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Archive for February, 2009

Debug tool migrates to MIPS32, Cortex-A8

February 24, 2009

Ronetix continues to add to its library of firmware for its Linux-friendly JTAG/BDM emulator and flash programmer. The PEEDI JTAG/BDM Emulator and Flash Programmer now supports MIPS32 processors, and in recent months Ronetix also added support for processors based on ARM Cortex-A8 and… (more…)

Freescale to unveil handheld SoC at user conference

February 24, 2009

Freescale Semiconductor will introduce a new i.MX23x processor targeting handheld devices, at its upcoming 2009 Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) conference opener in Orlando, Fla., Jun. 22-25. Sponsored by embedded Linux provider MontaVista, among others, this year's FTF series will also visit Japan, Germany, China, and India later in the year. (more…)

Phone design runs Android

February 24, 2009

[Updated: Feb. 25, 2009] — Chinese mobile ODM (original design maker) Yuhua is shipping a hardware reference design for a smartphone that runs the Linux-based Android mobile stack. The Xphone-SDK runs Android on a 624MHz PXA-310 SoC, with 128MB SDRAM and 256MB of flash.

Yuhua (known more formally… (more…)

$100 Linux wall-wart launches

February 24, 2009

Marvell Semiconductor is shipping a hardware/software development kit suitable for always-on home automation devices and service gateways. Resembling a “wall-wart” power adapter, the SheevaPlug draws 5 Watts, comes with Linux, and boasts completely open hardware and software designs, Marvell says. (more…)

Help sought for mainline MPC512x port

February 23, 2009

Working through the OSADL, German embedded-systems vendor Denx is seeking community participation and funding for a Freescale MPC512x Linux BSP (board support package) suitable for inclusion in mainline Linux. Based on a PowerPC core, the MPC512x targets automotive telematics, building automation, medical diagnostics, surveillance, digital home, and gaming applications. (more…)

TI die-shrinks OMAP3

February 23, 2009

TI has announced four additions to its OMAP3 family of ARM SoCs (system-on-chips). The new OMAP36xx series switches to a 45nm production process, delivering speeds up to 1GHz, a 25 percent reduction in power consumption, and 75 percent better graphics performance, says TI. (more…)

Wind River acquires GUI developer

February 23, 2009

Wind River will buy Tilcon Software, a vendor of Linux-compatible, embedded GUI (graphical user interface) toolkits targeting industrial, defense, medical, automotive, and mobile devices. (more…)

Android phone boasts 5Mpix camera

February 23, 2009

[Updated: Feb. 25, 2009] — General Mobile demonstrated a dual-SIM, XScale-based Android cameraphone last week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Based on a design by Chinese design firm Yuhua, the DSTL1 could be among the first Android phones to ship when it launches in June. (more…)

Automation computers have dual PCI slots

February 20, 2009

Advantech has added to its long-running “UNO” series of automation computers with fanless devices offering two PCI expansion slots. The UNO-3272 and UNO-3282 support dual- or single-core Intel CPUs, accept two CompactFlash cards and two hard disk drives, and run Linux, the company… (more…)

AMPed Bluetooth ready for takeoff

February 20, 2009

A new technology combining the easy setup of Bluetooth with the high speed of WiFi will go on the market in April, reports say. AMP (alternate MAC/PHY) Bluetooth will apparently be compatible with some existing phones via a simple software upgrade. (more…)

Dell netbook sports HDMI port

February 20, 2009

Dell has announced a netbook sporting both a 10-inch display and an HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) output. Available soon with Ubuntu 8.04, the Inspiron Mini 10 includes a 1.3GHz Atom Z520 or 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, 1.3 megapixel webcam, Bluetooth, and optional, integrated… (more…)

Chinese thin clients run Linux

February 19, 2009

A ShenZhen China-based manufacturer is shipping several thin clients that run embedded Linux and target educational, government, business, taxation, and medical organizations. SZ Bencse Electronic Technology (Bencse) offers the entry level J5200, plus four higher-end H-5800 models, and ships worldwide at affordable… (more…)

Webinars teach basic embedded Linux skills

February 19, 2009

Timesys will host a free, four-session webinar series devoted to building a Bluetooth-enabled home automation device using Atmel's ARM9 AT91SAM9263-EK Evaluation Kit. Starting with the first session on Feb. 26, the bi-monthly webinars will teach basic embedded Linux development skills, while showcasing Timesys's LinuxLink 3.0 subscription service, says the company. (more…)

ARM11 module supports videoconferencing

February 19, 2009

Embedian is shipping a Linux-ready ARM11 MXM computer-on-module (COM) and evaluation kit. The MXM-6410 COM is equipped with a Samsung S3C6410 system-on-chip (SoC) that weds a ARM1176JZF-S core clocked to 667Mhz with a multimedia co-processor that can encode and decode MPEG4/H.263/H.264 and decode VC1, says Embedian. (more…)

Samsung intros tiny W-USB chip

February 19, 2009

Samsung has introduced a tiny W-USB (wireless USB) chip for mobile devices. Claimed to transfer data at up to 120Mbps, the “S3CR650B” uses an ARM9 core, and provides wireless and SD/MMC interfaces, flash memory, and a USB 2.0 interface, the company says. (more…)