Apple may be going x86, but PowerPC is currently the fastest-growing architecture in the embedded industry, a LinuxDevices.com's 2005 reader survey suggests. That assertion is supported by the news yesterday that eleven companies have joined Power.org, a community of organizations using PPC in everything from consumer electronics devices to supercomputers. (more…)

Virtera is shipping a free tool that can simulate a 217MHz ARM processor and embedded Linux system in real-time. The VirtualMHz for ARM (VM-arm) uses dynamic instruction compilation, rather than the interpretive simulation techniques used by competitors. A commercial version will be available later this year, (more…)

Taiwanese network equipment manufacturer Planet used embedded Linux to build a small VoIP proxy server that supports 50 concurrent users. The SIP-50 is a standalone SIP-compliant proxy server with NAT traversal capabilities that can connect public and private VoIP networks, Planet says. (more…)

Ubiquiti Networks is now shipping the first FCC/CE-approved mini-PCI Wi-Fi cards with 400 mW of transmit power. The “Super Range” SR2 and SR5 cards support 802.11b/g and 802.11a, respectively, and should work under Linux. The cards target outdoor applications such as long-range access points and back-hauls. (more…)

ARM will ship modeling and simulation tools this month that enable fast virtual prototyping of embedded Linux systems. The RealView Real Time System Model will ship initially for the ARM1176JZ(F)-S core, with other ARM11 and CorTex plugins to follow. The tool can boot Linux “in a few seconds,” ARM says. (more…)

Freescale will ship two high-end SoCs (system-on-chip processors) for mobile multimedia applications in June. The ARM11-based i.MX31 and i.MX31L clock from 532MHz to 665MHz, but rival faster chips thanks to an advanced crossbar switch, FreeScale says. They include extensive power management, graphics, and security features, and target mobile entertainment devices. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Vermont used a real-time Linux operating system to control a “laser trap” that manipulates individual molecules with a computer-controlled laser beam. The project illustrates how RTLinux, a real-time Linux operating system from FSMLabs, separates time-critical and non-time-critical tasks. (more…)

Win Enterprises has released another member in its family of 1U-high rack-mountable networking and Internet appliance platforms, this one based on a Pentium 4 processor and equipped with a sextuplet of gigabit ethernet ports. The PL-01024 is available (more…)

PMC-Sierra will ship a “router-on-a-chip” targeting VoIP (voice-over-IP) CPE (customer premises equipment) in Q3, 2005, along with a complete Linux-based software reference design. The MSP4200 is a 32-bit MIPS-based SoC (system-on-chip) with integrated voice processor DSP (digital signal processor), the company says. (more…)

HP will ship two thin clients in mid-June based on Via embedded processors and embedded Linux. The t5525 and t5125 run on Eden ESP chips clocked at 800MHz and 400MHz, respectively, and have a Linux 2.4-based OS that supports Citrix ICA, Microsoft RDP, and X-terminal protocols. (more…)

[Updated Jun. 9, 2005] — Intel has announced three “second-generation AdvancedTCA” blades targeting IMS (IP multimedia subsystem) applications, at SuperComm this week in Chicago. The NetStructure MPCBL0010 SBC (single-board computer), IXB28504xGbEFS Secure Packet Processing Blade, and MPCMM0002 Chassis Management Module can also be used in wired/wireless (more…)

Wind River has updated its Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) stack, adding a 2.6.10 kernel, support for more AdvancedTCA platforms (including PowerPC), and official registration of compliance with the OSDL's CGL 2.0 specification. Additionally, it launched an engineering services practice around its CGL products, and has expanded its CGL-related partner ecosystem, (more…)

Foreword — This article describes how researchers at the University of Vermont used a real-time Linux operating system from FSMLabs to build a “laser trap” that manipulates individual molecules with a computer-controlled laser beam. The project illustrates how RTLinux separates time-critical and non-time-critical tasks, according to FSMLabs CEO Victor Yodaiken. (more…)

A small ISP/ISV in Germany has added support for the open SyncML standard to the open-source version of its Internet groupware suite. Additionally, Netline Internet Service says it has added a Microsoft Outlook connector to the commercial version of Open-Xchange. (more…)

Tharas Systems will ship two design automation tools in Q3, 2005 that it says can verify embedded software and/or hardware at run-time speeds in the hundreds of kilohertz. The Hammer S-Class and M-Class “verification appliances” are based on custom multi-core processors, (more…)