Las Vegas, NV — (press release excerpt) — Philips Semiconductors and SoftConnex Technologies have announced an integrated USB host solution based on combining SoftConnex's Universal Serial Bus (USB) USBLink host software with Philips Semiconductors' single-chip USB host and interface controller, the ISP1161/2. The solution provides OEMs with complete hardware, software, and intellectual property for advanced digital consumer applications, such as Internet appliances, PDAs, set-top-boxes and digital audio players. Philips Semiconductors' single-chip ISP1161/2 allows simultaneous operation for both host and interface functions, while the SoftConnex USBLink software's embedded host drivers for the ISP1161/2 support a range of operating systems, including Linux.

USBLink provides OHCI and/or UHCI USB embedded software drivers under various operating systems, including Linux. Virtually no software development is required on the customer's end. The software creates a framework for developing Class Drivers to support USB devices. This framework allows either Class Drivers to manage USB device configuration or the USB stack to perform the necessary configuration, initialization of interface(s) and allocation of USB data pipes or endpoints.

USBLink supports simple topologies with one USB device attached to the root hub, as well as complex topologies including cascading USB hubs and several different USB devices. USBLink simulates a plug-and-play environment within the host OS, thereby allowing insertion and extraction of USB devices at will. USBLink supports a variety of microprocessors, including Intel x86, ARM, StrongARM, MIPS, and PowerPC, and includes “class libraries” for the following kinds of USB devices: hubs, keyboards, mice, printers, digital cameras, scanners, speakers, microphones, hard Drives, floppy drives, CD-audio, and CD-ROM.

 
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