3Eoffice: Embedded systems journel

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Embedded systems journel

Media :: March 2, 2010

a techfocus media publication :: March 2, 2010

From the Editor

It’s like chocolate and peanut butter – and ice cream. Actel’s three-way SmartFusion chip fuses microprocessor, FPGA, and analog circuitry to create a new taste treat for engineers. This week we look at how this device differs from anything else you’ve seen before. As if that weren’t enough, we also have 11 new 8-bit controllers from Microchip that promise ultra-low power consumption combined with interesting peripherals like LCD controller and touch-screen interface. It’s a good week!
Thanks as always for reading. We encourage you to share your thoughts in the new easier-to-use comments area right below the articles; don't be shy. Or you can get a lively discussion going on our new FORUMS.
You may have noticed a reward for the best, most insightful forum posts. We're giving another one away for the best posts in March, so get started posting.
Jim Turley - Editor, Embedded Technology Journal

EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Innovative, Intelligent, Integration. Welcome to the world of intelligent mixed signal FPGAs where a flash FPGA, hard ARM® Cortex™-M3-based microcontroller subsystem (MSS), and programmable analog are combined to create a complete, integrated solution -- New Actel SmartFusion™. Don’t compromise your embedded design. Build the system you want, with all the features you need, on a single-chip solution. Get Smart Now -- read white papers, watch videos, download software, get an evaluation kit.

Embedded Technology Journal Forum CompetitionWin 500 bucks just for being smart!
LEMME AT THEM FORUMS!

(Click here for competition details)

On Demand

Evolving the Coverage-Driven Verification Flow (WHITE PAPER)
Achieving functional coverage closure is challenging and time-consuming with today's complex designs. Read how unique coverage-targeting algorithms in intelligent testbench automation tools reduce time to coverage closure by 90%. (Mentor Graphics)
Lowering Total System Power Using Xilinx FPGAs (CHALK TALK)
In this webcast, Chalk Talk host Amelia Dalton talks with Jameel Hussein of Xilinx about optimizing system-level power with FPGAs, and features and tools that simplify low-power design with Xilinx FPGAs. (Xilinx)
Pushing The Envelope in FPGA Design Using PlanAhead (CHALK TALK)
Want to have the best FPGA designs on the block? You have to push the technology to stay competitive. Join Amelia Dalton as she talks with Greg Daughtry of Xilinx in this Chalk Talk about pushing the envelope in FPGA design. (Xilinx)
EasyPath-6 FPGAs Deliver Lowest Total Product Cost in Six Weeks (CHALK TALK)
Confused about FPGA cost reduction? There are easy options for even the most sophisticated FPGAs. Join Amelia Dalton and Shekhar of Xilinx in this Chalk Talk about cost-reducing your Virtex FPGA design with EasyPath. (Xilinx)

New in the Forums

UK Embedded Systems Masterclass - May 6th and 11th

Hi,

this is just to let people know that we are running the Embedded Systems Masterclass again this year. It's a non-sales forum where engineers can come along and learn about new technologies, develop new skills etc. www.embedded-masterclass.com

T...

Posted on 02/24/10 at 5:39 AM
by: Energi

Coverage driven Verification

We do this approach since 5 years, by developing our own test bench vhdl/tcl tools and procedures. This is useful to provide the proof that all the requirements of the FPGA design are covered by simulation, including robustness simulations. Such methodolo...

Posted on 02/17/10 at 5:46 AM
by: Remy

Loh- There's good news and ba

Loh-

There's good news and bad news.

The good news is, there are companies that make the combo CPU-FPGA you're looking for. Check out Actel, Atmel, and Triscend (now part of Xilinx), and Altera.

The bad news is, your professor is right: CPUs and...

Posted on 02/16/10 at 11:28 AM
by: Jim Turley

Ashishbanerjee- Let me save y

Ashishbanerjee-

Let me save you some time on that Java design -- don't do it.

It's impossible (IMHO) to design a native Java processor. It's been tried many times before by smart people with nearly infinite resources and it's failed every time.

....

Posted on 02/16/10 at 11:24 AM
by: Jim Turley

SPlatCo- Interesting story ab

SPlatCo-

Interesting story about your custom VMs; thanks for sharing that and good luck on the new one.

I agree with your final comment about cost. It's often tempting to design a custom processor for a specific job but it's rarely cost-effective. ...

Posted on 02/16/10 at 11:17 AM
by: Jim Turley

Current Feature Articles

Actel’s Three-Legged Stool by Jim Turley They say good things come in threes: the Three Stooges, triple plays, the first Star Wars movies, two halves of a six-pack. Now FPGA maker Actel adds another happy trio: SmartFusion. Actel’s triple play is a new chip that combines the three things most embedded designers need: a microprocessor, an FPGA, and analog circuitry. The company calls the conglomeration SmartFusion on the theory that it fuses three disparate features into one device. Processors in FPGAs aren’t new, but they’re not always successful. The big FPGA companies have done it before, and every engineering undergrad has probably tried stuffing a microcontroller into an FPGA at some point. The result is usually awkward, power-hungry, slow, and expensive. Programmable logic just isn’t a good match for the resources that a processor requires. Read More
	Microchip Maxes Out Mighty Mites by Jim Turley
	Cortex-M4 Stirs the Soup by Jim Turley
	Android… Android… Android… What’s an RTOS to do? by Stephen Olsen, Mentor Graphics
	Viddy This, O My Brothers by Jim Turley
	Could You Make Your Own Processor? by Jim Turley
	Phoenix Rising? An Old Name Returns in a New Role by Dick Selwood

Latest News

March 02, 2010

Express Logic Announces ThreadX® RTOS Support for Renesas SH7216 Series Microcontrollers

Energy Micro wins Embedded Award for energy friendly 32-bit microcontroller

Atmel's Secure Microcontroller Offers Easy-to-Implement Security to Prevent Cloning and Counterfeiting

Eurotech Presents Catalyst LP Based on Dual Core Intel® Atom™ Processor D510

Atmel Expands tinyAVR Product Family with High- Performance, Low-power Microcontroller

VIA ART-3000: A Rugged and Versatile Embedded Box PC for All Occasions

Atmel Develops Floating Point Unit for 32-bit AVR UC3 Microcontrollers

Digi-Key Corporation and Embedded Developer Launch Digi-Key Tools XpressSM Program

Energy Micro launches EFM32 Tiny Gecko microcontrollers for low power, space and cost sensitive applications

LDRA and Visure Release Embed-X, a Comprehensive Embedded Application Lifecycle Management Solution

Pentek Introduces High-Speed, Real-Time Recording Instrument for Extremely Wide Bandwidth Signals

Actel Releases Comprehensive Development Environment and Ecosystem for SmartFusion Intelligent Mixed Signal FPGAs

Actel Introduces SmartFusion Devices -- FPGAs with ARM Cortex-M3 Processor and Programmable Analog

Xilinx Expands Market-Leading Automotive Silicon Portfolio With Spartan-6 FPGAs Optimized to Reduce System Cost

I²C Battery Gas Gauges for Single Li-Ion Cells Offers 1% Accuracy

March 01, 2010

Microtune's Automotive Amplifier CHIP Deployed in BYD Cars Targeted for China Market

RFMD® Expands Industry-Leading 3G Product Portfolio with TD-SCDMA Power Amplifier

Option and Kobil to develop revolutionary 3G solution for secured transactions

New DSM Infinity® Panel PC P4-A with Intel® Atom™ and LED Backlight

Mitra Energy & Infrastructure and CISSOID cooperate in the design of next generation, high performance power converters for electrical vehicles.

February 26, 2010

Intel teams up with Glasgow University to facilitate the design of future nanoscale memories

Eutecus, Inc Releases New Video Analytics Module – the Bi-i V401X, with all analytics embedded in a single low-cost FPGA – and Evaluation and Development Environment also announced at Embedded World 2010

February 25, 2010

NICTA trumpets ‘Elefant’ open source software

Microsoft Enters Intellectual Property Licensing Agreement With Panasonic

February 24, 2010

Advantech Launches PIT-1501W Rugged, Medically Certified Patient Infotainment Terminal

ADLINK Introduces PAC Solutions with IEC 61131-3 Support

Dual Positive/Negative ±20VIN ±150mA LDO Offers 20µVRMS Noise

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