Cirrus Logic is shipping a highly integrated SoC (system-on-chip) for cost-sensitive networked applications such as gaming machines, POS (point-of-sale/service) terminals, home automation systems, and automotive navigation systems. The $13 EP9307 is based on a 200MHz ARM9 core, with integrated graphics, audio, network, and a host of other interface controllers. (more…)

A popular application used by nearly every embedded Linux developer and included in nearly every Linux-based device has achieved its first major release number. BusyBox 1.00 offers a new kernel-style configuration process with “make config” and “make menuconfig” options, support for 2.6 kernels, many new applets, and extensive testing, according to maintainer Erik Andersen. (more…)

The iRiver PMP-120 is a Linux-based portable media player aimed in part at the in-car entertainment device market. iRiver plans to pursue the in-car entertainment device market aggressively, and is building a large factory in China, according to the DigiTimes. (more…)

Avnet Electronics Marketing has launched a Linux development kit for a Freescale PowerQUICC I Integrated Communications Processor. The ADS-FRS-885-EVL kit includes a development board based on a 133MHz MPC885 PowerQUICC I Processor, networking peripherals, a Linux BSP (board support package), schematics, and… (more…)

Micro/sys has announced a new PC/104 single board computer (SBC) based on a 533MHz Intel IXP425 XScale processor, and is supporting it in Linux-based embedded applications such as industrial controllers, protocol converters, and gateways. (more…)

The first international ARM Developers Conference takes place next week in Santa Clara, California. According to conference organizers, the three-day event will demonstrate a growing interest in a wide variety of applications for ARM processors, “going well beyond ARM's traditional wireless market dominance.” (more…)

eCosCentric Ltd. has added C++ support to its developer kits for the open source eCos embedded operating system. The support, which conforms to the ISO 14882 C++ library specification, is for the GNU libstdc++ v3 run-time library. It enables eCos to support more sophisticated and complex embedded applications, eCosCentric says. (more…)

Chipmaker SigmaTel has released Linux drivers for its family of USB-to-IrDA bridge controller chips. The chips support USB 2.0 Version 1.4 on the USB side, and up to 16 megabits/sec “Very Fast Infrared” (VFIR) on the infrared side. (more…)

[Updated Oct. 13, 2004] — MontaVista Software has launched an open source project to bring “hard real-time” performance to standard, native Linux, and has seeded a fledgling “Open Source Real-Time Linux Project” with a reference implementation claimed to improve real-time responsiveness of the 2.6.9rc3 Linux kernel by “orders of magnitude.” (more…)

IBM has published the following technical articles, tutorials, and downloads on its developerWorks Website. They cover a range of interesting (though not necessarily embedded) technical topics. Some require free registration. Enjoy . . . (more…)

Proprietary and open source OS vendors will discuss the value of real-time operating systems (RTOSes) at the Embedded Systems Show, October 14th in Birmingham, UK. The panel discussion is entitled “How much is an RTOS worth?”, and will include Accelerated Technology, eCosCentric, Green Hills, Microsoft, and MontaVista. (more…)

FSMLabs has announced that its hard real-time Linux operating system and development tools now support all Diamond Systems single-board computers. Additionally, the two companies have inked a cross-licensing deal allowing each to sell the other's technologies and products in bundled form. (more…)

AMCC will sample an SoC (system-on-chip) for RAID and SAN (storage area networking) controllers in Q1, 2005. The 440SPe is AMCC's first product based on a 400-series PowerPC core since it acquired the series from IBM in April. MontaVista and Wasabi will support Linux and BSD, respectively, on the device. (more…)

[Updated Oct. 8, 2004] — Atmel is sampling the first SoC (system-on-chip) in a new line of ARM7 SoCs that it hopes can take a bite out of the 8-bit MCU (microcontroller unit) market by offering 32-bit performance at 8-bit pricing. (more…)

Broadcom expects to sample two dual-core SoCs (system-on-chips) in Q4, 2004, and two quad-core SoCs in Q1, 2005. Like Broadcom's existing dual-core SiByte BCM1250, the new multi-core SoCs will use MIPS64-based SB-1 cores, and will target data networking and communications, security, storage, 3G wireless infrastructure, and high-density computing applications. (more…)