EDN — 07.04.96 Embedded Systems

Embedded Systems: July 4, 1996

Real-time emulator works with Toshiba microcontrollers.

Optimized for the vendor's 8-bit TLCS-870 and 16-bit TLCS-900 series microcontrollers, the RTE Model 25 real-time emulator operates at an internal bus- cycle speed of 20 MHz and provides a LAN connection to a host computer. The unit comes with 1 Mbyte of internal emulation memory, eight event triggers, and 8192 frames of trace memory. The Unified Development Environment for the RTE Model 25 provides a high-performance debugger and a graphical user interface. Prices start at $10,600. Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc, Irvine, CA. (800) 879-4963.

Embedded BIOS works with 486 SX/GX processor.

Free evaluation software describes the embedded BIOS 486-SX/GX for the Intel 486 SX/GX low-power microprocessor. OEM adapter kits are also available to implement embedded features, such as ROM, RAM, or remote disks; customizable setup screens; redirection of keyboard and screen over COM ports; and burn-in diagnostics. Containing full source code, the adapter kits cost $4995. The total BIOS/DOS royalty starts at $4 per copy in single quantities. General Software, Bellevue, WA. (206) 454-5755.

Dual-bus passive backplane opens 10 PCI slots.

A 20-slot passive backplane, the XPCI, provides 10 PCI-bus slots, nine ISA-bus slots, and one slot for the CPU board. By using two PCI-to-PCI bridge chips mounted in parallel, the XPCI extends the electrical capacity of the PCI bus beyond the usual four-slot limit. The XPCI extended PCI backplane costs $679. I-Bus Division of Maxwell Laboratories, San Diego, CA. (619) 974-8400.

Embedded kernel comes with NS486SXF evaluation board.

ETS Lite for the NS486 processor, a subset of the vendor's TNT Embedded ToolSuite Realtime Edition development system, is bundled with National Semiconductor's NS486SXF evaluation board. The package contains all the tools needed to build a customized Windows 32 application-programming-interface-based 32-bit kernel and embedded application for the NS486SXF processor. ETS Lite's single-thread system works with off-the-shelf 32-bit C++ compilers from Borland and Microsoft. ETS Lite is free with the NS486SXF evaluation board. Phar Lap Software Inc, Cambridge, MA. (617) 661-1510.

Real-time enabler targets Windows 3.1x applications.

Nucleus RTWIN is a software module that augments real-time capability for Windows 3.1x environments using the Nucleus Plus real-time kernel. By installing RTWIN at Ring 0, you can develop real-time protected-mode applications for Intel 386, 486, and Pentium processors that run concurrently with standard enhanced-mode Windows applications. RTWIN combines the Nucleus Plus kernel with Virtual-Time Software's Hypervisor, a Windows VxD. Prices start at $9995. Accelerated Technology Inc, Mobile, AL. (334) 661-5770.

PCI design kit implements 100VG-AnyLAN.

A reference-design kit helps you build low-cost, high-speed networking applications based on 100VG-AnyLAN, the 100-Mbps IEEE 802.12 standard. Contained on a 5×4-in. PCI-bus card, the PI2C5K-PCI kit consists of Motorola's 68852 PCI master interface and 10BaseT/100VG-AnyLAN media-access control, Pericom's PI2C5001 transceiver and PI5L100 LAN switch, and Racore's 100VG-AnyLAN software drivers. Using a single RJ-45 connector, the LAN switch automatically selects between 100VG-AnyLAN and 10BaseT without having to reconnect the cable. The kit costs $495. Pericom Semiconductor Corp, San Jose, CA. (800) 435-2336.

Emulator teams with C/C++ compiler/debugger.

The HP 64700 emulation system and Microtec's Xray MasterWorks integrated development environment for C/C++ let you debug complex embedded applications with real-time control. The software cuts compile time by eliminating the translation process from C++ to C. Prices for the HP 64700 development system start at $21,000; Xray MasterWorks starts at $11,380. Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA. (800) 452-4844, ext 1610.

Application environment operates across platforms.

Updated with support for Windows 95 and object linking and embedding (OLE), Version 2.6 of the Galaxy Application Environment offers a seamless integration of Windows and Unix applications. You can port client/server and other distributed applications to Unix platforms without changing application coding. Galaxy-built applications running on various Unix platforms, Windows 95, 3.x, and NT look and feel like their respective native platforms. Galaxy V2.5 costs $9600 per C developer seat and $12,000 per C++ seat. Visix Software Inc, Reston, VA. (703) 758-8230.

Windows-based tool speeds GUI testing.

WinRunner 4.0 automates both test creation and execution to speed and simplify client/server graphical-user-interface (GUI) testing. WinRunner's RapidTest Script Wizard navigates the user interface of the application being tested to automatically develop GUI test scripts. Offered as both a stand-alone package and as part of Mercury's TestSuite 4.0, WinRunner operates under Windows 3.1, 95, and NT. Prices range from $2850 (standard edition for Windows 3.1) to $3995 (professional edition for 3.1, 95, and NT). Mercury Interactive Corp, Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 523-9900.

IndustryPack carrier board provides 486 coprocessor.

Joining the Modular Motion System line of PC-bus motion controllers, the Model 5643 IndustryPack carrier board offers a TI 486SLC CPU running ROM-DOS for developing motion-control and other applications using standard PC-based development tools. Acting as a coprocessor on the EISA bus, the 5643 ensures that real-time control functions are not degraded by host CPU overhead or by operating-system limitations. You add DSP-based motion processors through the IndustryPack mezzanine. Prices start at $1450. Technology 80 Inc, Minneapolis, MN. (612) 542-9545.

Fortran numerical library gains more procedures.

Offering 43 routines, the NAG Fortran Library Mark 17 provides 1152 numerical and statistical procedures on >80 computing platforms. Additions to the numerical library include a 3-D complex discrete- Fourier-transform procedure, collocation methods for boundary-value problems in ordinary differential equations, routines for solving convection-diffusion equations (with source terms), and an enhanced routine for computing the minimum of a sum-of-squares, subject to constraints. License fees start at $1495 ($995 for academic institutions). Numerical Algorithms Group Inc, Downers Grove, IL. (708) 971-2337.

PC/104 board juggles four microcontrollers.

Used as a master/slave interface, the PCStampII I/O board accommodates as many as four Basic-programmable BS2-IC microcontrollers on a 3.6×3.8-in. board that comes with a PC/104 bus connector and a 9 to 12V-dc power jack. Each BS2-IC has 16 I/O lines, 2048 bytes of EEPROM, and a maximum program-execution speed of 4000 instructions/sec. The package, which includes parallel and serial cables and software to switch between each BS2-IC, costs $179. Ken Gracey Inc, Carmichael, CA. (916) 972-0970.

Binary environment aids real-time distributed development.

The Chorus/ClassiX r2B QuickStart binary environments for the ix86at, MC68040, MC68360, MicroSPARC, and PowerPC µPs help shorten development cycles and speed time to market. The environment comes with the QuickStart development support and services package and is an execution and development environment for real-time distributed embedded systems. Prices start at $25,000. Runtime fees start at $25 (1000/year). Chorus Systems, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. +33 (1) 30 64 82 00.

Logic-analyzer software enhances data acquisition.

Data-acquisition software for the Pod-A-Lyzer 8020, a PC-based 100-MHz logic analyzer that fits in your palm, now includes bused waveforms and integer-based graphics for faster waveform display. Applications written in C, Visual Basic, and LabWindows/CVI access the Pod-A-Lyzer 8020 using the supplied dynamic-link library. Pod-A-Lyzer's Version 2.0 software runs under Windows 3.1, 3.11, 95, and NT and is free to current users. The Pod-A-Lyzer 8020 costs $1295. Boulder Creek Engineering, Saratoga, CA. (408) 876-8170.

Debugging tool tackles i386EX microcontroller designs.

The DProbe386EX emulator forms a software-debugging system for the i386EX embedded microcontroller. The DProbe386EX's zero-wait-state emulation works with any processor speed, with chip-operating voltages of 2.7 to 5.5V, and with all chip-operating modes. The device also offers 256 software and four hardware breakpoints. The DProbe386EX costs <$5000. Kontron Electronik Corp, Newport Beach, CA. (714) 851-1872.

Evaluation boards and ICE work with PowerPC.

Hardware- and software-development tools for Motorola's MPC821 and MPC860 embedded PowerPC processors include the SBC821 and SBC860 evaluation and prototyping boards and a PowerPC version of the visionICE in-circuit emulator (ICE). A Windows-based point-and-click debugging interface is also available. The base module and VisionControl target controller for the visionICE emulator use on-chip debugging services embedded in the MPC821 and MPC860 cores and provide entry-level debugging that you can upgrade to a full visionICE system. VisionControl costs $4250; the SBC821 and SBC860 cost $1995 each. Embedded Support Tools Corp, Canton, MA. (617) 828-5588.

FPDP embedded I/O module moves 160 Mbytes/sec.

One of the fastest implementations of the front-panel data port (FPDP) 32-bit parallel I/O standard, the Skyburst 160 daughtercard delivers a peak throughput rate of 160 Mbytes/sec when connected to the Skybolt II motherboard via a 320-Mbyte/sec Skychannel packet-bus interface. The module implements the full FPDP specification, including use of the sync signal, variable-length data transfers, and support for both TTL and positive-ECL clocks. The Skyburst 160 costs <$2000 (OEM). Sky Computers Inc, Chelmsford, MA. (508) 250-1920.

186EM/ES debugging tool translates setup registers.

HyperApp software for AMD's 186EM/ES processors lets you view all of the CPU's internal peripheral setup registers. With the vendor's source-level debugger and emulator, HyperApp serves as an electronic data book linked to the debugging session. By selecting a set of peripheral registers to monitor, HyperApp reads the values via a dynamic-data-exchange link and displays the results in English. For example, the tool translates the code "5A" as "UART data ready." HyperApp comes with emulators, which range in price from $5500 to $9000. Softaid Inc, Columbia, MD. (410) 290-7760.