Special Issue

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SPECIAL ISSUE

VIEWPOINT Dear Readers, The turn of the year was quiet recently and the usual start in a new year is close for the embedded community – embedded world 2013 Exhibition & Conference which will be held in the show- ground of Nürnberg Messe from 26th to 28th of February. And once again it seems there is no limitation to its growth. Eleven years after its birth it is now the world’s biggest international exhibition and conference event on embedded system technology. “Embedded world will remain focused in 2013 but still grow appreciably. It is the largest event in the world for embedded system technologies and the most professional shop window,” explains Alexander Mattausch, Exhibition Manager of the embedded world Exhibition&Conference at Nürnberg Messe. “We are very pleased about yet more growth in terms of display space, number of new exhibitors and international share of exhibitors, which confirms the importance of the event,” he adds. Therefore this event is nowadays an absolutely necessity be for all of us in the Embedded industry.

Beside the exhibition which covers five halls (Halls 1, 2, 4, 4A and 5) the conference will be located in the NCC East of the fairgrounds. Due to the trend towards unlimited access and use of the Internet via portable devices safety and security are two of the top themes at the embedded world Conference 2013 as well as ultra-low power. These themes apply to the whole conference with its varied segments. The electronic displays Conference is according to the organizer one of the most important information and opinion platforms for developers, researchers, users and decision-makers. The highlights in 2013 are the sessions on touch screens and automotive displays and practical presentations on E-Signage and display market data round off the programme. I believe this year s event will give a good overview over the recent and future trends - like the Internet of things - in the embedded industry.

The issue of how to design components and devices fast and simple for use in the Internet of things is topic of our cover story starting page ?? and describing how the Intel Intelligent Systems Framework enables a streamlined Design of safe and secure devices for these application. And there is also coverage about the ultra-low power trend. The Infineon article starting page ?? introduces an new MCU family based on the Cortex-M0 processor core which can be tailored to various low-power applications in the industry. And you will find also the “missing link” for the general standardised use of ARM processor cores in this issue – Kontron is presenting the COM- Standard SMARC for ARM and SoC designs. Short opinion articles about trends in the embedded industry round up this special embedded world issue. There s no doubt that still a lot of new developments are going on in the embedded industry – do not hesitate to visit the embedded world 2013 and discuss all the upcoming topics with other members of the embedded community.

I m looking forward to meet with you at our booth in hall 5 booth 137.

Sincerely

Wolfgang Patelay Editor

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CONTENTS

Viewpoint 3 A Simpler Blueprint for Cover Story the Internet of Things PAGE 6 A Simpler Blueprint for the Internet of Things 6 Embedded World Preview The Intel® Intelligent Systems Framework Preview: highlights of embedded world 2013 12 provides a blueprint for hardware, operating systems, and tools that simplifies the delivery Exhibitors List 13 of interoperable intelligent solutions.

Chips & Tools Highlights 21 MCUs with ARM Cortex-M0 core MCUs with ARM Cortex-M0 core enable 32-bit power at 8-bit prices PAGE 22 enable 32-bit power at 8-bit prices 22 The trend towards replacing 8-bit with 32- Choosing the right embedded bit microcontrollers is clear. According to flash disk for various applications 26 market observers almost half of developers Embedded industry trends: in German industry are planning this switch. a silent MCU revolution 29 The price level has been the limiting factor, but Infineon now caters for this situation Increasing advances for with its new XMC1000 family, using the microcontrollers today 30 standard Cortex-M0 processor core. Microcontroller trends: comprehensive eco-systems and standard cores 31 Choosing the right embedded Cost-sensitive applications benefit flash disk for various applications PAGE 26 from leading-edge microcontrollers 32 This article describes how flash controllers can be used to directly Chips & Tools News 33-40 embed flash drives onto PCBs and into systems. Hidden bill-of-material including firmware versions or additional costs can be avoided Boards & Modules Highlights 41 and control over component lifetimes maximized. Drives can be configured according to the application-specific requirements. Rocking and rolling: functional safety on 3U CompactPCI 42 Rocking and rolling: functional safety SMARC – new Computer-on-Module standard for ARM/SoC designs 46 on 3U CompactPCI PAGE 42 Introducing OEM computing Innovative products are rather rare in solutions in EMEA 50 common CompactPCI. New CPU boards usually sport the latest Intel Embedded computing meets processor generation and make an high performance computing 51 upgrade in interface speeds or mem- On the way to becoming a global ory components. A different, new leader in embedded computing 52 approach in 3U format shows where true challenges lie hidden – not only Boards & Modules News 53-59 for rolling stock applications.

SMARC – new Computer-on-Module standard for ARM/SoC designs PAGE 46 With Smart Mobility ARChitecture (SMARC), SGET has ratified the first manufacturer-independent Computer-on-Module standard for purebred ARM/SoC designs. The specification was developed specially for Smart Mobility, but many stationary applications also profit from these highly efficient SFF modules. Several modules, evaluation platforms and starter kits are already on the market.

Cover Photo Intel Visit us in Hall 5, Stand 137

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COVER STORY

A Simpler Blueprint for the Internet of Things

By Jim Robinson, General Manager, Segments and Broad Market Division, Intel® Intelligent Systems Group

The Intel® Intelligent Systems Framework provides a blueprint for hardware, operating systems, and tools that simplifies the delivery of interoperable intelligent solutions.

The Internet isn’t just for people anymore. framework-ready solutions, developers can up the Internet of Things by 2015, more than Billions of devices are poised to make more focus more attention on innovative features a third will be intelligent systems. These intel- than a trillion connections, creating opportu- and services that deliver greater product ligent systems are being used to: nities for data collection and data analytics on differentiation. Create alternative energy solutions and a scale never seen before. The resulting business integrate them into a smart grid. intelligence promises to make organizations Design health care systems that automate and The Value of Networks of Intelligent more efficient and competitive, and help them enable proactive and predictive patient care. Systems anticipate future opportunities. To meet the Develop manufacturing systems that im- demand for these networked systems, original Around the world, intelligent systems are re- prove efficiency, reduce defects, integrate equipment manufacturers (OEMs), system in- placing stand-alone, special-purpose devices with the supply chain, and decrease manu- tegrators, and developers must find more and enabling networks of appliances that pro- facturing costs. streamlined ways to offer advanced capabilities vide new services, capabilities, and revenues. Make mass transit systems, commercial from edge devices to the data center and cloud. The best of these intelligent systems offer ho- trucking operations, and personal vehicles listic and scalable connectivity, security, and safer and more efficient using everything Last September, Intel and the 250+ global manageability, plus interoperability with past from aggregated data on vehicle health, member companies of the Intel® Intelligent and future systems. Compared to stand-alone weather, traffic, and road conditions to new Systems Alliance announced an important devices, a network of intelligent systems devices safety innovations like self-steering cars. advancement: the Intel® Intelligent Systems working together provides the opportunity to Engage consumers in new ways with digital Framework. achieve much larger purposes. Consider a net- signage that actually recognizes gender, age work combining smart parking meters, license bracket and dwell time to provide content This specification provides a blueprint for plate readers, Internet gateways, servers, and a that is more compelling and relevant, driving hardware, operating systems, and tools that mobile phone app that shows real-time avail- more meaningful interactions. simplifies the delivery of interoperable solu- ability of parking spaces, takes reservations, tions. The specification is designed for excellent and provides price differentiation to different For end users, these connected intelligent sys- scalability, enabling cutting-edge connectivity, customer segments. Municipalities that imple- tems provide a way to extract immense value manageability and security across applications. ment such a system could conceivably increase from a wide variety of data sources. Harnessing By assembling these components in a frame- parking revenue and utilization while increasing and combining both machine-generated and work, the specification gives developers a reli- citizen satisfaction, decreasing traffic circling user-created data holds the potential to improve able path to lower deployment costs, improve blocks for a spot, and perhaps even reducing lives, spur incredible advances in productivity, ease of integration, and accelerate the promise accidents in its urban core. Solutions like this provide unprecedented levels of business in- of the Internet of Things. Defining capabilities would interest traffic-congested cities. telligence, and create new, industry-shifting rather than specific implementations, the Intel services. The ultimate value of the Internet of Intelligent Systems Framework provides a de- Market analyst firm IDC predicts in its 2011 Things will depend on this ability to derive in- gree of openness and flexibility that allows report, “Industry Developments and Models, telligence from data captured at every step in nearly any company to participate in this trans- Intelligent Systems: The Next Big Opportunity,” the system—from sensor controllers to edge formational opportunity. Basing products on that of the billions of connected devices making gateways to cloud to client.

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EMBEDDED WORLD HIGHLIGHTS

The Framework in Action

By flexibly combining the key ingredients of the framework, developers can provide organizations with a full spectrum of devices that can interact intelligently over a network through a variety of wired and wireless technologies. Returning to the retail chain example, the benefits from such a network of intelligent systems become readily apparent. Having digital signage connected to inventory data, for instance, enables retailers to ensure that signs advertise only items that are in stock. Bringing the POS data into the loop, a retailer can measure how successful particular signage advertising is at driving sales. By monitoring Figure 1. With the growing emphasis on increasing the flow of information to the cloud, the shift with surveillance cameras the high-turn items from isolated, fixed-function systems to an Internet of Things based on networked intelligent on store shelves, retailers can use video analytics systems is increasing its already fast pace. to alert store employees when items need to be restocked. Directing cameras at the checkout ucts and their chipsets provide a full range of area and connecting them to POS systems can The Need for a Framework connectivity solutions and I/O for heterogeneous help automate checkout staffing and provide a Any solution that requires the connectivity, networks. Including technologies like Intel vPro variety of loss prevention measures. Retail management and security of multiple devices technology provides advanced remote manage- chains can benefit in other practical ways from over time is one that can benefit from the fun- ability and security capabilities. the Intel Intelligent Systems Framework, par- damental capabilities outlined by the Intel In- ticularly with regards to security and managea- telligent Systems Framework. This specification Within the Alliance, Intel is working with sys- bility. Every connected device needs to be se- provides a flexible blueprint to accelerate the tem vendors, independent software vendors cured, but integrating multiple security solu- evolution from today’s fragmented, incompat- (ISVs) and systems integrators, as well as form- tions into the back end drives up costs. A ible embedded systems to fully realized net- ing cloud-to-device services, that build upon much better idea is a unified solution that se- works of intelligent systems that readily ex- the framework. This group will work closely cures systems across the board and drives down change and analyze data at all points. Consider with the Open Data Center Alliance (a consor- total cost of ownership (TCO) by simplifying a retail chain with point-of-sale (POS) systems, tium of leading global IT organizations helping everything from installation to upgrades. digital signage, surveillance cameras, warehouse speed the migration to cloud computing) to RFID scanning systems, smart vending ma- ensure seamless integration of these devices The framework provides the hardware, oper- chines, and a networked building automation within the data center and the cloud. Intel and ating system, and software that enables use of system. If each system has a unique platform, the Intel Intelligent Systems Alliance are making off-the-shelf security products like McAfee which is generally the case, connecting every- the framework free of charge to select cus- Embedded Security software. This software se- thing to the cloud and managing and securing tomers and prospects. Intel Intelligent System cures a wide range of embedded devices and them presents a complicated, expensive propo- Framework-ready board and system solutions automates the enforcement of software change sition. Maintenance operations on these devices are available from Premier members of the Al- control policies on them. McAfee Deep De- and their reliability over time will also be ag- liance, including Advantech, Dell, Kontron, fender, another off-the-shelf product, further gravated lacking a common framework for and Portwell. Board solutions are also available strengthens this security by taking advantage manageability and security. from Associate members, such as Eurotech, of the hardware-assisted security enabled by and General members, such as Digi Interna- McAfee DeepSAFE™ technology. This tech- The Intel Intelligent Systems Framework pro- tional. Other companies releasing supporting nology’s first-of-its-kind integration with Intel vides the needed recipes to design intelligent, products soon include Arrow Electronics, Avnet, processors enables it to reside between the connected devices with the high-performance Axeda, and WebHouse. memory and operating system to perform compute capabilities needed to collect, manage, real-time memory and CPU monitoring to re- and analyze data to transform it into valuable To complement these board solutions, Associate veal and remove advanced, invisible attacks. business intelligence. The framework addresses members of the Intel Intelligent Systems Al- The result is next generation, hardware-assisted the fragmentation in today’s market by providing liance, such as McAfee and Wind River, are endpoint security that can be applied almost the Alliance a standardized and open platform providing components such as: anywhere the framework is used: POS termi- to use in actively building solutions for devel- Operating system and middleware (Mi- nals, self-checkout devices, kiosks, handheld opers. The framework features baseline validated crosoft Windows, Wind River Linux, and devices in retail stores, point-of-care medical components from Intel and Alliance partners Wind River VxWorks) modalities (X-ray, ultrasound, CT-scan, MRI that provide connectivity, manageability and Security solutions (such as McAfee Embed- devices), ATMs, thin clients in enterprises, crit- security capabilities. This menu of options can ded Control and McAfee Deep Defender™) ical infrastructure for process control systems be mixed and matched, providing more flexi- Remote manageability capabilities that sup- or SCADA devices, industrial plant controllers, bility than a fixed set of solutions. Intel proces- port third-party management consoles storage appliances, and more. sors supported in the framework include Intel® Workload consolidation solutions that use Xeon® processors, 2nd and 3rd generation Intel® virtualization to lower capital and operating Manageability is a similar TCO-reduction story. Core™ processors with Intel® vPro™ technology, expenditures and enable fewer devices to Millions of devices are connecting to networks, and Intel® Atom™ processors. These Intel prod- do more tasks requiring intelligent systems to be reliable,

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COVER STORY

telligent Systems Framework is the end-to- end framework (device to data center and in between), the Intelligent Device Platform is the embedded device software stack that aligns with this framework. The platform provides the security and manageability required for device development across multiple connectivity options, including 3G, Bluetooth, Ether- net, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, and Z-Wave.

Digi International - The Digi M2M Solu- tion Builder Kit for M2M applications incorporates a Kontron M2M platform based on the Intel® Atom™ processor E620T to provide an end-to-end solution that includes hardware, software and services (see Figure 4). Designed to simplify the development of connected M2M devices, the kit provides a certified gateway with all available connectivity options, such as 2G/3G cellular, dual- band Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet and 802.15.4. Future connectivity extensions such as 4G/LTE cellular, Bluetooth 4.0 and ZigBee can be easily added. The iDigi Device Cloud, a public cloud platform-as-a-service, is a Figure 2. A look at how a retail chain, such as a mini-mart operation offering gas, could improve part of the platform and provides remote connectivity, security and manageability by selecting products based on the Intel® Intelligent management and secure data integration to System Framework. help with the deployment of remote con- available, and upgradeable. In-person service speed smart, connected systems to market, the nected devices. The kit includes the Wind calls are expensive, but the remote manageability Alliance provides the perfect breeding ground River Linux development environment tai- provided by Intel vPro technology and third- for framework-ready solutions. lored for cloud-connected M2M applications. party management console products has a small marginal cost, enables the use of a single solution Wind River - The Wind River Intelligent Dell - Dell is working with Intel, Milestone across a wide variety of devices, and allows Device Platform is a complete software devel- Systems, AXIS Communications, and Ingram many maintenance, management and repair opment environment built for Machine-to-Ma- Micro to produce a technology bundle and tasks to be done from a centralized location. chine (M2M) applications (Figure 3). A key training program to help ease the adoption of The result is a quick return on investment (ROI). software enabler of the Intel Intelligent Systems digital security solutions and maximize IT in- Framework, it provides a simple yet powerful tegration. At the heart of the solution is a Intel vPro technology is also a key component software platform to design, build, and operate framework-ready Dell R420 server using the to enabling the virtualization necessary for intelligent, connected embedded devices. latest Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2400 product workload consolidation solutions. Matched family and an Intel® Ethernet Server Adapter. with an appropriate hypervisor, its Intel® The Intelligent Device Platform is built on The Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 series pro- Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT) com- Wind River’s embedded Linux operating system vides the necessary performance to offer scala- ponent enhances the capabilities of traditional and tools, and includes integrated middleware ble high definition resolution with the latest software–based virtualization solutions, pro- addressing connectivity, manageability, and se- analytics for improved security and business viding a hardware-assist that boosts platform curity at the device level. Where the Intel In- intelligence. Thanks to its support of the Intel performance and robustness. Such robust virtualization enables consolidated platforms to provide more integrated services, conserve costs, enable simultaneous data collection and analysis, as well as improve the reliability of real-time components.

Gathering Momentum The Intel Intelligent Systems Framework is more than an idea. It’s a solution quickly gathering momentum. Intel is working with a growing number of Alliance manufacturers, ISVs, and system integrators to create cloud- to-device services that use and build on the framework. As an organization that provides the processing performance, connectivity, manageability, and security developers need to Figure 3. Diagram of the Wind River Intelligent Device Platform.

February 2013 10 COVER STORY

Figure 4. Digi M2M Solution Builder Kit.

Intelligent Systems Framework, this solution for developers and original equipment manu- offers high interoperability with a wide range facturers. Through next-generation solutions of solutions. like the Intel Intelligent Systems Framework that facilitate connecting, managing, and secur- Take Advantage of the New Era of ing devices and data in a consistent and scalable Intelligent Computing manner, Intel and the Alliance provide a fast path to this extremely connected future. IDC predicts that by 2015 more than six times more microprocessor cores will ship in smart For information on the latest products and ser- systems than in PCs. Each one of these intelligent vices from Alliance members supporting the systems has the capacity to provide vastly en- Intel Intelligent Systems Framework, see: hanced user experiences and increased infor- intel.com/intelligentsystems-alliance-solutions. mation flow to the cloud, data centers, and For more information about the Alliance, visit: back, creating all kinds of new opportunities intel.com/go/intelligentsystems-alliance

Product News

Hall-Stand 4-408 LDRA has integrated its tool suite with NI LabVIEW LDRA has integrated its tool suite with NI LabVIEW Virtual Instruments. The LDRA-NI solution offers HIL simulation, a technique used to develop and test the complex real-time embedded systems commonly found in military and aerospace designs. The integration with the LDRA tool suite ensures that full software analysis is applied to the systems under test on the simulated target hardware. With the ability to test software systems up to DO-178 Level A, LDRA includes code standards enforcement, structural coverage analysis including modified condition/decision (MC/DC), object code coverage, unit testing, data and control coupling, and requirements traceability. News ID 14891

Hall-Stand 4A-206 Freescale: secure prepaid utility meter reference design Freescale Semiconductor and INSIDE Secure today announced a secure prepaid utility meter reference design with near field communication connectivity that OEMs can use to quickly and cost-effectively bring to market electricity meter products. Secure prepaid meters, such as this reference design developed by Freescale and INSIDE Secure, address this need by adding sophisticated smart card security mechanisms that have been proven in the banking industry. Products based on this reference design are protected from fraud because they employ a VaultIC security module and NFC technology to safely load energy credits from a smart card or an NFC-enabled phone. News ID 15001

11 February 2013 EMBEDDED WORLD PREVIEW

Preview: highlights of embedded world 2013

February 26 – 28 in Nuremberg/Germany

End of February, the embedded community meets again for three days in Nuremberg. It is the world’s biggest international exhibition and conference event on embedded system technology.

The positive trend of the past years is con- companies wanting to develop the remote to date. The embedded newcomers presenting tinuing and the number of international com- maintenance market reach their target groups their top products and innovations here include panies exhibiting has risen appreciably. The by exhibiting in the M2M Area. A variety of companies such as ProximusDA, gestigon, He- embedded world exhibition and conference exhibiting companies from France present their lion, Timing Architects, and many more. The from 26–28 February provides the latest prod- products in a pavilion organized by the export keynote for the 11th embedded world Confer- ucts, highly specialized services, interesting promotion company Ubifrance in hall 4. They ence will be given by Stuart McClure, President special areas and an informative supporting include the embedded specialists TECHWAY, and CEO of Cylance. He is one of the leading programme. It is the gathering of the interna- Spectracom, AdaCore and Allfourtec. Serbian minds in the embedded community and be- tional embedded community. companies in the embedded technologies seg- sides current trends will present his visions of ment can be found under the roof of SIEPA: the sector. This time the keynote focuses pri- Machine-to-Machine Communication (M2M) Geneko, IMPT, Mikroelektronika, bitgear wire- marily on the security of embedded systems. is attracting a big response in 2013. Last year less designer and Seakus have registered to ex- McClure’s lecture shows how vulnerable to at- there was such a big demand from the exhibit- hibit. Six companies from the USA also exhibit tack embedded systems actually are. McClure ing companies that the organizers decided to in a pavilion of direct exhibitor PC/104, in- gives his keynote at 11:00 on 26 February add a second M2M Area. Around 25 exhibitors cluding Kontron, Sundance, Versalogic Coop- 2013. Admission to the keynote is free for all present their new products for wireless com- eration, Adlink Technology and RTD Embedded visitors to embedded world. munication between machines in halls 4 and Technologies. 5. Suppliers of components for wireless ma- The organizer’s tip for embedded world 2013: chine-to-machine communication and com- The area of the pavilion for young innovative The clever ones use the online registration munication modules for terminal equipment, companies is also growing. 11 firms have regis- facility on www.embedded-world.de to register system integrators who implement remote tered so far and occupy a display space of some as a visitor in advance and ensure fast and maintenance solutions, and telecommunication 240 m². This is the largest number of exhibitors free on the day!

February 2013 12 EXHIBITORS LIST

Exhibitors List – embedded world 2013

Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand 2J s.r.o. 5-210 ARBOR 2-425 3D Plus SA 1-129 ARM 4-336 3S 4-603 Arrow Electronics 4-228/5-340 4-noks 4-345 Art of Technology 2-328 7Layers 4-444a as electronics 4-541 AAEON 1-442/1-306 Asociace 4-642 ABS 4-131 Aspider M2M 4-444f AbsInt 4-327 ASRock 2-430 Acal Bfi 4-448 Astrodyne 4-240 Accemic 4-630 Atlantik Elektronik 2-206 Accutronics 2-515 ATMEL 5-311 acontis 1-538 Atmel 1-424 Acromag 1-612 Atollic 4-108 Acrosser 2-519 ATP Electronics 1-306/2-520 ACTRON 1-360 Attend 2-403 Acute 4-111 Avnet Memec 4A-122 AdaCore 4-544f AXIOMTEK 1-435 ADACSYS 4-615 Axsem 4-444h Adaptive Network Solutions 2-429 AZ Displays 1-158 ADATA Technology 1-145 b-plus 1-430 ADD-IPC 2-510 basysKom 5-438 Adeneo 5-340 Batronix 4-605 Adesto 1-424 Bayer DSP Systeme 4A-103 Adeunis 5-212 Beckhoff 5-340 ADKOM 1-357 Berner & Mattner 5-326 ADL Embedded Solutions 1-542 Bicker Elektronik 2-117 ADLINK 2-419 Bitgear Wireless 4A-509 admatec 1-268 BITKOM 5-225 ADMESS 4-121b Bitreactiv 5-140a ADR 4A-306b bitshift 5-332 AMD 4-540/2-420 BitWise 5-340 Advantech 2-110 Biwin 2-516 af inventions 4A-124 BLANKOM 5-215 AFRA 4-324 Blue Pearl 4-615 AFT 4-307 Bluegiga 4-246 Agilent 4-208 Bluetechnix 4-234 aicas 5-429 Bolymin 1-424/1-161 ALL4TEC 4-544d Bopla 2-211 Allegro Micro Systems 4A-122 Bosch 4A-420 Almanar 5-216 BRESSNER 1-374 Alpha Display 5-213b Brunel 4-402 altec 4A-402 bsquare 5-340 Altera 4-436 Byte Paradigm 1-105 Altium 5-445 Cactus 2-410 American Megatrends 1-638 CAD-UL 4-201 Ampire 1-264 Cadence 4-609 ams 1-424 4A-407 CalPlus 4-205 Analog Devices 4-234 CAN in Automation 1-118 ANDUS 1-323 CAST 4A-506b AnSem 4-109 Cermate 4A-505 ANSEN 4-444j CES 5-412a ANTYCIP 4-612 CETECOM 4-123 APAC OPTO 4-240 Channel Microelectronic 1-219 Apacer 1-507/4-240 Chess eT International 4-109 APdate! 4-139 Christ-Elektronik 5-305 APLEX 2-416 Cinterion 4-443 Applied Micro 4A-122 Cirrus Logic 4A-122 apra-norm 2-323 Cluster Mikrosystemtechnik 1-430 APRO 1-611 CMX Systems 4-204

13 February 2013 EXHIBITORS LIST

Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand CN Group 5-426 DSP Valley 4-109 Cogent Computer 1-109 DSP-Weuffen 4A-306h Coilcraft 5-406/4A-122 dSPACE 4-316 Collion 4A-306c DSPECIALISTS 4-607 coming 4-324 Dunasys 4-546 comlet 2-401 E Ink 4-240 Commsignia 1-508 E.E.P.D. 1-550 Comp-Mall 1-238 Easics 4-109 Comron 4-444c EASYCODE 4-322 ComTrade 5-235 Eberspächer 4-526 Concurrent Technologies 1-211 EBSYS 4-624 congatec 1-350 EBV Elektronik 4-535 Connect Tech 2-310 Echelon 4A-122 connectBlue 1-212 eCosCentric 5-143 Contrinex 1-131 eCOUNT 1-465 Corelis 4A-103 Edacpower 4-240 Cortus 2-400 EDALab 5-232 COSMIC 4-304 EDT Emerging Display 1-306 CoSynth 4-101 egnite 4A-410 CPI Digital C 4A-512 Eink 2-206 Crank Software 4-330 EKF Elektronik 4-337 Cremax 5-408 EKH - EyeKnowHow 1-430 CRYSTAL CLEAR 5-213a EKM Elektronik 2-318 CSR 2-206 EKTOS 4-650 CubiDesign 4-652 Elatec 4-444b Custom Engineering 4-649 Elbacom 5-340 Cynapsys 4-624 Elec-Con 1-430 Cypress 4A-104 Electric Cloud 4-610 Dacom West 1-660 ElectronAix 2-319 Dassault Systemes 4-517 ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY 1-375 Data Image 2-206 Electronic Gerätebau Ast 1-430 Data Modul 1-356 Electronic Specifier 2-504 Data Respons 1-218 Elekonta Marek 4-135 Datalight 4-108 Elektrobit 4-206 Daub CNC 4A-309 Elektronik-Kontor 4-205 DAVE 4-539 Elektr. Fahrwerksysteme 5-237 DELTA COMPONENTS 1-418 Elettronica 5-428a demmel 1-256 ELMA Electronic 4A-304 Densitron 4-240 ELMOS Semiconductor AG 4-240 DENX Computer Systems 1-552 Elproma Elektronika SP. z.o.o. 4-248 DENX Software Engineering 1-552 ELSYS EASTERN EUROPE 4A-509 Deutsche Telekom M2M 5-307 ELTAN BV 1-232 Deutschmann 1-210 ELTEC Elektronik AG 5-304 Develco 4-141 Eltroplan 4A-214 DFI 1-150 Embedded 4 You e.V. 4-324 DH electronics 2-108 Embedded Office 5-218 Diamond Systems 2-427 embedded projects 5-414 Digi International 1-432 /2-206 EMBEDDED SIGMA 5-428c Digilent 1-107 embedded-logic 2-322 Dini 1-607 embeX 1-419 Display Devices 1-368 embit 4-633 Display Elektronik 1-255 embitel 1-156 DisplaySearch 5-203 EMC 1-234 DISTI 5-136b Emenda Software 4-504 Djukic Software 5-233 Emerging Display 5-205 DMB Technics 1-153 EMKO 1-526 DMP ELECTRONICS 2-411 emlix 5-328 Dolphin Interconnect 4A-521 EMS Dr. Thomas Wünsche 1-632 Dream Chip 4A-306q emsys 4-301 dresden elektronik 4-528 emtas 4A-306g DSM Computer 1-254 emtrion 1-133/4-108 DSP Design 5-340 EMTrust 1-550

February 2013 14

EXHIBITORS LIST

Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand Emweb 4-109 Fimor 5-302a GENEKO 4A-509 Enclustra 4A-107 Firecomms 4-240 gestigon 4A-306n enders Ingenieure 1-430 Fischer Elektronik 4A-408 Get'IT Tunisia 4-624 Endrich 1-249 Flaircomm 2-206 Ginzinger 1-225 Enea Software 5-427b Flat Display 1-405 Gleichmann 2-219 Energy Micro 1-523/4A-122/1-306 Flexera Software 5-234 Gliwa 4-327 ENGICAM 5-409 FlowCAD 4-321 GLYN 1-306 Enpirion 4-429 Focus 4-624 GÖPEL electronic 4-511 EOS Power 4-240 Forschung für die Zukunft 5-335 GrammaTech 4-626 EPSON 1-424 FORTEC Elektronik 2-222 Green Hills 4-325 ept 4-237 FORTech Software 5-416 Greenliant 4A-503 Ericsson Power Modules 4-240 fortiss 4-127 Halo Electronics 2-429 ERNI Electronics 4-334 Fox Electronics 2-429 HAMEG 4-112 esd 4-129 FRANZIS Verlag 5-447 HanRun 4-240 eSOL 5-432 Fraunhofer AISEC 5-228 Carl Hanser Verlag 5-135 Essensium 4-109 Fraunhofer ESK 5-228 Hantronix 1-424 Esterel 4-114 Fraunhofer FOKUS 5-228 Hartmann 4A-324 ETAS 4-524 Fraunhofer 5-228 Hays 5-227 EtherCAT 4-242 Fraunhofer HHI 5-228 HCC-Embedded 4-204 euro engineering 4-518 Fraunhofer IESE 5-228 HCP 4-349 Euro Standard Press 5-323 Fraunhofer IIS 4-128 HEB Electronic 1-455 European Business Press 4A-510 Fraunhofer IMS 4A-405 HECTRONIC 4-448 EuropTec 1-367 Fraunhofer IPT 5-228 Heise 5-239 EUROS 5-318 Fraunhofer-Allianz 5-228 HEITEC 1-408 Eurotech 5-141 Freescale 4A-206 Helion 4A-306f Everbouquet 5-207 frenzel + berg 1-130 HighTec EDV-Systeme 4-312 Everspin 1-626 Frischer Electronic 1-124 HILF! 5-440 EVOCEAN 4-612 FSP Power Solution 2-210 HILF! IT Services 5-440 Explore 1-424 FTDI Chip 4A-322 Hilscher 1-338 Express Logic 5-320 Fujitsu Semiconductor 1-306 Hirschmann 1-406 Extension Media 5-139 Fujitsu Technology Solutions 1-318 Hitex 4-204 F & S Elektronik 4-136 FUTURE ELECTRONICS 4A-108 Hittite 4-240 F+S Fleckner und Simon 4-410 GAIA Converter 5-401 FH Mittweida 5-335 Fachhochschule Augsburg 5-335 GainSpan 2-429 Hochschule Pforzheim 4A-314 Farnell 5-220 GAIO 4-426 Hofmann Leiterplatten 1-430 Fastwel Group 1-224 Garz & Fricke 2-506 home2net 4-328 Ingenieurbüro Fauck 4A-306m GE Intelligent Platforms 1-624 HSM Zamecki 1-517 FCC Public 5-403 GE Power Electronics 4-240 Hochschule Leipzig 5-335 Felicitas 4-137 GeBE 1-372 Huawei 4-345 FERCHAU 4-412 Gemalto 4-443 hub:raum 5-307 EXHIBITORS LIST

Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand HUBER 2-223 Ixonos 5-428b HUMMEL 5-310 IXXAT 1-538 HY-LINE 1-160 Janz Tec 2-304 Hyperstone 1-301 jasys 4-115 IAR 4-212 Jauch 1-622 IBASE 2-308 JS Automation 1-154 IBD JTAG Technologies 4-617 IBM 5-417 K&A - Kölsch & Altmann 4-324 IBV 4-107 KARO 4A-203/1-306 IC Plus 2-429 Keith & Koep 5-340 ic-design 1-430 Kienzle 2-413 ICC Media 5-137 Kingdy 2-324 ICOP 1-530 Kingston 4A-406 ICP 2-422 Kinsun 4-240 ICS 4-619 KIRRON 4-442 Icsense 4-639 KITAGAWA 5-302 Idneo 2-401 Klar Automation 5-315 IDT 2-429/2-216 Klarälvdalens 4-622 IEI 2-422/2-305 Klocwork 4-610 ies 1-568 KOE 1-306 ILFA 5-308 koenig-pa 5-425 IMACS 4-324 Kontron 1-460 iMicro 4A-506a Kozio 5-444 IMPT 4A-509 KUNBUS 4-243 IMST 4A-225 Kurz 1-438 In Win 5-306 KW-Software 1-446 INCHRON 4-503 LabSat 4-519 INCOstartec 2-121 Lachmann & Rink 5-325 InduSoft 4-344 Lanner 1-119/2-420 Industrial Computer Source 1-246 Lantronix 1-309 Ineltek 1-424 Lattice 4A-404 Infineon 4A-222 Lauterbach 4-210 Ingenieurbüro Dübon 4A-306i LCD-Mikroelektronik 1-170 innodisk 1-122 LDRA 4-408 Innominate 5-418 Ledato 1-303 Inova 4-138 Ledman 1-424 inpotron 2-221 lesswire 1-601 inside Secure 1-424 LEXCOM 1-630 Inspired Energy 2-317 LieberLieber 4-628 Insyde Software 4-108 Linotype 5-229 INSYS 4-438 LinTech 2-527 Intecs 4-119 LiPPERT ADLINK 1-532 Intel 4-108/1-324 Lite-On 1-151 International Rectifier 4A-108 Litemax 1-363 Intersil 4A-122 livetec 2-514 IntervalZero 5-340 logi.cals 4-328 Intland 4-404 Logic Technology 4-108 Intrepid 4-502 LPKF 1-229 Invensense 2-216 Lumineq 5-211 IPC2U 1-201 Luxoft 5-136a ipcas 1-217 M-Sys 1-430 IQD 1-152 M-Tronic 1-357 IRCONA 1-223 M2M Alliance 4-444l Ironwood 1-234 m2m Germany 4-345 IS2T 5-236 macio 5-327 ISEE 4-431 Macnica 2-216 IST 2-523 Macronix 1-424 iSyst 4-324 Maestronic 1-149 iSYSTEM 4-505 MagnaChip 1-424 itemis 4-106 Marvell 4A-122 ITPower 4-104 MAS 1-424 iWave 1-132 MathWorks 4-110

17 February 2013 EXHIBITORS LIST

Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand Maxim 4A-122 MSC Vertriebs 2-219 pk components 4-538 MAZeT 1-446 Nanya 4A-507 PLDA 1-101 MBtech 5-317 National Instruments 4-422 PLEXTOR 1-151 MC Technologies 4-343 NEOUSYS 1-305 PLS 4-310 McObject 4-108 NetModule 4-441 PLUG-IN E 1-416 Memoright 1-138 Neumüller 5-207 PLX Technology 4A-122 Memphis 1-434 New Japan Radio 4-240 PMK 4-405 MEN Mikro Elektronik 2-220 next system 2-313 POHL Electronic 1-159 mentec 4-245 Nextchip 2-429 POLARION 4-202 Mentor Graphics 5-324 NLT 1-306 port 1-636 merath 4A-324 Shenzen Norco 1-271 European Portwell 1-117 metraTec 4-250 Nordic 1-318 Poslab Technology 4A-502 MEV 4-240 Nuvoton 1-618 Power Integrations 4-240 Micrel 4-240 OFFIS 4-102 Ethernet Powerlink 4A-524 Micrium 5-218 ON Semiconductor 1-112 PPM 4-548 Micro Crystal 1-424 OPC Foundation 4-344 Premo 1-424 Micro Star Intern 1-646 Open Source Press 5-332 Pretec C-one 1-167 Microchip 1-520 OpenSynergy 5-241 PROEMION 1-335 MicroConsult 4-322 OpenSystems Media 5-424 PROFIBUS 5-405 MicroControl 1-126 Opticon Sensoren 1-471 profichip 1-137 MicroMax 1-509 Optiprint 4A-515 Programming Research 4-126 Micronas 1-306/1-318 Oracle 5-134 Projektron 4-508 MICRORISC 4-444i Orient Display 4-240 proLogistik 2-330 Microsemi 1-652 ORing 4A-412 Protech Systems 1-230 Microsoft 5-340 OSADL 5-341 protos Software 4-324 MicroSys 4-328 Owasys 4-345 ProximusDA 4A-306j microTOOL 4-105 Panasonic 4A-210 pure-systems 4-420 Microtronics 4-244 Parasoft 4-416 Pyramid 1-143 Mikrap 4-541 PC/104 Consortium 2-419 QA Systems 4-126 MikroElektronika 4A-509 PEAK-System Technik 1-616 QNX 5-333 Missing Link 4-201 Pengutronix 5-342 Qt by Digia 4-520 Mitsubishi Electric 1-163 Pentair 4-335 QUAD 1-237 Mitsubishi International 1-610 Percepio 5-428d QuartzCom 4-302 MPS 1-249 PERFECTRON 1-226 QuartzCom 4-302 Monotype 5-229 Perforce 4-612 Quectel 4A-421 MOS Electronic 4A-123 Pervasive Displays 1-424 RaidSonic 2-627 MOST I & T 1-506 Phoenix Contact 1-446 RAISONANCE 4-103 Mouser 4A-302 Phytec Messtechnik 1-206 Raystar 1-249 Moxa 2-415 Pico Technology 4-512 REAL-TIME EXPERTS 4-327 MRC 5-214 PikeTec 4-514 Real-Time Systems 5-434 EXHIBITORS LIST

Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand Realtek 4-240 Smart Modular 2-407 SRENO 2-423 RECOM 4-236 Softerra 5-138 SSV 4-444d/e Red Lizard 4-616 Softing 1-352 STEC 4-240 Redpine 1-424/1-318 Software Quality 5-347 STMicroelectronics 4-140 REFLEX 1-103 Solectrix 4A-303 Stollmann 2-531 Renata 1-424 Solomon 1-249 STZ 4A-314 Renesas 1-336 Sontheim 1-468 SÜTRON 1-446 Renice 2-517 SOQUS 5-346 Sundance 2-419 RIGOL 4-516 Space Codesign 4-608 Swissbit 1-524 Riscure 4-636 SparkLAN 2-206/4-240 Symtavision 4-327 RiTdisplay 1-249 SparxSystems 4-628 Synapticon 5-312 RM Components 4-440 SPECTRACOM 4-544a Synopsys 4-117 RM MICHAELIDES 1-335 SPHINX 2-420 SYS TEC 4-513 Robustel 4-444g Rochester 4-629 Rohde & Schwarz 4-112 RoodMicrotec 4-640 Round Solutions 4-445 RRC 1-155 RST 4-324 The RTC Group 4-647 RTD 1-134/2-419 RunCore 1-249 RUTRONIK 1-318 S-TEC 2-111 S.E.A. 4-422 S3 Group 4A-111 SafeConnect 4-109 SafeNet 5-344 SafeTRANS 4-203 Samtec 1-544 San Jose Techn 4-339 Scan Engineering 2-326 Scantec 2-216 Schleißheimer Soft- und Hard 4-410 Schmid Elektronik 4-422 Sdelovaci 4-644 SE Spezial-Electronic 5-208 Sea Sonic 2-521 Seavus 4A-509 SECO 2-314 Seform 1-609 SEGGER 4-226 Seiko Instruments 1-306 Semtech 4A-122 senTec 4-620 sepp.med 4-324 SET 4-422 setron 4-538 SEVENSTAX 4-143 Shenzen Jinhua Display 1-249 Shenzhen TAT 1-654 SIEPA 4A-509 Sierra Wireless 4A-224 SILICA 1-334 Silicon Labs 4A-211 SILVER ATENA 5-402 SIMCom 4-444k Simplify 1-270 SINTRONES 2-420 SINUS Electronic 1-113 Small Technology 4-634b

19 February 2013 EXHIBITORS LIST

Company Hall-Stand Company Hall-Stand SYSGO 5-241 Unicorn 4-638 Syslogic 1-463 Unified Automation 4-344 SystemBase 1-107 User Interface 5-430 Tailyn 2-503 VadaTech 4A-109 Tameq 4-407 vbe Kamm 1-631 Taoglas 4-530 Vecow 1-222 TARGET 4-109 Vector Informatik 4-122 TASKING 4-618 Vector Software 4-216 taskit 1-303 Verifysoft 4-308 TDK-Lambda 4-238 Verocel 5-442 TechNexion 1-329 VersaLogic 2-419 Technica House 2-529 Verum 5-436 Techn Akademie Esslingen 4A-314 VIA Technologies 1-650 TU Ilmenau 5-335 Vicor 4A-108 TECHWAY 4-546a Vision Components 1-307 Tecnologías 5-410 VISIONOX DISPLAY 1-306 tecnotron 4-207 Visure Solutions 4-408 TecSys 1-260 Vogel Business Media 5-142 tekmodul 2-320 voice INTER connect 4-137a Tektronix 4-205 Vox Power 4-240 TeleCommunication 4A-125 Vrije Universiteit 5-422 Teledyne LeCroy 4-407 W+P 1-455 Telit wireless 4A-424 WAGO 2-421 TenAsys 5-418 WDI 4-435 Texas Instruments 4-342 Weinzierl 5-413 Texim Europe 1-325 WEKA 4-134 THERMOTEC 4-406 Welotec 1-347 Thesycon 4-143 Western Digital 4A-402 TIANMA 1-424 WIBU-SYSTEMS 5-340 Tibbo 4-240 Willert 4-322 Tieto 4-328 Wind River 5-334 Timing-Architects 4A-306a Winmate 1-242 TOELLNER 4-418 WITTENSTEIN 5-420 TOPAS 2-429 WIZnet 2-302 TOPIC 5-321 Wolfson 2-429 Toradex 1-116/4-125 WÜRTH 2-414 Toshiba Electronics 4-534 WynMax 1-505 Total Phase 4-510 X-SPEX 1-469 TouchNetix 1-510 X2E 2-518 TQ Group 1-560 XILINX 1-205 Tragant 4-536 XiSys 4-328 Transcend 1-216 XJTAG 4-347 Trenew 1-640 XKrug 4-526 Trenz 1-107 XMOS 1-235 TRIAS 5-324 YAMAICHI 4-341 TRINAMIC 4-240 YAWiD 4-346 Truly 2-206 Yokogawa 4-306 TTTech 4-401 Yuan 1-403 TÜV SÜD 4-204 Zentel 1-424 u-blox 4A-325 Zettler 1-158 U.S. Sensor 4-240 ZHANGZHOU 2-502 ET P UBIFRANCE 4-544 Zippy 2-426 UEG 4-109 Zitzmann 5-324 Ultratronik 4-142 Zühlke Engineering 5-242

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February 2013 20 Preview Chips & Tools

Lead Story: XMC1000 MCUs with ARM Cortex-M0 core enable 32-bit power at 8-bit prices CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

MCUs with ARM Cortex-M0 core enable 32-bit power at 8-bit prices

Dirk Heinen and Arno Rabenstein, Infineon Technologies

The trend towards replacing 8-bit with 32-bit microcontrollers is clear. According to market observers almost half of developers in German industry are planning this switch. The price level has been the limiting factor, but Infineon now caters for this situation with its new XMC1000 family, using the standard Cortex-M0 processor core.

The new MCU products will be produced the microcontroller market. With its feature protocols such as ASC, SSC, I2C and I2S. A with an internal feature size of 65nm and on set, the XMC1000 family addresses the broad USIC module offers two independent com- 300mm wafers. Customers who use a broad field of previous 8-bit applications. These in- munication channels. A dedicated FIFO permits spectrum of microcontrollers also benefit from clude such applications as motor controls, buffering for slower applications. The A/D the fact that the XMC1000 is a genuine com- LED lighting, digital power conversion, smart converter module consists of a kernel that op- plement to the XMC4000 microcontroller fam- sensors, capacitive control elements, and LED erates according to the principle of successive ily introduced in early 2012. Numerous pe- displays in addition to numerous other possi- approximation (SAR). The resolution can be ripheral units such as timers, A/D converters ble uses. To this end, the new XMC1000 de- programmed with 8, 10 or 12 bits. What is and serial communication interfaces are iden- rivatives offer, besides the 32-bit Cortex-M0 more, the amplification can be set individually tical to those of the XMC4000 Cortex M4 with 32 MHz, numerous new features such as for each channel. A FIFO memory prevents products. This opens up numerous and diverse up to 200 Kbyte flash memory, powerful mixed- data loss when working with very fast sampling possibilities for scaling. For efficient software signal peripherals, modules for touch control rates. The XMC1200/1300 series also integrate development, the development environment and LED displays (LEDTS), a peripheral unit two sample-and-hold stages and high-speed DAVE is available free of charge. In addition patented by Infineon for the dimming and analog comparators. Measurements with the to a number of the peripheral functions already colour control of LEDs (brightness and colour A/D converters can be triggered by the known from the XMC4000 family, the control unit, BCCU), a flash loader with 128- CCU4/CCU8 timers. Other helpful peripheral XMC1000 derivatives offer features which, to bit AES encryption for software IP protection functions include a pseudo-random number date, have not been found in 8-bit microcon- and a Math coprocessor with 64 MHz for effi- generator, a real-time clock (RTC) and a win- trollers. A unique feature for this market seg- cient motor controls. dow watchdog timer (WDT). ment is, for example, the range of flash memory variants, which extend from 8 Kbyte up to 200 What is more, with such features as hardware With three product series including 23 prod- Kbyte. In particular, special peripheral functions error correction (ECC) and corresponding ucts, each member of the XMC1000 family permit the professional and at the same time memory tests, the new microcontrollers satisfy caters for different applications. By way of ex- simple implementation of LED lighting appli- the requirements defined by the IEC60730 ample, the XMC1100 Entry Series offers a cations and energy-efficient motor controls. class B standard, as prescribed for the safety of basic range of functions to facilitate entry into With a solution concept for the IP protection household appliances sold in Europe. Using the XMC world. Nonetheless, the features are of embedded software, Infineon is also ad- the flexible USIC interface module, it is possible state-of-the-art, with 12-bit A/D converters dressing an ever-more important trend within to implement various serial communication and 16-bit timers which allow various PWM

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February 2013 22

CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

patterns to be generated. The XMC1200 Feature Series comprises additional application-specific features, such as the above-mentioned BCCU and LEDTS units. Furthermore, versions are available for the extended temperature range of -40°C up to 105°C. Last but not least, the XMC1300 Control Series is specially geared to applications in the area of motor control and digital power conversion. To this end, besides the exceptionally powerful Capture/Compare Unit 8 (CCU8), it also features, for example, a position interface (POSIF) for the precise detection of the motor position as well as a Math coprocessor, which permits efficient sensorless FOC (field-oriented control) solutions for electric motors – the latter being unique for Cortex-M0-based products. The XMC1300 family also offers variants for the temperature range up to 105 °C. Figure 1. The new XMC1000 microcontrollers with ARM Cortex-M0 processor core offer 32-bit performance with innovative features at 8-bit prices. The basic function of the BCCU (XMC1200 and XMC 1300 series) consists in automatically making dimming signals available at the port connections for external LED drivers. The BCCU is designed for automatically controlling the dimming and the colours of multi-channel LED lamps. A key feature is the automatic high-frequency intensity modulation (PDM with 12-bit resolution). This permits a flicker- free display. The exponential dimming and linear adjustment of the intensity allow the dimming steps and colour changes to appear totally natural for the human eye. A wide range of drivers and high-performance LEDs is supported.

Using the two LEDTS modules of the XMC1200 family, it is possible to drive LEDs and touch panels in HMI applications. At the same time, the LEDTS can measure the capacitance of up to eight touch pads each with the aid of an RO Figure 2. Three series (XMC1100, XMC1200 and XMC1300) – optimised for various applications (relaxation oscillator) topology. Up to 64 (8x8) LEDs can be controlled in one LED matrix. The modules can be synchronised with each other for optimised results. Touch pads and LEDs can share pins, which in turn minimises the number of pins required.

The CCU4/CCU8 timer units and POSIF position interface provide a simple means for sensing the position and speed of a motor for efficient motor controls. In addition, the Math coprocessor can perform vector rotation (PARK transformation) with 24-bit resolution, which in turn allows powerful algorithms to be implemented for field-oriented motor control. The CCU4 is primarily designed for switched- mode power supply applications. It can be used, for example, for pulse generation or, with the aid of the dither function, for stabilising slow control loops. In conjunction with the programmable POSIF block, it is also possible to evaluate an incremental encoder. For various Figure 3. LED lighting control with the BCCU unit applications, using the POSIF allows the

February 2013 24 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

the simple graphic combination of multiple DAVE Apps. This allows the hardware resources to be mapped automatically and accurately on the chip. A simple evaluation facility for the new XMC1000 products is offered by what are known as boot kits, which are available for each of the three product series. In conjunction with DAVE, a debugger and a number of sample apps, they provide a complete package for the development of simpler application software. For an application-oriented approach, Infineon provides dedicated application kits. For XMC1000, a kit will initially be available for the development of LED lighting solutions and, from May 2013, also a kit for standard and highly efficient motor controls. Figure 4. Sensorless, field-oriented control with the XMC1300 microcontrollers Infineon is presenting the new XMC1000 microcontrollers at its stand (Hall 4A, Stand 222) accuracy to be improved and the software downloaded free of charge from the Infineon at the Embedded World 2013 exhibition in simplified, since the corresponding data can website. The tool package comprises an auto- Nuremberg. Initial samples of the new family be acquired at the same time. A low-pass filter matic code generator on the basis of DAVE and the boot kits will be available from March suppresses the noise and interfering impulses Apps, a free GNU compiler and debugger, in- 2013. Package options are 16-, 28- and 38-pin from the Hall sensor and rotary transducer, cluding flash loader. DAVE supports automatic TSSOPs. XMC1000 products will be offered which can lead to incorrect position and/or code generation based on predefined and tested for large order volumes from as little as € 0.25 speed readings. software components – otherwise known as and up to around € 1.25 for the full range of DAVE Apps. In contrast to the conventional functions. Using the CCU8 and the additional compare approach with libraries and sample programs, canal, it is possible to define different delays the DAVE Apps are more abstract and permit www.infineon.com/xmc1000 for rising and falling edges and to generate asymmetric PWM signals. Typical applications that benefit from this include 3-phase inverters for drives, 3-level inverters for solar modules and half-bridge converters. The 64-MHz Math coprocessor consists of a 32-bit scaler and a 24-bit CORDIC for trigonometric calculations. Both the scaler and the CORDIC unit can operate in parallel with the Cortex-M0 CPU. The Math unit increases the processing power significantly for real-time applications.

In introducing the XMC1000 family Infineon has addressed the ever-more important aspect of IP security. Essentially, it is about ensuring that software can only run on specific microcontrollers and that only certain persons have access to the software code throughout the production process. The Infineon concept involves providing the IP owner with a tool that encrypts the embedded software, with a key that is only known to defined XMC1000 microcontrollers and, accordingly, which only permits programming on just these MCUs. At the same time, the MCUs each carry customer and/or project-specific keys and execute a routine (secure loader mode, which is supported by the loader tool) that works on the basis of the 128-bit AES method and only encrypts the code during the loading process, which it saves to the flash memory, before finally providing it with a lock protection facility. For efficient software development, in common with the XMC4000 series, the development environment DAVE is available, which can be Visit us at Embedded World 2013 • Hall 4 • Booth 4-310.

25 February 2013 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Choosing the right embedded flash disk for various applications

By Axel Mehnert, Hyperstone

This article describes how flash controllers can be used to directly embed flash drives onto PCBs and into systems. Hidden bill-of-material including firmware versions or additional costs can be avoided and control over component lifetimes maximized. Drives can be configured according to the application-specific requirements. Figure 1. Hyperstone hyReliability Firmware architecture - selected modules

At the Embedded World 2013, Hyperstone tion. Fewer electrons mean more errors and quality and endurance for many applications is presenting their updated product line-up of less data retention. Also, physical stress to each with increased reliability requirements in the NAND flash controllers including SATA and memory cell is increased the more electrons past. In the future, they are likely to fail since SD 3.0 controllers. Together with hyReliability need to be pushed in and out of the floating they have been designed to satisfy other re- firmware, embedded designers can easily realize gate as it is being programmed or erased. quirements. Beyond being a bridge between embedded flash directly on-board. Designers Hence, the specified lifetime in program-erase two interface protocols, the firmware is re- are facing an increasing number of options cycles (PE cycles) is much smaller for TLC sponsible for managing the flash media in- when designing an application that requires than for SLC, for example. Finally, the likelihood cluding error handling, power fail recovery, mass storage. Depending on requirements, the of disturbances resulting from operations to countermeasures against wear-out, and optimal trade-offs in terms of cost per bit, quality, life neighbouring cells or as an exposure to heat usage of all flash cells, to name a few examples. cycle cost, and maintenance are significant. increases. All those effects get worse and more The firmware has to continuously make arbi- HDDs still offer the best cost per bit. However, significant as manufacturing process technology trary decisions regarding performance, wear- for an increasing number of applications, local shrinks. All these effects result in faster cell out, robustness and data retention. As an ex- storage is flash-based since NAND flash offers wear-out, less data retention, longer program ample, one physical effect that has become several advantages. Many different NAND- times, and higher power consumption. more significant recently is the so-called read based standard products are available from disturb. This refers to the phenomenon of solid state disks (SSD) to flash memory cards Of course, higher information density per chip when a specific sector of one page is read and (e.g. SD cards, CompactFlash cards and USB area is cheaper. Since most NAND flash another sector of another page that is neigh- flash disks) to embedded flash multichip pack- providers have to fight for cost leadership per bouring on the flash physical topology is images (MCP) such as eMMC. Significant differ- mm2 chip area and the main volume is in pacted. After a certain number of reads, this ences in terms of cost, capacity, performance, consumer markets, cost optimization is focus- other sector might deliver significant bit errors, quality, reliability, and power consumption re- ing on MLC and TLC. Hence MLC product eventually exceeding the controller ECC late to flash process, controller, and firmware life cycles are shorter and usually MLCs avail- strength. This has an impact on the stored technology. able are already in smaller geometries compared firmware itself, parts of the OS or files system, to the comparable SLC available at the same or possibly application data that is read re- NAND memory technologies today include time. For instance, today you might consider peatedly. The firmware can address this phe- single level cells (SLC), multi-level cells (MLC) 1x MLC or 2x SLC. At the same time, today nomenon by refreshing certain areas based on and three level cells (TLC). These technologies you can still buy 4x and 3x SLC, but 2x MLCs read counts of other areas. To do so, the phe- differ in how many bits of information (levels) are already difficult to procure. TLC reliability nomenon has to be assessed for each flash. Af- are attributed to different numbers of electrons parameters are not suited for embedded de- terwards, a refresh procedure has to be imple- pushed into a floating gate. More levels mean signs, which can be derived from table 1. Con- mented trying to minimize performance penal- fewer electrons associated to a bit of informa- sumer products have been offering sufficient ty or additional programming overhead which

February 2013 26 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Table 1. High-level comparison of SLC, MLC and TLC NAND memory technologies again would add to wear-out. Also, this might managed by the firmware. This mapping, if lead to busy times not expected by the hosts. you look at it in detail, is quite complex. De- Another significant and often discussed feature pending on the administrative architecture is wear levelling. The principle is to use all being based on blocks or pages, the mapping pages/blocks of a flash evenly. A so-called tables differ in size to an extent that either logical to physical mapping is required and requires hundreds of MB external DRAM

* Samples available in Q3 of 2013

Table 2. Hyperstone product overview (SD, eMMC, PATA and SATA) suited for embedded flash disk on board

27 February 2013 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Table 3. Comparison of embedded flash as MCP or discrete disk on board (DoB)

(page-based) or sufficient to be using internal SRAM (block-based). Each approach has certain trade-offs in terms of power-fail robustness or performance. It might be beneficial to use a “local” wear levelling approach that manages only a single flash in order to make use of certain performance features of the flash such as copy back. While this increases system performance, it results in one flash chip deterio- rating faster than others within the system. The global wear levelling approach uses all chips but cannot utilize the copy back feature.

Another example of a non-trivial decision is the consideration and interpretation of bit errors. The firmware can define several bit error thresholds after how many bit errors a page or block could be refreshed, copied, retired and mapped out assuming it has reached the end of its useful life. Many flash systems show performance degradation over their lifetime. The reason is not only the increased ECC activity due to deteriorated flashes but also the fact that an increased amount of housekeeping and maintenance operations are being executed in the background.

These are just a few examples of many features that are not transparent in their implementation but can have a significant impact for an application over their operating life time. The impact of flash generation changes or any firmware change can be significant, making it challenging to qualify a flash system for an application. This tremendous firmware effort is one reason why connecting raw NAND or even NAND with added ECC hardware is not efficient for many applications. When qualifying and managing product changes of a managed NAND option such as an eMMC, you might want to monitor flash, controller and firmware versions as part of a bill of materials that might be partially hidden and not easily transparent.

Integrating modules or cards such as CompactFlash cards, SD cards, USB flash disks, or solid state disks, is certainly the most flexible option. Most standard interfaces are available in some standard form factor. The module or card manufacturer is part of the value chain and takes care of flash and controller procurement, system and PCB design, manufacturing including firmware preformatting as well as life cycle management and warranty. With respect to flash systems, these are very valuable services. Independent of the mainboard life cycle, modules or cards are removable. Updates can be quite easily accommodated. With one qualification cycle you can roll out new revisions over several applications or platforms.

However, for cost optimization of a stable application with certain volumes or for space considerations, it might make sense to integrate and embed a flash-based mass storage sub-system directly as an MCP on board. Such modules are available mostly in BGA packages and are

February 2013 28 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

more or less standardized, e.g. with eMMC or SATA interfaces. However, since most are developed for consumer markets, cost might be attractive but suitability for other applications Embedded industry trends: and extended requirements might be questionable. Another alternative is integrating flash controller and flash as two discrete components. This has certain benefits especially for industrial a silent MCU revolution embedded applications.

Based on Hyperstone products, it is easy to implement an embedded flash disk onto a Today, there is a silent revolution on the em- PCB and into systems. Chip hardware, fully bedded market. Most new microcontrollers qualified to industrial requirements, is available and application processors that are introduced together with the most reliable firmware. Ref- are based on the ARM architecture. In 2012 we erence design schematics, configuration tools also saw the launch of several new ARM proces- as well as local support will help you to opti- sors. At the low end of the spectrum, the Cor- mize firmware for your specific requirements. tex-M0+ processor has been introduced for Controlled or even fixed BOM is fully under applications which were previously dominated control. Once a setup has been qualified, the by 8-bit microcontrollers. The new 64-bit Cor- Reinhard Keil, requalification effort can be minimal. The im- tex-A50 series processors address the high-end Director of pact of reacting to any flash EOL is smaller market such as servers. Gartner is forecasting MCU Tools, since controller and firmware might not need 50 billion devices connected to the Internet-of- ARM Germany to be changed. Hyperstone currently offers Things (IoT) by the year 2020, and ARM flash controllers supporting any type of flash processors span already the whole application as reuse off customt llibrariesib i iis gaining impor- technology and interfacing to SATA, PATA range from sensors to servers. Here I can just tance for cost-efficient software engineering. and SD or MMC hosts. Another advantage is mention a few innovative products that have Successfully combining these building blocks long term availability. Certain Hyperstone con- been introduced lately, it is not possible to of a modern embedded application often poses trollers have been available for more than 10 cover a complete list of all new ARM devices. a problem for developers. To solve this, ARM years, and support for new flash memories is introducing a new approach to component- continues to be added today. ARM Cortex-M0+ processor-based microcon- based software development. A structured de- trollers are already available from Freescale scription format for arbitrary components like When qualifying a storage system that includes and NXP. These modern 32-bit devices beat device support files, operating systems or com- NAND flash, controller, and firmware, the most 8-bit microcontrollers on price, perform- munication stacks allows automatic depend- firmware version is also an important factor ance, and even power consumption. They are ency resolution, reliable version management for qualification. Hyperstone can support de- easy-to-use, have powerful debug and trace and consistent configuration. With MDK Ver- signing an application with an embedded flash capabilities, are offered in very tiny packages sion 5, we will demonstrate a reference imple- storage sub-system integrating controller and and to me there is today no reason for using 8- mentation of a component-based software de- NAND flash in parallel. Customization and or 16-bit microcontrollers. New Cortex-M4 velopment system for ARM Cortex-M proces- application specific tuning is possible. In any processor-based devices have been launched sor based systems at Embedded World 2013. case, SLC is the flash of choice for reliability by Atmel, EnergyMicro, Infineon, Freescale, and endurance. eMMCs are currently designed and STMicroelectronics. These devices provide Computer-On-Modules (COM) is another and optimized for consumer mobile phones. capable peripherals combined with enough strong industry trend and frequently, the boards Since eMMC or embedded flash MCPs are processing power for demanding floating-point are powered by ARM Cortex-A series applica- often exposed to cost pressure from consumer and DSP algorithms. There is also a trend to- tion processors available from Broadcom, markets, changes to flash, controller, and wards multi-processor devices which combine Freescale, NVIDIA, Marvel, Qualcomm, Sam- firmware are much faster and usually not an- two Cortex-M cores (NXP LPC4000) or a sung, or Texas Instruments. COM boards are nounced via product change notes. Long-term Cortex-M4 processor-based MCU with a Cor- available from several hardware manufacturers availability of qualified industrial products is tex-A5 application processor (Freescale Vybrid). in various form factors and have enough pro- questionable. Such devices are designed for example for fea- cessing power to replace traditional PC-based ture-rich graphical user interfaces that integrate industrial computers while consuming less en- Given these constraints, predominantly MLC- deterministic control software. ergy. Most COM boards run a Linux or An- based MCPs require a great level of attention to droid operating system and therefore offer whether the controller, firmware and choice of With the availability of ever more capable mi- cost benefits on hardware and software. For flash are optimally suited for your application crocontrollers, software development for these optimizing the application code towards per- over the whole life cycle. Using a separate con- devices has become more complex over the formance or energy efficiency, the tool industry troller, NAND flash, and an optimally configured years. Use of real-time operating systems is offers analyzers such as the ARM DS-5 Devel- firmware will help applications to be more rapidly becoming an industry best practice, opment Studio with Streamline system and rugged and the storage sub-system to be better and usage of commercial middleware as well performance trace capabilities. tuned for the target application. Also, life-cycle cost is minimized due to long-term availability FREE Subscription to boards & solutions magazine of Hyperstone products. The need for frequent Ensure getting your personal copy of boards & solutions magazine free of charge by completing the online form at: changes to products is reduced thus resulting www.embedded-control-europe.com/bas-magazine in lower cost for requalification.

29 February 2013 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Increasing advances for microcontrollers today

Over the years, microcontrollers (MCUs) nectivity options without increasing the foot- have significantly evolved. The demand for print. The evolution of silicon technologies and MCUs, known for their lower power levels, on-chip integration innovations make it possible has also increased. Requests from MCU cus- to do this. These connected, integrated capabil- tomers include smarter, more integrated devices ities are especially important for applications so their product systems can be controlled such as high-performance data converters, sen- with fewer components while offering con- sors, human interface technologies (e.g. touch sumers greater capabilities. Although 8-bit and proximity detection) and wireless commu- Sang Chon, MCUs may be utilized in specific, dedicated Director, Central nication protocols (e.g. NFC and WiFi) in con- functions (e.g. system monitoring or power- Marketing, sumer, industrial and automotive applications. up sequencing), it seems that MCUs in general Microcontrollers, are trending towards increased intelligence TI These MCU functionalities, combined with a while keeping a smaller package footprint. world full of inventors – in the “maker” space Specifically, we’re seeing a rise in four key consumption.i MMCUsCU are bbecoming smarter or commercial space, lead customers to look functionalities in MCUs – low power, real-time with on-chip digital signal processing capabil- beyond basic MCU silicon to differentiate their control, safety and connected MCUs. ities and advanced analog that can assess and products. Now time is spent on software and calculate special real-time control techniques system integration. To meet these customer Low power: Consumers are seeking to add for adjusting motor and power operations. needs, MCUs should be offered with software, more capabilities to their lives with smarter Other products that require real-time control development tools and application-specific soft- gadgets. However, these “smarter” gadgets must include renewable energy, industrial motors ware libraries and tools to make development also offer low power levels so that we conserve and lighting. and differentiation key. energy and never have to change batteries. Some examples of these types of applications Safety: Safety-critical systems are everywhere TI products offer a broad spectrum of micro- include blood glucose meters used in a pre- today. Customers need components and systems controller products for ultra-low power, real- ventive measure to help wirelessly monitor to be safety-certified ready to meet IEC and time control, safety, computing and connectivity blood glucose levels, food intake, along with ISO safety standards. Take the auto industry applications. These are easy to use by customers other vital signs and transmit them wirelessly for example, previously safety MCUs were only with a strong eco-system of software, tools, doc- in regular intervals to the consumer or doctor. used in items such as electric power steering umentation and application notes. They provide Then everyday items, such as smoke detectors and anti-lock brakes. Over the years, we’ve seen a path to our customers to provide strong dif- are getting makeovers so that they never need new hardware and software technology in MCUs ferentiation in their applications, bill-of-materials battery changes – no beeping – and they also to enable airbags and advanced driver assistance cost reduction by integrating needed analog for get additional functionality such as glass break systems that prevent things like lane intrusion. particular applications, as well as application- detection, temperature monitoring and more. And safety affects many other industries – trans- specific tools and software for ultra-low power Real-time control: Appliances and systems are portation, industrial, medical and renewable uses, motor control applications, smart grid so- becoming smarter every day. Products such as energy. Connected MCUs: End products are lutions, functional safety designs and more. The washing machines can now adjust for various becoming increasingly small and more con- sky is the limit with product development using loads, cycles, water levels while reducing energy nected. So, MCUs need to offer additional con- the ever-evolving MCU market. Chips & Tools News

Hall-Stand 1-318 by Rutronik in collaboration with Osram Opto Semiconductors and Rutronik presents complete solutions for vertical markets at the solid state lighting specialists Arquiled. As an example for the in- embedded world dustrial field, Rutronik will be demonstrating the intelligent energy Rutronik will be presenting itself at embedded world as a provider of controlling system from econ solutions, in which the distributor also complete application-specific solutions for the lighting, medical, energy, contributed to the development. It provides industrial companies with automotive, industrial and home appliance focal markets. With a full transparency about every point of energy consumption, thereby portfolio that covers all electronic components, Rutronik is able to providing a basis for a comprehensive system of energy management. present complete solutions in full detail and is therefore able to tune Product and application engineers from the six vertical market teams them to precise technical and commercial needs. Innovative, functional and from all of the product divisions stand ready to provide fair example applications for each focal market will be among the highlights visitors with expert advice. on the fair stand. These include an electric car from Tesla and an LED News ID 14887 “Arquicity” street lamp with automatic brightness adjustment, developed

February 2013 30 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Microcontroller trends: comprehensive eco-systems and standard cores

Embedded systems are fundamental to reference designs and starter kits for evaluation, modern electronic applications, ranging from prototyping and testing, and software to speed industrial control to home appliances and programming and visualisation. Take, for exam- consumer devices to office automation. Trends ple, Toshiba’s support for its motor control that support rapid, successful development Roland micro family. As well as a range of starter kits include application-specific devices, compre- Gehrmann, for ‘out-of-the-box’ development, the eco-system Consumer and hensive eco-systems, and standard cores. for these devices includes PC-based software Industrial IC Marketing providing an intuitive GUI to simplify configu- One trend helping to make selection easier is Manager, ration of key FOC motor control parameters. the growth in the number of application-specific Toshiba These include proportional-integral (PI) control microcontrollers. These devices provide single- Electronics settings, deadtime and PWM frequency. Em- chip solutions to complex design challenges by Europe bedded World also sees the launch of the latest integrating the key functional blocks, peripherals addition to this eco-system – the SigmaBoard. and interfaces demanded by the design. An ex- commerciall meters allowll designersd to replace Depending on application requirements the ample of this trend can be found in the motion traditional two-chip analog front end (AFE) SigmaBoard – which combines a pre-pro- control arena with the emergence of a new gen- and processor implementations with a single grammed microcontroller with all the necessary eration of devices offering intelligent motor chip. These devices integrate functions such as components and interfaces for immediate use - drive solutions for variable speed brushless DC high-accuracy active power measurement, ana- can be a starter kit, a reference system, or a motors. Some of these MCUs even implement log-to-digital conversion, display drivers, gateway stand-alone BLDC motor control solution. in firmware the complex algorithms required communication features and anti-tampering de- for effective vector/field oriented control (FOC). tection. More recently we have seen devices ded- Finally we can expect to see more devices built Developers can combine these functions with icated to healthcare in areas such as glucose and around ‘de-facto’ standard processors such as their own proprietary motor control IP or use blood pressure monitoring. As well as demanding the ARM Cortex range of cores. Standardization the firmware to handle all FOC functions. In ei- the functional specification, this market also trends are fuelled by benefits that include re- ther case accurate and efficient motor control is puts significant price pressure on MCU manu- use of IP and tools across projects and reduction achieved without lengthy and complex software facturers thanks to the often disposable nature of learning curves for developers. Fortunately development. Other dedicated on-board func- of the target application. Even with dedicated standardization doesn’t mean compromising tions may include those relating to functional hardware, embedded implementations can pres- on performance, functionality or efficiency. safety – for instance oscillation frequency detec- ent significant challenges, and the quality of The latest ARM Cortex™-M4 processor core, tion (OFD) for compliance with IEC60730 stan- tools and support will impact ease of imple- for example, integrates powerful digital signal dards. A similar trend can be seen with smart mentation. That is why we are seeing a growing processing capabilities while retaining the low- metering. Microcontrollers with functionality trend for semiconductor vendors to deliver com- power operation and small code footprint and performance optimised for residential and prehensive support eco-systems, including designers expect from the Cortex family. Chips & Tools News

Hall-Stand 4-226 Hall-Stand 5-320 Hall-Stand 1-205 SEGGER: embedded software suite Express Logic: ThreadX RTOS adds Xilinx ships Zynq-7000 FPGAs with ARM supports Energy Micro’s Cortex-M3 support for Xilinx Zynq-7000 EPP dual-core Cortex-A9 Gecko MCUs Express Logic announced that its ThreadX Xilinx announced its first Zynq-7000 Extensible SEGGER Microcontroller and Energy Micro RTOS now supports Xilinx’s Zynq-7000 Ex- Processing Platform shipments to customers. For announce that SEGGER’s embedded middleware tensible Processing Platform. ThreadX is a systems that need to support applications which suite now supports Energy Micro’s range of small-footprint, high-performance, royal- require high, real-time performance, the Zynq- ultra low energy ARM Cortex-M3 based EFM32 ty-free RTOS with efficient real-time re- 7000 EPP delivers levels of performance that go Gecko microcontrollers. The comprehensive sponsiveness. With sub-microsecond context beyond what traditional processing solutions can feature-rich software suite from SEGGER de- switching, and service times of 100-200 cy- implement. Emulation platforms, hardware delivers an easy-to-use environment for embedded cles, ThreadX easily supports the demands velopment tools, Open Source Linux support systems development, offering exceptionally of embedded system devices. ThreadX also and the recently announced Extensible Virtual low memory requirements, which minimizes offers a rich ecosystem of complementary Platform developed jointly with Cadence Design Bill-of-Materials costs and enables significantly development tools, including the Xilinx ISE Systems, Inc. all help to make developing and reduced power consumption overall. Design Suite for the Zynq-7000 EPP. implementing Zynq-7000 EPP systems possible. News ID 14834 News ID 14841 News ID 14843

31 February 2013 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Cost-sensitive applications benefit from leading-edge microcontrollers

5.6 billion US dollars in 2013 is the revenue allowed to integrate peripherals used in the number for 4/8-bit microcontrollers. That pre- higher-end XMC4000 microcontroller family; diction by market researchers at IHS means e.g. PWM units enabling asymmetrical PWM that the low-end segment accounts for 31% of wave forms, automatic dead-time insertion the worldwide microcontroller market. Most and much more, and ADC features (12-bit of the devices in this segment are based on resolution, 2 sample and hold stages, 1.88 quite old processor core architectures, periph- Dr. Stephan mega samples/second etc.). XMC1000 offers erals and also manufacturing technologies. Zizala, Senior peripherals for cost-sensitive electric motor There are many commonly accepted reasons Director, control systems which are also used to control Industrial and for this. 1) If computing performance re- industrial servo-drives. In certain family mem- Multimarket quirements are low, there is not a huge pressure Microcontrollers, bers there are also innovative peripherals for to upgrade to a higher performance processor. Infineon autonomous LED lighting control, touch sens- 2) If flash sizes of microcontrollers are small, ing, and LED matrix control. Most importantly, technology shrinks do not make a lot of sense. isis directlydirectly linkedlinked toto thethe endend useruse experience, it this microcontroller family is fully integrated 3) If hardware developers don’t see the need is important for the wide acceptance of LED in Infineon DAVE integrated development for powerful digital signal processing periph- lighting. Additionally, microcontrollers for platform. This is a free, unlimited, Eclipse- erals, you can keep them simple. You can prob- LED lighting open the possibility to connect based development environment which intro- ably state a few more reasons. And there also multiple LED fixtures via a network protocol duces component-based programming to the is a sort of myth in the semiconductor industry: like DALI, DMX or KNX. This requires micro- low-end microcontroller world. In a graphical business economics dictate that low-end controllers capable in terms of processing IDE one can configure and combine software microcontrollers are best produced in an old, performance and memory range to support components, known as “DAVE Apps”. DAVE depreciated technology. We think it’s time to enhanced connectivity. assigns these components to the microcon- revisit this myth. To understand why, let’s first troller hardware resources and automatically have a look at some of the important applica- Those trends are just two examples that illus- generates code that can be compiled and tions of low-end microcontrollers. trate how energy efficiency, user experience, debugged in the integrated free tool-chain. legal requirements and new technologies make Start with low-end electric motors, which are the traditional concept of a low-end micro- In talking about software we see a new trend used in huge quantities in washing machines, controller obsolete. But still, the price target related to protecting software IP and enabling dishwashers, fans, heating pumps etc. Micro- for these types of systems mean that BOM new business models. The idea is simple: link controllers control the power circuitry, and cost remains a key factor. And there also re- the software to a limited number of chips. system designers historically strive to use the mains the need for simple microcontrollers XMC1000 is the first low-end microcontroller lowest possible cost solution for the job. With which just evaluate some analog signals to en- to enable this by integrating 128-bit AES as a increased pressure to save electric energy, de- able simple control or communication. security mechanism. Protecting software IP spite the cost pressure this segment gets more will become more and more important, since and more important because the saving po- Even in the simplest applications there is a as hardware component cost continues to de- tential is typically above 50%. In addition to new trend. While one would wish that almost crease the value of the software running on the energy saving topics the requirements for every engineer leaving college should be able the “cheap” hardware increases. Protecting soft- better user experience, like less noise and im- to program the microcontroller, nowadays the ware IP also is of special interest for software proved human machine interfaces, are increas- number of engineers who are interested in 8- design houses. If the software can be linked to ing. Yet another accelerating trend is regulatory bit microcontroller programming is very lim- a certain number of chips, copying software pressure to improve safety, which requires re- ited. The goal then is to develop the software does not make so much sense anymore and dundancy on the microcontroller but also the in a high-level approach, but still be able to royalty-based business models become much software running on the microcontroller. To run the software on a low-cost microcontroller. more attractive for them. address those challenges microcontrollers with In other words, the optimum low-end micro- more processing power, better peripherals and controller family now must offer both innova- We are convinced that a transition from 8-bit also more flash memory are needed. tion and cost efficiency. MCUs to inexpensive, innovative, 32-bit microcontrollers is needed to address the rising In LED lighting, which is an emerging applica- The XMC1000 of Infineon is the first low- demands for energy efficiency, safety, security, tion segment for low-end microcontrollers, end microcontroller family manufactured connectivity and usability in so-called low- there are two market drivers that must be ad- using a 65nm embedded flash manufacturing end applications. This requires leading edge dressed. First, new peripherals are needed to process on 300mm wafers. Besides the use of hardware and software technology. With control the LED drivers and to assure flicker- the 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 processor, adopt- XMC1000 and DAVE Infineon takes a large free dimming and brightness control. As this ing a leading-edge production approach step in this direction.

February 2013 32 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 2-206 Hall-Stand 4-408 Hall-Stand 4-617 Atlantik Elektronik at embedded world Visure: field-proven requirements JTAG: boundary-scan software and hard- 2013 engineering solution ware products at Embedded World Atlantik Elektronik takes off into for the 35th Visure Solutions has released the IRQA Sys- JTAG Technologies will showcase its latest hard- anniversary with its presence at the embedded tems Engineering Template, an IRQA exten- and software solutions at Embedded World world 2013 with its motto: We love technology! sion designed to address the challenges of in- Show in Nuremberg. AutoBuzz, the latest tool Atlantik presents a revolutionary concept of creasingly complex embedded software sys- from JTAGLive family, effectively learns a con- LED modules, making it finally possible to tems. As a field-proven requirements engi- nectivity signature of all boundary-scan parts realise tailored lighting solutions for the first neering tool, IRQA improves the quality and within a design from only the BSDL models of time. That concept enables freely configurable tracking of embedded system requirements those parts. By expanding on the seek and dis- sizes and design of light sources. In addition, through automated requirements specification cover mode of BuzzPlus, AutoBuzz automati- visitors can immerse into the world of wireless and change management. cally gathers the circuit data of a known good communications with the Embedded Applied to the Embedded Software Require- board and then performs a full connectivity RANGER development kit. This development ments Lifecycle, IRQA becomes the process compare against the faulty circuit. AutoBuzz kit provides an ideal base for developments backbone. The requirements process meta- supports just two simple operating modes: with GSM/GPRS, WLAN, ZigBee and Blue- model, including all the requirement-related Learn and Compare. With AutoBuzz in Learn tooth. Qualified and pre-certified radio mod- artifacts, their relationships, and their inter- mode a ‘known good’ sample PCB is initially ules allow an efficient design and thus shorten actions with the users, are graphically repre- scanned to establish a reference connectivity the development time significantly. sented, showing compliance through all stages map. Suspected faulty boards can then be At Atlantik Elektronik, the car is now be- of software development. IRQA helps stan- scanned by AutoBuzz in Compare mode, and coming a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot - thanks to dardize and enforce the requirements defini- a comparison is automatically made of their CSR’s wireless technology with Wi-Fi access tion across the organization, formalize a com- connectivity maps. Differences between the point, Wi-Fi direct and Wi-Fi client as well mon requirements specification structure, two maps are highlighted to indicate possible as Bluetooth 3.0+HS for high-performance and handle changes throughout the lifecycle. faults such as interconnect short-circuits, open- wireless solutions! Another exhibition high- With IRQA, project collaboration—whether circuits or ‘stuck-at’ faults. Since the user re- light is the live demonstration of how the between various software groups or with quires no boundary-scan technical knowledge mobile phone can be turned into the key to a hardware or mechanical contributors—be- and with only a basic scan chain input needed, house. comes easier as specific information can be AutoBuzz is the perfect tool for repair and re- In addition, Atlantik Elektronik strengthens communicated and shared both inside and work technicians, especially when design data its efforts with the development of apps for outside the company. is missing or incomplete. specific applications. Visitors can gather News ID 15008 News ID 14877 knowledge about the world of apps on a new industrial i.MX53 1GHz -based module with Android. Using the example of an Atlantik app on the iPhone 4S and the Motorola RAZR a robot control via Bluetooth Low En- ergy is presented to the visitors. Atlantik Elektronik also already presents the 3rd generation of intelligent Home Automation So- lution, which is now equipped with an integrated remote management and cloud services. Thus, a remote access into any device is possible. According to the slogan „Innovation by Expertise“ Atlantik informs visitors about the latest TFT displays with different touch technologies and the passive display technology for automotive applications under extreme lighting conditions. Furthermore, the latest black matrix TN (BTN) LCD displays with higher contrast and enhanced viewing angles (-80° to +80°) are presented. The topic „Strong ARM with industry-leading specifications,“ continues to enjoy the highest popularity. Atlantik Elektronik presents the most comprehensive 32-bit microcontroller family „NuMicro“ with more than 60 derivates now, equipped with a Cortex-M0 kernel from ARM. As a solution provider Atlantik Elek- tronik is capable of offering complete solutions to the customers on the basis of the above mentioned products, and advise them with the development of new applications. News ID 15019

33 February 2013 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 2-219 Hall-Stand 4-234 tomation and security systems; automotive MSC: RL78/G14 MCUs with enhanced Analo Devices: innovative signal MCUs for body electronics; and the company’s real-time control functions processing solutions for embedded latest development platforms and integrated MSC offers the RL78/G14 Group of micro- applications development environments designed to sim- controllers from Renesas Electronics. The new Analog Devices will showcase innovative signal plify and accelerate the design process. Silicon 16-bit MCUs with enhanced real-time control processing solutions for embedded applications Labs’ demonstrations will include not only a functions incorporate proven on-chip periph- designed for industrial, automotive, healthcare host of new mixed-signal solutions but also eral functions of Renesas’ R8C MCU family and other markets at Embedded World 2013. easy-to-use development tools that will sig- and feature a current consumption of only 70 The demonstrations at the ADI booth will in- nificantly enhance embedded design produc- μA/MHz at 32 MHz. The new MCUs , which clude: tivity: MSC will present at embedded world 2012, Interfacing FPGAs to Analog Devices: Using Discover the next generation of mixed-signal are equipped with three proven timer modules, Avnet Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA LX9 MicroBoard MCUs designed to reduce power, cost and which are compatible with timers that already and Digilent Pmods, and the Arrow Altera Cy- complexity for embedded applications such exist in the R8C MCU family. Timer RD com- clone IV BeMicro SDK, ADI will showcase sev- as motor control, industrial monitoring, prises two universal 16-bit timers capable of eral designs that feature a variety of MEMS portable medical, consumer devices and home operating at up to 64 MHz, which thanks to sensors and data conversion devices connected automation. These new highly integrated, high- their three-phase complementary pulse width to and controlled by these FPGA development performance MCU products contain an array modulation (PWM) function are ideal for systems. of user-configurable precision-analog periph- motor control applications. Timer RG is addi- Interface & Isolation: An industrial communica- erals such as 12-bit ADCs, DACs, integrated tionally equipped with an encoder input with tions demonstration will illustrate the touch voltage reference, 5 V high-drive IOs and USB which direction of rotation and rotation speed screen control of a robotic arm over an isolated connectivity. can be measured. Timer RJ is also a 16-bit CAN communication bus. The robot arm con- Simplify your embedded development effort timer module than can generate pulses or troller board contains the ADM3053 signal and with Silicon Labs’ new unified development measure pulse widths. power isolated CAN transceiver and is used with platform featuring interchangeable MCU and News ID 14945 the ADuC7128 microcontroller to receive CAN radio components and other subsystems to messages from the Blackfin BF548-EZ-Kit. match your application needs. The innovative Microcontroller/RF: The ADF7023 RF trans- UDP includes a single motherboard, modular Hall-Stand 4-342 ceiver with MAC and packet handler and the boards, and ample real estate for prototyping, TI: signal conditioners drive high-speed fully integrated ADuCRF101 with RF transceiver expansion and system integration. It also sup- interface standards and integrated Cortex M3 Micro will represent ports MCU code and firmware development, Texas Instruments introduced 10 signal con- the highly integrated ISM band transceiver ICs RF design and optimization, and an array of ditioners designed to drive high-speed interface in order to provide a more complete system so- network and protocol stacks. standards such as 10G/40G/100G Ethernet, lution. Silicon Labs’ GUI-based application builder 10G-KR (802.3ap), InfiniBand, Fibre Channel Process Control: The AD5755 Quad-Channel, 4 software enables you to create custom software and CPRI. The new integrated circuits join a to 20 mA 16-Bit DAC, reduces power loss and programs graphically without writing a line comprehensive family of repeaters and retimers self-heating with its innovative dynamic power of code. The app builder tool is the centerpiece that combat signal impairments caused by in- control architecture, enabling increased channel of Silicon Labs’ advanced IDE, which provides sertion loss, jitter, reflections and crosstalk in count per system. Additionally, its small package a “one-stop shop” source for all the information high-speed enterprise servers, routers and reduces space requirements, and the AD5755-1 you need including example projects, data switches. Manufactured using TI’s BiCMOS version enables simple coupling of HART signals. sheets, errata, schematics, PCB footprints, app SiGe process technology, these new signal con- Design Resources and Support: Available at the notes, active version tracking, automatic up- ditioners deliver highest signal reach perform- kiosk will be featured Circuits from the Lab dates and more. ance at less than 6-mW per gigabit. reference circuits, which are multi-purpose ap- Meet the stringent system power budgets of News ID 15033 plication circuits that have been built and tested your battery-operated and green energy designs by ADI’s experienced engineers. Schematics, with the energy-efficient C8051F96x family, gerbers, and other design files make these which is an excellent fit for smart metering, Hall-Stand 4-208 circuits easy to integrate, while evaluation hard- in-home utility monitoring, wireless security, Agilent: add-in extensions for ware aids in quick testing and prototype. In ad- home and building automation, portable med- compliance application software dition, the European Customer Interaction Cen- ical and asset tracking products. Agilent Technologies announced a product tre staff members will be available on site at the Connect with the Si102x/3x wireless MCUs enhancement designed to help engineers extend ADI booth to provide live technical support. combining the power-saving features of the the capabilities of compliance applications on News ID 14991 F96x MCUs with the company’s EZRadioPRO the company’s Infiniium real-time oscillo- sub-GHz transceiver into a single-chip solution scopes. The enhancement to Agilent’s N5467A that’s perfect for battery-operated embedded user-defined application software gives engi- Hall-Stand 4A-211 systems requiring both energy efficiency and neers the ability to develop extensions that SiLabs to showcase USB, ultra-low power industry-leading RF performance. they can plug into existing compliance appli- and wireless MCUs Test drive Silicon Labs’ comprehensive auto- cations for USB, PCIe, DDR, SATA, HDMI, Silicon Laboratories will showcase its next- motive motor control reference design based MIPI, Ethernet and other technologies. This generation mixed-signal microcontrollers and on the company’s automotive-grade MCUs add-in capability allows engineers to rapidly development tools at Embedded World 2013. qualified and tested to the AEC-Q100 specifi- automate custom measurements on Infiniium Silicon Labs will demonstrate high-perfor- cation with high-temperature operation up to oscilloscopes, which saves time and effort. mance USB MCUs for a variety of embedded 125°C. These automotive MCUs feature LIN News ID 15030 applications; ultra-low-power MCUs and wire- 2.1 and CAN 2.0B interfaces. less MCUs targeting green energy, home au- News ID 14951

February 2013 34 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 4-534 Hall-Stand 1-636 Hall-Stand 4-325 Toshiba: development tools for industrial port and Heyfra join forces ot serve Green Hills launches end-to-end security and home appliances on show industrial communication customers solutions Visitors to the Toshiba Electronics Europe Heyfra and port announce their collaboration. Green Hills Software announces its new end- booth at this year’s Embedded World will have Both companies will extend their scope of serv- to-end ISS Security Solutions consisting of the opportunity to see the latest hardware and ice. Heyfra now provides engineering services Suite B-Compliant Security Protocol Toolkits software development tools for speeding the in the field of Industrial Communication. There and Device Lifecycle Management system, design, prototyping and testing of embedded is specific demand on hardware and software delivered by its INTEGRITY Security Services systems for industrial, home appliance and solutions to enable products for industrial net- business unit. INTEGRITY operating systems retail applications. working. Focus is on PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, with an ISS Security Protocol Toolkit will Among the technologies to be unveiled at the EtherCAT, POWERLINK and CANopen. add an additional level of reliability and au- event will be the BMSKTOPASM369 – a new Port has focused on Communication Tech- thenticated security that ensures all embed- Starter Kit for the first family of ARM-Cortex nologies like Protocol Stacks, Drivers for Field- ded devices powered by ISS Solutions are microcontrollers to combine Ethernet, CAN busses and reliable Tools as standard products. secure. and USB Host and Device connectivity in a News ID 15029 News ID 15034 single IC. Software tools that speed and opti- mize embedded designs for motor control applications will also be announced and supported by live demonstrations. The BMSKTOPASM369 Starter Kit is a highly integrated evaluation board that combines a Toshiba TMPM369Fxxx microcontroller with a comprehensive set of connectivity options and peripherals. The board features an integrated power supply and offers rapid ‘out-of- box’ prototyping and testing for applications ranging from industrial control systems and barcode readers to motion control, home appliances and solar inverters. Using the board in conjunction with software from Toshiba’s partners, developers can quickly and easily develop fully functioning prototypes - including embedded systems that integrate a web server on the microcontroller. Interfaces provided by the BMSKTOPASM369 hardware comprise 10/100 Ethernet; USB (host and device) and USB (UART); CAN; microSD; and a dedicated motor control interface that supports direct connection to a motor power board. A light sensor, eight indication LEDs and a joystick interface are also provided, while a ‘J-Link’ JTAG interface supports connection of hardware probes for debugging and trace functionality. Toshiba partners can provide a comprehensive range of free and low- cost development tools and embedded software – such as Atollic’s TrueSTUDIO IDE and Seg- ger’s RTOS, web server software and TCP/IP and HTTP stacks - to support application development. Based around a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 core running at 80MHz - and with up to 512Kbyte of Flash memory and up to 128Kbyte of RAM - the four microcontrollers in the TMPM369Fxxx series integrate single-channel CAN2.0B, a full-speed USB Host controller, a full-speed USB device controller and a 10/100BASE single-channel Ethernet MAC. Two independent analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) with conversion times of 1μs – or 0.5 μs in interleaved mode - meet the requirements of barcode readers and other applications requiring ultra-fast conversion. News ID 14943

35 February 2013 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 4-108 STM32F2 family from STMicroelectronics, the families available in its online content delivery LPC178x family from NXP and the Cortex- ecosystem. Developed in collaboration with Logic Technology: latest version of M4 based Kinetis series from Freescale was ex- Altera, the updated collection of FPGA and Datalight’s flash memory manager panded. Furthermore, all CoreSight technologies CPLD components add to the extensive range Datalight has announced the release of FlashFX such as Serial Wire Debug, Serial Wire Viewer, of Altera design content already available Tera 2.1, the latest version of its flash memory Instrumentation Trace Macrocell and Enhanced through AltiumLive. The new components manager, which includes extensive updates for Trace Macrocell can be fully and effectively are available through the AltiumLive portal a range of hardware and software platforms. used by the debugger. Moreover, Hilscher’s from within Altium Designer, providing de- The product now supports both standard and netX 50/100/500 network controllers and the signers with access to current, high quality enhanced ClearNAND, the newest versions of rcX real-time operating system, which is specif- board-level components during the design the Windows Compact 7 and VxWorks oper- ically optimized for the netX controllers, are process. ating systems, and Freescale’s i.MX51 processor. also supported for the first time by the UDE. News ID 15036 News ID 15024 News ID 14924 Hall-Stand 4-204 Hall-Stand 4-310 Hall-Stand 1-616 CMX: Embedded suite for Infineon pls: multicore workbench simplifies PEAK-System: CAN for PCI Express Mini XMC4000 family control and debugging at system level For especially compact computers with PCI CMX Systems now offers its CMX-RTX RTOS, pls Programmierbare Logik & Systeme presents Express Mini slots, like notebooks or small- two TCP/IP stacks and five Flash File Systems its Universal Debug Engine 3.2 for the first scale industrial PCs, PEAK-System introduces for the Infineon XMC4000 family of microcon- time at embedded world 2013. The UDE 3.2 the suitable CAN interface PCAN-miniPCIe trollers based on the ARM Cortex-M4 processor. features new functions for a particularly effi- at embedded world 2013 in Nuremberg. The Support is provided for compiler tool chains cient multicore control, unique visualization small-sized card of about three by five including IAR and Keil. CMX also plans to capabilities at system level and the dedicated centimeters contains one or two High-speed announce USB support in the near future. support for a wide range of the latest 32-bit CAN channels (ISO 11898-2) each galvanically News ID 15016 SoCs from different manufacturers. The UDE isolated against the PC electronics. The 9-pin 3.2, which is enhanced to a universal multicore D-Sub plugs for CAN are connected to the workbench for the Development Device of card by space-saving cables. Like all CAN Hall-Stand 4-310 Infineon’s new TriCore multicore architecture interfaces of the PCAN series, the PCAN- pls: debug tools for new XMC4000 as well as devices from the STMicroelectron- miniPCIe comes with the CAN monitor microcontroller family of Infineon ics/Freescale Joint Development Program, PCAN-View for Windows and the program- Synchronized with the market launch of the includes a multicore program loader that con- ming interface PCAN-Basic. Device drivers new XMC4000 MCU family of Infineon Tech- trols loading of the application to multiple are available for Windows 7/Vista/XP and nologies which is based on ARM Cortex-M4 cores as well as a multicore run control manager Linux, each in 32-bit and 64-bit editions. processor, PLS Programmierbare Logik & Sys- for synchronous runtime control. Therefore, News ID 14939 teme presents its Universal Debug Engine the data recorded by the on-chip trace like 3.2.1, optimized test and debug tools for the Infineon’s Multi-Core Debug Solution or ex- high performance and also energy efficient ternally can be visualized and used for analysis Hall-Stand 2-206 SoC devices. Both the UDE 3.2.1 and PLS’ functions at the system level such as code cov- Atlantik presents Holtek s new enhanced Universal Access Device 2 fully support the erage or profiling. The graphical code coverage Flash MCUs debug resources and peripherals of the new analysis enables simple recognition of non- Atlantik Elektronik presents the HT68F60 and XMC4000 MCU family. The integrated executed code at function, source line or ma- HT66F60 MCUs, Holtek s new 12K word pro- FLASH/OTP programming function of the chine code level. Profiling functions help with gram memory devices. They expand further UDE guarantees maximum speeds in the entire performance optimization of applications. the HT68Fxx and HT66Fxx enhanced flash erase-download-program-verify cycle. Other microcontrollers supported by the UDE MCU device range. The complete series meets News ID 15012 3.2 include Infineon’s new AUDO MAX with the industrial specification requirements TC1791, TC1793 and TC1798 devices, which of -40 ~ +85°C operating temperature and are based on the TriCore version 1.6. The em- high noise immunity. By integrating Holtek s Hall-Stand 4-212 ulation devices of this high-end MCU family, in-circuit programming technology solution, IAR supports Infineon XMC4500 which are specifically designed for troubleshoot- users can conveniently upgrade their applica- microcontrollers ing and calibration, offer the user significantly tion programs. The devices also include an IAR Systems announced that its embedded advanced diagnostic capabilities in combination EEPROM which can be used to store related software development toolchain IAR Embed- with the further improved Universal Emulation production process or product parameter and ded Workbench now provides support for the Configurator of the UDE. The latest version of data. This can improve production efficiency new XMC4500 microcontrollers from Infineon the UDE also promises dedicated support for and product flexibility. Technologies, including examples for the mod- the Power Architecture based SPC56x devices News ID 15041 ular Hexagon Development Kit. from STMicroelectronics and the Qorivva The XMC4500 series of microcontrollers is MPC56xx family from Freescale. With the UDE dedicated to enable highly energy-efficient 3.2, for example, both cores of dual e200 core Hall-Stand 5-445 products with industrial interconnection ca- derivatives can be debugged within one user Altium collaborates with Altera on pabilities. It features a configurable peripheral interface - both in the safety-relevant lock step component resources and software support set, which allows setting up the controller (LS) mode and the decoupled parallel mode. Altium announces new devices and updates according to the specific use cases in the In addition, the support for various Cortex M to the board-level components from Altera’s various parts of an application. derivatives such as the Cortex-M3 based Stratix IV FPGA and MAX V CPLD device News ID 15009

February 2013 36 CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 4-342 and shock tolerance, extended temperature minimum. The C-400 CompactFlash and TI: MCUs offer enhanced LCD range and long life cycle with a controlled Bill the F-200 CFast cards are available in bit advanced metrology software support of Material. densities of up to 64GB with cutting-edge Offering developers more flexibility in elec- Swissbit presents its new products, the C 400 SLC technology. tricity metering and energy monitoring appli- series CompactFlash card and F-200 series As a co-exhibitor at the Swissbit stand, the cations, Texas Instruments has announced the CFast card (or SATA CompactFlash). These microprocessor and microcontroller developer MSP430F673x/F672x family of ultra-low- products offer maximum available reliability Hyperstone presents its SSD and Flash memory power 16-bit microcontrollers. TI’s new devices for non-volatile memories thanks to read controllers, processors and microcontrollers, guarantee no interruption of operation through disturb management and impressive random which are based on a proprietary RISC/DSP a backup capable microcontroller supporting accesses of up to 600 4k random write IOPS architecture. The Hyperstone boast outstand- real-time clock operation and power manage- (input/output operations per second). The ing RISC/DSP performance, maximum relia- ment from the main power supply and up to S.M.A.R.T. values permit complete trans- bility and robustness plus minimal power two separate auxiliary supplies. parency and, in conjunction with other mon- consumption. News ID 15004 itoring methods (e.g. life time monitoring), News ID 14913 help to keep field problems to an absolute

Hall-Stand 5-220 element14: PIC32 Multimedia Developers Kit Targeted at 10/100 Ethernet applications, the new PIC32 Multimedia Developers Kit from element14 and Microchip, offers comprehensive design software support for rapid evaluation and engineering development projects. Available to element14 customers from 23 January, the new development kit is offered at an exclusive price for a two month period. Optimised for multimedia applications such as audio, graphics and touch screen development, the kit features a PIC32 Ethernet Starter Kit and Multimedia Expansion Board. News ID 15002

Hall-Stand 4-204 Hitex supports new XMC4000 family from Infineon Hitex Development Tools announces comprehensive support for the newly introduced XMC4000 family from Infineon Technologies. With the MCU’s availability, Hitex provides a complete offering of development support. This comprises evaluation boards, consulting and training as well as compilers, debuggers, and software. This also ensures that Hitex’s customers benefit from the long-lasting coop- eration with Keil/ARM, since the corresponding Keil tools are also distributed by Hitex. News ID 14992

Hall-Stand 1-524 Swissbit presents storage solutions for Industrial applications At embedded world, Swissbit will present its industrial DRAM memory modules in COB and SMT, available in DRAM, SDRAM, DDR, DDR2 und DDR3 technology. The Flash industrial products include CompactFlash, CFast Serial Flash, MultiMedia Cards, Secure Digital Cards, Solid State Drives and USB products. Customized for the industrial market, the Swissbit memory solutions combine a long life time, high reliability, excellent vibration

37 February 2013

CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 5-241 close the performance gap between the 16-bit Hall-Stand 5-334 SYSGO: Samsung SDS selects PikeOS for XE166 family and the 32-bit TriCore family. Wind River: Android capabilities for SIL4 railway project The XMC4000 family is designed to enable accelerated device development SYSGO’s flagship product PikeOS has been scalable, compatible solutions with a high de- Wind River has introduced Wind River Solu- chosen for the next generation Communica- gree of software reusability. The XMC4000 tion Accelerators for Android, a series of soft- tions-Based Train Control railway system by a portfolio consists of five series: XMC4100, ware modules to help developers jumpstart South Korean consortium led by Samsung. XMC4200, XMC4400, XMC4500 and their Android development and rapidly inte- The complete system complies with safety XMC4700. grate compelling features and functionalities standard EN 50128 SIL4 and PikeOS is the News ID 14988 to their devices. Wind River Solution Acceler- certified RTOS platform for both ground and ators for Android are currently available in on-board components. three software modules: User Experience, Hall-Stand 4-342 News ID 14962 Connectivity and Medical. TI: ultra-low power MCU with integrated News ID 14916 LCD controller Hall-Stand 4A-222 Texas Instruments introduced its lowest cost Infineon: 32-bit XMC4000 MCUs with microcontroller with an integrated LCD con- Hall-Stand 4-204 ARM Cortex-M4 processor troller. Based on TI’s MSP430 ultra-low power CMX: extensive USB support for Infineon Technologies has introduced its new MCU core, the AFE4110 delivers 16-bit pro- Embedded processors XMC4000 32-bit microcontroller family, which cessing power, built-in LCD driver, low power CMX Systems offers comprehensive USB Host, uses the Cortex-M4 processor from ARM. The and low cost, while operating on a single 1.5- Device and OTG support with its CMX-USB XMC4000 family supports three main trends V battery. Along with cost-effectiveness and product offering. CMX-USB software is avail- in industrial applications: It helps to improve ultra-low power, the AFE4110 features 16-kB able for most processors with integrated USB energy efficiency, supports a large number of ROM, 512-B RAM, a 4- x 12-segment LCD Host, Device and OTG controllers and for communication standards and reduces software driver with charge pump, a high-accuracy processors that require external USB controllers. complexity during development. XMC stands oscillator, and additional features designed for CMX-USB is ported as a working project for a for “Cross-Market Microcontroller” and means digital thermometers, pedometers, thermostats variety of tool chains including IAR, Keil, GNU, that, due to its configurability, the XMC4000 and portable single alkaline battery devices. Atollic, Rowley, Renesas and many more. family is suitable for a wide range of industrial News ID 14931 News ID 14906 applications. Infineon is using this product to CHIPS & TOOLS HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 1-336 Hall-Stand 4-328 GIPC is five times faster than Linux AF_LOCAL Renesas: 32-bit microcontroller with MicroSys: new SBC family based on sockets. Native INTEGRITY, as well as Linux built-in resolver sensor interface Freescales QorIQ processes, executing in virtual machines, can Renesas Electronics announced that it has de- MicroSys announces a versatile family of take advantage of the super fast GIPC. veloped a new 32-bit microcontroller, the Freescale QorIQ based Single Board Comput- News ID 14926 V850E2/PJ4-E, which incorporates an on-chip ers. The systems are available as development resolver sensor interface. The new MCU realizes kits including adapted operating systems for both higher performance and lower system rapid prototyping and are applicable for pro- Hall-Stand 1-520 cost for automotive control systems including duction use as well. Based on the miriac „MPX Microchip: PIC24F MCUs feature 150 motor control for HEV/EV and other auto- System on Module“-concept, custom designs μA/MHz active current motive applications. With the combination of offering flexible feature/performance configu- Microchip announces the expansion of its eX- P Series’ dual core lockstep and on-chip resolver rations can be turned into production rapidly. treme Low Power microcontrollers with the sensor interface, the V850E2/PJ4-E MCU is With the P2020, P1022, P1013 and P1011 PIC24F ‘GA3’ family. The ‘GA3’ devices feature compliant with the ISO 26262 safety standard CPUs, a variety of performance levels, from 150 microamperes/MHz active current, as well and easily realizes lower system costs. dual to single core functionality and graphics as six DMA channels, which allow a routine to News ID 14972 support are available. be executed with less power consumption and News ID 14959 increased throughput. The family demonstrates the continual advancement of Microchip’s XLP Hall-Stand 4-342 technology and adds a new low-power sleep TI: new Piccolo MCU digital AC LED Hall-Stand 4-544f mode with RAM retention down to 330 nA. lighting kit AdaCore and SofCheck merge News ID 14917 Texas Instruments has announced its new 32- AdaCore announces a merger with SofCheck, bit TMS320C2000 Piccolo microcontroller AC an automated software quality company. Ada- LED Lighting and Communications Develop- Core has acquired SofCheck’s products, includ- Hall-Stand 4-122 er’s Kit. Leveraging the performance of low- ing static error detection tools, the AdaMagic Vector: model-based E/E development cost Piccolo MCUs, the LED Lighting and compiler front end technology, and also ParaSail, from concept to production readiness Communications Developer’s Kit is a complete a new Parallel Specification and Implementation Vector Informatik and aquintos have extended mains-powered LED lighting solution with Language intended for high-reliability applica- PREEvision to an integrated development plat- software that allows designers to create lighting tions on multicore target platforms. AdaCore form for the entire E/E product development products featuring full dimming, remote con- and SofCheck personnel share a long and direct process. To further increase efficiency in auto- nectivity and efficient power stage design per- involvement in the design of the Ada program- motive E/E development, the current Version fect for street, outdoor, commercial, industrial, ming language, and the two companies have 5.0 implements such aspects as requirements and entertainment lighting applications. specialized in software development tools that management, hazard and risk analysis (ISO News ID 14966 nicely complement each other. 26262), AUTOSAR support, Simulink integration, News ID 14938 life cycle management and file management. Hall-Stand 4-516 News ID 14912 Rigol: digital oscilloscope features up to Hall-Stand 1-432 /2-206 500 MHz bandwidth Digi supports development of wireless, Hall-Stand 4-212 Rigol introduces the DS4000 series digital os- cloud-connected medical devices IAR: Express Logic’s ThreadX RTOS cilloscope, featuring up to 500 MHz bandwidth, Digi International has released the iDigi Tele- integrates with Embedded Workbench 1.5GHz bandwidth differential and single- health Application Kit – a development kit Express Logic and IAR Systems announced ended active probes. Designed to reduce test that allows customers to create cloud-connected that IAR Systems will sell and support Express time in research, development and failure medical devices. The kit includes the Freescale Logic’s ThreadX RTOS, integrated with IAR analysis applications, Rigol’s DS4000 series Semiconductor Home Health Hub (HHH) Embedded Workbench, for development of digital oscilloscopes make detecting signal and reference circuit board which enables wired real-time embedded systems. By becoming a device characteristics easier with advanced and wireless connectivity to medical devices single-source, total solution provider for waveform search, visualization and replay. like blood pressure monitors, blood glucome- ThreadX and IAR Embedded Workbench, IAR News ID 14985 ters, pulse oximeters and scales. It also features Systems answers developers’ needs for tightly the iDigi Device Cloud, allowing medical de- integrated, easy-to-use tools that make em- vices to easily and securely integrate patient bedded development faster, easier, and more Hall-Stand 4-212 data into new, existing and custom healthcare productive. Developers of 32-bit embedded IAR: complete starter kit for TI’s Hercules applications. systems generally use an RTOS to manage the safety device News ID 14935 real-time scheduling of multithreaded appli- IAR Systems announces that the IAR KickStart cations and an integrated development envi- Kit for Texas Instruments Hercules RM48 ronment to build applications from source MCU is released and available for order. The Hall-Stand 4-325 code into firmware. The more integrated the Hercules safety microcontroller platform from Green Hills: major new release of combined tools, the easier the development TI has built-in hardware safety features, making INTEGRITY real-time operating system solution. IAR Systems and Express Logic have, it suitable for development of systems with Green Hills Software has announced a major therefore, combined IAR Embedded Workbench high requirements on functional safety, for new release of its flagship INTEGRITY real- and ThreadX to provide a much more powerful, example within medical, industrial, and trans- time operating system. INTEGRITY 11 pro- affordable, fully integrated tool, which devel- portation applications areas. vides a new, highly optimized communications opers can purchase from IAR Systems. News ID 14965 mechanism called GIPC (Green Hills IPC). News ID 14819

February 2013 40 Preview Boards & Modules

Lead Story Rocking and rolling: funktional safety on 3U CompactPCI BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Rocking and rolling: functional safety on 3U CompactPCI

By Susanne Bornschlegl, MEN Mikro Elektronik

Innovative products are rather rare in common CompactPCI. New CPU boards usually sport the latest Intel processor generation and make an upgrade in interface speeds or memory components. A different, new approach in 3U format shows where true challenges lie hidden – not only for rolling stock applications.

Figure 1. Safe 3U CompactPCIcomputer F75P

Errors or failures in transportation can result different goals and behavior on a varied scale standardized CompactPCI PlusIO interfacing in loss of life or cause major damage to the en- of safety levels. In most cases, though, the crit- for fast backplane connections. The front I/O vironment and also to property. With an on- ical components of a system use redundancy provides a solid base of networking, USB going shift from analog technology to com- to fulfil safety requirements. Exchangeable and graphics, but on the whole its exterior puter-driven functions, functional safety is COTS boards are reasonably priced and easy doesn’t easily give away the card’s true values: more and more important in the design of to maintain. In a 3U CompactPCI system you the entire design is optimized to flexibly electronic systems. Each market, from railways can build up a redundant system from two or implement functional safety. to buses and ships up to airplanes, has its own three identical plug-in CPU cards, which are safety criteria, backed by standards. Computer connected using network cables. Up to a certain A typical way to use the two control processors hardware and software inside a vehicle must level of application demands, this can be a would be to run the same application logic on work reliably. They have to be safe and at the perfect solution. The multiplied volume, weight each of the processors. Both CPUs calculate same time extremely robust. This can cause a and power may still be acceptable. What could their outputs and compare their results with dilemma for manufacturers and providers: to go awry with three or more tuples is the net- the other channel to detect discrepancies. But remain competitive, they must keep their working, which is susceptible to faults and the board is not restricted to any special com- rolling stock up-to-date, with all the high-tech maintenance. The effort involved in correct pare strategy. The system integrator has com- functions that passengers expect. However, if cabling and the cables themselves are expensive. plete freedom in implementation. It is true technology makes their costs soar, they have Yet, a reliable network connection is an absolute that this partly means more work, for example no way of remaining competitive, because pas- must for the system to meet its demands in when setting up a voter mechanism. Being sengers also expect inexpensive tickets, espe- functional safety. flexible still saves costs: You can realize different cially in mass transit. This is why you can find functions using the same, known assembly. 19-inch CompactPCI technology in many In a new 3U design, MEN Mikro Elektronik You can implement a less complex function places in railway transportation. The modu- tries to take the CompactPCI COTS approach with less effort for a lower SIL level (Safety larity and acceptably low footprint of 3U com- away from bad compromise and towards a Integrity Level) or take a complex approach mercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) boards help keep new level of functionally safe electronics. for an extremely critical SIL 4 application. the costs within reason. At the same time, sys- Rugged and reliable, compact, modular and tems are both robust and comfortably based inexpensive – these classic attributes get an- This goes for software, too: You can use an on mature industry standards. other dimension through onboard redundan- existing software architecture originally cy. MEN F75P design integrates three proces- implemented on individual boards, and you Another reason why CompactPCI is so con- sors: two redundant control processors and can execute identical or diverse software on venient is the requirement of redundancy in one I/O processor. Internal Ethernet connec- the control processors. They support VxWorks safety-critical systems. This feature can have tions save a lot of wiring, and the extensive and PikeOS – real-time operating systems many divergent types of implementation with rear I/O capabilities of the board support common in critical environments –, but they

February 2013 42

BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

also support Linux. The I/O processor connects control processor, can put the board into the to control elements like sensors. In addition safe state. For easier error detection and han- to its core function, it can take over other, dling, the board gives the administrator an non-safety-critical tasks, such as control of a event log in a non-volatile FRAM. Its entries fieldbus or graphical output of operation data. are basically hardware events, but the applica- This CPU also supports Windows for a com- tion software can generate events, too, making fortable user environment and the usual the protocol more specific and detailed. With graphics capabilities. common plug-in boards system error logging involves supplementary hardware, and some Adding to the obvious triple-CPU benefit, the events can only be logged by application soft- new 3U design has a set of other fine features ware, which may crash. to achieve functional safety. To start with, it can shut off completely. This is crucial if in Knowing a lot about one’s system is essential case of an error the system must be fail-safe or with any mission-critical function, because even fail-silent, i.e. go to a safe state, and this everything in it must be predictable. Engineers safe state means that all CPUs are powered off. need to consider worst-case scenarios in detail Many CPU cards just go into reset and restart. at an early stage of their design. Their goal is The F75P is capable of doing both, whichever to detect errors before they can harm the is configured by hardware. Apart from that its entire system. Consequently, a COTS board circuitry features independent supervisor com- claiming to be safe must also be deterministic. ponents separated from the CPU. They make For the F75P this was a challenge: it uses Intel sure that parameters like voltage, temperature Atom E6xx processors to support existing X86 and frequencies all run as specified, but they applications with a solid base and higher per- also register internal errors of each processor. formance. For the demanded calculable execu- Each supervisor, and also the software of each tion times, hyper threading and speed step

Figure 2. Block diagram of 3U CompactPCI CPU F75P with two redundant control processors and one I/O processor

February 2013 44 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Figure 3. Back-up system through a computer cluster technology are disabled. They would allow the rail area, electronics need to be certified to the hardware to handle several processes in parallel Safety Integrity Level defined for the specific and the processor to change its clock rate. function, with SIL 4 being the highest level BIOS interrupts are off limits, too. As already with the lowest probability of failure according mentioned, the board uses real-time operating to EN 50129. The respective value is just one systems like VxWorks or PikeOS to assure de- piece of data that the system integrator needs terministic behaviour. Among others, these for certification. The whole procedure involves have optimized their memory and task man- many details. Railway integrators who build agement for minimum latency, so that the sys- the F75P card into a complete system get help tem remains predictable. here. The component comes with a package that includes all the necessary documents for While the measures described increase safe the board, including a SIL 4 certificate from operation, the redundancy scheme used does the German TÜV SÜD and the required Safety not increase availability. But this can be a re- Case. The design complies with IEC 61508, quirement, too, where a function is not sup- EN 50129 and EN 50128, and fulfils rail elec- posed to be completely shut off in case of a tronics standard EN 50155. For the integrator failure. For instance, the lighting inside the this translates into lower cost and faster time- train should continue working even if the to-market on a high level of quality – a unique train stops inside a tunnel. To give critical benefit compared to common COTS boards. functions higher availability, you can create a cluster configuration by multiplying the existing MEN has a background of activities in the system and making it available as a safe back- railway area and has grown with its challenges. up unit. One system is active, while the other Being certified to IRIS (International Railway runs in stand-by mode. If the active channel Industry Standard) the company has consis- fails, the system automatically switches to the tently improved its processes and continues to second channel. do so. But especially its many years of experience with CompactPCI have given its product To save the system integrator additional effort, managers new impetus. The F75P CompactPCI the F75P already includes the logics necessary plug-in board in 3U format is the best proof to define and manage the roles of two units. of this. Its clear-sighted design and extensive Two cards can be connected directly via the documentation makes the innovative computer CompactPCI backplane, without any cabling. ready for use on board rolling stock. Paired They use a dedicated RS422 UART interface with the vendor know-how and optimum sup- for communication between their Board Man- port in certification, the compact set-up of agement Controllers (BMC), which can the computer and free implementation of its switchover from the active to the inactive redundant CPUs are already giving integrators channel. new ideas on how to better realize their design. The board integrates well into existing 19- When implementing safety functions, system inch CompactPCI systems that are past their integrators don’t have to reinvent the wheel in prime, but also into new designs. This also every respect. The opposite is true. Many re- goes for areas other than railways, where func- quirements are defined in standards specific tional safety is more and more becoming an to each market. Generally, you could say: the issue, such as automation or medical engi- more safety-critical an application is, the more neering. But most importantly: it helps lower stringent and complex the standards. In the costs in safety-critical applications.

45 February 2013 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

SMARC – new Computer-on-Module standard for ARM/SoC designs

By Gerhard Szczuka, Kontron

With Smart Mobility ARChitecture (SMARC), SGET has ratified the first manufacturer-independent Computer-on-Module standard for purebred ARM/SoC designs. Figure 1. Kontron already The specification was developed has three different SMARC specially for Smart Mobility, but modules on offer: the SMARC- many stationary applications sAT30 with graphics-heavy also profit from these highly efficient NVIDIA Tegra 3, the especially SFF modules. Several modules, widely scalable SMARC- evaluation platforms and starter kits siMX6 with Freescales i.MX6 are already on the market. single, dual and quad-core processors and the ultra low- power SMAR- sA3874 with Ti Sitara AM3874.

The new high-capacity ARM processors, as tem such as the processor, relevant controllers, ence to COM solutions with manufacturer-in- developed for modern smartphones and tablets, NAND memory and main memory on a highly dependent standardization. Ultimately, they for example, impress developers with their integrated and consequently compact COTS clearly offer more design reliability than man- high performance and low energy requirements. component. The individual solution is designed ufacturer-specific modules. For long-term suc- Thanks to these characteristics, manufacturers via carrier boards to be developed in an appli- cess, these standards should have especially of long-term available, rugged industrial de- cation-specific fashion. They implement the broad support among the manufacturers. And vices, machines and systems can implement signal lines from the module to the system in- it’s not just the small and medium-sized ones, solutions with these processors that they were terfaces and integrate additional application- but more than anything the big manufacturers. not able to offer either with less complex ARM specific components such as sensors or con- designs or with more capable x86 designs. trollers. Carrier boards offer developers a par- One standard for all technologies however, is Consequently, a very attractive gap in the mar- ticularly high degree of design freedom for on the other hand not recommendable. Man- ket has been bridged by making a comparatively their size and shape: only the minimum foot- ufacturer-independent standards have to be large graphics and computing performance print is defined via the module size. Due to designed in a consistent and focused fashion. available in the lower single-digit watt range. the very sophisticated design and layout of However, too many options that are not com- Thanks to the low energy consumption, fanless, Computer-on-Modules, a carrier board is also patible with one another dilute the enforcement rugged and extremely compact system designs noticeably easier and quicker to develop than of a standard. Special forms, interim solutions are now possible. Heat removal is often just a a completely customized board. and hybrid functions should be avoided, wher- question of connection to the enclosure, but ever possible. But is there such a Computer- as a rule an optimized SFF design like this re- With this modular approach, the module man- on-Module standard that focuses on ARM/SoC quires a highly integrated individual design. ufacturer alone shoulders the integration outlay designs? An approach is needed that allows manufac- for the processor. That makes Computer-on- turers and mechanical engineers to integrate Modules an ideal choice for efficient develop- In the past, developers of ARM-based solutions this new class of processors in their applications ment of individual designs. Studies by IMS had no support under these conditions. Until with the least possible design outlay. and VDC indicate an average annual growth recently, there was no Computer-on-Module rate of 25 percent for ARM-based COMs by standard adopted by an independent body For this, OEMs require finished building blocks 2016, showing how big the need for such ARM that took the specific requirements of that allow them a high level of design freedom building blocks is. This enormous growth will ARM/SoC processors into account. The existing and the compactness of a full custom design catapult the portion of ARM-COMs traded to module standards such as ETX and COM Ex- while still effectively minimizing development only just under 60 percent of the total COM press, which are the most significant COM expenditures and risks. Computer-on-Modules market. In an environment as dynamic as this, standards worldwide, were developed for x86 (COMs) take exactly this approach. They inte- it is important for developers to bet on the architectures and are less suitable for ARM or grate the core components of a computer sys- right horse. They should therefore give prefer- SoC processor modules. The reason is that,

February 2013 46 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

due to the very different requirements for the tions. This means that developers do not have with an extensive ecosystem of scalable products power supply of the components and the to compromise or take x86 conventions into ac- and services with which they can implement sometimes very different requirements in terms count that are not relevant on ARM/SoC designs. new SFF applications quickly and reliably and of interfaces, it makes little sense diluting these Kontron has taken on this task and submitted a obtain a reliable migration path. standards. suitable module draft to the Standardization Group for Embedded Technologies (SGET). The SMARC specification describes extremely Last but not least, ARM-SoCs also provide This draft has now been officially ratified. flat ARM/SoC-based, ultra low-power com- other interfaces than x86 platforms for similar puter-on-modules. They define two module tasks. MIPI interfaces are a good example for With ratification of the SMARC form factor sizes: short with 82 mm x 50 mm for extremely an energy-efficient display connection, and specification, a dedicated standard for ARM- compact low-power designs and a larger one also the serial peripheral interface (SPI) which based building blocks now exists. SMARC with 82 mm x 80 mm for possible future high- is used for general peripheral connection, in stands for Smart Mobility ARChitecture. This er-capacity SoCs with an increased space and contrast to Intel x86 where the SPI interface is architecture for ARM/SoC is characterized by cooling requirement. The proven and inex- only used for connection of a boot device. extremely flat Computer-on-Modules and was pensive MXM 3.0 plug connector was chosen ARM-based processors also provide other spe- almost immediately adopted by SGET. That as connector. With its installation height of cific interfaces such as I²S or – very important underlines both the great need for a new man- only 4.3 millimetres, specially flat designs such – various camera ports. So far they are not ufacturer-independent form factor standard as tablets or wearable computers can be devel- available in the x86 standard feature set. If you and also the impact of the new group. This oped with an overall installation height that is take all this into account, it becomes apparent new standard means that customers profit less that one centimetre. On the electrical side, that all known COM concepts that were origi- from a reliable roadmap with a high level of SMARC modules have a total of 314 pins. nally developed for x86 processors and I/Os long-term availability which also ensures the SMARC effectively provides 281 I/O signal are not ideally suitable for ARM designs. reusability of their investments. This high reuse lines. That is already 50 more than the old factor makes it possible for OEMs to lower MXM 2.0 connector has altogether, for example. Subsequently, a purebred ARM/SoC-centered their costs and ensure quick market launch Consequently, clearly more dedicated interfaces module form factor is required for ARM-SoC- times. And they are also manufacturer-inde- can be specified as interoperable here. SMARC based building blocks. The feature set should pendent. Basically, users get exactly what made can thus support an extremely broad range of correspond exactly to these new processor gen- COM Express in the x86 world the most-used dedicated ARM and SoC processors, which erations and in addition should have an espe- module specification: a standard exactly tailored also accommodates the heterogeneity of ARM cially small footprint suitable for SFF applica- to the specific requirements. It provides them processors.

,+*)(()(''&%+$#") $! " %+ '#$$%" ''# ( &%) %!#"%'"'%''# (' %)' ")&%!%'' % !) '")+ '() The four e500mc CPU cores in combination with the integrated hardware hypervisor and CoreNet fabric allow completely new designs for control &%'''''''"%(#&) "% ) "!) !) *% (( $%(#&" +!) applications. The CoreNet fabric eliminates internal data exchange * )(''% )))& !) '% '%)'''&&")&"#)) )$)&")! bottlenecks between the CPU cores. This offffers higher performance and ''''' *%" % ) $) %+ &) '''+#!" &%) ")&%!% safer operation on application level. "''''''''$%(#&" )) % $#*!& ($! " ") Embedded WWoorld 2013, Multiple functions and applications can work in parallel on the same CPU. Feb. 26 – 28. in Nuremberg, Hall 4 Booth 4-328. This offffers very cost effective approaches in terms of price/performance or price/functionality options for embedded system projects. Furthermore the applications remain software compatible to those supporting P10xx or P20xx QorIQ CPUs. ")+'" '# (' %) $%&)% The first product with i.MX6 architecture, the SBC6Q, holds an i.MX6Q (Quad ARM Cortex A9 4 cores CPU). VVaariants with i.MX6 solo or i.MX6 dual CPUs are available on market and customer demand. The platform combines a very small system design (close to a module only form factor) with a wide variety of I/O functions. A complex module – carrier design has been waived with this product, to allow low cost device designs. The QorIQ and i.MX CPUs based platforms by MicroSys offffer the value of “It was one of our project goals to combine multi core functionality with low extensive integration and extreme power smarts for a wide variety of power consumption on system level and high computaattional performance”, application s in the networking, telecom, defense, industrial and medical says Dieter Pfeiffffer, Managing Director of MicroSys. “ Rugged fanless markets. The MicroSys solutions can be customized on all levels to system designs tarrggeted for harsh envirroonmental conditions, a maajjor market addr ess market specific requirements. environment we are successful in, can be realized offffering completely new performance levels”, he added. () $ # $ #! The flexible miriac MPX concept in combination with the provided board +*)('&)%$# $ # $ #!## support packages of operating systems is an excellent platform for rapid "! $*)'( ) $ &&&)$ prototyping and it offffers a fast means to serial production. ) '$ )$ BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

high-end solution just by means of the module used. They are oriented to intelligent devices that require balanced processor and graphics performance. Depending on the SoC design, they integrate one or two independent graphics engines with up to four 3-D shaders for life- like visualizations. A video decoder and encoder that can process videos up to full HD (1080 p) with 60 Hz is also integrated. Among the other advantages there is the above-average long-term availability of at least 10 years. In addition, the SMARC COMs equipped with this processor are developed by Kontron to work in the extended temperature range of -40 °C to +85 °C.

The new modules based on the Texas Instru- ments Sitara AM3874 processor specially target Figure 2. With their interfaces optimized to low-power designs, ARM-SoC-based modules also cost-sensitive applications with the slimmer require a specification optimized especially for ARM/SoC. ARM Cortex A8 single-core design. Their extremely low power consumption makes them attractive and, thanks to the extended temperature range of -40 °C to +85 °C, they effortlessly brave the effects of wind and weather and are thus ideally suited for outdoor installations. Ti-Sitara modules support 3-D graphics acceleration and HD video processing. Two independent displays can be connected via 18/24- bit parallel LCD or 18/24-bit single-channel LVDS and HDMI. In addition, a parallel camera interface is integrated. At other interfaces, for example, 2 x SPI, 4 x I²S, 4 x multifunctional I²C and a dual CAN bus are supported.

Carrier boards for evaluation are also available for all these new SMARC modules. In accor- dance with the requirements of different ARM- based solutions for dedicated interfaces, they Figure 3. Software services on the part of the hardware manufacturers are clearly gaining in sig- support various interfaces and various solid- nificance so as to make entry into the ARM world as easy as possible for customers. state memories. But such a standard evaluation board could hardly meet the requirements of And since this concept impressed not only the military technology. The integrated NVIDIA- the individual SFF applications. As a rule, an initiator from the very beginning, the first GeForce GPU makes these processor modules individual carrier board is required for the product lines already became available at the especially interesting. In conjunction with specific application. OEMs themselves can de- same time as the ratification of the new SMARC ARM it currently delivers the highest graphics velop a fitting board design. But alternatively, standard. OEMs can directly resort to a broad performance for up to two independent dis- most suppliers also offer the development of range of Computer-on-Modules and evaluation plays. Among its outstanding performance fea- application-specific carrier boards; for example, boards. Currently there is a choice of SMARC tures are HD video decoding, including MPEG2 selected sales partners of Kontron are in a po- module families with ARM Cortex A8 or ARM and HD video encoding. In addition, they sition to offer this service. In addition, when Cortex A9 designs. The range extends from provide camera support via two dual-lane CSI- larger quantities are required it makes sense modules with the graphics-heavy NVIDIA 2 camera ports. Although they are based on to merge the module with the carrier into a Tegra 3 processor and the especially broadly the same processor technology as the highest- full custom design. Most module manufac- scalable i.MX6 family from Freescale with sin- performance tablets and smartphones which turers or their value-added resellers offer this gle-, dual- and quad-core processors, all the are currently available in the consumer segment, too. However, the precondition for this is a way to the ultra low-power Texas Instruments they have the typical embedded long-term suitable development team which also has Sitara AM3874. By taking a closer look at the availability of seven years. the potential to implement the individual in- feature set of these new modules, the band- terfaces both on the hardware side as well as width which it can cover becomes apparent. Attractive graphics are also possible with the on the software side. Freescale i.MX6 modules. But the versatility is - SMARC modules on the basis of the NVIDIA thanks to the high level of scalability - even A standard-based hardware offer is only one Tegra 3 quad-core processor with 1.2 GHz more impressive. Their 800 MHz ARM Cortex building block within the complex structure and ARM Cortex A9 architecture are oriented A9 performance ranges from single and dual to of a low-power SFF application. The second to image-centric applications for markets such quad-core. This scalability offers the option of important question is: what about the software as POS/POI, infotainment, digital signage, se- developing entire product lines that facilitate a support? Due to the dedicated design of the curity and monitoring as well as medical and differentiation from the entry model to the ARM processors and the accompanying closer

February 2013 48 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

linkage of hardware and software, application drivers so as to then successively integrate nents are added to the carrier board, they like- developers likewise require dedicated software them. With ARM technology, the precondition wise have to be integrated in the boot loader. support. This is especially the case due to the has to be created already in the boot loader And just as application-specific BIOS configu- fact that the new processors also represent through integration and adaptation of the rations are required, they also have to be completely new processor architecture for drivers to support the dedicated processor created for the boot loader. Here, too, the some of the new applications. So what are the platform and the required peripherals. This question is open as to who can help if boot main considerations? The operating system results in a noticeably greater significance and loader expertise is needed. Ideally, this range support first counts for software-side applica- implementation outlay for board support of tasks should also be covered by the hardware tion development: which OSs can be used packages than is the case with x86 designs. If module manufacturer, since this is where the and is the specific hardware configuration- OEMs integrate additional components via most in-depth knowledge of the system is. supported? the carrier board that are not part of the standard equipment for these processors, then of Software services on the part of the hardware Each manufacturer can only answer individu- course their drivers also have to be integrated manufacturers are clearly gaining in significance ally for its modules. Nonetheless, general re- in the boot loader. so as to make entry into the ARM world as quirement profiles can be established. In ac- easy as possible for customers. Customers cordance with the purpose of the new SFF ap- Therefore, a comprehensive board support should therefore make sure that the software plications, primarily slim operating systems package is an absolute must for ARM-based department of the embedded hardware manu- that can be compiled as needed with a small modules. If the service of the hardware manufacturer is effective enough to also be able to storage footprint are in demand. Above all facturer would actually include driver porting implement these services. Many embedded Linux, the Linux-based Android and Windows of the individual components used on the car- manufacturers outsource these services. But Embedded Compact 7 are interesting. Vx- rier board, that would be a bonus. A software from the customer perspective it is clearly Works including Hypervisor, QNX and Green- department has to be available for this. Then more efficient if the customer receives this hills are suitable for hard real-time applications. it can also offer direct support when adapting service from a single source, directly from the According to all expectations, subsequent Win- the boot loader. Where x86 technology relies module manufacturer. Companies such as dows versions are also becoming interesting. on the BIOS, with ARM processors loading Kontron offer software support in-house for In contrast to x86 platforms however, an ap- the firmware of the individual components is the most part. The company has more than proach such as was taken with x86 operating done via a boot loader. That indeed speeds up 1,000 development engineers worldwide. More systems is not possible on ARM-SoCs: first the booting process, but may be unfamiliar than two thirds of them work in software run the operating system and identify missing terrain for many OEMs. If dedicated compo- development.

49 February 2013 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Introducing OEM computing solutions in EMEA

2012 saw the emergence of a new EMEA global organization, Arrow delivers worldwide business in Arrow Electronics. Following the reach not only to our OEM customers, but to successful transition of embedded solutions their customers also, and truly accelerates glob- sales and support in the United States to its alization, supported by local execution”. OEM computing solutions (OCS) division, Arrow formed OCS EMEA by merging the The OCS business provides extensive technical EMEA OCS group with its embedded solutions knowledge, combined with best-in-class sup- team. As many will know, the distributor has pliers to deliver repeatable solutions. Whether long been an established leader in displays, a customer is looking for a ruggedized server, boards, software and storage devices. Andrew Sayers, bonded display solutions or help with design Marketing and prototyping, Arrow is the logical choice This is not simply a reshuffling of the deck Director, Arrow for intelligent systems, customized for your that we’re seeing play out. The company has OCS EMEA needs around the globe. made a significant number of acquisitions in recent years, adding a variety of services and and regional experience. A first article and As Amir Mobayen puts it, “We are listening to solutions offerings to its portfolio. The OCS gold sample may be perfect, but production the needs of our OEM customers and are business is a prime example of an organically quality must be maintained from beginning helping improve their time to market, thereby grown business unit established to meet the to end. The OCS team tackles this issue head- increasing competitiveness”. Of course, this ever-changing needs of OEM customers in on and uses its CopyXact processes to guarantee type of business metamorphosis does not sim- EMEA and beyond. product quality. Jennifer Johnson, Global Pro- ply happen overnight. “We have invested in grams and Technical Services Director com- putting our employees through intensive train- So what’s new about Arrow? The part that ments, “Integration is a detail business and we ing to ensure that we deliver the best technical makes the OCS business interesting is that it take our responsibilities seriously. Regardless solutions and customer service in the market goes beyond the traditional distribution busi- of which Arrow site is used to NPI (New Prod- place. We are already seeing our approach ness. The OCS business allows to address not uct Introduction) a product or solution, we bear fruit and we are extremely excited for only the embedded components needs of its guarantee the quality and customer experience 2013 and beyond”. customer base, but also the requirement for in each and every one of our integration facili- kitting, sub-assembly, appliance and system ties across the world, regardless of language or As more and more OEM customers are faced build, through to complete turnkey solutions. time zone. We listen to our customers and we with a make-or-buy decision, Arrow helps to The company then brings its supply chain and drive our business to where they need us to be, make this decision as painless as possible. With logistics expertise into play, enabling the ship- adding capabilities and solutions for our world- the ability and willingness to supply embedded ping and distribution of products to customer wide strategy”. parts only through to full turnkey solutions, destination of choice around the globe. the company focuses on the embedded com- This is backed up by substantial regional field puting requirements of its customers. In fact, Our EMEA capabilities for OEMs include in- and support operations covering Central and it often makes sense to provide the sub-assem- tegration facilities in both Hungary and Israel, Eastern Europe, Israel, Nordics, UK and Ireland, bly to a CEM for final device manufacture. In both of which have been in operation for sev- Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy and Iberia. this way, the OEM customer is offered a general years. A further 5 sites – Phoenix, Sao uine choice and also gains the added benefit Paolo, Nogales, Bangalore and Shenzhen – ex- Amir Mobayen, VP and General Manager for of a simplified supply chain. tend the ability to integrate where it makes lo- the OCS team in EMEA says, “We have re- gistical and financial sense for the customer. sponded to customer needs and requirements As summarized by Amir Mobayen, “Arrow en- Furthermore, each of the integration facilities and invested heavily in providing industry- ables OEM customers to focus on core compe- carries a wide range of certifications, providing leading capabilities. We will continue to dis- tencies, allowing them to deploy their resources customers from a wide range of industry tribute products for our select range of suppli- on areas such as R&D. By partnering with us, sectors the comfort of knowing that they are ers, however it is moving to a customer-focused everything from product selection and lifecycle in safe, professional hands. A key concern of and market-driven model offering value-added management through to worldwide distribu- companies that are considering outsourcing services and solutions. We’ve increased our tion is taken care of. We’re helping customers their product integration is that of quality focus on local customer touch points. As a to enhance their bottom line”.

www.embedded-control-europe.com/bas-magazine

February 2013 50 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Embedded computing meets high performance computing

In the commercial computing world, the pressure is to accommodate the rapidly accelerating rise in the number of connected devices and the requirement to process significantly more data. There is a parallel in the embedded world – especially in military computing – which is seeing a substantial increase in the amount of data that is being captured by sensors and needing to be processed in close to Michael Stern, real time, in order to turn that data into ac- Product tionable information. The commercial world Manager, has responded with high performance com- GE Intelligent puting (HPC): acres of racking and megawatts Platforms of power driving huge numbers of processors operating in parallel. High performance em- 0.8 cubic feet, weighing only 10 pounds and bedded computing (HPEC) takes the processor consuming a mere 200 watts of power. In re- parallelism that is becoming increasingly avail- sponse to the rapid rise in interest in HPEC able and applies it to embedded computing and acknowledging the complexity of the ap- applications. Where HPC occupies huge, air- plications that are being developed, GE Intelli- conditioned data centers, HPEC takes those gent Platforms has opened a HPEC Center of same principles and deploys them in a 6U – Excellence and announced the first in a series or even 3U – rack. However: where HPC typi- of HPEC starter systems; the combination is cally relies on the output of thousands of Intel designed to accelerate time to solution and x86 processors, HPEC has turned to GPU – time to deployment. graphics processing unit – technology. One of the keys to success for HPEC is that it The virtue of GPU technology is its inherently responds to the unrelenting demand for solu- parallel architecture: graphics applications are tions that conform to open standards and take particularly well suited to processing large advantage of technologies that are widely de- amounts of data concurrently. NVIDIA Kepler ployed in commercial HPC applications, ben- GPU architecture, for example, features no fewer efiting from the ecosystem of skills and ex- than 384 cores. In sensor-driven applications, pertise as well as hardware and software prod- such as radar, that extraordinary degree of par- ucts. A standard to which it is becoming in- allelism can be readily exploited to deliver results creasingly important that such solutions con- far faster than is possible with a general purpose form is MOSA (Modular Open Systems Archi- CPU. Small, lightweight solutions capable of de- tecture). Conformance to such standards is livering thousands of GFLOPS can be created shown not only to reduce development time by leveraging this capability. For example: an and cost, but also to ensure that long term via- embedded computing subsystem capable of de- bility and supportability are maximized – an livering close to 600 GFLOPS of compute per- issue which has historically limited the value formance would, until not long ago, have occu- of solutions based on proprietary architectures pied four cubic feet of space; weighed 105 and technologies. HPEC and GPU technology pounds; and consumed 2,000 watts of power. are rapidly becoming mainstream in embedded Today, using the parallelism inherent in GPU computing. What is important for integrators technology, that same level of performance can and end users alike is to make the right tech- be achieved from an enclosure occupying just nology choices.

www.embedded-control-europe.com Product News - Technical Know-how - Company Directory

51 February 2013 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

On the way to becoming a global leader in embedded computing

Advantech vision aims to become a global tomers only need to connect their embedded leader in embedded computing. In order to devices to our cloud server (via internet or in- achieve this we provide innovative embedded tranet). The system will auto-detect the device platforms, extending from x86 to RISC brand name and model, and list the necessary architecture, plus industrial cloud service software for the customer’ s selection. The to lead our marketing position. We are customer just needs to make one click, and strongly committed to bringing the best our cloud server will follow up with auto- product/technology and service to customers. Ween Niu, download, auto-installation, and auto-execu- Head of tion. This is a plug and play user scenario and Advantech provides innovative technologies Embedded and on-demand software service. from cloud computing (industrial server, video NCG Sales server) and edge computing (fanless, slim and Sector, Advantech Let me further explain what SusiAccess stands portable devices) to high performance em- USA and Europe for. We propose it for our customers to use bedded systems (blade computing, network to have well-managed, always-connected em- processor platforms, DSP processing). The the latest technology trends in embedded cores. bedded devices from the internet. With Susi- company transforms embedded systems into We also expect that more and more ecosystem Access, our customers can perform remote intelligent systems with smart, secure, energy partners and leaders will work together to device monitoring to check device status in saving features, built with industrial cloud drive the same vision and direction. This is real time, and remote configuration like wall- services and professional system design-to- why we work closely with Intel and Microsoft. mount digital signage display, backlight con- order services (system DTOS). Our systems Let me explain what the main element of an trol, surveillance/ IP camera. Emergency sys- are designed to target vertical markets in intelligent system is. For instance, every client tem backup and recovery is supported. Susi- transportation, industry (machine automation, device should have its own identification, like Access will preload in all our embedded equipment/machine building), digital signage, personal ID, and reliable management and re- boards and systems. and video applications (video infrastructure mote access, and also secure connection device and video surveillance). to device, machine to machine. This we are sure can offer big differentiation from competitors. We understand what cus- The report and survey from IDC regarding A client device should have its own protection tomers really need, and we give support from the future of embedded markets said that in and recovery solution for future intelligent product planning, design, validation, and inte- 2010 there were 1.8 billion embedded systems, systems, and we recommend this architecture gration to final mass production. In every some of which were intelligent systems. This for industrial cloud services. Let me further phase, we provide module integration service, will grow to 4 billion in 2015, with a compound present the scenario for our industrial cloud chassis design, thermal simulation, and also annual growth rate of 23%, and the market services. Here we establish a web server, and intensive embedded software service. All these will continue to grow to 25 billion in 2020. put most of the software into it (ex, BIOS up- factors combine to offer customers a one-stop Our mission is to support this expansion with date, OS image, device driver…). Our cus- embedded design-in service.

Visit us in Hall 1, Stand 542.

February 2013 52 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 1-624 GE: with rugged COM Express at Embedded World GE Intelligent Platforms presents at Embedded World the latest product program of innovative and very robust hardware solutions for demanding application areas. Thus the complete rugged COM Express product range can be seen which is designed for extreme conditions with its soldered components. The product range is completely designed and produced in Bavaria, Germany. As a novelty you can see the latest migration options for VME and cPCI applications. Existing bus standards of products can be adapted to the modular advantages of the COM Express technology. In this context are the fast and modular built industry PC and controller solutions that enable users to start into the industrial internet world. GE Intelligent Platforms creates today the high performance automation solutions for the connected world of tomorrow. In addition to the hardware solutions for the commercial embedded and automation market, In- telligent Platforms presents High Performance Embedded Computing models for powerful computing operations. Along the unique open VPX products of GE you can also find the outstanding new ARINC boards for the Aviation market. GE Intelligent Platforms is ahead of time with the concept of combining the embedded and automation hardware market and one of few suppliers with longtime experience in both markets. The R&D center in Augsburg has a strong know how in the design of rugged COM Express based solutions and is glad to support with customized developments. News ID 16787

Hall-Stand 2-220 MEN: ESMexpress COM with PowerPC QorIQ MEN’s latest computer-on-module complying with ANSI-VITA 59 (standard in preparation) excels by its extremely high performance in addition to the usual ruggedness and flexibility of the ESMexpress standard. The XM51 is equipped with processors of the Freescale PowerPC QorIQ family, with up to 8 processor cores featuring up to 1.5 GHz being accommodated on the space-saving form factor. Based on the QorIQ P4080, P4040 or P3041 at clock frequencies between 1.2 and 1.5 GHz, the XM51 takes the performance and speed of common computer-on-modules to a new level. Paired with the robust and space-saving design of ESMexpress modules from MEN, this powerful CPU is the perfect basis for safety-critical and demanding applications, especially in avionics, railways and medical engineering. All three processor types of the QorIQ family used come with multicore architecture and advanced computing functions. Depending on your requirements, you can select the processor that fits best: Do you need a strong, number-crunching P4080 with eight cores or a cost- efficient and energy-saving P3041? The computer-on-module supports four USB 2.0 interfaces with host function and one USB client port, two Gigabit Ethernet channels, two 3-Gigabit SATA and two PCI Ex- press x1 links with 5 Gbits/s each (PCIe 2.x), which can be made accessible on any ESMexpress carrier. News ID 14885

Hall-Stand 1-211 Concurrent: fabric interconnect networking software Concurrent Technologies releases their Fabric Interconnect Networking Software (FIN-S, pronounced ‘finesse’) to complement their range of Single Board Computers and Fabric Switch products employing high speed serial backplane interconnect fabrics i.e. VPX, VXS, AMC product ranges. FIN-S provides a high performance, low latency, communications mechanism for multiple host boards to intercom- municate across high speed serial fabrics i.e. PCIe, SRIO and 10GigE. News ID 14954

53 February 2013 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 1-650 Hall-Stand 4-136 VIA: Mini-ITX Embedded platform for F&S: ARM SBC in PicoITX form factor POS and kiosks armStoneA8 is a small, powerful and cost-ef- VIA Technologies announces the VIA VB7009 fective SBC, offered by F&S. Its PicoITX form embedded Mini-ITX board. Measuring only factor with CortexA8-1GHz is suited for de- 17 x 17cm, the VIA VB7009 Mini-ITX is an veloping small but high-performance applica- extremely flexible embedded board with top tions. It comes with 512 Mbyte RAM and 128 class functionality and performance for POS Mbyte NAND Flash, which is sufficient to boot and kiosks. The VB7009 is a cost effective so- WCE or Linux directly from Flash. A micro lution offering a broad range of power efficient SD-Card can be added optionally. The board VIA CPU choices, including the dual core VIA offers interfaces such as USB Host/ Device, 2x NanoTM X2 processor, providing superior LAN, RS232, CAN, SPI, I2C, and Audio (IN/ flexibility to match customers’ embedded com- OUT). Furthermore, a LVDS interface (max. puting needs. Paired with the VIA VX900 uni- resolution up to XGA/WXGA), a HDMI/ DVI fied all-in-one media system processor, the interface up to 1920 x 1080 and a touch panel VIA VB7009 Mini-ITX embedded board de- interface are available, so it is possible to control livers a highly optimized platform that boasts two displays/ screens independently. stunning HD video performance of the most News ID 14997 demanding video formats at resolutions of up to 1080p. Hall-Stand 1-119/2-420 News ID 14897 Lanner: fanless Industrial system with Intel Core i5/i7 Hall-Stand 1-507/4-240 Lanner Electronics is releasing a fanless Intel Apacer: industrial-grade MicroSDHC Core i5/i7 based industrial computer. The LEC- memory card with up to 16GB 7920 is designed with a Mini-PCIe slot with a Apacer launches the first industrial-grade Mi- SIM card reader for 3G connectivity, Intel croSDHC memory card featuring the capacity GMA HD graphics for full high-definition out- of up to 16GB. One of the highlights is its put and a dust proof design for longevity. The firmware and major components that can be LEC-7920 incorporates a Mini-PCIe slot with fixed right after customer’s recognition and an attached SIM card reader. When equipped validation. This reduces the risk of out-of- with a module this appliance can be connected stock and compatibility issues by providing through GPS or 3G networks, allowing for customers stable supply and high reliability. GPS tracking or content updates via 3G. Apacer’s industrial-grade MicroSDHC mem- News ID 14968 ory card is compliant with SD 3.0 Specification and supports Class 10 high-speed transmis- sion. Available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB, with Hall-Stand 4-228/5-340 sequential read/write speed reaching up to Arrow: engineering and embedded 20/14 MB/sec, it fulfills requirements for high- computing integration services capacity and high-speed data storage. Arrow Electronics will showcase its engineering News ID 14922 and embedded computing integration services at the Embedded World trade show. Arrow will feature engineering offerings that support Hall-Stand 1-222 developers throughout all design process steps, Vecow: extended-temp fanless from the identification of new applications to Embedded system for in-vehicle security the concept phase and through the develop- Vecow presents the EC-5500-3R and EC-5500- ment of the solution. Arrow offers numerous 5R fanless Embedded controller, integrating engineering programmes, tools and solutions 2nd Gen Intel Quad Core i7, i5, i3, and Celeron to developers during each phase, including Sandy Bridge mobile series processors. With Testdrive, a reference board evaluation pro- built-in Intel vPro technology, 2nd Gen Intel gramme, online design tools and industry- Core processors empower virtual management specific technology solutions. In particular, and smart security of PCs. Intel vPro technol- Arrow’s engineering booth will emphasize ogy allows management remote access to the areas such as the functional safety in industrial PC, it is easy to secure sensitive data in pro- automation, motion control, LED lighting tected flash memory regardless of the system’s and memory solutions. Several manufacturers power or OS. The new 2nd Gen Intel Core will present their newest technologies, and processors offer embedded designers a number boards that Arrow has designed in collabora- of important upgrades including up to Quad tion with manufacturers and development CPU cores, an integrated graphics processor, partners, such as BeMicro Real Time Ethernet an extended instruction set, Intel® Turbo Boost and a new version of the web server, CUBE, Technology, and remote management support. will be exhibited. Demonstrating its commit- News ID 14969 ment of ”bringing it all together,“ Arrow

February 2013 54 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

will also showcase its embedded computing SMB (system management bus), SPI, LVDS integration services for original equipment LCD display, SDVO (serial digital video out), manufacturers. Those services include end- HDA (high definition audio), SecureDigital to-end solutions, design engineering, supply- memory card interface, GPIOs, RESET, Watch- chain management, global logistics and post- dog, PWM and optionally a camera interface. manufacturing solutions. Arrow provides nu- News ID 15031 merous system-integration options, and its product range for OEMs includes displays, industrial computing platforms, storage and Hall-Stand 1-318 software solutions with comprehensive server Fujitsu: new versions of solutions, standard and custom board designs Mini-ITX D3003-S3 mainboard series and system solutions, among others. Arrow Fujitsu add another product version to their maintains seven integration and fulfillment series of Mini-ITX mainboards for industrial facilities for OEM solutions worldwide. use. D3003-S3 is equipped with an AMD A55E News ID 15005 Controller Hub chip set, an AMD T56N Dual- Core processor, and an internal 24-bit Dual- Channel LVDS. This allows for operating displays Hall-Stand 2-419 larger than 12’’ at the highest resolution in HD ADLINK commits to ARM development quality, something which is not possible with by joining new COM initiative conventional 18-bit Single-Channel LVDS. The ADLINK announces it will support the new product will be shown first at Embedded World. Computer-on-Module standard from Kontron The Mini-ITX mainboards are designed for for ultra low-power embedded architecture challenging applications in an extended tem- platforms with a whole new line of products. perature range from 0 to 60 °C found in the Building on our design experience with fields of automation, medical engineering, ARM/RISC in OEM and Intelligent Display kiosks, and digital signage. With the D3003- projects, this marks ADLINK’s first endeavor S3, applications with onboard displays now outside x86 boundaries for a standard form also profit from the performance of a Dual- factor product offering. Core processor.The extended-lifetime Mini- News ID 14864 ITX boards are equipped with an AMD A55E Controller Hub chip set. Model 3003-S1 supports AMD’s low-energy processor FT1 Sin- Hall-Stand 4-334 gle-Core T44R (9W), while models D3003-S2 ERNI: ARM-based mezzanine modules and D3003-S3 support AMD FT1 Dual-Core ERNI Electronics announces its entry into T56N (18W). The CPU comes with an inte- the growth market of computer-on-modules. grated high-performance ATI graphics con- At Embedded World, the company is present- troller supporting VGA, DVI, HDMI, and 24- ing the first products of the new WHITEspeed bit Dual Channel LVDS. family. The implementation of the new The second onboard LAN connection supports WHITEspeed interface standard benefits from a wide range of functions with the best possible the high speed and reliability of the Mi- alignment of components, even for small Mini- croSpeed connectors. With this, the company ITX mainboards with a small number of ex- is in particular addressing applications in tension slots. The mSATA solution offers harsh and demanding industrial environments tremendous advantages over conventional CF such as in the field of transport, heavy engi- cards in terms of data transfer rates. neering and automation exposed to high shock News ID 14971 and vibration loads. The portfolio comprises a family of pin-compatible ARM-based mezzanine modules, which differentiate in terms Hall-Stand 1-442/1-306 of the CPU performance (clock rate, number AAEON: slim, compact fanless controller of cores, coprocessors) and I/Os and memory with Atom D525 capacity. In addition, a fully equipped, adapt- AAEON has released a new fanless controller able baseboard is available, which can be sup- with the Intel Atom D525 processor: AEC- plied also with an optional display. 6612 Rev.B. This embedded controller has a This carrier board is the development platform storage temperature of -20~70°C and an op- for the application software and, at the same erating temperature of -20~60°C for the ability time, the basis for customer-specific boards. to thrive in diverse environments. The AEC- Using four MicroSpeed signal connectors and 6612 Rev.B encompasses the Intel ICH8M one MicroSpeed power module, ERNI realises chipset and features up to six USB 2.0 ports, the new standardised interface (WHITEspeed six COM ports, one power switch, one SYS 1.0) of the modules to the baseboard, which LED, one HDD LED and one CompactFlash supports the following: Ethernet slot for copious connectivity options. 10MB/100MB/1GB, SATA, PCIe x1/x4, Express News ID 14946 Card, UART, USB 2.0 High Speed, CAN, I2C,

55 February 2013 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 2-419 ultra low-power embedded architecture plat- ADLINK product highlights at Embedded forms with a whole new line of products. The World 2013 new COM standard provides a very slim and ADLINK will present amongst other products low profile solution for ARM/RISC and SOC Editors the following new highlights at the Embedded based ultra low-power processors. The standard Jürgen Hübner World Show: specifically targets new fast growing markets phone +49(0)8092-2477413 Adlink will showcase the cPCI-3970 Series, such as handheld devices and industrial tablets, fax +49(0)8092-2477429 the first 3U CompactPCI PlusIO compatible and in the near future is also expected to [email protected] processor blade in its product lineup that sup- move into more traditional applications such Wolfgang Patelay ports high-speed serial point-to-point con- as industrial control and data communications. [email protected] nections. The ADLINK cPCI-3970 Series is News ID 14886 equipped with the latest quad and dual core Tony Devereux 2nd Generation Intel Core i7/i5 processor with [email protected] Hall-Stand 1-460 ECC memory support, and the Intel QM67 For Reader Inquiries and Address Changes Platform Controller Hub. It is a high per- Kontron: 10-core out-of-the-box DPI AMC please contact: formance solution for applications in industrial module with Cavium OCTEON II [email protected] control and automation, transportation, and Kontron announces that the second generation medical segments that require enhanced graph- of the Kontron AMC Packet Processor module Sales & Marketing Director Manfred Blumoser ics capabilities, ECC memory and high speed AM4211 for MicroTCA platforms is now avail- phone +49(0)8092-2477411 I/O interconnects. The cPCI-3970 Series in- able with the Cavium 10-core OCTEON II fax +49(0)8092-2477429 cludes two blade types based on the same cn6645 series. For telecom equipment manu- [email protected] electrical and mechanical design: the cPCI- facturers, this AMC module represents a 40 Claudia Mellein 3970 which is equipped with HM connectors, percent increase in performance for any new [email protected] and the fully PICMG 2.30 compliant cPCI- designs of security and Deep Packet Inspection, 3971 which features an Ultra Hard Metric J2 network applications for SNOW 3G and KA- Christiane Lockner [email protected] connector with a data transfer speed of 5 SUMI, TCP/IP packet processing acceleration Gb/s. Both products are compatible with the and QoS that are integrated into eNodeB base Sales Office - UK and USA, Benelux, CompactPCI PlusIO pin assignment and sup- stations and other types of network security Scandinavia port PCI Express Gen2 x4, three SATA ports, and test and measurement applications for LTE Blue Sky Communications three USB 2.0 ports and two Gigabit Ethernet networks. Malcolm Cameron 21 Cliffe Avenue ports at the J2 connector. News ID 14941 Westbrook, At show is also the new Smart Panel series of Margate, Kent CT9 5DU, UK products designed to provide a new “all-in- phone +44 (0)77 88-10 84 11 one” concept to panel computing applications, Hall-Stand 1-211 fax +44 (0)80 82-8010 57 such as factory automation equipment, trans- Concurrent: high performance 6U [email protected] portation systems, multimedia navigation de- CompactPCI SBC Sales Office - Asia vices, advertising systems, interactive kiosks, Concurrent Technologies announces their lat- Jean Cheng, [email protected] and medical care systems. The Smart Panel se- est high performance 6U CompactPCI Single Vivian Hung, [email protected] ries of products provide users an embedded Board Computer. The PP 81x/x9x is a single Innovative Media Information & Services 7F-3, No. 26, Sec. 2, Ming-Quan East Rd. human-machine where cloud computing is slot air-cooled Single Board Computer utilizing Taipei 104 Taiwan used for the Things of the Internet in both the 2nd generation Intel Core microarchitec- phone +886 2 2563 1186 public and private cloud services to enable ture, based on 32nm process technology with access to information and services from any the new Intel memory/graphics controller ar- Head Office location as needed. Smart Panel products com- chitecture integrated into the processor. The prise highly-integrated, ultra-thin, and flexible PP 81x/x9x supports the Intel Core i7-2715QE designs ready for development. Benefits of this processor and the enhanced features of the series of products include a quicker time-to- Intel Series 6 Express chipset, along with up ICC Media GmbH market of your end products, reduced devel- to 8 Gbytes of DDR3-1333 ECC SDRAM. Rauwagnerstr. 5 85560 Ebersberg / Germany opment risks and costs, and simplified material News ID 14957 management. This is the first series of products Editorial Office UK on the marketplace to integrate the CPU, net- 36a Blackacre Road working capability, and a display into a single Hall-Stand 4A-304 Theydon Bois panel device. The 8” model Smart Panel offers ELMA: CompactPCI serial system for test Essex, CM16 7LU a screen brightness of up to 800 cd/m2 (com- laboratory Copyright© All rights reserved. pared to 250 – 300 cd/m2 in commonly found ELMA has now presented a CompactPCI Plu- No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in in the LCD panels available in the marketplace) sIO test system at PICMG CPCI-2.30 standard. any form or by any means without the prior express written permission of ICCMedia. to ensure a clear image both indoor and even This “little brother” of the two already existing Although we make every effort to present up-to-date, accurate outside under direct sunlight. The high-reso- 19-inch versions is equipped with eight slots information, boards&solutions will not be responsible for any lution full-color interface makes it much easier in total; one system slot for the CPU, four for errors or omissions or for any results obtained from the use of such information. The magazine will not be liable for any loss for users to use the device to gather data and peripheral cards and the remaining three for caused by the reliance on information obtained on this site. display images, reports, and text for viewing CompactPCI legacy cards. CompactPCI Serial Furthermore, boards&solutions does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, text, graphics in this maga- through simple operations. is seen as successor technology to the mean- zine. The opinions expressed in the articles are those of the As recently announced Adlink will also support while outdated CompactPCI standard. authors and not necessarily the opinions of the publisher. the new COM standard from Kontron for News ID 14882

February 2013 56 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 2-422/2-305 or buildings. A multi-interface can be config- for general purpose GPU computing by tak- IEI: 3.5” embedded SBC with Atom ured ex factory, if required, offering scope for ing advantage of AMD’s Open CL support. N2600 and D2700 numerous optional extensions, from an audio An on-die GPU such as this has advantages IEI Technology announces the launch of the interface up to the connection of fieldbus over discrete GPUs by avoiding the memory WAFER-CV-N2600x/D2700x. This 3.5” embed- masters or slaves. The CX9020 is a DIN rail- bus bottleneck. ded computer board is based on new options mountable controller with state-of-the-art News ID 14942 for the Intel Atom processor N2600 and D2700 components: ARM Cortex A8 CPU and mi- series. The WAFER-CV-N26001/D27001 sup- croSD card with large storage capacity and ports resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 with the very compact design. Hall-Stand 2-219 Chrontel CH7511 DP to LVDS converter. It has News ID 14984 MSC presents further ARM based Qseven an operating temperature range of -20 ~ 70 . module family IEI’s WAFER-CV-N26001/D27001 embedded With the compact MSC Q7-TI8168 module computer board includes an Intel Atom proces- Hall-Stand 4-448 the MSC Vertriebs GmbH expands its offer- sor N2600 or D2700 with the Intel NM10 Ex- Hectronic: Qseven module based on AMD ing of ARM based embedded boards in com- press chipset. It features low power consumption, Fusion G-series APUs pliance with the Qseven standard 1.20. The UEFI speedy boot-up, SO-DIMM DDR3 sup- Hectronic has announced H6059, a Qseven powerful platform integrates the Integra port, high resolution via VGA & DP, 12 V only module based on the new AMD T40E and C6A8168 processor from Texas Instruments power supply and mSATA SSD storage. T40R ultra low power dual core and single with an ARM Cortex-A8 core with up to News ID 14894 core APU and the A55E embedded chipset. 3000 DMIPS and a digital signal processor. H6059 is a Qseven standard revision 1.2 The 10 GMACS / 7,2 GFLPOS DSP @1.25 compliant module measuring only 70 x 70 GHz C674x supports 32/64-bit single/double Hall-Stand 5-340 mm. The H6059 module is a perfect fit for precision floating point. The MSC Q7- Beckhoff: compact fanless PC control embedded applications that require powerful TI8168 Qseven module is special designed for a wider range of applications CPU and graphics performance in combina- for demanding image processing functions The new fanless CX9020 Embedded PC is tion with low power consumption and ex- e.g. in industrial automation, medicine, equipped with a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 tremely compact size. The Radeon 6250 GPU transportation and security systems. processor and is suitable for a wide range of is integrated with the CPU to offer for in- News ID 15006 PLC and Motion Control applications in stance increased 2D/3D and motion video small- and medium-sized machines, systems acceleration performance and can be used

57 February 2013 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 4A-304 PCH chipset and the Intel Celeron processor Elma: OpenVPX Mini ATR provides 827E with one core (1.4GHz) or the dual-core COMPANY PAGE flexibility in a small footprint Intel Celeron processor 847E with 1.1GHz Elma Electronic now offers the 3U VPX Mini clock frequency. Both processors are manu- ATR in a rugged OpenVPX platform designed factured in a 32 nm technology and use a 2 AAEON 60 for use in harsh environments where SWaP is MB L3 cache. ADL 52 critical. Measuring only 133 x 180 x 250 mm, News ID 14923 the compact unit is ideal for space constrained ADLINK 43 environments. The new Mini ATR ships configured with a 3-slot, 3U OpenVPX backplane, Hall-Stand 2-419 ARM 14/33 designed to VITA 65, and can be configured ADLINK: i7 -based 6U CompactPCI blade ARROW 37 with solid state storage and a 250 W power with remote management supply. The unit can be modified to accom- ADLINK introduces the PICMG 2.0 compli- Artila 20 modate a plug-in version of the power supply ant cPCI-6210 Series, a 6U CompactPCI module, providing up to 350 W VDC. processor blade based on the latest quad- Avalue 44 News ID 14963 and dual-core 2nd Generation Intel Core i7 and Intel Core i5 processors and up to 16 GB Avionics Europe 39 DDR3-1600 memory support. The cPCI-6210 congatec 59 Hall-Stand 1-542 is a performance computing solution with Advanced Digital Logic changes name enhanced management features such as DeciElec 38 to ADL Embedded Solutions PICMG 2.9 compliant IPMI, remote man- Advertisers Index Today Advanced Digital Logic are changing agement based on Intel vPro technology and Digi-Key 2 company name to ADL Embedded Solu- optional Trusted Platform Module for security E.E.P.D. 54 tions. This name change is due to a signifi- management, and is suitable for applications cant expansion in the product lines, System in Military, Communication and Industrial EBV 7 Design and Integration Service capabilities, Control segments. Ecrin 19 including enclosures, cabling and thermal News ID 14950 solution design and our value-added serv- EKF 17 ices to our embedded customers. ADL Em- Hall-Stand 1-150 bedded Solutions will continue to operate Elma 49 in its current structure, contact email ad- DFI: fanless embedded computer dresses and the website will remain the features dual independent 1080p HD embedded-logic 57 same. The name change will also be ex- display support Express Logic 11 tended to the German Subsidiary, which DFI launches a new compact design system, will be named ADL Embedded Solutions. DS910-CD, offering low power consumption F&S 49 News ID 14932 and fanless cooling for digital signage applications. This embedded system is powered by Green Hills 5 the 1.60GHz dual-core Intel Atom processor Holtek 35 Hall-Stand 2-219 N2600 and Intel NM10 I/O Express chipset MSC: cost and power-efficient COM with 5W system TDP. The low-profile chassis Kontron 45/51/55 Express modules with Celeron is constructed of heavy duty steel with an ex- The MSC has expanded its CXB-6S COM Ex- truded aluminum top cover providing silent Lauterbach 16 press module family based on second genera- passive cooling. A single 12VDC power input Mathworks 15 tion Intel Core processors with two cost-effi- reduces power supply cost and complexity for cient Intel Celeron CPU variants. The new both stationary AC powered applications and Mesago 28 boards almost reach the pricing level of Intel mobile battery powered applications. Microchip 23 Atom and ARM based solutions. The new em- News ID 14907 bedded modules integrate the Intel HM65 MicroSys 47

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February 2013 58 BOARDS & MODULES HIGHLIGHTS

Hall-Stand 1-435 tional requirements for aviation, space, and either a PCIe or PCI expansion. Common Axiomtek: Core i7 Mini ITX motherboard defense organizations. Parvus first earned its uses of this expansion slot include CAN bus with multiple display interfaces AS9100 Rev B Certification in December 2010 modules, motion control modules or a number Axiomtek introduces MANO860, an industri- and elected to upgrade to Rev C to meet the of separate I/O ports. al-grade Mini ITX motherboard based on the industry’s newest and highest standards of News ID 14875 Intel QM67 Express chipset and designed for quality. The new Accredited ISO registrar Eagle the 2nd generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3 proces- Registrations Inc. assessed Parvus and found sors in Socket G2. The high performing it in full compliance with this globally recog- Hall-Stand 1-650 MANO860 comes with two DDR3 1066/1333 nized quality standard. VIA announces Android support for MHz SO-DIMM slots with up to 16GB mem- News ID 14888 embedded x86 boards ory and five SATA ports with RAID 0, 1, 10, 5. VIA Technologies announces Android support The Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000 graphics for VIA x86 embedded platforms, starting engine is built into the chipset to provide fast Hall-Stand 1-460 with support for the VIA EITX-3002 Em-ITX graphics performance, high visual quality, and Kontron: three new embedded motherboard. Running Android on an x86 platform flexible display options without the need for a boards with 2nd gen Intel Core i3/i5/i7 offers increased flexibility, great multimedia separate graphics card. processors support and cost saving advantages for em- News ID 14902 Kontron announced the launch of three addi- bedded applications such as in-vehicle enter- tional embedded motherboards in the ATX tainment and interactive kiosks. Key advantages and Flex-ATX form factors with the 2nd gen- for Android on x86 include leverage of Android Hall-Stand 2-308 eration Intel Core i3/i5/i7 desktop and mobile development resources and existing apps, rich IBASE: compact fanless system supports processors. All three embedded motherboards I/O flexibility, greater CPU performance as wide-range temperature are equipped with a highly flexible and con- well as higher display resolutions of up to IBASE Technology announces its RSB200- figurable feature connector. This means the 1920 x 1080. 884T ruggedized fanless solution designed adaptation of the Kontron ATX and Flex-ATX News ID 14873 for thermally constrained environments in embedded motherboards to individual I/O re- outdoors, automation and industrial sectors. quirements can be carried out extremely simply The compact rugged embedded computer and efficiently via the onboard embedded mi- Hall-Stand 2-110 comes with a 3.5-inch SBC supporting the crocontroller. Advantech to present industrial grade low-power Intel Atom Z520PT 1.33GHz News ID 14889 digital signage solutions processor with an extended temperature range Advantech delivers industrial-grade reliability of -30 to +70°C for use in extreme operating which is ideal for mission-critical digital signage environments. Hall-Stand 1-119/2-420 deployment where 24x7x365 availability is the News ID 14895 Lanner: customizable IPC has onboard key. The standard life-cycle of Advantech’s in- Mini-PCIe slot with a SIM card reader dustrial grade digital signage systems is five Lanner released the LEC-2110, a fanless Intel years hence offering predictability and ease Hall-Stand 5-141 Atom D525 Industrial PC with dual video for managing network operations. Advantech Eurotech: Parvus awarded AS9100 Rev C outs and multiple expansion options. Every is also flexible in terms of product configura- quality certification LEC-2110 will have an onboard Mini-PCIe tions, pre-installing images and operating sys- Eurotech Subsidiary Parvus announced its suc- slot with a SIM card reader. This SIM card tems support such as Linux and Windows cessful certification to AS9100 Rev C. Encom- reader allows customers to use wireless com- Embedded. passing all ISO 9001:2008 quality management munications applications such as 3G or GPS. News ID 14872 requirements, AS9100 Rev C specifies addi- The other expansion slot can be used for