TVBLOB Srl has developed a “software toolkit” companion to Toshiba's multimedia device hardware reference design. TVBLOB's Scattermedia toolkit adds drivers, middleware, and application layers useful for implementing Linux-based devices such as media players, streaming servers, digital video recorders, soft-phones, and video-conferencing appliances based on the AVM49R.

Toshiba's previously announced AVM49R platform targets digital multimedia appliances with sub-$100 material costs. The platform is based on a mini-ITX board with a dedicated MPEG-1/2/4 codec chip alongside Toshiba's TMPR4938, a 333MHz MIPS RISC-based SoC (system-on-chip) and comes with a Linux operating system based on MontaVista Linux Professional Edition 3.1. It also includes a kernel patch, a design specification, component data sheets, schematics, gerber database, CPLD/FPGA source code, and documentation.

According to TVBLOB, the Scattermedia toolkit implements a software platform that has been optimized for MontaVista Linux, and which can be used for implementing “network-distributed and interactive applications with strong support for real-time streaming and media management.”

Additionally, Scattermedia includes “truly distributed middleware” that includes a backend gateway function capable of supporting both client/server and peer-to-peer applications. The backend server provides a plug-in infrastructure that supports database-driven server applications, and allows integrating third-party external services such as unified directories and existing billing systems.

Scattermedia also includes a codec control infrastructure that enables easy integration and mixing of hardware and software codecs, according to TVBLOB. A full implementation of the VWeb codec chip on the AVM49R Toshiba platform provides a bi-directional, low latency, turnkey solution supporting MPEG-1/2/4 and H.263 for video and MPEG-1 layer I/II, MP3, AAC, AC-3, G.7xx for audio. The core components are embedded within a compact and ready-to-use daemon executable, written in C/C++.

Availability

Toshiba's AVM49R Multimedia Reference Platform Hardware Developer Kit is currently available for license from Toshiba America Electronic Components (TAEC). TVBLOB says its Scattermedia Toolkit software platform is available for license — visit the company's website for further details.

 
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