LinuxDevices.com Embedded Linux Newsletter -- September 18, 2003

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Embedded Linux Newsletter

September 18, 2003

by Rick Lehrbaum
Editor-in-chief


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* * * TOP STORIES * * *

Linux-based "gateway server" remotely pilots model airplane -- This whitepaper describes how engineers at IBM's Pervasive Computing Advanced Technology Laboratory created a Linux-based, intelligent, remote control system for a model airplane as a way to showcase gateway server technology. The onboard computer controls various navigational equipment and interfaces to a wireless access point and PDA. The user can control the plane through handheld wireless technology. The article briefly introduces "gateway server" concepts, describes the embedded hardware and software architecture, explains how the IBM developers implemented the control systems, and includes lots of cool photos.  Story

Royal to debut $300 Linux/Qtopia PDA this year -- Royal announced plans for a line of new "feature-rich", "competitively priced" Linux-based handheld devices that incorporate Trolltech's Qtopia application platform, thereby providing software compatibility with Sharp's Zaurus PDAs. The first of these products, Royal LineaLX, is scheduled to ship in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 2003 for less than $300.  Story

PIXIL device GUI framework, app stack released under GPL -- Century Software has released source code for its PIXIL product line under the GNU General Public License (GPL), and launched a website in support of the release. Century calls PIXIL "a complete suite of commercial-ready embedded software solutions for advanced Internet appliances" such as PDAs, WebPads, set-top boxes, cellular phones, smart handhelds, and thin clients.  Story

Linux network-enables parking lot payment stations -- Digital Pioneer has put embedded Linux to work inside an innovative, next-generation payment terminal for parking lots, to solve the problems of reliability, theft, vandalism, and weather damage -- common (and potentially expensive) headaches with parking payment meters. In addition to networking the meter for payment processing and remote management, the embedded Linux-powered computer interfaces with numerous subsystems that monitor various activities and device states. Our Device Profile offers further technical details and photos of this innovative embedded Linux design win.  Story

New MiniGUI release adds uClinux support -- Feynman Software has released a new version of MiniGUI which adds support for uClinux. MiniGUI defines a set of light windowing and GDI APIs for applications. The release can be built for uClinux with or without thread support. MiniGUI's original author Wei Yongming claims that the threaded version ranks among the best GUI systems available for uClinux.  Story

Embedded Linux drives PatrolBot surveillance robot -- Embedded Linux and a high-end EBX single-board computer (SBC) form the brain behind ActivMedia's new $30K "PatrolBot," which ActivMedia calls "the first fully autonomous robotic surveillance and monitoring system available off-the shelf."  Story

Configuring and compiling the Linux kernel -- This online course at IBM's DeveloperWorks website explains how to configure and compile the Linux kernel from sources. The course is ideal for those who want to learn about or improve their Linux kernel compilation and configuration skills. Free registration is required.  Story

More comments on EMF's "Total Cost of Development" report -- The Embedded Market Forecasters (EMF) report comparing the relative costs of development with Linux and Windows continues to ripple the world of embedded computing with discussion and dissent. This collection of three editorials on the topic originally appeared in the Aug. 2003 issue of RTC Magazine . . .

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

. . . and that's not all. Click here for the latest breaking news.


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MISSED A NEWSLETTER?

You can access 2003's newsletters here:   Sep. 11,   Sep. 4,   Aug. 21,   Aug. 14,   Aug. 7,   Jul. 31,   Jul. 24,   Jul. 17,   Jul. 10,   Jul. 3,   Jun. 26,   Jun. 19,   Jun. 12,   Jun. 5,   May 29,   May 22,   May 15,   May 8,   May 1,   Apr. 24,   Apr. 17,   Apr. 10,   Apr. 3,   Mar. 27,   Mar. 20,   Mar. 13,   Mar. 6,   Feb. 27,   Feb. 20,   Feb. 13,   Feb. 6,   Jan. 30,   Jan. 23,   Jan. 16,   Jan. 9,   Jan. 2


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