Rockwell's Brooktree division provides video technology for the next versions of Microsoft Windows and Windows NT; drivers for the Brooktree Bt848 video-capture processor chip provide new video capabilities for the Windows operating systems.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 1997--Rockwell Semiconductor Systems Brooktree Division has contributed key video driver technology for use in Microsoft's WDM (1) (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) A technology that uses multiple lasers and transmits several wavelengths of light (lambdas) simultaneously over a single optical fiber. Driver Development Kit (DDK DDK Driver Development Kit (Microsoft driver development) DDK Device Driver Kit DDK Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan DDK Droid Developer Kit DDK Device Development Kit ) Preview for the next release of the Windows 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. . Featured today at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference The Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) is the annual software developer-oriented trade show and business conference where Microsoft elaborates on its hardware plans for Microsoft Windows-compatible PCs. (WinHEC) 97, the upcoming versions of the Windows and Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. operating systems provide enhanced video capabilities by incorporating a number of new technologies including: Active Movie 2.0, Video Port Extensions (VPE VPE Verpackungseinheit (German) VPE Vapor Phase Epitaxy VPE Visual Programming Environment VPE Video Port Extensions VPE Victoria Petroleum NL (Australia; stock symbol) ) and the Win32 Driver Model (WDM). The Brooktree Bt848 driver is based on WDM architecture that will be included in the next releases of Windows and Windows NT. Microsoft's newly enhanced WDM provides a variety of expanded video capabilities and built-in hardware support. Introduced in April 1996, WDM helps hardware developers easily create drivers for the Windows and Windows NT operating systems. WDM is a critical step in Microsoft's strategy for sharing technologies among its operating systems. It is a core ingredient of Microsoft's Simply Interactive PC (SIPC (Simply Interactive PC) An earlier umbrella term from Microsoft and Intel for a PC that works like a home appliance. For example, it has a sealed case, uses external connectors for expansion and boots in just a couple of seconds. ) initiative, which was unveiled at WinHEC 96. SIPC and Microsoft's Entertainment PC platform are designed for simplicity, ease of use, entertainment applications and to help PCs transition from the home office into the living room. Video is a key component of that effort. WDM enhances hardware support in a variety of areas, including video capture. Microsoft and Rockwell's Brooktree Division have taken core driver technology developed for Brooktree's Bt848 video-capture chip and included it into the WDM DDK Preview. By using a common driver architecture for Microsoft Windows and Windows NT operating systems, Microsoft has ensured that hardware developers can focus on a single set of drivers that exploit the full feature set of their hardware across both operating systems. "Video-capture technology leaders like Rockwell's Brooktree Division are providing very robust levels of video support via WDM," said Bill Veghte, group manager at Microsoft Corp. "This is critical to deliver on the promise of the SIPC and Zero Administration for Windows (ZAW (Zero Administration for Windows) An umbrella term from Microsoft for enhanced network administration features such as automatic distribution of new software and upgrades. First implemented in Windows NT, such features have migrated to other versions of Windows. See ZAK. ) initiatives." Rockwell's Brooktree Division has a broad range of expertise in video capture and display technology. The Bt829 and Bt848 video capture chips are integrated into a number of leading consumer PCs and add-in cards. Based on the same core video-capture technology, the Bt829 and Bt848 chips give OEMs important design options for supporting video. For OEMs who wish to offer various levels of video support using a base system design, the Bt829 works with all popular media controllers to support a video-attach system partitioning strategy which optimizes total system costs. Alternatively, an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and may wish to quickly and selectively drop complete video-capture capability into individual models as desired. The Bt848's PCI bus mastering architecture, DMA (1) (Digital Media Adapter) See digital media hub. (2) (Document Management Alliance) A specification that provides a common interface for accessing and searching document databases. engine and full suite of ready-to-go video-capture drivers make this possible by leveraging the speed and flexibility of the PCI bus. "We're proud to have contributed to the development of the first video-capture drivers included in the Windows operating systems," said Dana Witt, software product manager for Rockwell's Brooktree Division. "Video-based applications are becoming increasingly popular, and computer and add-in card makers now have a solid foundation for crating a wide-range of innovative PC video products." Rockwell Semiconductor Systems, based in Newport Beach, Calif., comprises the Multimedia Communications Division (MCD MCD Minor Civil Division MCD McDonalds (restaurant) Mcd Macedonian (linguistics) MCD Municipal Corporation of Delhi MCD Magnetic Circular Dichroism MCD Mad Cow Disease ), the Wireless Communications Division (WCD WCD World Commission on Dams WCD Work Center Description WCD Weed Control District WCD Work Control Document WCD Workforce Competency Dictionary WCD Wireless Collision Detection WCD Weapons in Competition for Development ), the Brooktree Division, and the new Digital Infotainment Division. MCD is the world leader in facsimile and PC modem devices for personal communications electronics. WCD offers total system solutions for advanced cordless telephony and global positioning systems receiver engines. The Brooktree Division is a leading producer of high-performance digital and mixed-signal ICs for multimedia, graphics, communications and imaging applications. The new Digital Infotainment Division will focus on products for the digital consumer electronics information and entertainment markets. Rockwell is a global electronics company with leadership market positions in industrial automation, semiconductor systems, avionics and communications, with projected fiscal 1997 sales of approximately $8 billion and 44,000 employees. In March, Rockwell announced that it planned to spin off its automotive components business. This transaction is expected to be completed in September 1997. CONTACT: Rockwell Semiconductor Systems Eileen Algaze, 714/221-6849 eileen.algaze@nb.rockwell.com or The Benjamin Group Inc. (Editorial Contacts) Carolyn Fromm or Lisa Thielmann, 714/245-7500 cfromm@oc.tbgi.com or lthielma@oc.tbgi.com |
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