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Design FeaturesMarch 3, 1997 |
Plenty of new products will be on display at the upcoming Embedded Systems Conference. More than 120 companies will be exhibiting development tools, single-board computers, µPs, microcontrollers, and more. Technical sessions will include more than 75 courses and tutorials. The conference will be held March 10 to 12 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.
You can get a preview of the show's best products right here in EDN. We've canvassed conference exhibitors for advance details of their exhibits, and we've summarized our findings in the following pages. Take a look; you're sure to find something that can help you. For more information about the show, phone (617) 821-9210, or visit www.embedsyscon.com/.
Open-architecture ICE debugs Am186 mP family.
Offered in ISA-bus, PCMCIA, and MCA versions, the QED emulator system provides in-circuit debugging for the Am186EM/ES/ER series of processors. QED gives you 3 and 5V operation from the same probe tip, automatic 8- and 16-bit bus support, and 40-MHz real-time execution and analysis. This low-profile, small-footprint device offers a 10-Mbps RS-422 channel for fast downloading and 1024 kbytes of 33-MHz zero-wait-state overlay RAM with a 2-kbyte mapping granularity. The ICE works with leading 16-bit code-generation tools and RTOS platforms. Prices range from $9500 to $12,500. Beacon Development Tools, Austin, TX. (512) 454-6211.
Pentium-driven VMEbus single-board computer offers onboard hard drive.
The vendor's EPC-9, a dual-slot PC/AT-compatible VMEbus board, is powered by a Pentium processor running at clock speeds of 100, 133, 166, or 200 MHz. Additionally, the board provides a 10/100BaseT Ethernet controller, a SCSI-2 controller, an IDE hard drive, two USB ports, and two PMC sites for PCI-bus expansion. The optional 2.5-in., 1.44-Gbyte hard drive fits on the two-slot EPC-9 without the need for an additional slot. Four 72-pin SO DIMM sockets accommodate as much as 64 Mbytes of DRAM. The EPC-9 costs $3527 with a 133-MHz CPU and 8 Mbytes of DRAM (100). An SVGA PMC module costs $206 (100). RadiSys Corp, Hillsboro, OR. (503) 615-1100.
CAN software tackles real-time networking tasks.
An option for the CMX-RTX real-time multitasking OS, the CMX-CAN control-area-network (CAN) interface provides 14 easy-to-use CAN services within one API. These services let you send and receive messages between tasks on as many as 2032 nodes. Each message, which has a variable length to 8 bytes, transmits with a unique identifier. The CAN RTR facility allows you to request a transmission from a remote node. CMX-CAN networking software, initially available for the Philips 82C200 CAN controller, complies with the basic CAN Version 2.0A specification with 11-bit addressing, providing programmable transmission speeds to 1 Mbps. CMX-CAN costs $700 for the first user license and $350 for each additional license. CMX Co, Framingham, MA. (508) 872-7675.
Emulation tools tackle 68EN302/68LC302-based designs.
To simplify hardware and software debugging tasks for the Motorola 68EN302 and 68LC302 µPs, the vendor's emulation hardware provides run control, symbolic debugging, interrupt servicing, and other conventional emulation functions. The HP 64798E active emulation probe and the HP 64798EY complete turnkey system work with the MC68EN302; the HP 64798F active emulation probe and the HP 64798FY turnkey system target the MC68LC302. The emulator card plugs into a modular card cage, which connects to your host via an RS-232C port or LAN. Interfaces are available for IBM PC-compatibles, Sun SPARCstations, and HP 9000 Series 700 workstations. The probe alone costs $4000. A full system, including the probe, costs $24,000. Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA. (800) 452-4844 .
Embedded development tools work with OS-9 RTOS.
The vendor's CodeWarrior development environment extends its suite of programming tools to the Microware OS-9 real-time operating system for 68K, PowerPC, 386, 486, and Pentium processors. A series of development tools, CodeWarrior for Embedded Systems, supports 0S-9. PowerPC and 68K versions, hosted on both Macintosh and Windows platforms, cost $499. Metrowerks Inc, Austin, TX. (800) 377-5416.
Test clip accommodates SOIC and SOJ packages.
You can use the vendor's SOIC test clip for in-circuit testing of 32-, 40-, 42-, and 44-pin SOICs. The clip not only ensures a positive connection to all chip leads, but also provides the convenience and safety of hands-free testing. The device opens to a maximum of 0.60 in. and a minimum of 0.30 in., and it requires only 0.10 in. on either side of the chip. Prices range from $32 to $37. Emulation Technology Inc, Santa Clara, CA. (408) 982-0660.
Tool kit puts Windows
applications on embedded systems.
With the Willows RT real-time cross-platform tool kit, you
can select an RTOS and a Windows application of your choice, and
Willows RT ensures that the two operate together. You can also
choose source-based Windows applications, such as browsers,
connectivity tools, and most other front or back ends needed to
complete your embedded system. Willows RT is optimized for
small-footprint devices, reducing memory costs, and, because
Willows RT contains no Microsoft code, there is no need for a
Windows license and associated fees. Willows RT costs;
$5000/developer, depending on the system supported. Willows
Software Inc, Saratoga, CA. (408) 777-1820.
OS-9 RTOS bundles are
application-specific.
Several software subsystems, all of which contain the OS-9 RTOS,
simplify your application design tasks. For developing embedded
Internet systems, Internet OS-9 offers power management, an SPF
communications file manager, FasTrak, a Web browser, Java
support, and MAUI (multimedia applications user interface), as
well as a set of drawing and animation APIs. Wireless OS-9
provides a means for developing wireless communication systems,
and Enhanced OS-9 is a bundle of software subsystems targeting
the needs of next-generation products. Enhanced OS-9 components
control specific functions in embedded-system devices. Prices
start at $100,000 for Internet OS-9, $75,000 for Wireless OS-9,
and $50,000 for Enhanced OS-9. Microware Systems Corp, Des
Moines, IA. (515) 224-1929.
Prototyping tool develops virtual embedded user interfaces.
Viper, a virtual-interface-panel environment, allows you to use digitized images of design drawings and actual product photographs as backgrounds for building working user-interface prototypes for embedded applications. This updated version of Viper works with the vendor's 80296 and 80186 Chameleon debuggers, gaining access to all of the debugger's features. Viper also permits networked communications with multiple Chameleon debuggers and supports a range of virtual devices. Viper costs $950. Signum Systems, Moorpark, CA. (805) 523-9774.
Industrial Pentium-based computer fits into CompactPCI chassis.
The first entry in the 9600 CompactPCI industrial computer platform, the Model 9615 gives you single or dual Pentium Pro processors operating at 166 or 200 MHz and a RETMA enclosure with 15 6U Eurocard CompactPCI slots. The two-board processor configuration includes as much as 512 Mbytes of memory, floppy and PCI EIDE peripheral controllers with on- or off-card drives, USB ports, serial and parallel ports, an Ethernet controller, a PMC expansion connector, and the provision for as much as 8 Mbytes of flash memory. Twin hot-swappable 350W power supplies operate in a load-sharing redundant mode. The base platform contains two 5.25-in. peripheral bays, and an expansion module provides an additional nine 5.25/3.5-in. drive bays. Prices start at $13,990. Pro-Log Corp, Monterey, CA. (408) 646-3649.
Design environment builds device drivers for MPC860.
DriveWay-MPC860 automates the laborious and error-prone task of designing and implementing MPC860 device drivers. With the software, you can build highly optimized, fully documented and tested peripheral device drivers using point-and-click selection. DriveWay-MPC860 comes with the Chip Explorer graphical interface and enables driver API definition and peripheral configuration. An online hardware data sheet serves as a context-sensitive guide for each of the peripherals' functions, and a code tiler builds the driver and associated header files. Prices start at $33,000. Aisys Inc, Santa Clara, CA. (408) 327-8820.
Simulation tool imports data from Perts and VxWorks.
Integrated with the Perts modeling and prototyping software, Perts*Sim lets you simulate models for validation early in the design phase. With Perts*Sim, you can import data directly from Perts models or from the VxWorks RTOS via an automated interface to the WindView GUI-visualization tool. Once you install it, you can easily launch Perts*Sim from the main Perts menu. Perts runs on Unix platforms, including SunSPARC, Sun UltraSPARC, HP 9000 Series 700, and IBM RS6000 AIX, and on PCs using Microsoft NT 3.5X running a PC X server. Single-node Perts on NT costs $5000 and costs $6000 on Unix; Perts*Sim costs $695.Tri-Pacific Consulting Corp, Alameda, CA. (510) 814-1770.
Development package runs real-time applications under Windows NT.
Hyper-kernel 4.0 lets you implement real-time systems applications that execute cooperatively with Windows NT 4.0 and 3.51. Used with Windows NT, Hyperkernel lets you configure devices such as robots, process controllers, and machine control systems as application servers on any standard network system. Hyperkernel includes high-speed timers, memory management, interrupt handlers, interprocess communications, file-system services, task scheduling and prioritization, and industrial-network-protocol layers. A development system costs $4995/seat, with a four-seat minimum. A runtime license costs $195. Imagination Systems Inc, Ann Arbor, MI. (313) 994-0501.
Modules form distributed fiber-optic network.
APIX ISONET for the STD 32 bus is a high-speed fiber-optic communications network for distributed monitoring and control. The family of distributed I/O products includes the ZT 89CT65 STD 32 interface, the ZT 35CT01 and ZT 35CT02 remote panels, and the ZT 35CTXX range of I/O modules. The network provides fault tolerance, noise immunity, and isolation between the host computer and remote panels. The STD 32 interface collects data from as many as 1000 ZT 35CTXX modules into dual-port memory in the host I/O space. Network features include dual-redundant 10-Mbps fiber-optic communications, 5000V rms module isolation, and 12/16-bit accuracy. The ZT 89CT65 interface with ST-type connectors costs $825; the 16- and 32-channel remote panels cost $795 and $1200, respectively. Ziatech Corp, San Luis Obispo, CA. (805) 541-0488.
Processor pods tailor in-circuit emulator.
Outfitted with a processor-specific pod, the Advice emulation system delivers real-time in-circuit emulation to 20 MHz, nonintrusive trace, multilevel triggering, code coverage, and performance analysis for Hitachi H8S, Toshiba R3900 MIPS, and Siemens 80C165/166/167 processors. The Advice base unit comes with 256 kbytes of overlay memory and both Ethernet and RS-232C host interfaces. An IEEE 488 interface is optional. MicroView-G debugging- and emulator-control software provides a graphical high-level debug interface for PCs, Sun SPARCstations, and HP 9000 Series 700 workstations. System prices start at $23,200. Orion Instruments Inc, Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 747-0440.
Scalable real-time kernel teams with fixed-point DSPs.
RTXC, a multitasking real-time executive, now works with the TMS320C5X and TMS320C2XX fixed-point processor families for implementing high-performance wireless and communication applications. The scalable kernel enables real-time data manipulation and provides a common API for supported processors. RTXC has >70 kernel services, divided into seven classes. Kernel services include task, memory, and timer management, and semaphore, queue, mailbox, and message services. RTXC V3.2 is distributed in ANSI C source code and is royalty-free. Prices start at $8500. Embedded System Products Inc, Houston, TX. (713) 561-9990.
Scalable real-time kernel teams with fixed-point DSPs.
RTXC, a multitasking real-time executive, now works with the TMS320C5X and TMS320C2XX fixed-point processor families for implementing high-performance wireless and communication applications. The scalable kernel enables real-time data manipulation and provides a common API for supported processors. RTXC has >70 kernel services, divided into seven classes. Kernel services include task, memory, and timer management and semaphore, queue, mailbox, and message services. RTXC V3.2 is distributed in ANSI C source code and is royalty-free. From $8500. Embedded System Products Inc, Houston, TX. (713) 561-9990.
Modules form distributed fiber-optic network.
APIX ISONET for the STD 32 bus is a high-speed fiber-optic communications network for distributed monitoring and control. These distributed I/O products include the ZT 89CT65 STD 32 interface, the ZT 35CT01 and ZT 35CT02 remote panels, and the ZT 35CTXX I/O modules. The network provides fault tolerance, noise immunity, and isolation between the host computer and remote panels. The STD 32 interface collects data from as many as 1000 ZT 35CTXX modules into dual-port memory in the host I/O space. Network features include dual-redundant 10-Mbps fiber-optic communications and 5000V rms module isolation. The ZT 89CT65 interface with ST-type connectors costs $825; the 16- and 32-channel remote panels cost $795 and $1200. Ziatech Corp, San Luis Obispo, CA. (805) 541-0488.
Tools work with OS-9 RTOS.
The vendor's CodeWarrior development environment extends its suite of programming tools to the Microware OS-9 RTOS for 68K, PowerPC, 386, 486, and Pentium µPs. A series of development tools, CodeWarrior for Embedded Systems, supports OS-9. PowerPC and 68K versions, hosted on Macintosh and Windows platforms, cost $499. Metrowerks Inc, Austin, TX. (800) 377-5416.
Processor pods tailor in-circuit emulator.
Outfitted with a processor-specific pod, the Advice emulation system delivers real-time in-circuit emulation to 20 MHz, nonintrusive trace, multilevel triggering, code coverage, and performance analysis for Hitachi H8S, Toshiba R3900 MIPS, and Siemens 80C165/ 166/167 processors. The Advice base unit comes with 256 kbytes of overlay memory and both Ethernet and RS-232C host interfaces. MicroView-G debugging- and emulator-control software provides a graphical high-level debug interface for PCs, Sun SPARCstations, and HP 9000 Series 700 workstations. System prices start at $23,200. Orion Instruments Inc, Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 747-0440.
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