LinuxDevices.com Embedded Linux Newsletter -- May 1, 2003

Welcome to LinuxDevices.com's
Embedded Linux Newsletter

May 1, 2003

by Rick Lehrbaum
Executive Editor



* * * TOP STORIES * * *

Temporal inventory and real-time synchronization in RTLinux -- In this 22-page technical whitepaper, RTLinux originator Victor Yodaiken gives an overview of synchronization methods for real-time, with special attention to the RTCore (RTLinux) real-time operating system. A glossary, included at the end, provides some useful tutorial material.  Read full story

Four ways to use Linux in real-time embedded apps -- This article from RTC Magazine examines the risks and other tradeoffs associated with four approaches to satisfying real-time requirements of Linux-based embedded applications, including: (1) run Linux as a task within an external real-time kernel; (2) use Linux without modification, hoping for satisfactory "soft" real-time performance; (3) convert Linux into an RTOS by careful modification; (4) use a "Linux-compatible" RTOS instead of Linux.  Read full story

SnapGear unveils free embedded Linux for secure Internet devices -- A newly released free "commercial grade" embedded Linux distribution targets secure Internet-enabled products. The distribution supports a range of processors, both with and without memory management units (MMUs), and includes toolchains and library support.  Read full story

Tiny system simplifies Linux-based "device server" apps -- Axis Communications unveiled a small, inexpensive system based on its ETRAX RISC processor multi-chip module. The system includes a pair of Ethernet ports, a USB 1.1 host port, and three serial ports, enabling its use in "connectivity applications" where storing and logging application data are desired.  Read full story

CompactFlash card turns PDAs into digital audio recorders -- Core Sound announced a new CompactFlash card that is said to enable PDAs, notebooks, and desktop PCs to perform high quality digital audio recording functions. The card provides optical and coaxial inputs and comes with support for mobile devices running embedded Linux.  Read full story

Ultra-integrated system-on-chip challenges XScale, SH, OMAP -- Centrality Communications unveiled a new family of dual-core system-on-chip processors for smartphone, PDA, and other mobile device applications. The new "Atlas" processors integrate an ARM9 RISC processor, DSP, graphical LCD controller, Bluetooth and GPS baseband controllers, digital camera interface, and a long list of peripheral control and system expansion interfaces. Embedded Linux support for the new processors is currently "under construction."  Read full story

RJ-45 connector boasts built-in webserver -- Although it doesn't run an embedded Linux OS, we couldn't resist informing our readers of this amazing little creation from Lantronix that we found at last week's Embedded Systems Conference. It's an RJ-45 connector with a built-in 10/100Mbps Ethernet media access controller. But that's not all . . .  Read full story

Open 3D-graphics spec for devices nears release -- Version 1.0 of the Khronos Group's OpenGL ES (embedded subset) graphics API spec for embedded devices is now ready for final review and ratification by Khronos Group members, a process which should lead to its public release in July 2003. OpenGL ES is described as a light-weight, royalty-free embedded graphics standard that provides 3D-capable graphics API profiles for a broad range of embedded systems and devices.  Read full story

Intel releases open source lip-reading software -- The newly released software allows developers to build computers that see and "read lips" the way humans do, to better understand spoken commands. The lip-reading approach is immune to the inevitable inaccuracies that occur when speech recognition algorithms are employed in noisy environments such as public places. The software is released under the BSD license and currently runs on Linux and Windows.  Read full story

Other noteworthy news items and announcements from the past week . . .

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