Here is a good introduction to another system and modules vendor supporting QNX Neutrino and fastboot capability. We are working closely with Advantech to support many of our customer module requirments.

http://www.advantech.com/applied/StreamingAV/QNX_FB_Demo.htm

The XPedite5501 is a PrPMC / XMC single-board computer targeting the Freescale QorIQ P2020. Hardware options range from commercial / air-cooled to full military conduction-cooled solutions. With dual PowerPC e500 cores running at up to 1.2 GHz, the P2020 delivers enhanced performance and efficiency for today’s network information processing and other embedded computing applications. Complementing processor performance, the XPedite5501 features up to 4 GB of DDR3-800 CC SDRAM. A configurable SerDes interface (PCI Express or Serial RapidIO) to the XMC connector and a conventional PCI interface to the PMC connectors provide ample bandwidth to the P2020. Two Gigabit Ethernet ports, USB 2.0 port and two RS-232/422/485 ports are routed to P14 or P16 for additional system flexibility. A detachable front panel provides one 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet port and one RS-232 serial port for development. The XPedite5501 provides a high-performance, feature-rich solution for current and future generations of embedded applications.

Not all embedded devices are created equal. This is especially true for products that are being specified with dynamic or interactive graphic elements. Devices that are constrained for resources also depend on close attention to User Interface (UI) or Human Machine Interface (HMI) design and its impact on hardware performance. These combined make the UI or HMI one of the most complicated aspects of the embedded design process.

Enter, Crank Software, an upstart that has been incubating a new UI development solution. After several months of heads down, cafeinated and vending machine fueled development they just released their new product called Storyboard Suite. The tools are designed to both streamline the design cycle and optimize hardware performance. Here are a few of the other benefits called out in Cranksoftware’s product announcemnt:

• Crank Storyboard Designer enables UI designers to easily prototype the look and feel of a UI, run simulations of the interface to validate the designs, and move the prototype directly to the embedded device for deployment
• Crank Storyboard Embedded Engine is a runtime component that drives the content developed in Designer on embedded devices
• Embedded Engine does debugging, traceability, and performance metrics
• Embedded Engine is written in C and source code access is possible for profiling, optimization, testing, and validation
• Scalable through plugin architecture and can be customized for the environment’s requirements
• Scalable memory requirements minimize impact on bill of materials
• Clean design, clean architecture, and drag-and-drop functionality
• Leverages the Eclipse environment
• GPU hardware optimized
• The UI prototype is the product

Of  course, with QNX Software Systems being a leader in the embedded market Crank Software enables the Storyboard Suite to support the QNX Neutrino RTOS. For more information from Crank Software, a member of the QNX Partner Network, please visit www.cranksoftware.com

QNX CAR has been nominated for an award in the mobile category – logical if you start thinking about a car as a super large but mobile consumer device. We’re up against 3 other companies – one I’ve never heard of (with no disrespect intended), then a game from Sony Ericsson, and finally the Fanbase application from Atlantic Records. The irony is that the latter is one of the Flash based apps that we’re actually demoing on QNX CAR. So if we lose to Atlantic Records, we’ll still think of it as a win.

Speaking of QNX CAR, an actual car running QNX CAR will be on the show floor at Adobe MAX. (How cool is that?) The car is part of a Digital Living Gallery that Adobe is showcasing on the show floor. Our goal is to show off our Flash based application platform to the Flash content community in hopes of encouraging them to recognize the car as the next revenue opportunity for Flash based applications and services.

Call to action to all readers – please vote, its super easy and apparently you can vote as often as you like. And please feel free to encourage your friends and family to vote as well!

So, what are you waiting for???

Go here to vote – and again its really easy and fast…   http://max.adobe.com/awards/finalists/

(By Linda Campbell)

I previosly posted upcoming support for a number of Atmel parts in reference to a press release by Atmel on the G45. They are:

SAM9RL64

SAM9260

SAM9261

SAM9263

M10

G45

The BSPs are now available on Foundry27.com at the following link: http://community.qnx.com/sf/wiki/do/viewPage/projects.bsp/wiki/BSPAndDrivers

Cheers,

Kroy

In a recent EDM campaign for ruggedized modules and extended temperature solutions, Advantech posted a QNX Neutrino OS/Compatibility Support list where they list more than 40 modules with QNX Neutrino support.

Please check it out: http://www.advantech.com.tw/promotion/edm/RuggedizedSolution/index.htm

I’m a little overdue in writing this but at a recent tradeshow we booked a meeting room. We had a parade of automotive Tier one suppliers, OEMs and partners come through the meeting room to see the latest on the QNX CAR reference platform.

What was different this time is while we were showing the latest integrations (Pandora, Chumby etc), we were also demoing the first Tier one implementation based on QNX CAR. The Tier one, who would prefer to remain nameless, allowed us to show off their fully featured mid-level infotainment unit prototype. They took QNX CAR, added their preferred navigation and speech recognition technology and customized the HMI. It was a very slick unit.

What’s the big deal you might ask. Tier ones develop prototype systems all the time?

This Tier one went from a standing start to a fully functional prototype in under four months. That’s what got everyone excited at the show. That’s what you can do with QNX CAR.

I wonder how long it would take if you tried to do this with Genivi?

Romain

Atmel mentions QNX support in a roundup release for support of their latest G45 ARM 9 processor. http://media-newswire.com/release_1095618.htm

Our Atmel 9263 BSP continues to be one of our most popular BSP downloads from the QNX developer community Foundry 27. QNX is seeing a demand for these low power ARM 9 MPU’s for applications ranging from Industrial Automaton , Building control, hand held devices, medical, Television and Set-Top Box and many other applications.

Due to the design success of this part, QNX will be posting refreshed BSP support for the 9260, 9261, 9263 and M10 a design close to the G45. We are in the process of evaluating the migration of the M10 to G45. Look for these BSPs to be available for download in the next month. You will find them listed for download here:  http://community.qnx.com/sf/wiki/do/viewPage/projects.bsp/wiki/BSPAndDrivers

Note: USB and NAND support will be included.

Cheers,

Kroy Zeviar

(by Linda Campbell)

On June 4, Intel announced its intention to acquire Wind River Systems (WRS) and on July 17, they announced the successful completion of the transaction. It was no surprise to anyone that WRS was up for sale; rumours have abounded for years about possible acquirers.  And in hindsight, the fact that Intel is their suitor can be rationalized as well, as inconvenient as it is for some in the industry.

This transaction represents a significant shift for the embedded industry as silicon vendors and OS providers redefine and realign their primary partnership strategies.  Phones have been ringing and emails flying as buz dev and alliance managers scramble to react, reaching out to their networks to gain insight, perspective and any relevant gossip.

In our case, some of the most surprised were our working level contacts at Intel, who were also reaching out trying to assuage some of the concern that their ECA software partners are expressing. And in talking to other silicon vendors, it seems that WRS alliance managers have been in the same boat. The mantra being, “This doesn’t change anything. We can still be friends. ” (Where have you heard this before? Oh right, it was high school, breaking up for the first time – you either used it or received it…)

Most of the rationalization I’ve heard has centred on speculation that the ECG organization at Intel is for the most part, innocent of direct involvement. This theory is based on one of two supporting notions: (1) that this is a play for the handset space and that it’s all about WRS’s expertise on Android and Linux or (2) that this is all about Intel’s corporate Linux strategy and keeping Microsoft at bay.

Initially I took some comfort in these rumours because they let me believe that a partner of more than a decade didn’t buy our largest competitor on purpose. “It was an accident”, I told myself. Now it’s almost eight weeks later and I’m over my initial shock  and looking at the situation more pragmatically. ECG’s level of involvement in the transaction is irrelevant. The reality is that Intel has spent a significant amount of cash on software that competes directly with our own. As rational business people, they will make the most of this investment.

So how does this shake out for the rest of us? Only time will tell. We’ll all have to wait and see whether Intel can maintain alliances with OS competitors and whether they can stomach investing (indirectly through a subsidiary) in competitive silicon support.  However, there are some of the obvious winners that arise directly from this transaction:

• WRS shareholders, particularly anyone with lots of low cost options
• Any customer who uses Vxworks on Intel silicon
• Any customer who uses WRS’s Linux on Intel silicon
• QNX and other vendors who offer alternative solutions for WRS customers who want to migrate away from a captive software supplier
• Any OS company, realtime or Linux, who wants to establish a price for their company (2.5 times revenue is a great deal in these tough economic times)

At QNX, while we’re celebrating the removal of a competitor and the opportunity created, we are slightly concerned about the possible distraction of Intel as they work through their coopetition strategy. (Kind of like juggling multiple girlfriends with a wife.)  But the good news is that Intel says they still want to be friends. 

With that, I leave you with a little Todd Rundgren… and a link to the official Intel press release.

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20090717corp.htm?iid=pr1_releasepri_20099717r

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20090604corp.htm