM 5

RS–232/422/285

NA

NA

COM6

RS–422/485/TTL

NA

NA

LPTI

0

0

1

EIDE

2

2

1

USB

2

6

2

CRT

1600 X 1200

1280 X 1024

1280 X 1024

Flat panel

LVDS

yes

yes

Digital I/O

24–bit prog.

48–bit prog.

24–bit prog.

Ethernet

10/100 Base–T

Dual 10/100 Base–T 10/100 Base–T

Expansion

PC/104 & Plus

PC/104 & Plus

PC/104

Power

3.6A operating

1.6A max.

1.6A max.

Temp. range

–40 to 70/85 C

–40 to 80 C

–40 to 80/85 C

40/5g

40/5g

Shock/vibration 40/5g

Typical Linux kit includes: Target CPU card 256 MB industrial CompactFlash D 256 MB SO–DIMM module D Interface cables D Hard copy of manual D Mouse D CPU OS bootable CD D Optimized OS Version D Full driver support for on–board hardware D X–Windows support D Example applications and source code D Extra documentation D D

XMB The XMB is part of Octagon’s line of Core Systems™ that offer out–of–the–box solutions for transportation, military and security applications. The XMB is a “no compromise” design for a mobile server that optimizes the electrical, thermal and mechanical components for maximum reliability. The result is a powerful, yet fanless system in a rugged extrusion that provides 24/7 service even in harsh environments.

The basic unit includes the processing power, power supply, memory and I/O for most applications.Yet, it can be easily expanded using PC/104 I/O function blocks or Octagon’s XBLOK™ half–size PC/104 expansion modules. Generated heat is effectively channeled directly to the case to help prevent internal hot spots.

XMB mounting options

Standard mounting plate

Shock and vibration dampening system

Quick–release mounting system

We offer three mounting options for the XMB. The standard mounting plate is designed for benign environments with low–stress vibration. The shock and vibration dampening system is ideal for use in trains, buses, planes and other mobile applications. especially where shock and vibration is more or less constant. The quick–release mounting system provides a convenient way to quickly remove the XMB enclosure from a bulkhead or overhead location.

Please call today for a datasheet

303–430–1500

Home

Poseidon EPIC SBC with Data Acquisition

Diamond Systems 1255 Terra Bella Avenue Mountain View, CA 94043 (650) 810-2500

www.diamondsystems.com Online Purchasing News FAQs

Custom ETX Baseboard Design Services

Product Specifications Technical White Papers Web Master: Andrew Vo

andrew@diamondsystems.com

(650) 810-2508

Diamond Systems is a leading worldwide supplier of PC/104 I/O modules and highly integrated PC/104, EPIC and EBX single board computers that combine CPU and data acquisition on one board. Our extensive product line includes analog I/O, digital I/O, serial communications, multifunction networking and power supply modules as well as single board computers and enclosures. Diamond Systems also designs custom boards to meet speciďƒžc application needs either through a modiďƒžcation to an existing product or through the design of a full custom solution, such as an ETX baseboard, based on our proven I/O technologies.

EVER GET THE FEELING ALL SINGLE BOARD COMPUTERS ARE ALIKE? Same Same Same Same

processors. chipsets. form factors. features.

SAME,

SAME,

SAME! Diamond Systems dares to be different. We believe you can make PC/104 expandable systems more reliable and less expensive by reducing the umber of boards in your stack. We reduce board count by integrating more features directly onto the CPU board, including data acquisition, memory, and DC/DC power supply.

We pioneered this approach in 2001, and today we offer PC/104, EPIC, and EBX form factor CPUs that combine high-performance, low-power processors with high-resolution,high-accuracy data acquisition, memory, and DC/DC power supplies onto one board. After all, isn’t that the definition of the term “single-board computer?”

What’s more, our all-in-one embedded computer boards are surprisingly affordable compared to a generic me-too computer board plus an add-on data acquisition board and add-on memory. Visit our website for complete product informationon all our embedded computer and I/O boards today.

www.diamondsystems.com

1-800-367-2104

POSEIDON EPIC SBC 2.0 GHZ EPIC SBC WITH USB 2.0, GIGABIT ETHERNET, SATA AND DATA ACQUISITION

•

2.0 GHz CPU

•

533MHz DDR2 RAM

•

USB 2.0

•

Gigabit Ethernet

•

Serial ATA + IDE

•

RS232/422/485

•

32 16-bit analog inputs

•

4 12-bit analog outputs

•

24 programmable digital I/O lines

•

2 counter/timers

•

Automatic autocalibration

GE Fanuc Embedded Systems

Welcome to our testing lab.

Our Flat Panel Systems are deployed in some of the toughest places on earth.

Oil and gas fields are just plain hostile to most computers, but our rugged Flat Panel Computers feel right at home there. So they’ll stand up to anything you can throw at them.

Heat, cold, rain, snow, salt mist, sunlight, corrosive gas, shock, vibration and careless users--they’ve seen it all and survived it all. And these are not dumbed-down systems either. They’re highperformance, fully functional computers with

flexible I/O, memory and storage capabilities and extremely bright and durable touchscreen displays.

We’re proud to say that our computers have been certified by the official testing laboratories.

But we’re just as proud to say that they’ve also been tested and certified by another, unofficial laboratory — the real world.

Wolverine 1.6 GHz Intel® Pentium® M Hazardous Area Computer

www.gefanucembedded.com

© 2006 GE Fanuc Embedded Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Departments www.rtcmagazine.com

13 Editorial: Web and Print or Web vs. Print? or Both?

17 Industry Insider

Standard insertion force connectors

Rows A and B: Many pins with gold wearthrough (1 side)

Rows B through E: Several pins with gold wear-through (1 side)

Reduced insertion force connectors Rows B and C: Several pins with gold wearthrough (1 side)

Features Solutions Engineering

Standards Update

24 XMC: Enhanced Connector Design Solves Insertion/Removal Stress

Rows D and E: Several pins with gold wearthrough (1 side)

Rows D and E: Many pins with gold wearthrough (1 side)

Standard and reduced insertion forced connectors wit the results of vibration testing.

• Pg. 24

Ivan Straznicky, Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing, David Givens, Samtec

Industry Insight PC/104 for Control Systems 28 PC/104 Enables Mobile Networking Technology Deployment Mike Southworth, Parvus Corp.

40 Integrated CPUs and PC/104 Increase Control Performance Derrick Lavado, Kontron America

Special Report

Usefull Industry Web Sites

50 Mining the Web for Interesting Industry Info Tom Williams, RTC

2006 Annual Article Index 62 A Complete Guide to the Year’s Technical Feature Articles

Event Calendar 01/17-18/07 Marine West 2007 Camp Pendleton, CA www.marinecorpsexpos.com

01/18/07 Real-Time & Embedded Computing Conference Copenhagen, Denmark www.rtecc.com/copenhagen

01/23-26/07 Internet Telephony East Conference & Expo Ft. Lauderdale, FL www.tmcnet.com/voip/ conference

PC/104 technology, combined with the Mobile IP routing protocol, is helping to create flexible, wireless networks that enable roaming and information sharing from mobile network nodes, such as this commuter M3A railcar in the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad. • Pg. 28

X86_Compatible CPU Core

Clock Module

01/25/07

02/21-22/07

ATS Thermal Management Tutorial Norwood, MA www.qats.com/tutorials.asp

5th Annual Software Radio Summit www.softwareradio07.com

01/25/07

02/28-3/01/07

Real-Time & Embedded Computing Conference Santa Clara, CA www.rtecc.com/santaclara

MVA Communications Ecosystem Conference San Diego, CA www.mvacec.com

01/31-2/02/07

If your company produces any type of industry event, you can get your event listed by contacting sallyb@rtcgroup.com.

This is a FREE industry-wide listing.

AFCEA West 2007 San Diego, CA www.afcea.org

02/13-15/07 Embedded World 2007 Nuremberg, Germany www.embedded-world-2007.de

CPU PLL System PLL Graphics PLL

64 KB I Cache 64 KB D Cache TLB

Integer Unit

MMU Load/Store

FPU MMX & 3D Now!

Bus I/F Unit

GeodeLink Memory Controller 64-bit SDRAM DDR

CS5535 I/O Companion Interface

Display Controller

GeodeLink Interface Unit 0

GeodeLink Control Processor Power Mgmt Test Diagnostics

Compression Buffer Palette RAM Scaling & Filtering VGA Controller

GeodeLink Interface Unit 1

RGB

GeodeLink to PCI

TFT Controller & Video Out Port

Video Scaler Video Mixing Alpha Blending

Triple 8-bit DACs

EEPROM on Package (optional)

TFT or VOP CS5536 I/O Companion

YUV

Video Processor

Security Block

128 bit AES (CDC/EBC) True Random Number Generator

Graphics Processor

BLT Engine(w/Alpha) ROP Unit Alpha Compositing Rotation

RGB for CRT

33/66 MHz PCI Bus

The AMD Geode LX800 processor is an integrated CPU containing both traditional functional blocks—shown here in yellow—as well as features normally found either in the chipset or outside of it on the system bus, including the memory controller, PCI link and graphics controller. • Pg. 40

December 2006

December 2006

U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation

Required by 39 USC 3685.1)Title of Publication: RTC magazine. 2)Publication

Publisher

5)Number of issues published annually: 12. 6)Annual subscription price: n/a.

PRESIDENT John Reardon, johnr@r tcgroup.com

Number 1092-1524. 3)Filing Date 9/30/2006 4)Frequency of issue is monthly.

7)Complete Mailing Address of Known Offices of Publication: The RTC Group,

VICE PRESIDENT, European Operations Zoltan Hunor, zoltanh@r tcgroup.com

plete Mailing Address of Headquarters of General Office of Publisher: The RTC

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Warren Andrews, warrena@r tcgroup.com

California. Publisher: John Reardon, The RTC Group, 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite

Editorial

905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 250, San Clemente, CA 92673 Orange County. 8)ComGroup 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 250, San Clemente, CA 92673 Orange County, 250, San Clemente, CA 92673 Orange County, CA 92673. Editor: Tom Williams,

EDITOR-IN - CHIEF Tom Williams, tomw@r tcgroup.com

rina K.Tringali. The RTC Group, 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 250, San Clemente,

SENIOR EDITOR Ann Thr y f t, annt@r tcgroup.com

245-M Mt. Hermon Rd.BMP#F, Scotts Valley, CA 95066. Managing Editor: MaCA 92673 Orange County, CA. 10)Owners: James Lizzio, Jim Reardon, John Rear-

MANAGING EDITOR Marina Tringali, marinat@r tcgroup.com

CA 92673 Orange County, California.11)Known Bondholders Holding 1 Percent

COPY EDITOR Rochelle Cohn

Status: The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the ex-

Art/Production

12 months. 13)Publication Title: RTC magazine. 14)Issue date for Circulation data:

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Melissa Gaeta, melissag@r tcgroup.com

ber of copies each issue during preceding 12 months (Net press run): 25,001 Num-

PRODUCTION DESIGNER Kirsten Wyatt, kirstenw@r tcgroup.com

copies (net press run). b)1. Paid/requested outside-county mail subscriptions stated

DIRECTOR OF WEB DEVELOPMENT Marke Hallowell, markeh@r tcgroup.com

copies each issue during preceding 12 months:23,646, number copies of single issue

WEB DEVELOPER Brian Hubbell, brianh@r tcgroup.com

don, Zoltan Hunor. The RTC Group; 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 250, San Clemente,

or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12)Tax empt status for federal income tax purposes has not changed during the preceding

September 2006 RTC magazine. 15)Extent and Nature of Circulation: average number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 25,001 a)Total number of

on form 3541. (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies)/Average number

published nearest to filing date: 23,447. b)2. Paid in-county subscriptions (include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies)/average number copies each issue during

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jason Van Dorn, jasonv@r tcgroup.com

Advertising/Web Advertising

preceding 12 months/number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date:

CALIFORNIA COASTAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Diana Duke, dianad@r tcgroup.com (949) 226 -2011

non-USPS paid distribution/average number copies each issue during preceding 12

WESTERN REGIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Lea Ramirez, lear@r tcgroup.com (949) 226 -2026

n/a. b)3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other months: n/a, number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: n/a. b)4.

Other classes mailed through the USPS/average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months: n/a, number copies of single issue published nearest to filing

date: n/a. c)Total paid and/or requested circulation [sum of 15b. (1), (2), (3) and (4) average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 23,646, number

copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 23,447. d) Free distribution outside of the mail (carriers or other means)/ average number copies each issue

during preceding 12 months: n/a, number copies of single issue published nearest

to filing date: n/a. f) Total free distribution (sum of 15d. and 15e.)/ average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 1,283, number copies of single

issue published nearest to filing date: 1,511g) Total distribution (sum of 15c and

EASTERN REGIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Nancy Vanderslice, nancy v@r tcgroup.com (978) 443 -2402 EMEA SALES MANAGER Marina Tringali, marinat@r tcgroup.com (949) 226 -2020 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Jessica Grindle, jessicag@r tcgroup.com (949) 226 -2012

Billing

Mag gie McAuley, mag giem@r tcgroup.com (949) 226 -2024

15f)/ average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months:24,929 number

copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 24,958. h) Copies not distributed/ average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 72, number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 43. I) Total (sum of 15g and h)/ average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 25,001 number

copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 25,001. j)Percent paid and/or requested circulation (15c divided by 15g times 100)/ average number copies each

issue during preceding 12 months: 94.85, number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 93.95 16. Publication of statement of ownership. Publication

will be printed in the December issue of this publication. 17)Signature and title of

the editor, publisher, business manager or owner: Marina K. Tringali (Managing Editor) 9/30/2006.

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I

understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form

or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subjected to

criminal sanctions(including fines and imprisonment)and/or civil sanctions (includ-

To Contact RTC magazine: HOME OFFICE The RTC Group, 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 250, San Clemente, CA 92673 Phone: (949) 226-2000 Fax: (949) 226-2050, www.rtcgroup.com EASTERN SALES OFFICE The RTC Group, 96 Dudley Road, Sudbury, MA 01776 Phone: (978) 443-2402 Fax: (978) 443-4844 Editorial Office Warren Andrews, Editorial Director/Associate Publisher 39 Southport Cove, Bonita, FL 34134 Phone: (239) 992-4537 Fax: (239) 992-2396 Tom Williams, Editor-in-Chief 245-M Mt. Hermon Rd., PMB#F, Scotts Valley, CA 95066 Phone: (831) 335-1509 Fax: (408) 904-7214 Ann Thryft, Senior Editor 15520 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek, CA 95006 Phone: (831) 338-8228

ing multiple damages and civil penalties).

December 2006

Published by The RTC Group Copyright 2006, The RTC Group. Printed in the United States. All rights reserved.

All related graphics are trademarks of The RTC Group. All other brand and product names are the property of their holders.

Home

CORE Systems

Octagon Systems 7403 Church Ranch Blvd.

Westminster, CO 80021 (303) 430-1500

www.octagonsystems.com Search Engine News

Single Board Computers

Product Specifications Online Technical/Product Support

Web Master: Jasmine Listou

jlistou@octagonsystems.com

(303) 412-2003

Octagon Systems is an industry leader in innovative solutions for embedded industrial PCs. For over two decades Octagon has been a world leader in user–friendly CPUs for harsh environments. We offer a total solution—both hardware and software—with free technical support. At Octagon our goal is to provide integrated and easy–to–use products with comprehensive support.

Home

Products

Sealevel Systems Incorporated 2779 Greenville Highway PO Box 830 Liberty, SC 29657 (864) 843-4343

www.sealevel.com Online Purchasing

News

Accessories

FAQs Product Specifications Technical White Papers Online Technical/Product Support Web Master: Wallace Krebs

wallacek@sealevel.com

(864) 843-4343

Sealevel Systems, founded in 1986, provides industrial computing solutions in addition to a variety of communications and I/O products including PCI Bus cards, Ethernet serial servers, USB serial adapters, PCMCIA cards, and PC/104 modules. Sealevel’s product line includes multi-port RS-232, RS-422/485, RS232/422/485 multi-interface high-speed sync/async, and digital/ relay I/O.

We Listen. Think.

And Create.

PCI & ISA Boards Remote Data Acquisition Modules

Dependable consistency. For more than 20 years, customers have depended on Sealevel’s innovative serial and digital I/O boards. Our industry-leading product line continues to expand, and our commitment to product continuance guarantees that the board you design in today will be available for years to come.

Distributed control. We’ve taken Sealevel’s I/O expertise out of the PC with our SeaI/O remote data acquisition modules. Connect to a host via Ethernet, USB, RS-485, or RS-232 and daisy chain up to 246 SeaI/O modules to create a comprehensive control and monitoring network.

Solid-State Embedded I/O Servers Custom & RoHS-Compliant Solutions

Powerful computing. Your trusted I/O supplier is now your system-level solution. We’ve combined Sealevel’s proven I/O with state-of-the-art, fanless processors to produce the Relio family of solid-state embedded I/O servers. For the first time, you can experience the reliability of a PLC and the configurability of an industrial computer in one rugged package.

Tel: 864.843.4343

Clean solutions. Response is paramount at Sealevel.

Whether it’s designing a custom board to exactly meet a customer’s requirements or complying with the new RoHS directive across our entire product line, Sealevel is your proactive partner.

www.sealevel.com

Home

MEN Micro, Inc. 75 Veterans Circle Warminster, PA 18974 (215) 956-1583

Products

www.menmicro.com Search Engine News Product Specifications

Applications Web Master: Susanne Bornschlegl

webmaster@men.de

+49-911-99335-104

Men Mikro Elektronik develops and produces standard and custom board-level solutions qualiďƒžed for highly reliable operation in industrial embedded applications and harsh environments.

The standard product range contains far more than 100 different standard computer boards and systems with corresponding BIOs, BSP and driver software based on different PowerPC and Pentium platforms.

The products are used as control, measuring, test or simulation computers in transportation (railways, ships, busses, commercial vehicles), automotive industry, mechanical engineering and aerospace technology, medical industry, military engineering and telecommunications.

Founded in 1982 in Nuremberg, MEN has more than 170 employees. Export has a share of about 50% of the globally active company with subsidiaries in France and the USA.

Editorial December 2006

Web and Print or Web vs. Print? Or Both

by Tom Williams, Editor-in-Chief

D

id you hear about the girl with the beehive hairdo who wound up with a black widow nesting in her hair? No? Maybe you’ve heard that the World Wide Web is going to replace print media. Oh yes, we’ve all heard that one. It’s right up there with the assumption that computers are going to remove all stress from our lives. If the Web is going to replace print media, it’s funny we haven’t seen readers flocking to the online versions of Ladies Home Journal, Mad magazine or Sports Illustrated.

The fact of the matter is that the Web and print media are different forms of information delivery—different in content, different in scope, different in format, different in all kinds of ways.

This is why RTC is not afraid to promote the use of the Web for our readers. In this issue, we are even offering our advertisers an additional free page to present their Web sites to our readers.

We encourage our readers to visit the Web sites of our advertisers. In fact, one of the benefits of presence in print media (either in advertising or editorial) is that it draws readers to visit the Web site. About seven years ago, I worked for a publication that did a reader study asking engineers what their primary source was for technical information. To no one’s surprise, the overwhelming answer was the Internet. Then a follow-up question asked what the source was that steered readers to starting points on the Web. Eighty-five percent responded that it was print media and advertising.

If I were to identify the biggest difference between the Internet and print, I would say that the Internet has vast, virtually unlimited, amounts of information, but that searching, sorting and evaluating that information is the job of the user. Print media, on the other hand, presents a significantly smaller volume of information in each issue, but that information has been selected, evaluated and formatted to meet the needs of an identified community of readers. That is what editors do. Now, there are a number of Web-based publications that select and tailor their content to a very well identified readership, but they are relatively few.

There are also specialized search engines that help users navigate in specialized subject areas. Still, the volume of information can be daunting. In fact, the only way to access such a trove is with a tool, be it Google or some more specialized means.

Print publications have the duty to be compelling, useful and up-to-date sources of information in their own right as well as to help smooth the way to finding additional, related and supplemental information on the Web. How they do that is heavily dependent on what they cover. Almost all have online versions of their print editions along with searchable archives. Beyond that, it’s all over the map. There are online stores, forums, chats, downloadable software, directories of advertisers, late-breaking news, tutorials and more. Whatever the specific mechanisms, the aim should be to assist the reader in finding more in-depth information that is related to the reason he or she reads the magazine. In no way should a print publication assume that it is in competition with the Internet. It is not, and that assumption is the kiss of death.

One of the unique things we are doing at RTC, for example, is the Get Connected Community. Look at the bottom of each lead page of each article and there is a little box directing you to www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected. At the end of each article are the home page addresses of contributing companies, but this offers more. With Get Connected, you can set up a list of companies from whom you would like to receive information or a direct contact. There is also a list of technology categories. You can select to receive mail, email or a phone contact. This is not just a general request, but a highly qualified one. These companies know that the request comes from a reader of RTC who is a qualified potential customer, so a quick response should be a natural, whether you are just looking for literature or are interested in having someone call directly. It’s our way of helping “make the connection.”

We’re all still exploring the potential of the Internet and all it can (and cannot) do. So it’s not surprising that there are false starts, more than a few scams and some surprising successes.

At the same time, a printed magazine plops down on your desk, fits in your briefcase, beckons you to peruse and is there with focused, constant content designed for this community of readers.

If we can help you take that same focus onto the Web in search of even more information and save you time and trouble in the meantime, then the value of print media has been increased by the Web, not challenged.

December 2006

13

Home

Embedded Design

National Instruments 11500 N. Mopac Expwy.

Austin, TX 78759-3504 (888) 280-7645

www.ni.com Online Purchasing

News

Product Demos/Labs

Product Specifications

User/Customer Chat Room/Forum Technical White Papers Online Technical/Product Support

For the past 30 years, NI has been a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation — a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government, and academia approach measurement and automation.

Modular Instruments

Design 10X Faster with Graphical System Design

DESIGN

PROTOTYPE PROTOTYPE

DEPLOY DEPLOY DEPLOY

“With graphical system design through NI LabVIEW and CompactRIO, we designed a motorcycle ECU prototyping system in three months versus twoand-a-half years with traditional tools.”

> Control design > Intellectual property libraries > Digital filter design > Dynamic system simulation

> I/O modules and drivers > COTS FPGA hardware > VHDL and C code integration > Design validation tools

> Rugged deployment platforms > Distributed networking > Human-machine interfaces > Firmware management

– Carroll Dase, design engineer Drivven, Inc.

Graphical System Design Accelerate your embedded design using National Instruments LabVIEW graphical programming, third-party tools, and commercial off-the-shelf hardware. Graphical system design empowers you to rapidly design, prototype, and deploy embedded systems.

Learn how to design faster through Webcasts by Analog Devices, Celoxica, and Maplesoft at ni.com/design.

© 2006 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved. CompactRIO, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 7277-821-101

(800) 450 8999

Industry Insider

December 2006

Communications Platforms Trade Association Completes First InteropFest The Communications Platforms Trade Association (CP-TA), an association of communications platform and building block providers, has completed its first InteropFest. The event provided a confidential environment for the CP-TA community to demonstrate structured testing to industry profiles, starting with the SCOPE Alliance profile based on PICMG’s AdvancedTCA specification.

During the event, CP-TA hosted stations for thermal, manageability and data transport interoperability testing. For the first time, CP-TA utilized industry-harmonized test tools that are currently in development, with the first tools scheduled to be released in December.

“The test tools were well received by the participants,” said Nirlay Kundu, CP-TA Compliance Working Group Chair. “The testing unearthed compliance issues that vendors will be able to address as they move towards full CP-TA certification. Each vendor’s test results are confidential and are only distributed to the vendor.”

“This InteropFest is the first step on our roadmap to complete certification for interoperable building blocks,” said Shlomo Pri-Tal, CP-TA Chairman. “Next steps include the release of our Interoperability Compliance Document and Test Procedure Manual that will set the stage for selfcompliance testing in January 2007. We also intend to have a third-party certification lab in full operation by Q4 of next year.” The next CP-TA InteropFest is scheduled for June 11-14, 2007 in Chicago, and participation is open to CP-TA members.

with multifunction DAQ boards, counting and serial interfaces RS-232, RS-422, RS-485 and 20 mA CL. All functions are available for the PCI bus as well as for the CompacPCI bus. The boards are equipped with filters and protection circuitries to guarantee reliable use in noisy environments.

RTX is deployed widely in industrial automation, military and aerospace, simulation, robotics, test and measurement and medical devices. As a COTSbased software solution, RTX can enable the elimination of costly and aging proprietary hardware-based systems.

Evaluation versions of RTX can be downloaded at no cost.

First Zigbee Certified Products Now Available

Alcatel Euro 53 Million Network Contracts with China Include ATCA

The ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in residential, commercial and industrial applications, has announced the first group of ZigBee Certified Products, marking a major milestone in the Alliance’s ultimate vision of creating an open, global, wireless sensor and control networking solution. Member companies earning ZigBee Certified Product status include MaxStream, NEC Engineering, S3C and Software Technologies Group.

The ZigBee Certified Product testing program offers OEMs and others a process for proving the robustness of their ZigBee products at testing facilities with known ZigBee network implementations. Upon successful test completion, approved products earn the right to display the ZigBee logo.

The ZigBee logo signifies to consumers, business and industrial users that they can

16

Decmeber 2006

safely purchase ZigBee Certified Products and be assured of networking performance.

“The ZigBee Alliance’s focus on creating interoperability and proving the capabilities of ZigBee products via the ZigBee Certified Product testing program, demonstrates why In-Stat believes ZigBee will be the dominant wireless mesh networking technology,” says Chris Kissel, In-Stat analyst. “In-Stat expects a river of ZigBee products to hit the market in the coming years not only because of the technology, but because the ZigBee Alliance is an open community actively promoting the technology.”

All ZigBee Certified Products are designed on one of the Alliance’s more than 30 approved ZigBee Compliant Platforms, and have passed stringent independent lab tests conducted by NTS and TUV Rheinland Group.

Addi-Data Adds Support for Ardence RTX on its DAQ Boards

Addi-Data, German manufacturer of PC-based solutions for industrial measurement and automation, has joined the RTX Embedded Driver Partner Program from Ardence and now provides RTX drivers for most of its PCI and CPCI data acquisition boards. Ardence RTX is a software solution that gives developers deterministic control of Windows XP-based systems that require a high level of performance and scalability.

This real-time control solution allows developers to reduce system costs, improve reliability, speed the time to market and increase the performance of their applications.

Addi-Data’s measurement boards are used in many demanding applications, such as industrial automation and testing equipment. The RTX drivers support the following functions: isolated digital I/O boards, 24V, data acquisition

Alcatel has announced that it has secured three separate GSM and GPRS expansion contracts with Chinese mobile service providers, Shaanxi Mobile Communication Company Limited (Shaanxi MCC) and Jiangsu Mobile Communication Company Limited (Jiangsu MCC), both subsidiaries of China Mobile. The contracts, valued at approximately Euro 53 million, were won through Alcatel Shanghai Bell, Alcatel’s flagship company in China. They confirm Alcatel’s growing momentum in the country.

Under the contract with Shaanxi MCC, Alcatel will provide and install its Evolium GSM/EDGE platform to expand mobile service in five major cities across Shaanxi Province: Yulin, Yan’an, Shangluo, Baoji and Xianyang. To ensure quality of service, Alcatel has reinforced its rural coverage solution with indoor and outdoor base stations.

Alcatel will also provide Shaanxi MCC with its Advanced

TCA-compliant SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node), which will enable nearly one million additional subscribers to take advantage of enhanced mobile voice and data services, such as Web browsing, video streaming and instant messaging.

Alcatel’s contract with Jiangsu MCC provides for installation of Alcatel’s Evolium GSM/EDGE solutions including Base Stations (BTS), Base Station Controllers (BSC), Transcoder (TC), Multi-BSS Fast Packet Server (MFS) and Operation & Maintenance Center for Radio (OMC-R). Once deployed the network will serve subscribers in Jiangsu Province located in the cities of Nanjing, Yangzhou, Xuzhou, Huaian, Yancheng, Lianyungang, Suqian and Taizhou. This is the 9th GSM network expansion contract that Alcatel has secured with Jiangsu MCC.

Qualcomm Acquires nPhase, Provider of Machine-to-Machine Solutions

Qualcomm has announced that it has acquired Chicagobased nPhase LLC, a leading provider of machine-to-machine solutions that allow enterprises to manage and monitor widely dispersed, fixed machine assets.

Machine-to-machine telemetry is an evolving category of business activity that defines the interconnecting of machines with IT infrastructure and mobilized work forces. Machine-to-machine solutions allow enterprises to manage and monitor businesscritical machine assets within two categories: fixed machine assets, such as cellular towers, gas pipelines and assembly line robotics; and mobile assets, such as truck fleets, heavy equipment and transportation. nPhase’s fixed-asset machine-

to-machine technology, experience and established customer base complement Qualcomm’s success in the mobile machine-to-machine market and will increase both the breadth and depth of Qualcomm’s enterprise machine-to-machine solutions portfolio.

Machine-to-machine solutions offer significant new opportunities for businesses across major industries to compete more effectively by increasing an organization’s service levels, performance and competitiveness.

This is achieved by allowing users to access information, receive alerts regarding critical situations, and control and manipulate situations on their dispersed machine assets via a computer or mobile computing device.

Wireless machine-tomachine telemetry is part of the concept of smart services, in which intelligence, awareness and connectivity are built into products for a variety of industries, including transportation and logistics, industrial and commercial manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and food service.

The products communicate back to the enterprise’s machine-tomachine network hub via the Internet and report important information such as utilization, maintenance requirements, asset health and other variables.

Serial Attached SCSI Achieving Broad Acceptance

The SCSI Trade Association (STA), sees the Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) market achieving the level promised two years ago. To date, about half of STA member companies have introduced in excess of 75 SAS products to the market, providing all of the

components and subsystems, as well as the features and speeds required by system integrators and OEMs to build SAS-based storage systems.

For three years prior to the introduction of the first components in 2004, SAS technology was in the definition, development and standardization phase. A fundamental aim from the beginning has been to make SAS and SATA drives compatible in a common industry standard infrastructure. As a result, SAS and SATA compatibility and technology advances paved the way for the broad adoption of SAS within the enterprise storage market.

Compatibility between SAS and SATA technology has proven to be a catalyst for the rapid adoption of SAS. Large numbers of SAS or SATA drives can be deployed in an industrystandard system, built around a SAS backbone. The SAS/SATA technology mix appeals to a large segment of the industry, as it gives customers the choice of large capacity drives (at a very low cost), or very high performance drives— using a common infrastructure to serve both needs.

SAS also counteracts problems such as heat dissipation and the tangle of ribbon cables and large connectors within servers and storage enclosures. Serial technology has the advantage of speed and the smaller cables and connectors have been a boon to OEMs and system integrators.

It also makes it possible for new SAS users to start with SATA drives and later upgrade to SAS drives on a “pay as you go” basis.

DDC-I Joins Safety-Critical Java Expert Group

DDC-I, a supplier of development tools for safetycritical applications, has joined the Safety-Critical Java Expert Group (JSR 302). The new group’s

mission is to create a subset of real-time Java that is suitable for safety-critical applications requiring FAA certification.

“Java provides an excellent environment for software development,” said Bob Morris, president and CEO of DDC-I. “Until now, however, Java has just been too big and complex for safety-critical applications. Every superfluous bit of complexity adds unnecessarily to certification cost and introduces risky elements into the application. As a member of the Safety-Critical Java Expert Group, we will be drawing on our expertise with Ada to create a realtime Java spec that is optimized for safety-critical applications.”

The Java Community first addressed the real-time limitations of Java when it convened the Real-Time for Java Expert Group (RTJEG) in 1999, which developed the Real-Time Specification for Java (RTSJ).

This specification, an extension of The Java Language Specification and The Java Virtual Machine Specification, enhances real-time responsiveness by introducing mechanisms for pre-emptive scheduling and priority inversion avoidance, and providing tools that allow tasks to avoid garbage collection delays.

The Safety-Critical Java Expert Group will further refine the RTSJ, making it suitable for safety-critical applications with the most demanding testing requirements. In particular, the Safety-Critical Java Expert Group will trim the RTSJ spec, ensuring that conforming safety-critical applications can be run without requiring a garbage collector or heap at all, and ensuring that the rigors of FAA certification to DO178B level A can be met.

December 2006

17

Home

Military & Aerospace

G.E. Fanuc Embedded Systems 7401 Snaproll N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87109 (505) 875-0600

www.gefanucembedded.com Search Engine

Communications

News Product Specifications Technical White Papers Online Technical/Product Support Web Master: Debbie Young

debbie.young@gefanuc.com

(505) 796-1849

GE Fanuc Embedded Systems is a leading global provider of embedded computing solutions. GE Fanuc Embedded Systems’ comprehensive product offering includes single board computers, sensor processing, networking, avionics, rugged ďƒ&#x;at panel monitors and complete computer systems.

GE Fanuc Embedded Systems

U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis

IPv6. Are you ready for the future?

Our VME Switches Support IPv4 for today, and IPv6 for the future.

The RM921 family of Ethernet switches offers full IPv6 wire speed switching/routing and full management capabilities with either 12 or 24 front panel Gigabit Ethernet ports. They are available with copper and/or fiber connections, conformal coating and extended temperature ranges.

The switches are based on a PowerPC management processor and a leading, high-performance switch fabric chip. They have layer 2/3 switching capabilities and support for higher layer functionality, plus efficient mulitcast handling and SNMP. The ben-

efits of IPv6 include embedded security, enhanced support for mobile computing devices and a larger address space for global reach and scalability.

In the near future, support for IPv6 will be required for military and defense customers, and these robust and flexible switches offer a path forward which also protects existing investments. The future is IPv6, and it is coming, whether you’re ready or not. Be ready with the RM921 series.

RM921 IPv6 enabled Gigabit Ethernet switch

www.gefanucembedded.com

Š 2006 GE Fanuc Embedded Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Home

VPX Solutions

Radstone Embedded Computing 296 Concord Road Corporate Center, Suite 120 Billerica, MA 01821 USA (800) 368-2738

www.radstone.com Search Engine News Product Specifications Technical White Papers

Web Master: marketing@radstone.co.uk

Radstone Embedded Computing, part of GE Fanuc Embedded Systems, is a global provider of market-leading embedded computer products and services to major defense and aerospace contractors worldwide. The company designs and manufacturers high performance embedded computer products based on leading-edge commercial technologies: products include the most innovative and rugged single board computers, sensor and digital signal processors, graphics and image processors, networking and communications modules.

About Us

Images Courtesy of U.S. Army

More Features.

More Rugged.

More reasons to choose Radstone.

The one and only ICS-8550.

Designed for high-speed data acquisition applications such as Software Defined Radio, SIGINT, tactical communications and radar, the ICS-8550 XMC module – which is available for both benign and rugged environments – can simultaneously sample two RF/IF inputs at frequencies up to 210 MHz at a resolution of 12 bits.

With the industry-leading Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGA at its heart to deliver unprecedented power and user programmability – and enabling IF/UHF signals to be processed directly on the board itself, freeing the host board for other tasks - the ICS-8550 is truly an ADC module that sets new standards.

And with up to eight lanes of high-speed serial I/O, the ICS-8550 provides the throughput to match its performance and flexibility. Configure it with Radstone’s remarkable V4DSP FPGA/PowerPC processor, and the partnership is unbeatable.

Radstone. For when you need more.

CHECK THE FULL SPEC NOW AT

OR CALL TOLL FREE (US ONLY)

www.ics-ltd.com/8550

800-368-2738 or 703-263-1483

Home

QNX Software Systems

Developer Support Center

175 Terence Matthews Crescent Kanata, Ontario K2M 1S1 Canada (613) 591-0931

www.qnx.com Search Engine

News

Product Demos/Labs

FAQs

Technical White Papers

Product Specifications

User/Customer Chat Room/Forum Online Technical/Product Support Web Master: Debbie Kane

debbie@qnx.com

(613) 591-0931

QNX Software Systems, a Harman International company, is the industry leader in realtime, embedded OS technology. The component-based architectures of the QNX Neutrino RTOS and QNX Momentics development suite together provide the industry’s most reliable and scalable framework for building innovative, high-performance embedded systems. Global leaders such as Cisco, DaimlerChrysler, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens depend on QNX technology for network routers, medical instruments, vehicle telematics units, security and defense systems, industrial robotics, and other mission- or life-critical applications. Founded in 1980, QNX Software Systems is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and distributes products in over 100 countries worldwide.

Innovation Center

“QNX has consistently defined the leading edge of RTOS technology.”

Dan Dodge. QNX CEO & CTO. OS architect and father of embedded computing.

Slash your debugging time by weeks, even months, with the QNX® Neutrino® RTOS, the most innovative operating system on the market today. Unlike conventional OSs, QNX Neutrino runs all applications and system services — even device drivers — as memory-protected components. So you can detect memory violations immediately. And focus on what really counts: building innovative features, faster.

Combine this with performance rated #1 in the RTOS market

Cut your development time.

Build longer-lasting products.

Gain maximum performance.

and reliability proven in millions of installations, and you have the platform to power your own leading-edge design.

Only the QNX Neutrino RTOS gives you: �

Focus on Innovation, not Debugging �

In the QNX Neutrino RTOS, device drivers, file systems, and protocol stacks all run outside of the kernel, as memory-protected processes. This architecture virtually eliminates memory corruptions, mysterious lockups, and system resets. Achieve maximum reliability and put an end to endless debug sessions.

�

� Memory Protected

Flash File System

Microkernel

TCP/IP

Web Browser

Serial Device Driver

�

Message-Passing Bus Media Player

HTTP Server

USB Device Driver

Application

High Availability Manager Memory Protected

Discover how Dan and the QNX team can sharpen your competitive edge. Download your free product evaluation from www.qnx.com/innovate. © 2006 QNX Software Systems GmbH & Co. KG, a Harman International Company. All rights reserved. QNX and Neutrino are trademarks of QNX Software Systems GmbH & Co. KG, registered in certain jurisdictions and are used under license. All other trademarks and trade names belong to their respective owners. 301813 MC339.13

�

Adaptive partitioning to contain security threats and guarantee realtime behavior Multi-core, multi-processing support for the ultimate in scalability and performance Optimized support for ARM®, MIPS®, PowerPC®, SH-4, XScale®, and x86 processors Preintegrated stacks for IPv4, IPv6, IPsec, SNMP, SSH, SCTP, TIPC, IP Filtering and NAT Royalty-free kits for multimedia, flash file systems, 3D/2D graphics, web browsers, etc.

Unparalleled support for open standards: POSIX, Eclipse™, OpenGL® ES, RapidIO®

SolutionsEngineering Standards Update

XMC: Enhanced Connector Design Solves Insertion/Removal Stress A Re-work of VITA 42 Connector Design has Resulted in less Potenially Damaging Insertion Force Without Perceptible effect on Resistance to Ad Index Shock and Vibration

by Ivan

Straznicky, Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing, Get Connected with technology and David Givens, Samtec companies providing solutions now Get Connected is a new resource for further exploration into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal he VITA 42 Switched Mezzanine specifications.

Coupled with the is to research the latest datasheet from a company, speakhigher directly withVITA an Application Engineer, or jump to ainterconnects company's technical the Card (XMC), developed by the speed backplane onpage, these goal of Get Connected is to put you in touch with the right resource.

Standards Organization (VSO), new board architectures, the higher speed Whichever level of service you require for whatever type of technology, combines the small form-factor envelope of willthe Express modules Get Connected helpPCI you connect withXMC the companies and make products made popular by its predecessor you PMC, are searchingthem for. ideal for emerging high-bandwidth

T

a wide range of current PMC product, and selectively upgrade to higher speed XMC solutions as they become available. VITA 42 is nearing the completion of the standardization process. It reaches the end of with a new high speed connector www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected that sup- I/O requirements of applications such as its “trial use� period in March, 2007, after ports multiple fabric types including up to high resolution graphics display control- which the standard will be submitted to 16 lanes of PCI Express to bring high per- lers and networking interfaces such as Fi- ANSI for approval. A wide variety of XMC formance I/O expansion to open standard bre Channel and 10 GigE. cards are already being offered by embedembedded boards. Newer board architecThe XMC specification also provides ded board vendors. tures, such as VITA 46 (VPX) and VITA backward compatibility with legacy PCIRecently, the XMC specification benGet Connected with technology and companies providing solutions now 48 (VPX-REDI), include specific support bus-based PMC cards, enabling system efited from an examination of the insertion/ Get Connected is a new resource for further exploration into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal is to research th for the new XMC modules within their designers the flexibility to choose from extraction forces exerted on the connector datasheet from a company, speak directly with an Application Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page, the goal of Get Connecte used on host and the complemenin touch with theconnectors right resource. Whichever level of service you require for whatever type of boards technology, Standard insertion force Get Connected will help you connect with the companies and productstary you are searching for. connector residing on the bottom side www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected of the XMC card itself. Feedback indicated that not all applications required the Rows A and B: Many Rows B through E: pins with gold wearinherently high retention force appreciated Several pins with gold through (1 side) wear-through (1 side) by many Military designers. In fact, most mainstream applications were better suited to a lower mating/un-mating force version Reduced insertion force connectors of the same connector. In response, the Rows B and C: Several VITA 42 Working Group undertook testing pins with gold wearthrough (1 side) and analysis of the mechanical stresses inRows D and E: Several pins with gold wearvolved in the mating of the two connectors.

End of Article

Products

Rows D and E: Many pins with gold wearthrough (1 side)

Figure 1

24

through (1 side)

Get Connected with companies and

featured in this section.

Standard and products reduced insertion forced connectors wit the results of www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected vibration testing.

Get Connected

with companies mentioned in this article. www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected

December 2006

Get Connected with companies mentioned in this a www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected

SolutionsEngineering

Figure 2

Test Host Carrier Card and XMC Card Used in Vibration Test.

The testing resulted in a recommended change to the host board connector, which was agreed upon by the working group and incorporated into the specification. The hardware change will result in greater reliability and ease of use, while eliminating the risk of potential damage to host cards or XMC modules caused by excessive insertion or removal forces.

The XMC card features two connectors, the Pn5, which provides the main connection to the basecard, and the Pn6, which can be used either for additional fabric connectivity to the basecard or to provide the card with additional I/O to the backplane.

For the Pn5 and Pn6, the VITA 42 specification defines the use of Samtec’s ASP105884/105885 connectors or their equivalent. These connectors have been shown to support signal speeds of up to 3.125 Gbites/ s (Gb/s) on each of the connector’s differential contact pairs. As driver controller chips improve, it’s expected that signal speeds of up to 10Gbites/s will be supported.

Inserting an XMC card onto the host connectors requires a certain amount of insertion force. In 2005, anecdotal reports began to emerge about difficulty separating the XMC card from the basecard. The level of force required was occasionally enough to cause damage to the connectors and/or to adjacent components. In response to these reports, it was agreed that the VITA 42 Working Group would study the problem.

Samtec provided a lower-insertion force

alternative connector for use on the host card. The design of this new version of the connector reduced the required insertion/ extraction forces by about 30% compared to the original version.

To ensure that the reduced insertion force replacement connector would meet the ruggedness required by the harsh and demanding environments for which some XMC cards are intended, CurtissWright submitted the new connector to random vibration testing to evaluate it against the standard insertion force variant. The connector was subjected to 0.1 g2/Hz, 50-2000 Hz, Z-axis vibration for one hour. After undergoing the vibration, the connector was visually inspected at 30x magnification to ascertain if there had been any resulting fretting corrosion on the connector pins. The working group considered testing electrical failures using LLCR (low level contact resistance) and interrupt monitoring, but it was determined that these approaches would prove less certain than 100% inspection. In addition, it was agreed that visual inspection would prove a more conservative failure criterion since fretting corrosion evidence would occur much earlier and thus be detectable sooner than would any resulting electrical failures.

The cards used in the testing comprised two host cards, each with one of the two connector types installed. To ensure that the test cards closely matched

the types of boards on which XMC cards would frequently be deployed, two 6U x 160 mm conduction-cooled boards were used. The test card’s conduction cooling was compliant with ANSI/VITA 20, which also provided additional mounting holes. One of the test host cards was provided with a version of the standard insertion force connector. The second test host card featured the new reduced insertion force connector.

The new low insertion force connector passed the test satisfactorily. Following the random vibration, visual inspection showed that only minor gold wearthrough had occurred, and only on one contact point per pin. It was also clear that LLCR and interrupt monitoring testing would have resulted in success as well, due to the connector’s multi-point contact design. Both of the connectors, the original and the new low-insertion force alternative proved able to pass the random vibration qualification tests from leading COTS vendors such as Curtiss-Wright Controls as well as the highest vibration levels established by ANSI/VITA 47. The new, improved connector is backward compatible with the standard insertion force version that it replaces, but it’s expected that all new XMC designs will feature the low insertion force version on the host card.

Samtec can provide standard- and low-force versions of the XMC connector with several SMT attachment options: RoHS compliant lead-free solderballs, lead-alloy solderballs, or posted connectors for paste-on-pad solder attachment.

Designers now have the ability to choose the appropriate attachment type for their applications, and should contact Samtec for additional part numbers.

Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing Ottawa, Canada.

(613) 599-9199 www.cwcembedded.com Samtec New Albany, Indiana.

(821) 944-6733 www.samtec.com December 2006

25

Home

Products

Kontron

14118 Stowe Dr Poway, CA 92064 (888) 294-4558 Fax (858) 677-0898 info@us.kontron.com

www.kontron.com Search Engine

News

Online Purchasing

FAQs

Product Demos/Labs Product Specifications Technical White Papers

Kontron supplies a customer base of OEMs, system integrators, and application providers in the: communications, automation, transportation, medical, military, aerospace, test & measurement, and encryption security markets. Kontron helps its customers reduce their time-to-market and gain a competitive advantage with products including high-performance open computer platforms and systems, SBCs, man-machine interfaces, and mobile computers. Kontron is a Premier member of the Intel Communications Alliance and was awarded Intel’s 2006 Member of the Year.

e-newswire

IndustryInsight PC/104 for Control Systems

PC/104 Enables Mobile Networking Technology Deployment PC/104 and the Mobile IP specification are transforming enterprise IP networks into flexible, wireless nets that support roaming and enable information sharing from mobile network nodes such as commuter trains.

by M ike Southworth Parvus Corp.

d

exploration er your goal peak directly al page, the t resource. chnology, and products

N

etwork-centric and mobile enterprise initiatives in government and commercial circles aim to extend the edge of the traditional business network well beyond the walls of the office, out to moving vehicles and users that require seamless roaming and wireless ubiquity.

The U.S. military, for example, views net-centric operations as a compelling mechanism for coordinating its diverse resources innow field operations. Using Intermpanies providing solutions net Protocol (IP)-based communications, oration into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal is to research the latest virtually vehicle, plane soldier plication Engineer, or jump to every a company's technical page,and the goal of Get Connected is to put you vice you require becomes for whatever atype of technology, node in the network and can nies and products you aredata. searching for. massive data sharing share This could allow field and strategic commanders to obtain real-time situation awareness for tactical planning, give deployed units immediate access to intelligence information and allow the tracking of both troop and enemy movement across an entire battlefield. It would also allow direct, secure VoIP between any two members of the network despite any differences in Figure 1 PC/104 technology, combined with the Mobile IP routing protocol, communications platforms.

.

End of Article Get Connected

with companies mentioned in this article. www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected

28

December 2006 Get Connected with companies mentioned in this article. www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected

is helping to create flexible, wireless networks that enable roaming and information sharing from mobile network nodes, such as this commuter M3A railcar in the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad.

IndustryInsight

Likewise, public safety officials (police, fire and rescue, and ambulance) as well as transit authorities desire more efficient communications and continuous access to critical data. With improved informational awareness, bus and railway operators can help passenger flow, enhance physical security measures and lower fleet maintenance costs (Figure 1).

In order to link all field resources together using IP-based networking, ruggedized IP nodes and routers must be available for constructing the network.

Further, these units must be portable and capable of utilizing many different communications channels. Fortunately, an off-the-shelf solution to mobile networking that provides rugged IP networking elements for mobile applications is available.

Mobile Internet Protocol Enables Net-Centric Solutions

The 2002 standardization of the Mobile IP specification (RFC 2002) by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) greatly empowered commercial net-centric solutions. Previously, when a mobile node moved from one local network into another, the node’s IP communications channel with the wide area network (WAN) terminated. The new network’s router then had to establish its own communications channel and assign a new IP address to the node.

This not only interrupted the mobile node’s communications throughout the network, it changed the return path address so that other nodes on the WAN could no longer find the mobile node. All such links had to be re-established each time the mobile node changed local networks.

In contrast, by leveraging the Mobile IP communications protocol, mobile nodes can now roam across multiple local networks while maintaining continual communications with and a consistent IP address for the wide network (Figure 2). This attribute greatly facilitates communications among nodes by giving each node a unique, permanent

Public Cellular Satellite Private VHF/UHF 802.11

Figure 2

Connected devices onboard a train maintain seamless mobility and continual communications with the WAN via the Parvus DuraMAR Mobile IP-based router.

Figure 3

Cisco 3200 Series Wireless and Mobile Routers for mobile applications, based on PC/104 stacking technology, run the company’s IOS software and allow the networking of multiple wireless devices that run a variety of communications links.

December 2006

29

Home

Product Selector

Ampro Computers, Inc. 5215 Hellyer Avenue, #110 San Jose, CA 95138 (408) 360-0200 (800) 966-5200

www.ampro.com Online Purchasing

FAQs

News

Product Specifications

Technical White Papers

Embedded Design Resource Center

Online Technical/Product Support

Web Master: Mall Wolpin

mwolpin@ampro.com

(408) 360-0200

Ampro is a leading global provider or modular computing solutions for embedded applications. Products include single board computers, computers in modules, mini-modules, and industrial computers.

IndustryInsight address that does not change with movement. It prevents the continual breaking of links between nodes and the need to reconnect them. The mobile node can thus roam transparently across networks, effectively behaving as though it were stationary.

The adoption of the Mobile IP specification allowed Cisco Systems to develop the 3200 Series Wireless and Mobile Router for mobile applications.

Cisco originally invented this mobile

router platform in collaboration with NASA using VME hardware. After field trials and customer surveys, Cisco redesigned it to the PC/104-Plus form-factor to provide a rugged, more compact, lower-cost version.

These mobile IP-enabled routers (Figure 3) run Cisco IOS software and allow the networking of multiple wireless devices that run any variety of communications links. For example, the routers can tie together nodes using cellular tele-

WE BRING IT TO YOU AS IT HAPPENS.

Whether it's huge amounts of streaming data or the split-second status of a single significant event, rugged record/playback systems from Curtiss-Wright can capture it.

But what really makes us different is our ability to play back that same data at virtually the same rate at which it was recorded . . . just as the event occurred.

Curtiss-Wright's data recording solutions provide real-time record and playback capability with an informative and user-friendly software interface, and that's news that deserves to be delivered as it happens.

phony, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet) and satellite communications into a single network. The nodes are free to roam anywhere these links provide coverage, switching links as needed without losing their unique IP addresses.

These PC/104-Plus form-factor components are well suited to the unique requirements of Mobile IP networking where shock, vibration, and other environmental extremes would otherwise destroy a system based on open desktop technology. The modular and robust design accommodates specialty add-on modules, such as Ethernet switches, GPS receivers, CPUs cards or wireless modems.

Networking equipment that can meet the demands of railcars, wheeled vehicles or battlefield deployment must satisfy several criteria. These include ruggedness, portability, communications connectivity and standardization.

The equipment must be able to handle temperature extremes, as well as severe mechanical shock and vibration.

Often, railway and military equipment also have highly demanding power requirements, including galvanic isolation, wide voltage ranges and filtering for electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Both space and weight are significant concerns in vehicles. Every extra pound of payload in a helicopter, for example, can extend its flight time. Equipment must also be compatible with a wide range of communications platforms, including wireline, spread-spectrum Radio Frequency (RF), optical and satellite links. Finally, it must be based on commercially available technology to meet budget constraints and deployment schedules.

The notable advantages of PC/104— its compact size, PC compatibility, strong vendor support, stackable design, lowpower requirements, environmental durability and simple maintenance—make it an ideal foundation for Mobile IP networking.

Router Enables Rugged Networking Innovation In Motion W W W. C W C E M B E D D E D . C O M

Images courtesy of airforce.mil and navy.mil.

32

December 2006

The next stage in enabling ruggedized IP communications came when rugged systems engineering company Parvus Corp. took Cisco’s PC/104

IndustryInsight modules and packaged them in an enclosure designed for the hostile environment that equipment faces in public transportation installations. This ruggedized Mobile IP access router, the DuraMAR (Figure 4), is based on PC/104 stacking architecture and includes an internal 150W power supply that accepts a wide range of input DC and provides isolation against voltage spikes and transients.

Mil-Spec serial connectors and screw-on rugged RJ field connectors are used for enhanced ingress protection.

A router by itself is not enough to provide a network link. Therefore, the ruggedized system features a distributed architecture that enables the connection of peripheral devices to provide the radio and other communications links as well as end-user nodes. This architecture uses Power Over Ethernet (POE) and Power with Serial (PwS) to supply power to these peripherals, otherwise known as nodes, simplifying their installation and use in a variety of configurations. A node can be a long-range communications channel

Figure 4

The DuraMAR router system, shown here installed onboard a train, packages Cisco’s PC/104 modules in a ruggedized enclosure designed for the hostile environment of a public transportation installation.

December 2006

33

IndustryInsight

With IP-based equipment offering seamless roaming across networks, Mobile IP sets the stage for network-centric operations and enterprise mobility.

to the main network, a LAN controller for creating a local wireless network or a piece of peripheral equipment that needs a network connection.

Although the router system was originally created and qualified for use onboard metro commuter trains, it is also being deployed aboard U.S. Army helicopters and in other military environments.

Mobile IP Deployed in Railways

One of the early adopters of this technology was the New York Metropolitan

34

December 2006

Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad (MNR). This commuter railroad, the second largest in the U.S., uses the mobile routing technology for its Budd M3A railcar fleet. The solution replaces obsolete Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) radio equipment used by maintenance personnel in conjunction with the train’s Event Recorder and Diagnostics Systems (ERDS) to monitor vehicle health data and maintain the fleet.

After 23 years of operation, maintenance requirements for the M3A fleet have

increased. Being able to capture vehicle health information in a timely manner is a powerful tool for reducing troubleshooting time, keeping more cars in service and operating reliably. Intermittent failures that are difficult to duplicate would require running non-revenue “test trains” staffed by an operating crew and onboard technicians using instrumentation to try to identify the cause of failures. This process is very costly and utilizes limited resources in an unproductive manner. The use of remote diagnostics greatly reduces

IndustryInsight the costs and time required to identify and repair these intermittent failures.

Metro-North Railroad had formerly used CDPD public carrier cellular technology to download data from its event recorders. This wireless capability allowed the railroad to remotely view vehicle health and to quickly identify failures that required correction. Unfortunately, before the radio deployment was completed on its large fleet, the railroad was informed by its cell carrier that this technology was obsolete and would no longer be supported. Metro-North Railroad was then faced with the challenge of gathering maintenance data manually, or worse, not gathering any data at all.

Because of this constant outdating of products, the railroad needed a tool that could network all of its current products and make them fully functional, while providing the ability to adapt to newer technologies in the future, thus eliminating costly replacement of outdated equipment. In selecting the wireless protocol-agnostic Mobile IP solution, MNR sought to “future-proof� its fleet with a solution that would be compatible with current and future standards-based wireless technologies.

During a two-month, in-service trial, MNR qualified the Parvus Mobile IP access router onboard some of its most heavily used trains. Metro-North Railroad was able to connect router units to the existing train event recorder and a 1xRTT cellular radio node as a primary wireless backhaul. The system gave the railroad wireless data transferring capabilities to relay data back to the rail maintainers in near real time. The maintainers were then able to pull cars out of service for system repairs before train service was affected and allowed better utilization of limited resources. The railroad is now rolling out installations throughout its fleet.

Eliminating Need for Compatibility in NetworkCentric Applications

Not only does this Mobile IP system enable MNR to reduce maintenance expenses, it also provides future in-vehicle application capabilities, such as 802.11 hotspot Internet access, Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone service and streaming

video feed surveillance over the Net. The router system can also act as a technology bridge or IP gateway for legacy serial devices and is operational for realtime situational awareness.

The availability of ruggedized Mobile IP networking equipment opens a wide range of commercial and military applications. For example, passenger buses can utilize outdoor wireless infrastructures, also called metropolitan mobile networks, along commuter corridors to provide Internet access, with the mobile router serving as a workgroup bridge to 802.11b/g access points.

Police officials can connect to the licensed 4.9 GHz public safety band and create a vehicle hotspot where multiple devices in and around the vehicle can be connected to the main network, as the vehicle roams between wireless WAN networks.

Passenger trains can connect onboard equipment, such as CCTV for video surveillance or vehicle logic unit computers, with trackside access points, cellular towers or satellites to download data upon arriving at a train depot or while in route. Aircraft can use VoIP for voice communications with air traffic control, utilizing whatever radio links it currently has available. The need to break communications to change channels or switch to another type of equipment is eliminated.

Central facilities can use the network to monitor the status of field equipment in order to provide just-in-time support as needed, such as scheduling the refueling of vehicles and aircraft. Remotely piloted and autonomous vehicles used for border patrol and homeland security can broadcast data to the network, providing real-time intelligence, including live video.

Because all equipment connects together over the IP network, it does not have to be directly compatible. Thus, a Wi-Fi laptop can serve as the communications instrument connecting an operations center to users in the field, regardless of the type of radio being used, as long as each can connect to the network in its own way.

Eliminating the need for direct compatibility also allows ruggedized Mobile IP networking to support legacy

systems by creating a bridge device.

Systems using buses such as CAN, LonWorks or MIL-STD-1553 can then connect through the IP network, reducing the need for cabling and extending the useful system lifetime. Connection through the Mobile IP network also extends the legacy system’s flexibility by providing data and the ability to be controlled by remote operators and other, previously incompatible information systems.

With IP-based equipment offering seamless roaming across networks, Mobile IP sets the stage for network-centric operations and enterprise mobility. Using IP as the base protocol, any equipment that can connect to the network can connect with any other equipment on the network. Ruggedized mobile routers provide the nucleus of systems that can link that equipment to the network through any of the multiple communications channels and maintain that connection while moving. Both field and base units remain connected in a network that can flex and range, but structurally remains intact and unchanged.

Parvus Corp.

Salt Lake City, UT. (801) 483-1533. [www.parvus.com].

December 2006

35

Home

Free Eval

MapuSoft

1301 Azalea Road Mobile, AL 36693 (251) 665-0280

www.mapusoft.com Product Demos/Labs

Current Offerings

News FAQs Technical White Papers

Web Master: Marianne Crowe

marianne@mapusoft.com

(251) 665-0280

MapuSoft offers OS Changer®, OS Abstractor® and OS PAL™ products to help developers to use their embedded software on one or more operating systems. Our products are royalty free and are available with full source code.

Home

WinSystems, Inc. 715 Stadium Dr. Arlington, TX 76011 (817) 274-7553

Single Board Computers

www.winsystems.com News Product Specifications Technical White Papers Online Technical/Product Support

PC/104 Bus Products

Founded in 1982, WinSystems is recognized as a leading designer and manufacturer of embedded computers. WinSystems targets industrial, security, transportation, medical, communications, COTS, instrumentation, and other low power, extended temperature applications. They emphasize long-term availability for all of their products. And they have gained an excellent customer-oriented reputation for innovative product design, exceptional expert engineering skills, and outstanding technical support.

WinSystems offers a diverse line of board-level products that include PC/104, EPIC, and EBX single board computers (SBCs), digital and analog I/O cards, networking and other communications cards, and enclosures. Their products feature -40° to +85°C temperature operation, compact size, extensive at panel display support, plus wired and wireless connectivity.

PC/104 Embedded Machine to Machine Connectivity Keep in touch with your industrial application by using WinSystems’ wired and wireless modular PC/104 modules.

Small, rugged, and operational over extended temperature ranges, they are perfect for transportation, pipeline, instrumentation, MIL/COTS, and homeland security applications.

Wireless • GSM/CDMA Cellular • 802.11 a/b/g Networking Ethernet • 10/100 Mbps Ethernet • Gigabit Ethernet Modem (POTS) USB 2.0 RS-232/422/485 Serial I/O Other I/O Expansion • A/D, D/A • Digital • GPS Embedded Platforms Supported • PC/104 – 3.6 x 3.8 inches • EPIC – 4.5 x 6.5 inches • STD Bus – 4.5 x 6.5 inches • EBX – 5.75 x 8.00 inches O/S Support • Windows® XPe and CE • Linux 2.6 • x86-compatible RTOS Extended Temperature Operation Off-the-shelf delivery, knowledgeable technical support, and long-term availability makes these products the right choice for your application.

TM

Call 817-274-7553 or Visit www.winsystems.com Ask about our 30-day product evaluation!

WinSystems 715 Stadium Drive • Arlington, Texas 76011 Phone 817-274-7553 • FAX 817-548-1358 E-mail: info@winsystems.com

®

IndustryInsight PC/104 for Control Systems

Integrated CPUs and PC/104 Increase Control Performance As data collection needs increase for industrial control, integrated CPUs offer high performance, low power and a small size that can be mounted on even the tiniest SBC form-factors, such as PC/104.

by D errick Lavado Kontron America

d

exploration er your goal peak directly al page, the t resource. chnology, and products

W

hen selecting a PC-based control0.435 in (11mm) ler for industrial control applications, system design engineers are often faced with three common, limiting factors. These factors are power, heat 0.6 in (15mm) and size. To work within these constraints has usually meant sacrificing either performance or expandability.

Before the advent of commercial off-the-shelf solutions, designers had to develop application-specific boards conmpanies providing solutions now taining ASICs to get the job done. At the oration into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal is to research the latest time, this a good solution achievlication Engineer, or jump to awas company's technical page, for the goal of Get Connected is to put you power,type heat and size goals while also vice you require ing for whatever of technology, ies and productsrealizing you are searching goodfor.performance, since each discrete I/O onboard was controlled by a dedicated ASIC chip. However, there was pressure to create more flexibility, inFigure 1 Using highly reliable, onboard pin-and-socket connectors, the flexible crease performance and decrease time-toPC/104 form-factor can easily be expanded by stacking I/O add-on cards. market while remaining within the original constraints. The combination of these factors was the impetus for creating the PC/104: The Form-Factor of a very flexible design that is easily exframework for the small, standards-based Choice for Control panded with additional I/O cards that PC/104 form-factor, and, ultimately, for PC/104 is a small, standards-based can be stacked using highly reliable onintegrated CPUs. SBC form-factor that is commonly used board pin-and-socket connectors (Figure in both automation and control applica- 1). Since these I/O cards can be secured tions. At only 90 x 96 mm, it is a very to one another by using stand-offs and Get Connected with companies mentioned in this article. compact design that can be mounted screws to hold them together, it is also a www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected within most electronic enclosures. It is very rugged solution.

End of Article

40

December 2006 Get Connected with companies mentioned in this article. www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected

IndustryInsight

The PC/104 bus is based on the legacy ISA bus, which supports both 8-bit and 16-bit cards. PC/104-Plus adds 32-bit PCI expandability for even better performance (Figure 2). PC/104-based SBCs are usually designed to work in rugged environments that require exceptional resistance to shock and vibration. They are also typically designed to handle a wider operating temperature range compared to a standard, office-grade PC. PC/104 is easy to work with, offering standard interconnects found on most systems today. These interconnects include VGA, LCD controller, IDE, floppy, USB, serial, LPT1, PS/2, keyboard and mouse.

The power input takes 5 VDC directly to the board, making it easy to embed in an enclosure that may already include a DC power network.

One of the greatest advantages of PC/104 for the control industry, however, is the abundance of expansion cards available. There are many plug-and-play add-on cards, including cards for analog I/O, digital I/O, motion and stepper, frame grabbers and synchronous communications. These cards also boast extensive OS driver support including XP, Windows CE, Linux and Wind River. The amount of available off-the-shelf I/O significantly reduces time-to-market in control applications, and increases flexibility to cope with changes in control functionality.

The Integrated CPU

Since most controllers in industrial automation applications need low power and low heat characteristics due to reliability and environmental requirements, the most common way to achieve this has been to simply utilize a low-speed CPU, typically in the range of 100 to 200 MHz. Previously, these CPUs had sufficient performance to handle most applications and they also generated less heat. However, as data collection needs have increased and GUI sophistication has improved, more demand is being placed on CPU performance.

The simple answer would be to increase CPU speed, but that also increases heat and power requirements. In addition, faster CPUs usually involve more

Figure 2

PC/104-Plus adds a high-speed PCI bus for graphics device support, as well as other I/O devices such as networks, to the PC/104 form-factor.

X86_Compatible CPU Core

Clock Module CPU PLL System PLL Graphics PLL

64 KB I Cache 64 KB D Cache TLB

Integer Unit

MMU Load/Store

Graphics Processor

FPU MMX & 3D Now!

BLT Engine(w/Alpha) ROP Unit Alpha Compositing Rotation

Bus I/F Unit

GeodeLink Memory Controller 64-bit SDRAM DDR

GeodeLink Control Processor Power Mgmt Test Diagnostics

CS5535 I/O Companion Interface

Display Controller

GeodeLink Interface Unit 0

Compression Buffer Palette RAM Scaling & Filtering VGA Controller

GeodeLink Interface Unit 1

RGB

Video Processor

Security Block

GeodeLink to PCI

128 bit AES (CDC/EBC) True Random Number Generator

TFT Controller & Video Out Port

Figure 3

Video Scaler Video Mixing Alpha Blending

Triple 8-bit DACs

EEPROM on Package (optional)

TFT or VOP CS5536 I/O Companion

YUV

RGB for CRT

33/66 MHz PCI Bus

The AMD Geode LX800 processor is an integrated CPU containing both traditional functional blocks—shown here in yellow—as well as features normally found either in the chipset or outside of it on the system bus, including the memory controller, PCI link and graphics controller.

December 2006

41

Home

radian ISO 9001:2000 Certified

Radian Heatsinks 2160 Walsh Ave. Santa Clara, CA 95050 (408) 988-6200

Store

www.radianheatsinks.com Online Purchasing FAQs Product Specifications

Web Master: Kristina Heaps

kheaps@radianheatsinks.com

(408) 988-6200

Radian Heatsinks can help you manage your thermal needs; our engineers and product specialists will work with you on your thermal designs to ensure that your end product meets, or exceeds, your performance expectations.

For all of your thermal management needs...

Many different cooling options.

radian ISO 9001:2000 Certified

Radian Heatsinks is a division of Intricast Company Inc.

tel: 001-408-689-2802 fax: 001-408-988-0683

www.radianheatsinks.com

Radian understands thermal design - as well as how to optimize manufacturing processes for your particular thermal needs.

We know there are many different thermal problems, our experienced engineers and production specialists will work with you to find a solution to your thermal needs.

We have a range of products from mini heatsinks to large CPU coolers. We also have several options to secure our heatsinks to your PC Boards Ez SnapTM clips don’t require that holes be drilled in your PC Boards and they reduce assembly cost at the board level by eliminating complex installations and special board modifications; our unique pressure sensitive hook designed Push Pins allows the heatsink to be easily secured to the PC Board; and your thermal tape which allows for easy, and fast heatsink placement.

IndustryInsight complex chipsets that can be larger and more difficult to mount on a small, embedded SBC. So how does the engineer get more performance while maintaining acceptable power and heat specifications?

The answer lies in changing how the CPU executes code, rather than simply increasing the core frequency.

As seen from current market trends, CPU performance is no longer dependent primarily on the number of clock cycles

per given time frame but rather on what happens within each clock cycle. These improvements include advanced processor instruction sets, single-instructionmultiple-data (SIMD) extensions, dynamic execution and hyper-threading. As the industry moves toward smaller line geometries in CPU manufacturing processes, such as 65 nanometer and below, another trend is occurring. This trend is highly integrated CPUs.

A highly integrated CPU is one that includes more basic PC functionality directly on the CPU die, as opposed to confining that functionality to the outside of the CPU on the front-side bus. A typical, non-integrated CPU contains the minimum basic functions: the CPU core, floating-point unit (FPU), arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and L1/L2 cache. All other basic system functions, such as graphics engines, memory controllers and PCI controllers, remain outside of the CPU. With the integration of these additional system features directly onto the CPU, many benefits are realized. The most important advantage is the fact that these controllers run at full CPU core speed and all of their instructions are carried out efficiently. Some older embedded CPUs have a much slower front-side bus that can waste many clock cycles while waiting for the data to catch up.

When data is shared by the CPU and controller chips, memory contentions can arise that create data bottlenecks for both the controllers and the CPU. These problems are most evident on a traditional X86 low-power CPU that has a front-side bus speed of only 100 MHz or so. All onboard devices, such as memory, the memory controller, PCI link and graphics controller, must travel through this single bus to get access to the CPU. When those devices are integrated into a CPU that runs at 500 MHz, all of the integrated devices will run at 500 MHz as well. They will also link more directly to the CPU, rather than having to pass through the slower 100 MHz data pipe (Figure 3).

Benefits of Integrated CPUs for Control Applications

Integrated CPUs can increase performance without necessarily increasing either the speed of the CPU or system power requirements. This has obvious advantages for industrial automation and control applications, since these CPUs will run cooler and, in some cases, can even run without the use of a fan, thereby increasing system reliability.

Another advantage for control applications is size. Since other controllers have been integrated into the CPU, the size of the chipset that accompanies the CPU can be decreased. The resulting overall reduced package size allows for these 44

December 2006

IndustryInsight CPU/chipset combinations to be mounted on even the smallest of SBC form-factors, such as PC/104. Its small footprint and the greater flexibility it allows for mounting options in tight enclosures benefit control applications.

In addition, the price of an SBC with an integrated CPU may be lower than a comparably equipped board with a nonintegrated CPU. Because there are fewer dedicated controllers that an SBC manufacturer must integrate onboard, overall material costs are reduced.

Integrated CPUs found on the market today include the LX800 processor line of CPUs from AMD. These processors offer 500 MHz performance with very low power consumption. The LX800 contains the traditional functional units found in most CPUs. In addition, features that normally would be found either in the chipset or even outside of that on the system bus—including the memory controller, PCI link and graphics controller—are integrated within the AMD CPU. All of them are tied to the CPU core via a highspeed centralized bus.

extensive range of add-on I/O cards available. Additionally, PC/104-Plus SBCs and I/O boards typically have very good driver support, since they are designed for industrial and other embedded applications.

Board support packages are usually available for Windows XP and Windows CE. The advent of integrated CPUs that offer high-performance processing, while maintaining low power and heat specifications, benefits industrial automation and control applications. As CPU manufacturd1

1

design.

ing processes continue to shrink the geometry and size of chips and more features are integrated into CPUs, embedded computing has a promising future with a variety of robust platforms available to support feature-rich control applications.

Kontron America Poway, CA (858) 677-0877 [www.us.kontron.com]

2

develop. d2

3

d3

deploy.

Are You Board With Me?

PC/104 Implements Integrated CPUs for Control

The technology that makes possible the performance advantages of integrated CPUs must be implemented on platforms for use in real-world control applications.

One of the most obvious platform choices is the reliable, proven pin-and-socket form-factor of PC/104. It allows an effective component area of only approximately 625 mm2. In addition, the maximum component height allowed on a PC/104-Plus board is only 11 mm to permit stacking of additional I/O cards.

This leaves a very small area for both CPU and chipset, especially if the CPU needs an active cooler. An integrated CPU such as the AMD LX800 is a good candidate for this board because of its relatively small package size, including chipset. The LX800 also has a very low thermal design power of only 3.9W, so a small, passively cooled heatsink may be used. Such small heatsinks fit well with the PC/104-Plus form-factor because of its very low height restrictions for components.

The PC/104-Plus platform serves the automation and control industry well, due to both its small size and the

design.

The next generation of connected devices.

Start with an AMCC PowerPC 405 Processor.

Specify your I/O requirements.

develop.

Your products based on our platform.

deploy.

Your solution faster.

EP885 Stack Advert V4.indd 1

Choose your operating system.

Relax while Embedded Planet delivers your rugged and reliable system.

4760 Richmond Rd / Cleveland, OH 44128 Tel: 216.245.4180 / Fax: 216.292.0561 www.embeddedplanet.com

1/11/2006 1:24:11 PM

December 2006

45

Home

Themis Computer

TA64

47200 Bayside Parkway Fremont, CA 94538 (510) 252-0870

www.themis.com News FAQs Product Specifications

TPPC64

Web Master: William Hansen

bill.hansen@themis.com

(510) 252-0870 x108

Themis is a leading provider of hardware and software solutions for mission-critical applications in aerospace, data/telecom, military, and commercial markets. Themis provides open standardsbased embedded computing platforms that support the Solaris™, Linux®, and Windows® operating systems. Themis’ products incorporate features designed to ensure high reliability and availability while reducing the risks of failure caused by extreme environments. An ISO 9001 certied company, Themis Computer practices Total Quality Management (TQM) in all areas of its business, from engineering and manufacturing to customer service. Themis Computer is headquartered in Fremont, California and offers worldwide service and support. For more information please visit www.themis.com or email: info@themis.com.

Cool. Calm. Collected.

The Themis Slice™ architecture can handle whatever you or the outside world throw at it.

Cool.

Innovative and cost-effective cooling system can tame the hottest of processors in four 100 Watt sockets that support eight processor cores.

Air and liquid heat exchanger options.

Calm.

Standardized mechanical footprint designed to survive in high shock and vibration environments - up to 40G shock and 1 grms vibration.

Collected.

Scalable - up to 16 processor cores.

High-density, processor-independent architecture implemented with SPARC®, IBM®, PowerPC and x86 technology.

Solaris™, Windows®, and Linux® operating systems. All networked in a single system. All managed in real-time.

Themis’ Slice technology is a breakthrough in lifecycle management for mission-critical computing.

By functionally disaggregating commercial computing resources and housing them in a standardized footprint, purpose-built enclosure, Slice provides resilience with superior thermal and kinetic management. This open and modular design allows for spiral technology refresh, extending computing infrastructure investments for complete lifecycle management.

Themis’ real-time resource manager integrates all computing resources, under dynamic policy control, to optimize application quality of service.

Themis Slice is transformational technology offering the most robust and efficient platform available. No other platform will enable the 21st century war fighter as effectively.

www.themis.com (510) 252-0870

Transformational. © 2005. Themis Computer, Themis, Themis logo and Themis Slice are trademarks or registered trademarks of Themis Computer. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

FAST-FORWARD YOUR PROJECT WITH WINDOWS® EMBEDDED. Change happens. Don’t let it slow you down. Get to market faster with end-to-end development toolkits, building blocks to create tailored solutions, and the support of a highly qualified partner community. See how Magellan cut six months from development of its devices at microsoft.com/embedded © 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, the Windows logo, and “Your potential. Our passion.” are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Slow Motion?

Fast Finish.

SpecialReport Useful Industry Web Sites

Mining the Web for Interesting Industry Info Searching the Web for technical information can be somewhat haphazard, but there are focused search facilities, associations and consortia as well as general topic areas that can help. There is also the fun of unexpected discovery.

by T om Williams Editor-in-Chief, RTC

d

exploration er your goal eak directly al page, the resource. chnology, and products

F

inding information on the World utilities than the general-purpose search Wide Web can sometimes be remi- engines. In any event, everyone will have niscent of looking for books on a his or her own set of useful sites and any certain subject in a large university li- such set may seem arbitrary, incomplete brary. All the books are cataloged accord- and haphazard to others. On the other ing to subject via the Library of Congress hand, it might also be useful. system and you start looking in either the In that spirit, here is a quick tour of old-fashioned card catalog or the comput- a number of sites that I have found useful erized catalog. That’s the easy part. My beyond the many company-specific Web downfall always comes when I head off sites. Basically, they may be broken down into the stacks to try to grab the book or into Industry consortia and standards-oribooks—so many distractions along the ented sites, private, commercial sites oripanies providing solutions now way. Inevitably something completely un- ented toward a specific technology, such ration into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal is to research the latest related catches the eye and there I am— as Linux or SoCs, sites maintained by lication Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page, the goal of Get Connected is to put you leafing through some fascinating volume technical publishers, and sites that serve ice you require for whatever type of technology, thefor. topic of the impending re- as category references to vendors offering ies and productsmiles you arefrom searching port or term paper. certain classes of technology or products.

Using a search engine on the Web A prime example of the latter is www. can have similar results and can equally globalspec.com. GlobalSpec bills itself as be both a blessing and a curse. Practically “The Engineering Search Engine,” and every company and vendor in the industry covers a range of products and suppliers in has a Web site, some of which are high- the electronics industry but also branches lighted in this current issue of RTC. Still, out to those areas that are not electronic there are other sites that can yield excel- per se, but which interact with electronics. lent troves of information and some of These include chemicals, packaging, mathem can serve as more focused search terials, adhesives, mechanical components and the like. Also included is a search area for services and consultants (Figure 1).

Get Connected If you go to one of the major categories with companies mentioned in this article. www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected on the GlobalSpec home page, it will take

End of Article

50

December 2006 Get Connected with companies mentioned in this article. www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected

you to a list of subcategories and then down another level. You will next be presented with a list of companies in that subcategory.

Clicking on one of these will not take you directly to that company’s site but to a list of that company’s products in the selected subcategory. From the list, you can select two or three products to be presented side by side to compare the specs and features.

Then, of course, there is a link to the company’s Web site. There is also a selection of advanced search criteria including search by bus/standard, by form-factor, processor support, chipset type and others. In addition to its exhaustive search capabilities, GlobalSpec offers newsletter subscriptions by email, product alerts, discussion groups and engineering news.

In a similar but much more focused vein, a site called SOCcentral concentrates on the news, technology and product developments in the system-on-chip arena, which includes SOC, FPGAs, PLDs, CPLDs, structured ASICS and the design tools and methodologies that involve engineers working with these technologies. The site, www.soccentral.com has a wide range of links to news, white papers, magazine articles, tutorials, webcasts and application notes. In addition it

SpecialReport

provides a directory of vendors, organizations and universities. For example, who would have guessed without being deeply enmeshed in this industry segment that there was a Fabless Semiconductor Association as well as a Structured ASIC Association? There are links to online editions of magazines—including RTC when appropriate—that carry articles of interest to the site’s readers.

The thing that sets a site like SOCcentral apart is that it is much more than just a focused search engine. It shows the results of concerted editorial effort. The people behind SOCcentral not only know the technology and the industry segment; they also know the needs and interests of the target audience and are actively engaged in updating, selecting and evaluating the information they put on the site or to which they maintain links. Even the online bookstore, which could simply list available titles, starts out with a short list of recommended books, each accompanied by a short description linked to a more extensive one. For those involved with the topic, SOCcentral represents a very comprehensive resource.

A trio of Web sites concentrating on embedded systems targets two software tracks—embedded Linux and embedded Windows—while a third is starting up to track hardware issues. www.LinuxDevices.com and www.WindowsForDevices. com present the latest news and product announcements for their respective topics. The sites open with a news section, which mostly consists of product introductions. Other sections include articles, polls, events, links and products. Each section has a similar format featuring a topic headline and then a few lines of explanatory text, which give a quick overview of topics in the section. In a corner of each item’s box, the user can click “read more” for a continuation of the topic, usually in the form of a few paragraphs. At that point, the user can click on “for further information” and be taken to a relevant Web site. In some instances there are also links to related articles, application examples or demos.

The third site in this trio is called DeviceForge, www.deviceforge.com, and con-

Figure 1

This page from GlobalSpec lists the products specified in the search offered by the selected company.

Figure 2

After selecting a product category on the PICMG site (in this case, ATCA), the user is presented with a straightforward form for searching by company and category.

December 2006

51

About BittWare

Applications

BittWare, Inc. 9 Hills Avenue Concord, NH 03301 (603) 226-0404

www.bittware.com Search Engine News

Products

FAQs Product Specifications Technical White Papers Web Master: Kristen Zaffini

kzaffini@bittware.com

(603) 226-0404 x541

BittWare provides the essential building blocks required by OEMs for developing and deploying their innovative systems in defense, communications, instrumentation, and life sciences applications.

Essential building blocks …

Innovative solutions.

From Digital Signal Processing, to I/O interfaces, to IP cores and Software tools … ... at BittWare you’ll find the essential building blocks you need for your signal processing applications. Whether your application needs to thrive under extreme conditions of the battlefield, meet the ever-changing requirements of the communications market, or process highly-precise medical imaging data, BittWare has the capabilities to meet your needs. Reliable cutting-edge products are backed by timely delivery, reduced cost, and a dedicated support team – enabling your innovative solutions.

Visit www.BittWare.com to learn more.

Signal Processing HW

Silicon & IP Frameworks

Development Tools

Systems & Services

Essential building blocks … Innovative solutions.

The Adoption of Open Specification-based Carrier Grade Building Blocks and Base Platforms is Catching on Fire!

Don't miss this key event for the converging wireless, Service Provider/ Telecom and Internet infrastructure markets

com

c. ace v m

Platinum Sponsors

Executive Keynotes Panel Discussions Business/Marketing Implementation Design and Integration

Manchester Grand Hyatt on San Diego Bay February 28-March 1, 2007 Unique connections make MVACEC '07 an essential for Executives, Managers, Directors, CTO/CIO’s, Senior Technologists, Architects, Implementers, System Engineers, Product and Line Management, and Supply Chain (sourcing and partnering) Managers and Specialists

REGISTER TODAY www.mvacec.com VIP Discount $100 Code A213R Valid thru Jan 30th

www.mountainviewalliance.org

SpecialReport

5V Vehicle Power Supply & Battery Pack

V5S

C-S

ER-

UPS

35 Watt capability 6V to 40V DC input range Supports up to 8 digital temperature sensors RS232 serial port / Opto-coupled inputs 750mA-Hr Battery Backup

108 Watt PC/104+ Power Supply

Figure 1

The Mountain View Alliance site contains links to the consortium’s goals and activities as well as to the sites of member companies.

centrates on developments in embedded hardware. At the time of writing, DeviceForge has only two sections: news and articles. If it follows the format of the two software-oriented sites, it can be expected to grow to include analogous sections. For all three sites, the format is clean and easy to grasp and has limited search capability that is quite adequate for the content of the sites.

Consortia and Standards Sites

There is a huge number of industry associations and standards bodies that are doing work on all aspects of the electronics industry, even when you focus more closely on products and technology that affect embedded systems. The IEEE alone has myriad groups and ongoing standardization efforts. I won’t even attempt to describe everything there. There is an entire IEEE Standards Association that can be accessed via the IEEE Web site. Go to www.ieee. com and explore the wonderland.

Among the industry consortia are a number of groups that have formed around emerging standards or standards that were created by one group or company, but out of mutual self-interest many companies have formed consortia to promote standardization and create what someone once

called, “the design of a stadium in which we can all compete.” Among the examples of such groups are the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG), the VME Industry Trade Association, which is now downplaying its original name and simply going as VITA, and the PC/104 Consortium. All three have Web sites that are well worth visiting.

PICMG is at www.picmg.org and has a directory of members that you can search by product category according to the various PICMG standards, which include PCI, CompactPCI, COM Express, ATCA, AMC and MicroTCA, among others (Figure 2). Like most consortia sites, PICMG has a “members only” section, but provides for public access to its standards section where visitors can find the latest adopted standards and status of standards efforts in progress. One interesting item to be found here is the PICMG/SAF liaison project, which is an effort to harmonize the Service Availability Forum’s Hardware Platform Interface (HPI) specification with the ATCA specification.

PICMG is a member, along with SAF (and other consortia and standards groups) in the Mountain View Alliance (MVA), which can be vis-

HE1

04+

DX

108 Watt Power Supply +3.3V, +5V, +12V and -12V DC output 6V to 40V DC input range High efficiency up to 95% Extended temperature: -40OC to +85OC

168 Watt High Efficiency Power Supply

HPS

-35

12

Total Power: 168 Watt with ATX Interface +3.3V, +5V, 12V output 6V to 40V DC input range Extended temperature: -40OC to +85OC RS232 serial port / Optocoupled inputs

www.tri-m.com

info@tri-m.com

1.800.665.5600 tel: 604.945.9565

fax: 604.945.9566

December 2006

55

Home

PC/104

VersaLogic Corp.

3888 Stewart Rd. Eugene, OR 97402 (541) 485-8575

www.versalogic.com News Product Specifications Technical White Papers Online Technical/Product Support

VersaLogic is a leading supplier of PC/104, EBX, and EPIC single board computers. VersaLogic produts are backed by a 5year availability guarantee and award-winning customer service.

EBX

Photographer: Remco Frank

What Do These Embedded Applications Have In Common?

Each embedded application is unique. That’s why VersaLogic offers an extensive line of embedded products with choices of size, performance, and features. That’s also why VersaLogic works closely with customers to tailor standard products to meet their needs. Product customization is available in quantities as low as 100 pieces!

More importantly, embedded customers have many common needs. Meticulous quality standards, dedicated customer support, and reliable product delivery are just a few that VersaLogic provides. That’s why customers from a wide range of industries rely on VersaLogic for their embedded computer needs.

Could you use uncommonly-good support? Call today to see if your unique application is a good match with VersaLogic’s unique approach to service and support. We may have more in common than you think!

Call 800-824-3163. Visit www.VersaLogic.com.

Rated a “Platinum Vendor” by Venture Development Corporation (2002-2005) for excellence in customer service.

(800) 824-3163 • info@VersaLogic.com

SpecialReport ited at www.mountainviewalliance.org.

The founding members of MVA include the Optical Internetworking Forum (www. oiforum.com), the RapidIO Trade Association (www.rapidio.org), the SCOPE Alliance (www.scope-alliance.org), the Open Communications Architecture Forum focus group of the International Telecommunication Union (www.itu.int) and the Communications Platforms Trade Association (www.cp-ta.org). The MVA is gaining members so this list may not be complete. The stated goal of the MVA and

58

December 2006

its members is to “accelerate the adoption of platforms and building blocks based on the specifications of its members,” and this is predominantly in the networking and telecommunications arena (Figure 3).

VITA, which can be visited at www. vita.com, is traditionally heavily oriented toward the VME specification and its follow-ons, such as VXS, VPX, XMC and VME2eSST, among others. Today it is expanding to promote the concept of open systems based on standards being developed by the VITA Standards organization

(VSO). The VSO is an accredited National Standards Developer. Published standards are available for order either as individual downloadable PDF files or all together on a CD-ROM. VITA maintains an extensive searchable listing of members’ products.

Searches can be made by product function and by vendor.

The PC/104 Consortium, at www. pc104.org, is, naturally, aimed at promoting the SBCs and modules built to the PC/104 and PC/104-Plus specifications.

Other standards supported by the consortium are PCI-104, EBX and EPIC. As with other consortia, the PC/104 Consortium has a product database that is searchable by product category and/or vendor, has downloadable specifications and a members directory. It also sponsors a yearly design contest and the winners are posted on the Web site after each annual judging. You can get a good sense of the variety of applications that are based on this versatile and widespread form-factor by looking through the contest winners. In addition, there is a place on the home page where you can get a look at the latest product introductions from member companies.

Another tip for general searching is that many societies, such as ISA, SPIE, CERT or SID (are these unfamiliar? Google them and see) or arcane acronyms for things like communication protocols or architectural standards can be simply Googled and will often instantly yield a wealth of information—or they may lead to hours of distraction. SID for example, yields Society for Information Display as well as Society for Investigative Dermatology.

The thing about the Web is that it’s never complete—nor does it reliably stay the same. You can never be entirely certain that the really cool thing you bookmarked one day will be there the next. By the same token, it pays to go back repeatedly to a specific Web site that you find useful because the flip side of constant change is that new things are always appearing.

The sites mentioned here are simply examples of what is available to those looking for information in our industry.

The order and organization may be compared to the tastes of a bee flitting from flower to flower. There is much to be gathered, but there are also those ready to point out delectable blossoms that I have neglected.

Performance Technologies Home Page

Advanced Managed Platforms™

Performance Technologies 205 Indigo Creek Drive Rochester, NY 14626 (585) 256-0200

www.pt.com News Product Specifications

Embedded Blade Functionality

Technical White Papers

Web Master: Mary Pryor

webmaster@pt.com

(585) 784-7226

Performance Technologies develops systems and platforms for communications infrastructure. The original developers of CompactPCI® and PICMG® 2.16, their product enable equipment manufacturers and service providers to offer highly available, fully-managed systems.

A Compute Blade This Powerful Deserves A Cape.

The CPC5564 64-Bit AMD Opteron™ Single Board Computer The CPC5564 is the world's most powerful PICMG® 2.16 compute blade, and the first to be based on single- and dual-core AMD Opteron™ processors. The AMD Opteron™ processor provides a highly scalable x86 architecture that delivers next-generation performance as well as a flexible upgrade path from 32- to 64-bit computing. Its multi-core architecture offers advanced processing speed while reducing heat and power consumption.

With up to 8GB of ECC memory, multiple storage options and Linux, Solaris™ and Windows® operating system support, the CPC5564 is an ideal computer for high-end packet processing or multi-threaded software environments found in wireless, softswitch and defense applications.

Is it the superhero of the compute world? We like to think so.

Learn more at:

www.pt.com/sbc

Annual Article Index December 2005

January 2006 Also in this issue

Also in this issue

Switched Fabric Update

Power Distribution

Dual-Core Processors

2005 Annual Article Index The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

December 2005 www.rtcmagazine.com

Compact PCI Express

CompactPCI Express Ready to Take the Stage

Ready to Take the Stage

Merging Model-Based and Code-Based Design

January 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

DATA Acquisition Goes

DEEP FAST

DATA Acquisition Goes Deep and Fast

and

An RTC Group Publication

An RTC Group Publication

Editorial RoHS Upheaval May Be Far Wider than We Imagine.....................23

Editorial Penguins on the Ice..............................................................................9

Industry Insight—Power Distribution Power Management: It’s in the System............................................30

Industry Insider..................................................................................11

Micheal Munroe, Elma Bustronic

Standards Update CompactPCI Express: A Path to Performance and Compatibility.....................................................................................40 Steve Cooper, One Stop Systems

Technology in Context—Data Acquisition Data Acquisition Subsystems Getting Faster, Interface-Agnostic..............................................................................14 Ann R. Thryft

Standardizing Digital IF Data Transfer with VITA 49.....................18 Stephen M. Pereira, Mercury Computer Systems

2005 Annual Article Index..................................................................62

Shared Memory Network Targets Video-Centric Data Acquisition................................................................................24 Ralph Barrera, Curtiss-Wright Controls

Data Acquisition Systems Track Signal Processing Technology......28 Andrew Reddig, TEK Microsystems

Solutions Engineering—Switched Fabric Update Serial RapidIO Fabric Offers Robust Scalability and Performance................................................................................32

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE INDUSTRY?

Tom Cox, RapidIO Trade Association

Storage Systems Merge into the Express Lane – PCI Express.........39 Steve Moore, PLX Technology

Industry Insight—Dual Core Processors Dual-Core Processing Drives High-Performance Embedded Systems...............................................................................................42 Matt Stevenson and John Hill, WIN Enterprises

System Tracing Tools Ease Transition to Multicore Processors......46 Derrick Keefe and David Inglis, QNX Software Systems

WWW.EMBEDDEDCOMMUNITY.COM

Executive Interview RTC Interviews Mercury Computer Systems’ James “Jay” R. Bertelli........................................................................53 Software & Development Tools—Graphical Development Tools Integrating Model-Driven Development with IDE Breaks Productivity Barriers.........................................................................61 George LeBlanc, I-Logix

62

December 2006

embeddedcommad_14v.indd 1

11/13/06 5:55:59 PM

Annual Article Index February 2006

Mass Storage Modules for VMEbus and CompactPCI®

Also in this issue Network Processors Shelf Management The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

Carrier Design for COM Express

February 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

ATCA

Offers Wide

Integration and Implementation

ATCA Offers Wide Integration and Implementation Options

Options

An RTC Group Publication

Editorial Evolution vs. Intelligent Design..........................................................9

Ultra SCSI Flash Drive

Industry Insider..................................................................................11

Up to 128GB in VMEbus Form Factor -40C to +85C Operating

Technology in Context—Enhanced ATCA Transitioning to VoIP: All-in-One Blades or Modular ATCA Solutions?...........................................................................................14

See the full line of VMEbus single and multi-slot mass storage module products at

Alan Percy, AudioCodes

www.RedRockTech.com

High Availability and Interoperability for Telco Class Applications.......................................................................................20

or call Toll-Free: 800-808-7837 Red Rock Technologies, Inc. 480-483-3777

Jeff Hudgins and Cynthia Tucker, Alliance Systems

ATCA300: Expanding to New Applications.....................................25 Niall Robinson, Optovia redrock_03.indd Solutions Engineering—Network Processors Communications Processors vs. Network Processors: Programmable Data Plane Approaches............................................29

1

10/13/06 3:28:23 PM

David Smith, Freescale Semiconductor

Beyond the Network Layer: NP-Based TCP Offloading via TCP Splicing...............................................................................................40 Surekha Peri and Pravin Pathak, Agere Systems

Industry Insight—Shelf Management Hardware Platform Management Building Blocks Speed ATCA and AMC Product Development.............................................................44 Mark Overgaard, Pigeon Point Systems

ATCA Shelf Management for High Availability...............................48 Kevin Hart, Vadatech

Executive Interview RTC Interviews Mads Lillelund, CEO, Carlo Gavazzi.....................53 Industry Watch Successful Carrier Card Design for COM Express..........................62 Andrew Pitt, RadiSys

Module-Based Design Platform Includes FPGAs............................69 Chris Wright, Ultimodule

December 2006

63

Embedded I/O Products

Acromag

30765 S Wixom Rd, PO Box 437 Wixom, MI 48393-7037 USA (248) 295-0310

Product Information and Pricing

www.acromag.com Search Engine

News

Online Purchasing

FAQs

Product Demos/Labs

Product Specifications

Technical White Papers Online Technical/Product Support Web Master: Robert Greenfield

rgreenfield@acromag.com

(248) 295-0865

Information Request Acromag specializes in developing and manufacturing I/O solutions for data acquisition and control applications. They combine 50-years of industrial process control experience and decades of embedded computer development. Industries served include military, aerospace, manufacturing, transportation, and scientic research laboratories. Acromag I/O boards are sold worldwide through a global network of sales representatives and distributors, as well as through our website’s online ordering system. All products are engineered and manufactured at our world headquarters near Detroit, Michigan.

Acromag offers a broad range of embedded I/O boards to perform A/D, D/A, digital I/O, counter/timer, and serial communication functions. The newest boards feature re-congurable FPGA’s for custom computing solutions. Acromag I/O solutions are available on VME, PCI, and CompactPCI cards as well as on Industry Pack and PMC mezzanine modules. An extended life cycle program manages component obsolescence to ensure long availability for OEM and COTS applications. Most products can also be ordered with extended temperature ranges for use in harsh environments.

Acromag introduces affordable FPGA I/O. For ALL your projects.

A

s an engineer, your projects are unique, ever-changing, and budget-bound.That's why our new PMC modules give you an affordable solution to create custom I/O boards.

But if you thought FPGA computing was only for top-end applications, think again. Our PMCs are ideal for protocol conversion, simulation, in-circuit testing, and much more.

So why settle for generic I/O when you can design exactly what you need while staying in budget and reducing your time to market?

• Virtex®-II FPGA with 500K, 2M or 3M system gates • 1Mb on-chip RAM, 9Mb on-board SRAM • Fast PCI with 32-bit, 66MHz dual DMA

Cost-effective custom I/O Choose from a variety of I/O configurations: • Digital I/O:TTL, RS422, or LVDS I/O • Analog I/O:four 20 or 65MHz A/D and two D/A Faster time to market Why waste precious time building a board from scratch? Our new FPGA modules let you process your I/O signals any way you want. Quickly.

Flexibility to meet unexpected challenges Acromag FPGA I/O will help you bring your projects in on time and under budget. And with FPGAs, you'll be ready to adapt to all the inevitable changes.

Thinking about FPGA I/O? Think flexible. Think affordable.

Think Acromag.

Industry Pack FPGA I/O also available

ANALOG I/O

DIGITAL I/O

Manufactured in Wixom, Michigan, USA

SERIAL I/O

FPGA

Call or visit our website today – for VME, CompactPCI, PCI, PMC, and Industry Pack solutions.

www.acromag.com 800-881-0268 or 248-624-1541

COUNTER/TIMER

Q UA D R AT U R E

All trademarks are the property of their respective companies

Annual Article Index March 2006

April 2006 Also in this issue

Also in this issue

PC/104 Takes on High-End Apps

ZigBee Wireless Networking for Sensors

DSP for Control and Inspection The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

High-Speed and Hybrid Backplanes

RTOS for DSP

March 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

ETHERNET Adapts to the Needs of

The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

Ethernet Adapts to the Needs of Industrial Control

INDUSTRIAL CONTROL

An RTC Group Publication

Real-Time Java

April 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

CompactPCI

CompactPCI Brings Switched Fabrics Into the Backplane

BRINGS

SWITCHED FABRICS INTO THE BACKPLANE

An RTC Group Publication

Editorial Telecom Is Not Dead—It Is Undead...................................................9

Editorial Brave New Multicore World................................................................9

Industry Insider..................................................................................10

Industry Insider..................................................................................10

Technology in Context—Industrial Ethernet Real-Time Ethernet is Reaching the Field for Industrial Control..14

Technology in Context—I/O and Sensor Technology Using ZigBee Wireless Networking to Develop Commercial Products..............................................................................................14

Frank Hansen, Altera

EtherCAT: A Real-Time Industrial Fieldbus on Ethernet...............20 Paul Fischer, TenAsys

DDS Over Ethernet Simplifies Industrial Automation....................25 Bob Kindel, Real-Time Innovations

Solutions Engineering—PC/104 Tackles High-End Apps EPIC Express: A Bridge to the Future for High-Performance I/O......................................................................31 Susan Wooley, Micro/sys

PCI Express Stacks Up in High-End Embedded Applications........37 Colin McCracken, Ampro Computers

Industry Insight—DSP for Control and Inspection DSPs, Microprocessors and FPGAs in Control................................44 Shelley Gretlein, Gerardo Garcia and Joel Sumner, National Instruments

DSPs + FPGAs Provide Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Solution..............................................................................................50 Kristen K. Zaffini, BittWare

Executive Interview RTC Interviews Len Crane, President and CEO, VersaLogic...........55 Software & Development Tools—RTOS for DSP Evaluating Real-Time Operating Systems for DSP..........................61 Tom Barrett, Quadros Systems

Industry Watch PMCs: They’re the Real Thing..........................................................71 David Compston, Radstone Embedded Computing

66

December 2006

Jon Adams, Freescale Semiconductor

Solutions Engineering—High-Speed and Hybrid Backplanes VXS Processor Mesh Architecture: Powerful, Flexible, Compatible.........................................................20 Michael Munroe, Elma Bustronic

Functionality and Design of AdvancedTCA Backplanes.................26 Andreas Lenkisch, Schroff

Industry Insight—CompactPCI and Switched Fabrics Advanced Switching on CompactPCI Express.................................32 Steve Cooper, One Stop Systems

CompactPCI Express Links the Past and Future.............................37 Paul Gaudreau, Inova Computers

System Scalability with Switched Fabrics in CompactPCI..............43 Tom Cox, RapidIO Trade Association

Executive Interview RTC Interviews Pat Busby, CEO of Diversified Technology...........47 Software & Development Tools—Real-Time Java Achieving RAMS Objectives in Hard Real-Time Java Software......53 Kelvin Nilsen, Aonix

Industry Watch A Delegation RTOS Can Slice Low-Value (Boring) Work from Real-Time System Projects................................................................65 Victor Yodaiken, FSMLabs

You Dont Have to Stop High-Availability Systems for Updates.....69 Pat Rogers and Cyrille Comar, AdaCore

Annual Article Index May 2006 Also in this issue 1U Server Solutions 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Beyond The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

May 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

AMC Moves Out to Cover System Solutions

AMC

Moves Out to Cover

SYSTEM

An RTC Group Publication

FP GA

s:

Sp

e

c Th ial e Ne Sup w ple M atr me ix n fo t: rD es ig

n

SOLUTIONS

Editorial FPGAs: The New Matrix for Design...................................................9 Industry Insider..................................................................................10 Technology in Context—AMC as System Solution AMC Offers System Design Flexibility.............................................14 Todd Wynia, Artesyn Communication Products

Converging Technologies Deliver Next-Generation Embedded Solutions.............................................................................................18 Robert Persons and William Coffey, Motorola

Solutions Engineering—1U Server Solutions Non-Traditional Blade Server Applications.....................................24 Laura P. Cooper, NextCom

Industry Insight—10 Gigabit Ethernet and Beyond 10 Gigabit Ethernet Backplanes Make ATCA Chassis COTS..........30 Bud Noren, Fulcrum Microsystems

GO WITH THE MARKET LEADERS MULTIPLE SOURCED. GLOBAL AVAILABILITY

Achieving 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Beyond.....................................36 Blaine Kohl, Tehuti Networks Go with the market leaders

XTX, New Module Standard Q

w w w. a m p r o . c o m Q

Mark Goosman, Xilinx Q

Reduce Cost, Risk and Time-to-Market with an FPGA-toStructured ASIC Strategy..................................................................52 Danny Biran, Altera

www.advantech.com Q

XTX is based on the successful ETX ® form factor XTX offers an easier upgrade from ETX ® than other proposed standards XTX is supported by technology leaders in Europe, Asia and North America XTX modules are available in a wide range of performance levels all the way up to Intel ® Core ™ Duo processors.

www.congatec.com

Moving Real-Time Data around FPGA-Centric Systems................57

ETX® is a registered trademark of Kontron Embedded Modules GmbH.

Special Supplement—FPGAs: The New Matrix for Design Changing Horses in Midstream: Partial Reconfiguration for FPGA Designs...............................................................................................47

Jeremy Banks, VMetro

Design Methodologies Help Leverage IP for FPGA-Based Development......................................................................................60 Jeff Harriman, Xilinx and Jeff Meisel, National Instruments

Embedded FPGA Soft Core Processor Enables Universal CompactPCI Applications.................................................................64 Pat Mead, Altera and Barbara Schmitz, MEN Mikro Elektronik

FGPA-Based Development for Defense and Aerospace Applications.......................................................................................68 Steve Edwards, Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing

w w w .xtx - standard.org December 2006

67

Order Your PCIe Expansion Kit Today!

Cable Expansion Components

One Stop Systems

2235 Enterprise Street, Suite 110 Escondido, CA 92029 (760) 745-9883 (877) GET-CPCI

www.onestopsystems.com Search Engine News Product Specifications Technical White Papers Online Technical/Product Support

One Stop Systems designs and manufactures semi-custom and custom industrial-grade computing systems and components for a wide variety of applications including communications, industrial control and defense/security. One Stop Systems is a leading provider of PCI Express-based components and systems for the industrial computing market, including both SHB Express and CompactPCI Express architectures.

Rackmount RAID Array, 12-Drive (PCIe x4)

Annual Article Index June 2006

July 2006 Also in this issue

Also in this issue

Wireless Networks for Industrial Environments

PCI Express and InfiniBand

Cooling Large Systems

Mezzanines Soup to Nuts The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

MILS and FIPS for Security

June 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

Machine-to-Machine

Communications

The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

Machine-to-Machine Communications Boost Systems’ Reach

BOOST SYSTEMS’ REACH

Embedded Windows

July 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

Medical Instruments: Big Power in Small Packages

MEDICAL

INSTRUMENTS:

Big Power in Small Packages

RTC Interviews Themis Computer’s Bill Kehret An RTC Group Publication

An RTC Group Publication

Editorial The Modular Model Has Modified Methodologies. . .

Magnificently!......................................................................................9 Industry Insider..................................................................................10 Technology in Context—Mezzanine Soup to Nuts XMCs Bring Digital Video Standards to High-Performance Applications.......................................................................................14

Editorial Will the World Go Wireless?...............................................................9 Industry Insider..................................................................................10 Technology in Context—Industrial Wireless Networks Use Best Practices and Analysis for Success in Wireless Industrial Networking.........................................................................................14 Gene Yon, Accutech Division of Adaptive Instruments

Stephane Joanisse, Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing

FPGAs Revolutionize Mezzanine Boards.........................................19 Rodger H. Hosking, Pentek

iSCSI Brings Distributed Storage to Mezzanine Clients.................24 Stan McClellan, SBE

Solutions Engineering—PCI Express and InfiniBand The PCI Express-InfiniBand Connection........................................31 Jack Regula, PLX Technology

Accelerate Your Applications with Hard Real-Time and Reliable I/O over InfiniBand...........................................................................37 Sujal Das, Mellanox Technologies

Industry Insight—Machine to Machine Communicating Machines Are Triggering an Embedded Revolution..........................................................................................42 Bob Burckle, WinSystems and Steve Pazol, nPhase

Internet Protocols Ease Development Cost and Time for M2M Communication.................................................................................47 Alan Singer, ConnectOne

Executive Interview RTC Interviews Bill Kehret, CEO Themis Computer......................53 Software & Development Tools—MILS and FIPS for Security MILS Middleware for Secure Distributed Systems..........................59 Gordon Uchenick, Objective Interface Systems

Industry Watch Competition Heats Up in the Battle for COTS Processing Technologies.......................................................................................68 Neil Harold, Nallatech

Flexible Multicore Pipeline Infrastructure Reduces Software Pain......................................................................................71 Bryon Moyer, Teja Technologies 70

December 2006

Solutions Engineering—Cooling Large Systems VITA 48/REDI: Keeping the Future Cool.........................................18 Alan Storrow, Radstone Embedded Computing

Beating the Heat.................................................................................22 Martin Mayer, Advanced Digital Logic

Designing a Liquid Cooling Loop for High-Performance Systems...............................................................................................26 Richard Goldman and Tracey Barber, Lytron

Industry Insight—Small Medical Systems DSPs and Zone Sonography Enable Portable Ultrasound..............30 Glen McLaughlin, Zonare Medical Systems

Panel PCs Tackle Next-Generation Small Medical System Requirements.....................................................................................34 Colin McCracken, Ampro Computers

Ultra-Mobile PCs Enable Portable Diagnosis and Test...................41 Udi Levin, General Micro Systems

Executive Interview RTC Interviews Joel Zackin, President, Cyclone Microsystems......45 Software & Development Tools—Embedded Windows How to Really Embed Microsoft Windows CE................................51 Michael Erickson, Logic Product Development

Windows XP and CE on Single CPU for a Reliable, Cost-Effective, PC-Based Soft PLC............................................................................55 Heinrich Munz, Kuka

Annual Article Index August 2006

September 2006 Also in this issue

Also in this issue

IPTV and VoIP Implementation

Biometric Subsystems Ethernet Switch Boards

Storage Interfaces The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

High Availability

August 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

ATCA:

The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

ATCA: Bringing “Triple Play” to the Home and Office

BRINGING

Middleware for Servers

September 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

ROUGH READY AND

Rough and Ready VME Celebrates 25 Years

VME CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

“TRIPLE PLAY”

TO THE HOME AND OFFICE

An RTC Group Publication

An RTC Group Publication

Editorial On the Road to Triple Play, IMS Could Show the Way.....................9

Editorial VME Turns 25...and Time Marches On.............................................9

Industry Insider..................................................................................11

Industry Insider..................................................................................11

Technology in Context—ATCA Systems Dual-Core-Based AdvancedMC Modules: A Better Solution than DSP for Mobile Networks.................................................................14

Publisher’s Letter On Independence…..........................................................................72

Sven Freudenfeld, Kontron

AdvancedTCA Provides Foundation for Next-Generation Telecom Equipment..........................................................................................21 Thanh Nguyen, Emerson Network Power

Solutions Engineering—IPTV and VoIP Implementation AdvancedTCA and MicroTCA: Where the Action Is in VoIP & IPTV...................................................................................................26 Paul Sethy, Aviva Networks

QoS Challenge: Can Quality Be Assured When Transmitting Video over Today’s Networks?.....................................................................31 Mahmud Noormohamed, Net Insight Inc.

Industry Insight—Storage Interfaces Storage Interfaces Shift from Parallel to Serial.................................36 Ken Grob, ACT/Technico

FPGAs Implement Storage Interfaces for Data Recording Systems...............................................................................................43 Steve Birch, TEK Microsystems

Technology in Context—Biometric Subsystems Biometric Access Control Gets Networked......................................14 Rahul Shah, Lantronix and Bashar Masad, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, Schlage Recognition Systems

Solutions Engineering—VME 25th Anniversary VPX and VPX-REDI Standards Coming on Strong........................20 Stewart Dewar, VITA 46 Working Group

VMEbus at 25!...................................................................................25 Clarence Peckham, GE Fanuc Embedded Systems

VXS: Jump Start to Higher Performance for VME Users...............30 Dave Barker, VMetro

VME: Moving from Evolution to Revolution..................................34 Dave Evans-Hughes, Concurrent Technologies

VME Market Bifurcation: The VXS and VPX Face-Off..................38 Eran Strod, Mercury Computer Systems

Industry Insight—Ethernet Switch Boards Blade Server Interconnect Converges on Switched Ethernet..........44 Mike Zeile, Fulcrum Microsystems

Executive Interview RTC Interviews Dan Dodge, CEO, QNX Software Systems............49

The 1/10 Gigabit Ethernet Ripple Effect..........................................49

Software & Development Tools—High Availability Embedded Databases Are Becoming More Essential for High Availability..........................................................................................57

Executive Interview “Parallel Buses Are Dead!”.................................................................55

Nigel Day, Enea Embedded Technology

Replicated Databases Achieve High Availability in Real-Time Systems...............................................................................................61 David Barnett, Real-Time Innovations

Nauman Arshad, Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing

RTC Interviews Ben Sharfi, CEO, General Micro Systems

Software & Development Tools—Middleware for Servers Off-the-Shelf Carrier-Grade Middleware: The Next Logical Step........................................................................62 Niranjan Vaidya, OpenClovis

December 2006

71

Home

Technobox, Inc.

140 Mount Holly Bypass - Unit 1 Lumberton, NJ 08048 (609) 267-8988

SCSI Ultra 320 Dual Channel Controller PMC

www.technobox.com Search Engine Online Purchasing Product Specifications

XMC-to-PCI Express Adapter

Technobox has been specializing in PMC solutions since the introduction of the IEEE 1386-1 standards for the PCI Mezzanine Card (PMC) concept in 1993. Established in 1989, the company is highly regarded for its excellence in electronics engineering, particularly in custom board-level architectures. Our PMCs can be found at work in a variety of environments, such as industrial process control, computer product R&D, telecommunications, healthcare, aeronautics, high-energy research laboratories, transportation, and defense.

We maintain a comprehensive assortment of PMCs for off-theshelf purchase -- from 2-port async communications to Ultra 320 SCSI to 10/100 Quad Ethernet to SATA and SAS -- along with an extensive line of adapters, including XMC. Technobox also welcomes custom design projects, offering consultation services, board design, and fabrication, to satisfy unique requirements that cannot be fulďƒžlled with more generic solutions. Our customized solutions encompass a range of form factors, not just PMCs.

PCI-to -PMC

Technobox produces custom and off-the-shelf PMCs.

Serial

Ultra320

FPGA

async I/O, SATA, Ethernet, and IDE controllers. Plus a variety of adapters, extenders, and tools for PMC development or integration.

Adapters SCSI

solutions includes versatile FPGA-based digital I/O,

Quad Ethernet

Async

Our extensive range of

Make us your first stop for

SATA

PMC Solutions.

Reconfigurable

RoHS

CardBus

Digital I/O

Fast/Wide

SAS

PrPMC

PMC-to-PCI

IDE

www.technobox.com

CompactFlash

Your Source for PMCs, Adapters, and Tools.

RS-232/422/485 LVD/SE

PMC-X

PIM

Test Access & Bus Analysis

Carriers Extenders

140 Mount Holly Bypass – Unit 1 Lumberton, NJ 08048 Tel. 609-267-8988 Fax 609-261-1011

Annual Article Index October 2006

November 2006 Also in this issue

Also in this issue

RoHS - Weathering the Storm

Server Blades

Power Management and Conversion

Remote Monitoring and Maintenance

The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

The magazine of record for the embedded computing industry

October 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

FPGAs

DEFINE

PLATFORM BOARDS

FPGAs Define Platform Boards

Embedded Linux and Java Work Together

November 2006 www.rtcmagazine.com

AMC TO GET

AMC Gets Ready to Get Rugged GETS READY

RUGGED

RTC

Interviews WinSystem's

Jerry Winfield An RTC Group Publication

An RTC Group Publication

Editorial The Future of Parallelism....................................................................9

Editorial Will AMC/MicroTCA Rule the Future?..............................................9

Industry Insider..................................................................................11

Industry Insider....................................................................................1

Technology in Context—FPGA Platform Boards Utilizing FPGA DSP Slices with Serial Fabrics................................14 Mike Jadon, Micro Memory

Choosing the Right FPGA Board: More Features Mean Tougher Decisions............................................................................................18 Rodger H. Hosking, Pentek

Solutions Engineering—RoHS RoHS: After the Deadline..................................................................24 Ann R. Thryft

Weathering the RoHS Storm.............................................................26 Norm Hartig, VersaLogic Corp.

Industry Insight—Power Management and Conversion High Voltage Strikes CompactPCI....................................................32 Sandeep Babel, Bi Ra Systems

Executive Interview ...An Exciting Time to be an Embedded Systems Developer..........36 RTC Interviews Rob McKeel, CEO, GE Fanuc Embedded Systems

Software Supplement—Software Tools and Techniques Using Resource Partitioning to Build Secure, Survivable Embedded Systems...............................................................................................45 Paul N. Leroux and Kerry Johnson, QNX Software Systems

TimeMachines: The Future of Debuggers........................................50 Michael Lindahl, Green Hills Software

An RTOS for an SMP Multicore Processor......................................54 John A. Carbone, Express Logic

“Not Your Father’s CORBA”—An Architecture for Embedded and Real-Time Systems.............................................................................58 Victor Giddings, Objective Interface Systems

Enterprise-Strength Solutions Meet the Demands of Today’s Embedded Systems............................................................................62 Robert Day, LynuxWorks

Implementing High-Availability Middleware on ATCA—Step-by-Step...... 66 Jim Ewel, GoAhead Software

Open Architecture Network Software Platforms Speed Complex Development......................................................................................70 Terry Pearson, Enea 74

December 2006

Technology in Context—Server Blades Flash-Based Data Storage Enhances Blade Server Operation.........14 Guy Freikorn and Rochelle Singer, Msystems

Will ATCA Bring Order Out of Chaos for Blade Servers?...............18 Alan Percy, AudioCodes

Solutions Engineering—AMC Ruggedizing MicroTCA: Going Beyond the Central Office............22 Willie Coffey and Bob Trufford, Motorola and Bob Sullivan, Hybricon

MicroTCA Cubes Provide Scalability in Modular Systems.............28 Charles C. Beyers, Lucent Technologies

MicroTCA.0 Spec Adapts and Extends PICMG Hardware Platform Management.......................................................................34 Mark Overgaard, Pigeon Point Systems

Industry Insight—Remote Monitoring and Maintenance Remote Monitoring Technologies Improve Efficiencies, ROI.........38 Rahul Shah, Lantronix

Wireless Remote Device Networking Has Arrived..........................42 Jason Sprayberry, Digi International

Executive Interview More and More Functionality In Less Space....................................46 RTC Interviews Jerry Winfield, President of WinSystems

Software and Development Tools—Linux Linux and Java Team Up to Address High-Availability Needs........52 Geoff Baysinger, MontaVista Software and Kelvin Nilsen, Aonix

Industry Watch PCI Express—Everywhere.................................................................62 Akber Kazmi, PLX Technology

REAL-TIME & EMBEDDED COMPUTING CONFERENCE NEW TRAINING WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS Register Today at www.rtecc.com

Enter a World of Embedded Computing Solutions Attend open-door technical seminars and workshops especially designed for those developing computer systems and time-critical applications. Get ahead with sessions on Multi-Core, Embedded Linux, VME, PCI Express, ATCA, FPGA, Java, RTOS, SwitchFabric Interconnects, Windows, Wireless Connectivity, and much more.

Meet the Experts Exhibits arranged in a unique setting to talk face-to-face with technical experts. Table-top exhibits make it easy to compare technologies, ask probing questions and discover insights that will make a big difference in your embedded computing world. Join us for this complimentary event!

Be sure to enter the drawing on-site for an iPod Video

RTECC ‘07 is Heading Your Way Copenhagen January 18 Albuquerque Atlanta Austin Beijing Boston Chicago Colorado Springs Copenhagen

Santa Clara, CA January 25 Dallas Detroit Greenbelt Guadalajara Helsinki Houston Huntsville Long Beach

Melbourne, FL February 27

Longmont Melbourne Melbourne, Aust Milan Minneapolis Montreal Ottawa Pasadena

Huntsville, AL March 1

Patuxent River Phoenix Portland Rome San Diego Santa Clara Seattle Shanghai

Shenzhen Stockholm Sydney Toronto Tyson’s Corner Vancouver, BC Xian

www.rtecc.com

Atlanta, GA March 6

Home

PC/104 Bus Products

ACCES I/O Products, Inc. 10623 Roselle Street San Diego, CA 92121 (858) 550-9559

www.accesio.com News Product Specifications Online Technical/Product Support

Web Master: John Hentges Chris Persidok

jhentges@accesio.com (858) 550-9559 cpersidok@accesio.com

ACCES I/O Products, Inc. supplies an extensive range of analog, digital, serial communication, and isolated I/O boards and solutions. ACCES also offers complete systems, integration services, and enclosures with a quick turn-around on custom projects including software. ACCES products are designed for use with PC/104, PCI, PCI-X, Low Proďƒžle PCI, EBX, ETX, EPIC, USB, Ethernet and ISA, as well as distributed and wireless I/O.

ETX Products

is to research the latest datasheet from a company, speak directly with an Application Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page, the goal of Get Connected is to put you in touch with the right resource.

Whichever level of service you require for whatever type of technology, Get Connected will help you connect with the companies and products you are searching for.

www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected

Advertiser Index Get Connected with technology and companies providing solutions now Get Connected is a new resource for further exploration into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal is to research the latest datasheet from a company, speak directly with an Application Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page, the goal of Get Connected is to put you in touch with the right resource. Whichever level of service you require for whatever type of technology, Get Connected will help you connect with the companies and products you are searching for.

www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected

Company

Page

Website

ACCES I/O Products............................................................................................76,77...............................................................................................www.accesio.com Acromag..............................................................................................................64,65............................................................................................. www.acromag.com Advanet Technologies............................................................................................ 58...........................................................................................www.advanettech.com

Products

End of Article

Advantech Technologies, Inc.................................................................................. 44..............................................................................................www.advantech.com Ampro Computers, Inc...................................................................................... 30,31,67...............................................................................................www.ampro.com ARCOM................................................................................................................. 34....................................................................................................www.arcom.com BittWare, . ..........................................................................................................52,53.............................................................................................. www.bittware.com

Get Connected with companies and

Get Connected

CES......................................................................................................................

59......................................................................................................... www.web.org products featured in this section.

with companies mentioned in this article.

www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected ChipX, Inc.............................................................................................................. 63......................................................................................................www.chipx.com Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing........................................................ 32........................................................................................www.cwcembedded.com Diamond Systems Corp.........................................................................................4,5...................................................................................www.diamondsystems.com ELMA Electronic, Inc.............................................................................................. 33...................................................................................................... www.elma.com

Get Connected with companies mentioned in this article.

Embedded Planet.................................................................................................. 45.................................................................................... www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected www.embeddedplanet.com Get Connected with companies and products featured in this section. www.rtcmagazine.com/getconnected EmbeddedCommunity.com..................................................................................... 62............................................................................. www.embeddedcommunity.com

GE Fanuc Embedded Systems............................................................................ 6,18,19............................................................................ www.gefanuc.com/embedded Interactive Circuits and Systems/Radstone..........................................................20,21................................................................................................. www.ics-ltd.com Kontron America..................................................................................................26,27...............................................................................................www.kontron.com MapuSoft Technologies.......................................................................................36,37............................................................................................www.mapusoft.com MEN Micro, Inc...................................................................................................... 12.............................................................................................. www.menmicro.com Micro Memory LLC...............................................................................................79,80...................................................................................... www.micromemory.com Microsoft Windows Embedded.............................................................................48,49...........................................................................www.microsoft.com/embedded MVACEC................................................................................................................ 54..................................................................................................www.mvacec.com National Instruments...........................................................................................14,15........................................................................................................www.ni.com Octagon Systems................................................................................................ 2,3,9...................................................................................www.octagonsystems.com One Stop Systems...............................................................................................68,69................................................................................. www.onestopsystems.com Performance Technologies...................................................................................60,61....................................................................................................... www.pt.com Phoenix International............................................................................................. 67................................................................................................ www.phenxint.com QNX Software Systems, Ltd.................................................................................22,23..................................................................................................... www.qnx.com Radian Heatsinks, a div. of Intricast Co., Inc.........................................................42,43.................................................................................. www.radianheatsinks.com Real-Time & Embedded Computing Conference...................................................... 75......................................................................................................www.rtecc.com Red Rock Technologies, Inc................................................................................... 63........................................................................................... www.redrocktech.com Sealevel Systems................................................................................................10,11..............................................................................................www.sealevel.com Technobox, Inc....................................................................................................72,73...........................................................................................www.technobox.com Themis Computer................................................................................................46,47................................................................................................ www.themis.com Tri-M Systems....................................................................................................... 55...................................................................................................... www.tri-m.com VersaLogic Corporation........................................................................................56,57........................................................................................... www.versalogic.com WinSystems........................................................................................................38,39.........................................................................................www.winsystems.com RTC (Issn#1092-1524) magazine is published monthly at 905 Calle Amanecer, Ste. 250, San Clemente, CA 92673. Periodical postage paid at San Clemente and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to RTC, 905 Calle Amanecer, Ste. 250, San Clemente, CA 92673.

78

December 2006

Home

Products

Micro Memory 9540 Vassar Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311 (818) 998-0070

www.micromemory.com Search Engine News Product Specifications Technical White Papers

Micro Memory is a leading provider of high performance boardlevel products for streaming signal and image processing, real time data acquisition, and enterprise network storage.

Programs

titled-1 1

/

," / Ê / Ê, ", ,

" Ê ÀÊ,

Ã Ê ÀÀ>ÞÃ

- `Ê-Ì>ÌiÊ- , Ê >Ì>Ê,iV À`iÀ UÊ1«ÊÌ ÊÈ{ Ê vÊ- , Ê i ÀÞÊL>Ãi` Ê Ê `ÕÃÌÀÞÊÃÌ> `>À`ÊÀi} ÃÌiÀi`Ê Ã° UÊ-ÕÃÌ> i`Ê/À> ÃviÀÊ,>ÌiÃÊ vÊ ÛiÀÊ£Ê ÉÃ

,i> Ê/ i -i à ÀÊ- } > Ã

UÊ ÕÀÊvÕ i }Ì ]ÊvÕ i } ÌÊ* Êà ÌÃÊÌ Ê >VV `>ÌiÊ> ÞÊ vv Ì i à i vÊ* Ê É" Ê V>À`Ã]ÊÃÕV Ê>ÃÊ-iÀ > Ê * *Ê ÀÊ É Êv ÀÊ «ÕÌ] Ê > `ÊwLÀiÊV > i ]Ê- - ]Ê ÀÊ- / Êv ÀÊ ÕÌ«ÕÌ° Uʺ } Ì> »Êi Li``i`Ê >À`Ü>ÀiÊ>ÀV ÌiVÌÕÀi Ê V Õ`iÃÊ>Ê* ÜiÀ* ÁÊ«À ViÃà ÀÊÜ Ì Ê ÌÃÊ Ü Ê V> Ê i ÀÞ]Ê }>L ÌÊ Ì iÀ iÌ]Ê> `Ê ÕÝ Ê ÀÊ6Ý7 À ÃÁÊ -*°

i ÀÞÊ ÀÀ>Þʺ »ÊÜ Ì £ÈÊ Ê- ÌiÃÊv À Õ«ÊÌ ÊÎÓ Ê vÊ- ,

,- ÓÎÓ

iLÕ} * ÀÌ

->vi ÞÊ >«ÌÕÀiÊ- } > Ê >Ì>Ê> `ÊÌ i ,iV À`ÊÌ Ê-iV `>ÀÞÊ Ã Ê-Ì À>}i

i ÀÞÊ ÀÀ>Þʺ »ÊÜ Ì £ÈÊ Ê- ÌiÃÊv À Õ«ÊÌ ÊÎÓ Ê vÊ- ,

*

- Ìi

}>L Ì Ì iÀ iÌ * ÀÌ

* ÜiÀ*

*À ViÃÃ À

Û Ê ÃÊ> ʺ } Ì> »ÊvÀ Ì i `Êà ÕÌ ÊÌ ÊÀi> ÊÌ i `>Ì>ÊÀiV À` }°ÊÊ*À Û ` }ÊÌ iÊyiÝ L ÌÞÊ vÊv ÕÀÊ* Êà Ìà > `ÊÕÌ â }Êà `ÊÃÌ>ÌiÊ- , Ê i ÀÞÊÜ Ì Ê>ÊV « iÌi Þ i Li``i`Ê >À`Ü>ÀiÊ>ÀV ÌiVÌÕÀi]Ê Û Ê >ÃÊLii Ê`ià } i` Ì Ê «Ì > ÞÊ>``ÀiÃÃÊÌ iÊ ÃÌÊVÀ Ì V> ÊÃÌ>}iÊ vÊÀi> ÊÌ i ÀiV À` }\ÊivviVÌ ÛiÊV>«ÌÕÀiÊ vÊÃi à ÀÊÃÌÀi> ðÊÊ/ à >««À >V Êi ÃÕÀiÃÊÌ >ÌÊÛ> Õ>L iÊà } > Ê`>Ì>ÊÜ Ê ÌÊLiÊ ÃÌ > `ÊÌ >ÌÊ«iÀv À > ViÊÜ ÊLiÊ«Ài` VÌ>L iÊ ÛiÀÊ> ÞÊ Õ LiÀ vÊÀiV À` }ð

ÕÀÊ Õ Ê- âi * Ê- ÌÃ

,"Ê ",9 x{äÊ6>ÃÃ>ÀÊ Ûi Õi]Ê >ÌÃÜ ÀÌ ]Ê > v À >Ê £Î££Ê1°-° ° ­1-®Ê/i Ên£nÊ nÊääÇäÊÊUÊÊ­1-®Ê >ÝÊn£nÊ nÊ{{x ÜÜÜ° VÀ i ÀÞ°V ÊÊUÊÊÃ> iÃJ VÀ i ÀÞ°V

11/10/06 3:35:4