Freescale Launches RAppID ToolBox, Enabling On-Target, Rapid Prototyping for Automotive Applications.Software Tool Designed to Enhance Productivity and Reduce Development Cycle-Time on MPC (1) (Mobile PC) A handheld or laptop computer. See handheld computer, laptop computer and Ultra-Mobile PC. (2) (MultiPath Channel) See multipath. 5554 Microcontroller Platforms DETROIT -- To help automotive customers streamline model-based software development, 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. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :FSL FSL - Formal Semantics Language. A language for compiler writing. ["A Formal Semantics for Computer Languages and its Application in a Compiler-Compiler", J.A. Feldman, CACM 9(1) (Jan 1966)]. [Sammet 1969, p. 641]. ) (NYSE:FSL.B) has introduced the RAppID ToolBox, a software solution that supports on-target, rapid prototyping Building a part one layer at a time using a method of additive fabrication such as 3D printing. Such parts are used for concept modeling to determine if the product design meets the customer's expectations. for Freescale's 32-bit MPC5500 automotive microcontroller (MCU (1) (MicroController Unit) A computer on a single chip. See microcontroller. (2) (Multipoint Control Unit) A device that is used to moderate a videoconference of three or more end points (users at computers or groups of users ) family. The RAppID ToolBox is designed to help control engineers reduce development time and cost when migrating from their application modeling environment to real-world implementations on automotive MCU platforms intended for production. The toolbox provides an ideal prototyping solution for a variety of automotive applications, such as engine and transmission control, anti-lock braking systems An anti-lock braking system (ABS) (translated from German, Antiblockiersystem) is a system on motor vehicles which prevents the wheels from locking while braking. The purpose of this is to allow the driver to maintain steering control under heavy braking and, in some and chassis/suspension systems. Developers also can use the toolbox for non-automotive applications ranging from avionic systems to industrial printers to power generators. "As microcontrollers become more powerful and feature-rich to address more complex applications, developers need access to more sophisticated yet easy to use prototyping solutions like the RAppID ToolBox," said Salim Momin, director of Freescale's Virtual Garage software and services business unit. "Control engineers can use the RAppID ToolBox to determine how their applications will perform on target MCUs early in the development cycle and then work on optimization at the model level rather than at the code level." Streamlined development through on-target rapid prototyping Control engineers often validate their control models functionally by running auto-generated C code on commercially available rapid prototyping hardware. However, the prototyping hardware usually does not represent the MCU targeted for production. As a result, the engineers may not know the control algorithm's actual performance on the production MCU. In addition, engineers prefer to run their control algorithms on target MCUs early in the development cycle to validate their device selection. However, this can be a difficult, time-consuming task if they have to write the initialization in·i·tial·ize tr.v. in·i·tial·ized, in·i·tial·iz·ing, in·i·tial·iz·es Computer Science 1. To set (a starting value of a variable). 2. To prepare (a computer or a printer) for use; boot. 3. , device drivers and scheduler code by hand, which adds to the development cycle time. Freescale's RAppID ToolBox addresses these challenges by enabling engineers to execute their control models on MPC5500 MCU family hardware without writing code and to profile the execution of the code on their target MCU. The RAppID ToolBox thus helps reduce development time by allowing engineers to work in their actual, real-world control environment. Using the profiling feature of the RAppID ToolBox, application developers can study the performance of their control strategy on the target microcontroller early in the design cycle. The toolbox eliminates the need to invest in expensive prototyping hardware by supporting rapid prototyping on cost-effective evaluation boards for MPC5500 family devices, such as the MPC5554 MCU. Optimized DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive blocks enable developers to take advantage of the single-instruction/multiple-data (SIMD (Single Instruction stream Multiple Data stream) A computer that performs one operation on multiple sets of data. It is typically used to add or multiply eight or more sets of numbers at the same time for multimedia encoding and rendering as well as scientific ) capabilities of the MPC5554. Integrated with industry-standard modeling and code-generation environments The RAppID ToolBox leverages the powerful modeling and simulation environment provided by The MathWorks product family with an add-on blockset for MATLAB (MATrix LABoratory) A programming language for technical computing from The MathWorks, Natick, MA (www.mathworks.com). Used for a wide variety of scientific and engineering calculations, especially for automatic control and signal processing, MATLAB runs on Windows, Mac and [R] and Simulink[R], and an embedded target for Real-Time Workshop[R] and Real-Time Workshop[R] Embedded Coder. It supports Signal Processing See DSP. Toolbox for optimized single instruction multiple data (SIMD) functions and Stateflow[R] for interactive design and simulation. Using the RAppID ToolBox, developers can quickly execute and evaluate their complex control algorithms on MPC5500 family platforms. The toolbox automatically generates the necessary software, from initialization to device drivers to schedulers, including support for Freescale's OSEKturbo real-time operating system (operating system) Real-Time Operating System - (RTOS) Any operating system where interrupts are guaranteed to be handled within a certain specified maximum time, thereby making it suitable for control of hardware in embedded systems and other time-critical applications. (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. ). The toolbox-generated code integrates seamlessly with commercial automatic code generation tools, such as TargetLink from dSPACE and Real-Time Workshop and Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder. About Freescale's Virtual Garage The Virtual Garage is a Freescale strategic business unit that provides software solutions and services to the transportation industry. The Virtual Garage mission is to enable customers to adopt a true "systems engineering" methodology based on modeling and simulation; these systems engineering solutions help decrease traditional development cycle times and cost while improving overall system quality. In addition to providing software solutions to developers in the automotive, aerospace/defense, printing and industrial automation industries, the Virtual Garage also collaborates with universities by providing software tools, such as the RAppID ToolBox for use as curricula in control engineering classes. RAppID system requirements To be used efficiently, all computer software needs certain hardware components or other software resources to be present on a computer system. These pre-requisites are known as (computer) system requirements and are often used as a guideline as opposed to an absolute rule. and compatibility
-- Microsoft Windows NT, 2000 and XP
-- 512MB RAM recommended
-- Minimum 1GHz processor recommended
-- Standard screen resolutions supported
-- Modeling Environment: MATLAB, Simulink, Stateflow, Signal
Processing Toolbox
-- Code-generators: Real-Time Workshop, Real-Time Workshop Embedded
Coder from The MathWorks or TargetLink from dSPACE
-- Embedded targets:
-- Support for Freescale, Green Hills Software and Wind River
(DIAB) compilers
-- Generic schedule target with multi-rate,
synchronous/asynchronous task support
-- Freescale OSEKturbo target
-- Built-in consistency checks between target and model
-- Compatible with:
-- MATLAB Version R14sp1, R14sp2, R14sp3 and R2006a
-- TargetLink Version 2.1
RAppID ToolBox availability The first RAppID ToolBox offering for the MPC5554 MCU is available now from Freescale's Virtual Garage. Software support for additional MPC5500 family devices is planned for the future. For more information about the RAppID ToolBox, visit http://www.freescale.com/files/pr/vg.html. Freescale: The leader in automotive semiconductors Freescale is the No. 1 supplier of automotive semiconductors, with more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of motor vehicles. In 2006, more than 69 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide. . Freescale technology is used in an overwhelming majority of new vehicles. Freescale's sensors, analog products, and 8-, 16- and 32-bit microcontroller families provide intelligence and connectivity for advanced safety, body electronics, chassis, engine control, powertrain, driver information and telematics. Freescale is a pioneer in FlexRay[TM] technology and was the first supplier to integrate CAN, LIN and flash memory technologies on automotive MCUs. About Freescale Semiconductor Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. Freescale became a publicly traded company publicly traded company A company whose shares of common stock are held by the public and are available for purchase by investors. The shares of publicly traded firms are bought and sold on the organized exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. in July 2004. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale, a member of the S&P 500[R], is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with 2005 sales of $5.8 billion (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. ). www.freescale.com. Reader Inquiry Response: Freescale Semiconductor P.O. Box 17927 Denver, CO 80217 USA Freescale[TM] and the Freescale logo are trademarks of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. [c] Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. 2006. |
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