The sixth-annual Embedded Masterclass 2008 conference is scheduled for May 8th in London and May 13th in Bristol, UK. This year's events will feature the conference's first-ever “Embedded Linux Workshop,” a three-hour, hands-on session using ARM target hardware.

(Click for larger view of a last year's Embedded Masterclass conference)

Aimed at professional engineers interested in real-time and embedded Linux, the workshop covers theory and hands-on practice on topics such as cross-development tools, root file systems, and kernel configuration and compilation. Other lessons include booting with u-boot, working with Busybox and Tinylogin, the separation between user and kernel space, and writing a driver to access the target board's LEDs.

Managed by British embedded software training firm Feabhas Limited, the workshop will use a ConnectCore Wi-9C ARM development board target, the Digi JumpStart Kit for Linux, and a desktop Linux-based host development system. Attendees should have good 'C' programming skills, general knowledge of a real-time operating system (RTOS) or embedded OS, and ideally, knowledge of basic Linux/Unix commands, says Feabhas.

The larger Embedded Masterclass 2008 conference makes a point of billing itself as a place where embedded engineers can talk to engineers instead of sales and marketing reps. Presentations at the two events include several with an embedded Linux focus, including MontaVista on 'Real-time in Linux', Enea demonstrating its Polyhedra in-memory database for Linux, and a demo from German tools vendor Lauterbach, showing how to use its Linux-based debugging tools to apply a mixture of run-mode and stop-mode techniques on ARM and PowerPC cores.

The Linux workshops are held in the mornings, so attendees won't miss the afternoon presentation, “Using Real-Time Linux.” Other afternoon sessions include presentations on multi-DSP processing in CPU-based embedded systems and “When good architecture goes bad.”

Stated Richard Blackburn, event organizer, “The Linux workshop at the London event is close to being sold out and the numbers at the Bristol event are also looking very good. The inclusion of the Embedded Linux workshop seems to have really given the event a bit of a boost.”

Availability

The Embedded Masterclass 2008 sessions are free, but the Embedded Linux Workshops cost 95 Pounds (currently $191.66 US). More information and registration on the workshop is available here.

 
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