Annasoft Systems Introduces Software Suite to Support ZF Micro's ZFx86 PC-on-a-Chip.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

POWAY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 18, 2001

Annasoft Systems, a leading solutions provider to companies developing smart devices, is now providing a software suite to support ZF Micro's ZFx86 PC-on-a-Chip. Included are: Jump Start(TM) 3.0 for ZF Micro, ZF Boot Loader, and ZF Persistent Storage.

Jump Start 3.0 for ZF Micro is a Board Support Package (BSP) that includes a pre-configured Build Tree optimized for ZF Micro's ZFx86 PC-on-a-Chip and specially enhanced device driver components for Windows(R) CE. The driver components combine Annasoft custom developed device drivers and drivers from the Microsoft(R) Platform Builder 3.0 CEPC Platform. Using Microsoft Platform Builder 3.0 and Jump Start for ZF Micro, a configuration can be quickly created that will run the Windows CE operating system. The BSP includes a standard set of drivers, binary image builder (BIB) file settings, and registry file settings so that drivers can be easily configured and built into a Windows CE image.

Jump Start for ZF Micro includes:

-- HAL modifications specific to the ZF Micro CPU

-- Video and audio drivers for the TVIA CyberPro(TM) 5050

-- ATA/ATAPI driver for IDE Disk, ATA Compact Flash, and CD-ROM drive

-- Drivers for standard PS-2 keyboard and PS-2 mouse

-- Serial port and parallel port drivers

-- USB driver

-- National Semiconductor DP83815 Ethernet driver

-- CD-ROM file system (Joliet) for Data CD-ROM

The ZF Micro Bootloader manages the system boot process. It enables Windows CE to boot from Intel StrataFlash(R) without the use of MS-DOS(R). OEMs therefore do not have to pay additional license costs for MS-DOS or custom BIOS development.

The Persistent Registry resides in Intel StrataFlash (256KB) and retains system registry settings between power cycles. This allows the system user the ability to save their custom settings.

"This suite of software tools combined with ZF Micro's Integrated Development System and Reference Designs will help OEM's get to market quickly and reduce development costs," explained Tracy Rees, Annasoft's Vice President of Marketing. "By utilizing our software components and ZF's Reference Design resources, OEM's can save weeks of development time and focus their engineering resources on building applications."

"The availability of Annasoft's software components complements our strategy of enabling rapid development of low powered, crash-immune, embedded systems," added David Feldman, Founder and CEO of ZF Micro. "We were particularly impressed when Annasoft demonstrated WinCE 3.0 running in under 8 Mbytes of Flash on our Internet Appliance Reference Design. Annasoft and WinCE 3.0 provide powerful resources which our customers can use to accelerate time to market while minimizing the expense and hassles of driver development and OS adaptation."

Pricing for the entire software suite is $2,195 with run-time licenses from $3-$6 depending on volume. An unlimited run-time license is available for $2,500. Pricing on individual components are as follows: Jump Start 3.0 for ZF Micro -- $995, ZF Micro Bootloader -- $1,195, ZF Micro Persistent Storage -- $495, plus run-time license. Source code is available on all products for an additional fee. Separate licenses are required for WinCE 3.0.

About Annasoft Systems

Annasoft Systems provides comprehensive technology and services to companies developing "Smart Devices." Services include: education, concept design, electrical design, software adaptation, driver development, application development, mechanical design, prototype build and evaluation, manufacturing services, and licensing of Microsoft operating systems. These products and services allow OEMs to accelerate time to market, lower development and production costs, and add enhanced functionality to their products. For more information visit www.annasoft.com or call 800-690-3870.

About ZF Micro Devices

ZF Micro Devices has pioneered FailSafe systems since its founding in 1995. ZF Micro Devices enables its customers to bring profitable, innovative, crash-immune systems to market faster than their competitors, by delivering low power PC SOCs and vertical market solutions to the embedded marketplace. Corporate headquarters are located at 1052 Elwell Court, Palo Alto, CA 94303 USA: toll-free: 800-683-5943; tel: [phone]; fax: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]; web: www.zfmicro.com. In Europe, ZF Micro Devices can be reached at [phone]. In South America, call [phone].

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