Printer Friendly
The Free Library
5,669,962 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

Freescale Launches Comprehensive Multimedia Development Platform for Advanced Consumer and General Embedded Devices.


Packed with Powerful Enablement Technologies, Freescale's i.MX Product Development Kit Supports Microsoft's Windows([R])Embedded CE 5.0, Windows Embedded CE 6.0 and Linux([R]) Operating Systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap.  

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Mobile, portable and other embedded device developers can significantly shorten development cycles for multimedia applications by utilizing the i.MX Product Development Kit (PDK PDK Phi Delta Kappa (professional organization for teachers)
PDK Portal Development Kit (SAP Enterprise Portal)
PDK Peachtree-Dekalb Airport (Atlanta, GA, USA) 
) from Freescale Semiconductor Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. is an American semiconductor manufacturer. It was created by the divestiture of the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola in 2004. Freescale focuses their integrated circuit products on the automotive, embedded and communications markets. . This three-stack hardware system includes a board support package (BSP BSP

Bromsulphalein, a dye used in the study of liver function. See also sulfobromophthalein clearance test.
) and robust, product-ready software that enable engineers to quickly create multimedia devices for consumer, automotive, industrial and general embedded markets. The PDK is initially available for the widely-adopted i.MX31 multimedia applications processor.

The PDK's integrated modular design In the context of systems engineering, modular design — or "modularity in design" — is an approach aiming to subdivide a system into smaller parts (modules) that can be independently created and then used in different systems to drive multiple functionalities.  is engineered to enable a more efficient development process - a critical benefit for accelerating hardware and software integration. The PDK simplifies development with three separate, reusable modules that work together for streamlined software creation. The i.MX31 PDK features:

* A CPU CPU
 in full central processing unit

Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit.
 module: a single board computer containing the i.MX31 processor based on the powerful ARM-1136[TM] core, memories, and Freescale's MC14783 power management IC.

* A Personality module: a peripherals board that manages advanced end-product functionality such as touchscreen capabilities, accelerometers and wireless connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth and WiFi.

* A Debug To correct a problem in hardware or software. Debugging software means locating the errors in the source code (the program logic). Debugging hardware means finding errors in the circuit design (logical circuits) or in the physical interconnections of the circuits.  module: a common interface board for all existing and future PDKs, the module contains the functions necessary for software and applications development, including serial, Ethernet, and JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) An IEEE standard for boundary scan technology. See scan technology.

JTAG - Joint Test Action Group
 interface.

The i.MX31 PDK includes an optimized Windows Embedded CE or Linux BSP, multimedia framework, demo applications, and wireless connectivity protocol stacks -- all backed by the company's renowned engineering technical support team. It also incorporates many of Freescale's key technologies including the MMA (Microcomputer Managers Association, Inc.) A membership organization with chapters throughout the U.S. that was devoted to educating personnel responsible for personal computers. It disbanded in 1996.

Mma - A fast Mathematica-like system, in Allegro CL by R. Fateman, 1991.
7455L 3-axis digital accelerometer accelerometer

Instrument that measures acceleration. Because it is difficult to measure acceleration directly, the device measures the force exerted by restraints placed on a reference mass to hold its position fixed in an accelerating body.
, which provides motion detection that recognizes natural human movement. Some examples in small portable electronics include gesture recognition (1) The ability to interpret simple handwritten symbols such as check marks and slashes. See PDA and tablet PC.

(2) The ability to recognize hand signals. In 1998, Toshiba introduced a device that uses infrared light reflected from a user's hand to sense its motion.
, tilt to scroll in all directions, or silencing a phone by tapping it.

Freescale's industry-leading MC13783 power management IC is also utilized in the PDK, allowing multimedia products to offer robust features with low power consumption. The MC13783 offers an abundance of different power saving modes, giving the system developer the ability to make trade-offs between power consumption in stand-by and recovery times.

Additional value-added software, such as multimedia codecs The following is a list of codecs. Audio codecs
Non-compression formats
  • Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF, container format)
  • Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF, container format)
, is available for download on the i.MX website (freescale.com/imx). Freescale's high-performance multimedia codecs enable a series of popular audio, video and image applications using i.MX multimedia applications processors. The multimedia codecs are provided as fully-functional, product-ready software packages.

A comprehensive ecosystem supporting i.MX multimedia applications processors includes tool chain providers, system integrators, middleware and multimedia partners, board vendors and key operating systems partners.

At this year's Freescale Technology Forum, June 16-19 in Orlando, Florida The city of Orlando is a major city in central Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida. According to the 2000 census, the city population was 185,951. A 2006 U.S. , developers, journalists and analysts are invited to view demonstrations of the i.MX31 PDK.

About Freescale's i.MX31 multimedia applications processor

The Freescale i.MX31 multimedia applications processor is designed for a broad range of applications such as portable media players, portable navigation devices, automotive entertainment systems, ultra portable handheld computers and a broad range of industrial, healthcare and general purpose applications. Based on ARM([R]) core technology, the i.MX31 family is engineered with Freescale's Smart Speed[TM] technology to deliver powerful performance while minimizing power consumption. Extensive integration helps to reduce your design time significantly. The entire i.MX Family supports a broad range of platforms such as those based on the Microsoft Windows See Windows.

(operating system) Microsoft Windows - Microsoft's proprietary window system and user interface software released in 1985 to run on top of MS-DOS. Widely criticised for being too slow (hence "Windoze", "Microsloth Windows") on the machines available then.
 and Linux operating systems, as well as a number of leading real time operating systems. All i.MX processor package options are RoHS compliant.

Pricing and Availability

The i.MX31 PDK is available now. The recommended resale price is $2,500 USD USD

In currencies, this is the abbreviation for the U.S. Dollar.

Notes:
The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion.
 and includes the 3-stack hardware solution, tested and verified BSPs for the Windows Embedded CE 5.0, Windows Embedded CE 6.0 and Linux 2.6.24 operating systems, enhanced software such as multimedia frameworks and wireless connectivity stacks, demonstrations of optimized codecs, and technical support directly from Freescale and Freescale's authorized distributors. For a limited time, a 25 percent off introductory price coupon is available on the Freescale website.

For more information including documentation, tools support and orderable part numbers, please see the product pages at www.freescale.com/imx31pdk.

About Freescale Semiconductor

Freescale Semiconductor is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. The privately held company privately held company

A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly.
 is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with 2007 sales of $5.7 billion (USD). www.freescale.com

Supporting Comments from Freescale Alliance Members Follow

Adeneo: "We are pleased to offer both Windows([R]) Embedded CE 6.0 and Linux BSP support for the i.MX31 PDK platform," said Warren Lubow, Senior Director of Operations, Adeneo America. "The PDK enables developers to unlock the full power of the i.MX31 multimedia applications processor while having the support of Adeneo as a systems integration partner for the customers development and customization needs."

AGS AGS American Geriatrics Society. : "Advanced Geospatial Solutions Ltd. (AGS) and Freescale have worked together to showcase RealityMobile[TM], a 3D visualization solution that enhances current navigation products, on the i.MX31 PDK. RealityMobile's API enables easier and efficient integration of full 3D visualization into Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs)," said Gary Pallet, General Manager, AGS. "We have taken advantage of the i.MX31 PDK form factor to showcase the demonstrations that also enable the 3D graphics accelerator A display adapter that performs a specialized set of graphics functions to render an image on screen. Today, all display adapters provide basic rendering functions in hardware, but many have graphics processing units (GPUs) that are sophisticated computers.  built in the i.MX31 processor."

ARM: "The recently-launched i.MX31 device support in the ARM[R] RealView[R] Developer Suite enables developers to quickly begin developing on the Freescale i.MX31 PDK," said Mark Onions, Director of Marketing, System Design Division, ARM. "The RealView Developer Suite now offers a seamless experience for i.MX31 users, enabling them to focus on product and software development rather than device and tool configuration, thereby directly accelerating time-to-market."

BSQUARE: "The i.MX31 PDK greatly simplifies the handheld consumer product development process," said Larry Stapleton, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, BSQUARE. "Leveraging our experience with the i.MX architecture, BSQUARE has ported Adobe([R]) Flash([R]) Lite(TM) software to the i.MX31 PDK. OEMs who want to build compelling user interfaces on i.MX31-based devices using Flash authoring tools can view BSQUARE's Flash demo at the Freescale Technology Forum in Orlando, Florida, June 16-19, 2008." Visit BSQUARE at pod 1210 and 1211.

CSR (1) (Customer Service Representative) A person who handles a customer's request regarding a bill, account changes or service or merchandise ordered. Agents in call centers are known as CSRs. See call center. : "Wireless connectivity is a must have for designers using Freescale's Product Development Kit based on the i.MX31 multimedia applications processor. The i.MX31 PDK integrates a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi module incorporating CSR's embedded wireless technologies and provides all the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functions integrated into the board support package allowing OEMs a faster time to market," said Domink Hughes, Platform Partner Manager, CSR. "More and more customers are demanding the combination of CSR's BlueCore and UniFi technologies providing designers with the best integration option, offering the industry's best power consumption and performance figures."

Express Logic: "Express Logic's award-winning BenchX Eclipse-based IDE will be demonstrated at Freescale Technology Forum 2008 in support of Freescale's advanced i.MX31 Product Development Kit (PDK)," said John Carbone, Vice President of Marketing for Express Logic. "The i.MX31 PDK provides a rich set of capabilities for embedded development, and our BenchX IDE simplifies the process with an intuitive GUI (Graphical User Interface) A graphics-based user interface that incorporates movable windows, icons and a mouse. The ability to resize application windows and change style and size of fonts are the significant advantages of a GUI vs. a character-based interface.  and full target connectivity. In addition, our ThreadX RTOS (1) (RealTime Operating System) An operating system designed for use in a real time computer system. See real time system, embedded system, process control and OS-9.  also supports the i.MX31 PDK, giving developers comprehensive development software that will enable them to bring new designs to market more quickly and more successfully."

Green Hills Software: "The i.MX31 PDK is an attractive small-form factor development board well suited for customers developing and deploying i.MX31-based products on Green Hills Software's MULTI MULTI Multiple , INTEGRITY, and family of RTOSes with the Green Hills Probe," says Robert Redfield, Director of Business Development, Green Hills Software.

Mentor Graphics: "We are pleased to offer highly optimized support for the i.MX31 PDK platform, helping Freescale customers create innovative, highly differentiated products in less time," said Neil Henderson, General Manager, Mentor Graphics Embedded Systems Division. "Nucleus OS combined with our advanced UI technology enables developers to unlock the full power of the i.MX31 applications processor with a complete and versatile software platform that cuts significant time and risk out of product development."

MontaVista: "MontaVista has just released a new Linux support package that delivers Mobilinux 5.0 support for the i.MX31 PDK, and we are enthusiastic about being part of this new Freescale offering," said Patrick MacCartee, Director of Product Management, MontaVista Software. "The embedded developers and designers who are our customers have shown strong interest in this new PDK, especially in its high level of feature integration into a near form-factor outline. We expect this PDK to be very successful, and plan to expand our support for Freescale i.MX PDKs in the future."

Opera: "Opera is happy to partner with Freescale to bring the full Web, especially popular Web sites such as YouTube, in a fast, secure and innovative way, to handheld devices leveraging the power of the i.MX31 processor in the new i.MX31 PDK," says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Opera Software.

QNX A multiuser, multitasking, real time operating system for PCs from QNX Software Systems, Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario (www.qnx.com), that is noted for its low-memory requirement and rapid response. Similar to Unix, it has been in use since the early 1980s. : "QNX is extending its long term relationship with Freescale with its support for the i.MX31 PDK. The QNX demonstration at the Freescale Technology Forum highlights the power of combining Freescale multimedia processors with the performance and reliability of the QNX Neutrino neutrino (ntrē`nō) [Ital.,=little neutral (particle)], elementary particle with no electric charge and a very small mass emitted during the decay of certain other particles. ([R]) realtime operating system See real time operating system.  (RTOS) and the QNX Aviage family of middleware products. The form factor and modularity of the PDK make it an excellent platform on which to base demonstrations of our integrated multimedia and advanced graphics support," said Linda Campbell, Director of Strategic Alliances and Segment Marketing at QNX Software Systems.

Quadros: "The PDK is a complete platform that gives the developer access to the many rich features of the i.MX31 processor," said Jim Yastic, Quadros, Business Development. "Quadros has its full range of RTOS and middleware products available to help rapidly build embedded applications on this powerful and flexible architecture."

Syncromesh: "The Freescale i.MX31 PDK is superior in concept to previous platforms in terms of packaging and form factor," said Alan R. Weiss Alan R. Weiss is a computer industry expert on Benchmark (computing) and Software development tools, Founder of the EEMBC Certification Laboratory (ECL), an independent third party that certified the benchmark scores for the industry-standard consortium known as EEMBC. , CEO Syncromesh Computing, LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol.

LLC - Logical Link Control
. "Arrival quality was excellent, and in our experience as software and hardware developers building real products, we believe that the kit can be a good starting point for high performance, low power designs."

Trolltech: "The Qt cross-platform solution offers an efficient framework for creating and for deploying rich user experiences on the widest range of desktop, mobile and embedded devices in the industry, including Linux and Microsoft Windows Embedded CE," says Chuck Piercey, VP Product Management at Trolltech. "We have been working with Freescale closely for the last few years, and we see the i.MX31 applications processors and PDK as a powerful development platform that our mutual customers can leverage to deliver higher value solutions in less time and with greater reliability."

VirtualLogix: "VirtualLogix has worked closely with Freescale to enable our VLX VLX Visual Language of Experimentation (modeling language)  real-time virtualization An umbrella term for enhancing a computer's ability to do work. Following are the ways virtualization is used.

Hardware Virtualization
Partitioning the computer's memory into separate and isolated "virtual machines" simulates multiple machines within one physical computer.
[TM] software for the i.MX31 PDK," said Mark Milligan, Vice President of Marketing at VirtualLogix. "We recognize tremendous market potential and believe that the combination of VLX and the i.MX31 PDK unlock powerful capabilities for our mutual customers to rapidly deliver more secure, advanced products."

Freescale and the Freescale logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. ARM is the registered trademark of ARM Limited. ARM1136 is the trademark of ARM Limited. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. (c) Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. 2008.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Publication:Business Wire
Date:Jun 17, 2008
Words:1936
Previous Article:The Amacore Group, Inc. Announces the Appointment of G. Scott Smith as Chief Operating Officer.
Next Article:MeadWestvaco Corporation (MWV) to Release Second Quarter 2008 Results and Host Conference Call.
Topics:



Related Articles
Freescale and Universal Electronics Subsidiary Join Forces on Synchronizing Digital Media Between the Car and Home.
Toshiba Launches gigabeat(R) Portable Media Players Powered by Freescale and Microsoft Technology.
SKY MobileMedia Announces Integration of SKY-MAP 2.0(TM) Mobile Software Solution on Freescale Hardware Platform.
Freescale Unveils Reference Platform to Streamline Development of NAS Home Media Servers; Media Server-in-a-Box Platform Based on PowerQUICC(TM)...
Synchromesh Computing Announces Market Ready Validation Program for Middleware; ''Tested and Validated Program'' Expands to Include Key Software...
Ecosystem Support Establishes Momentum for New Freescale Storage Processors.
Wind River and Freescale Deliver Linux(R) OS-based Enablement Solution for Multi-core MPC5121e Processor.(Company overview)
Freescale Industrial Platform Adds Support for Key Protocols and Operating Systems.
TapRoot Systems Inc. Supports Windows Mobile for Freescale 3G Chipsets.
Wind River and Freescale to Accelerate Migration and Adoption of Multicore Technology.(Company overview)

Terms of use | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles