Embedded Systems Conference updates engineers on accelerating implementations

Embedded systems are popping up in so many products and industries that even developers are struggling to keep up with the field’s fast-multiplying implementations.

To help engineers stay on top of these changes, the Embedded Systems Conference, March 31 to April 2 at Chicago’s Navy Pier, introduced many new products for the control industry.

American Advantech (Sunnyvale, Calif.) unveiled its PCM-4823 small form factor single board computer. It features a 5386 dx 133 MHz processor, SVGA/LCD interface, PC-104 interface connector, and a power-saving mode. The company’s POS-562 features an Intel Pentium processor with MMX, 100baseT with an RJ-45 connector, on-board 16-bit audio, XGA/VGA LCD controller, and PCI expansion bus.

With a “get your code for free” theme, i-Logix (Andover, Mass.) showed Rhapsody 1.2—a visual programming tool for developing software for embedded systems. Featuring an object-oriented environment, Rhapsody allows developers to graphically model all aspects of the system. It then generates the required code and debugs /verifies at the design level. Developers can shift re-sources from coding and debugging to high-level system design.

The Imagenation Corp. (Beaverton, Ore.) family of Frame Grabber vision products now support Microsoft Windows NT and QNX Software Systems’ (Kanata, Ontario, Canada) QNX operating system. The boards are available in PC/104-Plus, Compact PCI, and standard-PCI form factors.

Inside Technology USA Inc. (Allen, Tex.) introduced the 686LCD/MG single board computer. The three-quarter size ISA/PCI board also supports expansion with a PC/104 connector. The board features a Pentium processor, support for industry standard flat-panel displays, 10 Mbps Ethernet, SCSI support, two IDE/EIDE hard drive interfaces, floppy drive controller, keyboard and PS/2 mouse interfaces, two serial ports, and two-channel USB support.

Microware Systems Corp. (Des Moines, Ia.) now supports the Motorola Computer Group’s MBX platform with the OS-9 realtime operating system.

Motorola Computer Group (Tempe, Ariz.) announced relationships with several companies that are integrating Windows CE on the Motorola PowerPC-based MBX single-board computer. These include ACT/Technico’s TMBoX CE target development program, bSquare’s CE Xpress adaptation kit, Interay’s color TFT LCD and touch screen system, and VenturCom’s Windows CE Support Package. Motorola Computer Group also announced its technical alliance with QNX Software Systems to embed the QNX realtime operating system in Motorola’s Pentium-based hardware solutions.

Osicom Technologies Inc. (Santa Monica, Calif.) reported on the initial volume shipments of NETPrint Pocket—the first product to use the company’s NET+ARM network connectivity chip. The NET+ARM chip is a complete, embedded network connectivity system on silicon.

Pacific Softworks (Camarillo, Calif.) announced Fusion FastTrack, a suite of development solutions that pre-test and certify hardware development boards with tools such as project compiler, debugger, real-time operating system, and the TCP/IP and PPP communications software used for networking products.

STD32 Manufacturers’ Group (Pismo Beach, Calif.) reported several product announcements that demonstrate the growth of its bus structure. Ziatech Corp. (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) introduced its ZT8908 single board computer with a Pentium processor of up to 233 MHz with MMX technology, or an optional AMD K6 processor. VersaLogic Corp. (Eugene, Ore.) showed an analog I/O board that provides 16-bit analog input with 16 single-ended (eight differential) channels, 12-bit analog output, and 16 digital I/O lines. Robotrol Corp. (San Martin, Calif.) has two new analog I/O cards with either 16 analog outputs and 14 digital I/O ports or 16 analog inputs, eight analog outputs, and 34 digital I/O ports. Engenuity Systems (Phoenix, Ariz.) announced the addition of STD-LTNI, a LonTalk Network Interface Card. SBS GreenSpring (Menlo Park, Calif.) has added a CAN (controller area network) bus module that can be used in its SIPC20 Dual IndustryPack carrier board for the STD32 bus.

Ziatech also unveiled a 6U single board CompactPCI computer that combines a Pentium processor with a Fast Ethernet interface, PCI mezzanine connector, and on-board peripherals and I/O ports.

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