2013年12月30日 星期一

The Reliable Software Developers’ Conference – UK, May 2014

Technology event organiser Energi Technical has announced that it will be launching "The Reliable Software Developers' Conference", scheduled for May 2014.
This one-day conference will provide an important forum for engineers and developers working in the development of safety critical systems and high availability systems. It is expected to attract software developers working in such industries as automotive, railway systems, aerospace, bankingmedical and energy. www.rsd-conference.co.uk
"In recent years, software has become so complex that ensuring safety and reliability is now a major challenge," said Richard Blackburn, Event Organiser. "Many systems now have millions of lines of code and will handle enormous amounts of data. Further to this, modern computer based systems will make millions of decisions every second and also have to be immune to interference and unpredictable events. This event will look at the MISRA coding standards, debug tools and software testing tools that are available to assist software programmers and engineers seeking to develop reliable and safety critical
systems."
Delegates attending either event will have the opportunity to sit in on technical presentations and ½ day technical workshops and a attend a vendor exhibition of tools and technology for the development of real-time and embedded systems. www.device-developer-conference.co.uk
"Advanced Debug Tools, Code Test, Version Control, Verification Tools and Software Standards have been a growing feature of recent conferences, so it made sense to create a dedicated event," said Richard. "There will be a lot expertise available to delegates, and the chance to meet a broad range of vendors of test technologies and tools, all under one roof."
Developed in collaboration with MISRA (Coding Standards), the Reliable Software Developers' Conference will feature a number of presentations in the morning, followed by a half-day technical workshop in the afternoon. The presentations will be free and open to delegates of both Conferences, but the half-day workshops will be subject to a charge of £75. Delegates will learn about developments in coding standards, test and verification tools and best practices and it will also be an opportunity to meet with many industry experts.
Refer to:http://embedded-computing.com/news/the-uk-may-2014/

2013年12月23日 星期一

Acrosser wish you Happy Holidays and a very prospective 2014 coming soon!

As we near the end of 2013, Acrosser would like to send you our warmest New Year’s wishes! We wish you and your family health, comfort, and prosperity this holiday season.

We also thank you for keeping up with our latest products, sending us inquiries, and choosing our products for your integrated solution! In 2014, we hope you will continue to choose Acrosser. We look forward to assisting you and your company in becoming the leader in your vertical market, and building a win-win relationship together.

And don’t forget about our star product, AES-HM76Z1FL, and its upcoming Product Testing Event in January! Remember to mark your calendar, since Acrosser is lending the product for free only to selected participants! Please stay tuned for more event information in early January!

With your continuous dedication and our commitment to quality, Acrosser is always motivated to make your embedded idea a reality!

2013年12月16日 星期一

Comprehensive customization for network appliances: meet our rackmount and micro box!

acrosser Technology, a world-leading network communication designer and manufacturer, introduces two network appliances that deliver great performance and protection while simplifying your network. Each product has its own target market and appeals to a unique audience.

Acrosser
’s ANR-IB75N1/A/B serves as an integrated Unified Threat Management (UTM) device that covers all of your networking security needs. Featuring a 3rd generation Intel Core i processor, increased processing throughput is easily made. For integration with information security systems, the device also features functions such as anti-virus, anti-spam, fire wall, intrusion detection, VPN and web filtering, in order to provide complete solutions to meet the demands of various applications.

Key features of the ANR-IB75N1/A/B include:
‧Support for LGA1155 Intel® Core ™ i7/i5/i3 processor / Pentium CPU
‧Intel B75 Chipset
‧2 x DDRIII DIMM, up to 16GB memory.
‧2 x Intel 82576EB Fiber ports
‧8 x Intel 82574L 10/100/1000Mbps ports
‧Two pairs LAN ports support bypass feature (LAN 1/2 + LAN 3/4)
‧LAN bypass can be controlled by BIOS and Jumper
‧CF socket, 2 x 2.5” HDD, 1 x SATA III, 1 x SATA II
‧Console, VGA (pinhead), 2 x USB 3.0 (2 x external)
‧Support boot from LAN, console redirection
‧Equipped with 80 Plus Bronze PSU to decrease CO2 dissipation and protect our environment
‧LCM module to provide user-friendly interface
‧Standard 1U rackmount size

As for our micro box, the AND-D525N2 provides more possibilities for different applications due to its small form factor (234mm*165mm*44mm). Aside from its space-saving design, the other 3 major features of the AND-D525N2 are its high performance, low power consumption and competitive price. Please send us your inquiry via our website (http://www.acrosser.com/inquiry.html), or simply contact your nearest local sales location for further information.
Key features of the AND-D525N2 include:
‧Intel Atom D525 1.86GHz
‧Intel ICH8M Chipset
‧x DDR3 SO-DIMM up to 4GB
‧1 x 2.5 inch HDD Bay, 1 x CF socket
‧4 x GbE LAN, Realtek 8111E
‧2 x USB2.0
‧2 x SATA II
‧1 x Console
‧1 x MiniPCIe socket

Besides In addition to these two models, Acrosser also provides a wide selection of network security hardware. With more than 26 years of rich industry experience, Acrosser has the ODM/OEM ability to carry out customized solutions, shortening customers’ time-to-market and creating numerous profits.

For all networking appliances product, please visit:
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/Networking-Appliance.html

Product Information – ANR-IB75N1/A/B:
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/Networking-Appliance/Rackmount/ANR-IB75N1/A/B/Networking-Appliance-ANR-IB75N1/A/B.html

Product Information – AND-D525N2:
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/Networking-Appliance/MicroBox/AND-D525N2/ATOM-D525-AND-D525N2.html

Contact us:
http://www.acrosser.com/inquiry.html

2013年12月10日 星期二

In China, international brands are quite influential.


Although Fieldbus has a large base of new connected nodes in China, the usage of Fieldbus is not as common as in developed countries such as Germany or the United States. This is mainly because Chinese customers are encountering networking technology much later than those developing countries.

However, the growing speed of Ethernet is quite considerable in China and we think it is a great opportunity for Chinese customers to upgrade their automation system under current market condition. Customers will just jump from old Fieldbus Technologies direct to Ethernet now and actually many of them are doing right now.  The Chinese market is currently engaged in extensive upgrading and new infrastructure construction, and that will require a great deal of Ethernet applications.

refer to:http://www.automation.com/portals/industrial-networks-field-buses/industrial-ethernet-growing-in-china

2013年12月1日 星期日

High Computing Performance for All Applications- F.I.T. Technology

The demand for computing performance in the IPC market continues to become stronger as the IT field advances. Acrosser’s new AES-HM76Z1FL has been designed to meet these demands.
The F.I.T. Technology used to build this new product reflects its 3 major features: fanless design, Intel core i processor and ultra thin frame. The fanless design not only reduces the risk of exposure to air dust, but also prevents fan-malfunction. With a height of less than 0.8 inches, AES-HM76Z1FL’s slim design makes itself FIT into every application.
As its structure and output interface show, AES-HM76Z1FL provides a wide range of choices, from HDMI, VGA, USB, and audio to GPIO output interfaces that suit almost all industries. For wireless communication needs, the AES-HM76Z1FL has a mini-PCle expansion slot which provides support on both 3.5G and WiFi.
Another fascinating feature of the AES-HM76Z1FL is its ease of installation for expansions. By disassembling the bottom cover, expansions such as CF cards, memory upgrades and mini-PCIe can be easily complete without moving the heat sink. Moreover, Acrosser adopts 4 types of CPU (Intel Core i7/i3, Intel Celeron 1047UE/927UE) for AES-HM76Z1FL, allowing it to satisfy the scalable market demands of different applications.
In conclusion, the AES-HM76Z1FL is truly a well-rounded product designed for diverse applications. To promote our star product AES-HM76Z1FL, Acrosser will launch a product testing campaign starting in January, 2014. Acrosser will provide selected applications with the new AES-HM76Z1FL for one month, and it’s free! For more detailed information, please stay tuned for our press release, or leave us an inquiry on our website at www.acrosser.com!

Product Information:
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/Embedded-Computer/Fanless-Embedded-Systems/AES-HM76Z1FL/Intel-Core-i3/i7-AES-HM76Z1FL.html

2013年11月24日 星期日

Innovation Automation Vendors Serve Products & Services

Service Dynamics
The primary objective of a service company should be to focus on the development a system solution that is uniquely suited to the idiosyncrasies of the client’s business without being tethered by particular product solution offerings. A big part of this is the ability to deploy technologies from appropriate sources using integration and engineering skills to achieve a superior result for the client. Service businesses need to have effective and refined project, personnel, and quality management systems. The growth and effectiveness of these businesses is directly related to adding and managing smart people and this is a unique business proficiency mastered by successful service organizations. Pure service businesses have an advantage of successfully maintaining alliances with a range of product vendors that cannot be logically achieved by product vendors who provide services. This separation positions a pure service business to use best of breed and get the most out of vendors. For comparison, consider you are a smartphone user and the only place to get apps was your phone hardware vendor.

Ideal Product Company Focus
I believe that product companies should always be striving to eliminate implementation and operations labor with improved and innovative automation technology. There is an inherent conflict by having a company that provides services and products.

Inherent Conflict
The dynamics of a service business and innovative product business are dramatically different. Established product companies tend to emphasize the practices and culture they know best when they move into services. The tendency is to find synergies based on their products that become the recommended solutions for customers. Additionally, it can be more difficult for a product company who provides services to be the champion for the customer when there is a problem with the product being implemented.

refer to:http://www.automation.com/portals/factory-discrete-automation/can-automation-vendors-serve-two-masters-products-services

2013年11月14日 星期四

Acrosser unveils its ultra slim fanless embedded system with 3rd generation Intel core i processor


Acrosser Technology Co. Ltd, a world-leading industrial and embedded computer designer and manufacturer, announces the new AES-HM76Z1FL embedded system. AES-HM76Z1FL, Acrosser’s latest industrial endeavor, is surely a FIT under multiple circumstances. Innovation can be seen in the new ultra slim fanless design, and its Intel core i CPU can surely cater for those seeking for high performance. Therefore, these 3 stunning elements can be condensed as "F.I.T. Technology." (Fanless, Intel core i, ultra Thin)
The heat sink from the fanless design provides AES-HM76Z1FL with great thermal performance, as well as increases the efficiency of usable space. The fanless design provides dustproof protection, and saving the product itself from fan malfunction. AES-HM76Z1FL has thin client dimensions, with a height of only 20 millimeters (272 mm x183 mm x 20 mm). This differs from most embedded appliances, which have a height of more than 50 millimeters.
The AES-HM76Z1FL embedded system uses the latest technology in scalable Intel Celeron and 3rd generation Core i7/i3 processors with a HM76 chipset. It features graphics via VGA and HDMI, DDR3 SO-DIMM support, complete I/O such as 4 x COM ports, 3 x USB3.0 ports, 8 x GPI and 8 x GPO, and storage via SATA III and Compact Flash. The AES-HM76Z1FL also supports communication by 2 x RJ-45 gigabit Ethernet ports, 1 x SIM slot, and 1 x MinPCIe expansion socket for a 3.5G or WiFi module.
Different from most industrial products that focus on application in one specific industry, the AES-HM76Z1FL provides solutions for various applications through the complete I/O interfaces. Applications of the AES-HM76Z1FL include: embedded system solutions, control systems, digital signage, POS, Kiosk, ATM, banking, home automation, and so on. It can support industrial automation and commercial bases under multiple circumstances.
Key features:
‧Fanless and ultra slim design
‧Support Intel Ivy Bridge CPU with HM76 chipset
‧2 x DDR3 SO-DIMM, up to 16GB
‧Support SATA III and CF storage
‧HDMI/VGA/USB/Audio/GPIO output interface
‧Serial ports by RS-232 and RS-422/485
‧2 x GbE, 1 x SIM, and 1 x MiniPCIe(for3G/WiFi)


Contact us:

2013年11月4日 星期一

Used during system design

Reused as an entry point for software design
Elaborated on during detailed software design (for example, by discretizing continuous time blocks and changing double-precision data to single-precision or fixed-point)
Used as input for embedded code generation
The test cases for system requirement validation likewise are reused on the model, source code, and executable object code to perform functional testing and collect coverage metrics.
While not advocating for any particular mapping, the use and reuse of models for systems and software design along with code generation have long provided UAV system developers using MathWorks products of Simulink and Embedded Coder with streamlined processes. It is nice to see that this same approach is now clearly acknowledged as an acceptable means to certification by the governing standards. MathWorks provides verification tool qualification kits and workflow guidance regarding the use of model-based design for DO-178.

refer to:
http://mil-embedded.com/articles/transitioning-do-178c-arp4754a-uav-using-model-based-design/

2013年10月28日 星期一

Asia claims almost half of automation computers sales

One of the key areas of opportunity is the power industry, where the booming consumer and industrial power markets in developing economies such as China and India have created rocketing demand. In China the per capita energy use is still a long way behind most of Western Europe, meaning the potential for growth is still huge. Without question, Asia represents a perfect storm of opportunities for Industrial automation.

In order to help businesses better understand how to take advantage of the current climate and increase their industrial automation sales in Asia, particularly China, the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) is hosting a seminar entitled ‘Gateway to China’. The event will take place on 24th September at the Mitsubishi Electric Europe Tokyo Conference Suite in Hatfield.

One of the key areas of opportunity is the power industry, where the booming consumer and industrial power markets in developing economies such as China and India have created rocketing demand. In China the per capita energy use is still a long way behind most of Western Europe, meaning the potential for growth is still huge. Without question, Asia represents a perfect storm of opportunities for automation solutions.
In order to help businesses better understand how to take advantage of the current climate and increase their industrial automation sales in Acrosser, particularly China, the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) is hosting a seminar entitled ‘Gateway to China’. The event will take place on 24th September at the Mitsubishi Electric Europe Tokyo Conference Suite in Hatfield.

refer to:http://www.connectingindustry.com/automation/asia-claims-almost-half-of-automation-sales.aspx

2013年9月17日 星期二

Secure Connections over the Internet


The concept of being able to remotely connect to a network anywhere in the world is not a new one. It has long been utilized in the IT world to prevent IT administrators from having to drive into work at 3 a.m. to fix a software automation.
The implications of a secure automation from anywhere in the world extend beyond nightmare troubleshooting scenarios, such as a remote PLC in the middle of a desert with only basic cellular coverage connecting to the primary information center (SCADA PC or database server) across the Internet. How is this accomplished in a secure, simple fashion?
The answer is the humble Virtual Private networking (VPN) connection, sometimes referred to as a VPN tunnel. This particular piece of technology allows two disparate networks separated by the cloud to connect to each other as though they are on the same local networking, albeit with a substantial penalty in connection speed. This penalty is not particularly relevant when passing small pieces of data, such as a SQL command or a Modbus function call. It is now even possible to send programs to PLCs and monitor visualizations of industrial networks across such tunnels. These capabilities allow for truly unparalleled possibilities.
VPNs are typically established between two pieces of network infrastructure, such as a commercial router and an industrial hardware VPN solution. Alternatively, software VPNs are available that would allow a PC to connect to the remote network. Software VPNs are particularly useful for the traveling technician, allowing remote troubleshooting to one customer’s site while at another site for long-term support. This sort of flexibility means that a technician can, quite literally, be in two places at once.

refer to:
http://www.automation.com/leveraging-it-technology-for-industrial-controls-applications

2013年9月10日 星期二

Right for the security elements



As shown in the picture, additional security elements include multiple solutions. TenAsys also offers the INtime RTOS family, which can run as a stand-alone RTOS or alongside Microsoft Windows as shown. Both products enable users to partition a multicore platform to run mixed fanless embedded systems, making better use of the processor’s advanced features to provide highly integrated  solutions. (Microsoft and TenAsys are both Associate members of the Alliance.)A factory is only as strong as its weakest link, so every Internet of Things client in the factory needs protection from viruses, malware, and hacking to prevent costly interruptions to factory operation. The 4th generation Intel Core processor adds a number of features to its security portfolio, including McAfee’s Deep Defender technology, which resides between the memory and embedded system to perform real-time memory and CPU monitoring without impacting overall system performance.

They work in harsh environments, and they get little or no recognition. But their impact on power plant efficiency can be significant. Valves and actuators are critical in almost every aspect of single board computer.

refer to:

2013年5月14日 星期二

Mega conference showcases embedded solutions

Industrial pc, Console server, networking appliance

"There will be a lot of knowledge at this event," said Richard Blackburn, Event Organiser. "This will be a chance for engineers to get up to date and explore new technologies and trends in the industry. Whether it's hardware, software, enclosure or test, I think they will find this a very useful event." Distributor of embedded systems tools and technologies embedded computer. Systems will be exhibiting its Timesys embedded Linux OS solution and also giving a presentation on the management of open source software for commercial projects. "We are very pleased to be supporting this new event," said Stuart Parker, Managing Director of SDC Systems. "The UK is very successful in the field of electronics and embedded computing and has needed such a conference for quite a embedded computer while now.

refer to: http://embedded-computing.com/news/embedded-oss-the-device-developers-conference/

2013年5月7日 星期二

Traceability rendered via networking Application






As these devices grow in complexity, it has become a significant burden for networking project teams to confirm that software requirements have been tested and tests can be traced back to requirements. In many cases, even with extensive testing, teams might not know whether they have successfully met all of the product requirements.
A high level of complexity and the need for greater system reliability also bring quality to the forefront. Older embedded systems were either simple enough or not important enough to spend time finding, tracking, and fixing software defects. Today, defects in embedded systems can be just as common and even more important than those in networking enterprise applications. And because of the greater complexity, it becomes more important to be able to trace defects back through test cases and to requirements so that networking teams have increased transparency into issues and the features they affect.

2013年4月23日 星期二

2013 the Embedded Systems Expo and Conference (ESEC)


2013 the 
Embedded Systems Expo and Conference (ESEC) from May 8th to the 10th. The event will take place at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center in Tokyo, Japan. We warmly invite all customers to come and meet us at the west hall, booth number: WEST 10-61.

2013年4月9日 星期二

Gaming chips: the only solution


Industrial computer, gaming platform,  Embedded pc
BOM (Bill-Of-Material) Control is one of the largest differentiators for Industrial offerings. True BOM Control locks down the controller and NAND silicon revisions as well as the gaming firmware internal to the flash storage devices. It is very important to companies who have long qualification cycles to make sure their qualification gaming efforts are meaningful by receiving the same BOM on production parts as was originally tested.

2013年4月1日 星期一

Reaching embedded chopper stabilization

Single Board computer, Console server, gaming platform

BLDC motors can be used in any application that needs an efficient and quiet motor, ranging from robotics and portable medical equipment to HVAC fans and appliances.

Joshua and Fred bust the three myths that have led designers to request latching sensors with chopper stabilization and explain why a high-sensitivity bipolar latching Hall effect sensor can increase BLDC motor efficiency.

Sensor embedded manufacturers have historically achieved high sensitivity in bipolar latching Hall effect sensors for BLDC motor applications by using embedded chopper stabilization, a technique used to mitigate sensitivity and stability over temperature for a Hall element. As a embedded result, chopper stabilization has become synonymous with high sensitivity and stability in Hall effect sensors.

refer to: http://industrial-embedded.com/articles/busting-three-myths-chopper-stabilization/

2013年3月11日 星期一

A new dimension for performance management

Industrial pc, Networking appliance, Console server

Given the increased complexity of processors and applications, the current generation of Operating Systems (OSs) focuses mostly on software integrity while partially neglecting the need to extract maximum performance out of the existing hardware.

Processors perform as well as OSs allow them to. A computing platform,  or otherwise, consists of not only physical resources – memory, CPU cores, peripherals, and buses – managed with some success by resource partitioning (virtualization), but also performance resources such as CPU cycles, clock speed, memory and I/O bandwidth, and main/cache memory space. These resources are managed by ancient methods like priority or time slices or not managed at all. As a result, processors are underutilized and consume too much energy, robbing them of their true performance potential.
Most existing management schemes are fragmented. CPU cycles are managed by priorities and temporal isolation, meaning applications that need to finish in a preset amount of time are reserved that time, whether they actually need it or not. Because execution time is not safely predictable due to cache misses, miss speculation, and I/O blocking, the reserved time is typically longer than it needs to be. To ensure that the modem stack in a smartphone receives enough CPU cycles to carry on a call, other applications might be restricted to not run concurrently. This explains why some users of an unnamed brand handset complain that when the phone rings, GPS drops.
Separate from this, power management has recently received a great deal of interest. Notice the “separate” characterization. Most deployed solutions are good at detecting idle times, use modes with slow system response, or particular applications where the CPU can run at lower clock speeds and thus save energy. For example, Intel came up with Hurry Up and Get Idle (HUGI). To understand HUGI, consider this analogy: Someone can use an Indy car at full speed to reach a destination and then park it, but perhaps using a Prius to get there just in time would be more practical. Which do you think uses less gas? Power management based on use modes has too coarse a granularity to effectively mine all energy reduction opportunities all the time.
refer:
http://embedded-computing.com/articles/performance-management-new-dimension-operating-systems/

2013年2月25日 星期一

The IP vendor’s strategy and incentives and match their offerings to what is required

Industrial computer, gaming platform, Embedded pc
 

Understanding and selecting analog IP can be risky, but engineers today have more choices and more control than they think. Knowing how to manage the IP selection process can help engineers effectively meet objectives and reduce risk.

Analog IP landscape
The analog IP market has exploded in the past 10 years. Demand for ADC, DAC, Phase-Locked Loop (PLL), and DC-DC converter IP is expected to grow at more than 17 percent through 2015, according to Semico. Two forces are largely responsible for this. First, the amount of analog talent in the labor pool has reduced dramatically. Second, competitive pressures are putting premiums on time to market and costs. IP is seen as an effective strategy for meeting time to market and addressing significant bottleneck issues because it allows engineers to purchase blocks and amortize the cost over multiple projects.
Strategy + business model
Analog IP firms invest heavily in R&D to lead on the performance front and then market those products for a variety of applications. The model works great for innovation and for customers needing state-of-the-art performance. Performance premiums are often not necessary for the application. This is where proper requirements definition comes in handy.
Most analog IP firms charge upfront license, per-unit royalty, and related maintenance and service fees. Licenses can usually be expanded from single use to multisite to amortize costs more efficiently (see Figure 1).

Industrial computer, gaming platform, Embedded pc
 
Figure 1: An analog IP business model allows engineers to purchase blocks and amortize the cost over multiple projects.
 


Analog IP challenges
Because analog IP blocks are usually delivered as hard macros, they are largely dependent on process technology and are difficult to modify and test. This decreases the number of options and can make a customer more reliant on a specific foundry. Analog IP companies are exerting a great deal of effort to migrate their portfolios to smaller technologies, but are seeing major challenges at 40 nm and below. This has long-term implications for product roadmaps as costs grow exponentially at smaller technologies. These challenges present strategic trade-offs for embedded teams.
When ADC, DAC, or DC-DC controller IP is developed in all-digital RTL, many of these challenges are removed. All-digital ADC cores, for instance, are easily modified for special requirements, technology independent, FPGA embeddable, and digitally testable. These cores are often smaller and lower power due to the use of a digital fabric. The drawback of this approach is limited resolution and bandwidth. At Stellamar, ADCs currently offer up to 16-bit resolution and 400 kHz bandwidth. By comparison, analog ADCs offered in mixed-signal FPGA packages provide 12 bits and 500 kHz bandwidth.
Steps to evaluate IP/system fit
With a high-level understanding of the analog IP landscape, engineers can concentrate on avoiding the two most common problems when selecting IP: unclear objectives and improper requirements definition. To do this, a team considering buying IP must thoroughly understand these two dynamics.
Project objectives
Given the trade-off of offering smaller technologies at higher costs, clarity on the most important overall project objectives is critical. Analog IP is one tool of many that can help engineers meet an objective, and whatever tool is chosen dictates how the team allocates resources to meet the objective.
One of the best tools for prioritizing objectives is the CARVER matrix that Navy SEALs use to assess the value of a military target in a quick, no-fail way. This exercise can shed light on the most important issues to the design team, including reuse versus custom, foundry reliance, and technology portability and prototyping. Try this exercise in a group or individually to compare how team members view objectives.
First, list critical objectives for the embedded design project. Be specific. Objectives such as low power and small area aren’t nearly as effective as actual numbers. Objectives should also include higher-level strategies such as “foundry neutral” or “ensures process roadmap.”
Next, score the objectives 1-5 (5 being highest) on each of six criteria:
  • Criticality: How critical is this objective?
  • Accessibility: How achievable is the objective with internal resources? Purchased IP?
  • Recognizability: Does the team recognize the objective as important?
  • Vulnerability: What force is needed to achieve the objective? Can it be achieved in a certain time frame? Are large amounts of resources needed?
  • Effect on mission: How much closer does this objective get the design to meeting the overall strategy?
  • Return on effort (ROI): How much bang for my buck?
Table 1 shows an example CARVER matrix.

Industrial computer, gaming platform, Embedded pc
 
Table 1: A CARVER analysis can shed light on an IP project by rating the importance of design objectives according to six critical factors.
 


In this example, the team’s overall strategic objectives are to limit reliance on one foundry and ensure the IP can get the product to 22 nm. These objectives are achievable in the current IP landscape if technical requirements can be met, leading to the next dynamic of understanding.
Technical requirements
In the old days of in-house IP development, engineers would gather requirements and build IP blocks exactly according to those specs. This often increased cost, lead times, and risk when targeting a new technology. As cost and time-to-market pressures have transferred IP production to the “outhouse,” adherence to specifications has relaxed. This benefits IP companies who market their higher-performance blocks for wide-ranging, lower-performance applications.
A vendor has limited ability to meet specific requirements in a given budget or time frame. Foundry and process portability challenges further limit optimal choices for the customer. These limits have ramifications from higher power consumption to price premiums for unnecessary performance. Proper requirements definition is key to understanding where trade-offs will occur and how those trade-offs can be counterbalanced.
To start proper requirements definition, some key questions need to be asked, including:
  • What is being measured, and what is needed?
  • What are the minimum resolution and bandwidth needed to completely convert the input?
  • What are the power and size budgets?
  • What are the input characteristics?
  • Are there unique timing needs?
  • Is the prototype system FPGA-based?
  • How can the design convert from FPGA to ASIC?
  • What foundry created the IP? What process was used?
  • What are the test requirements?
Standards exist for many functions. For instance, audio is still 12 bits and 15 kHz bandwidth. Professional audio is higher, and knowing this difference can save money and time. As another example, many DC-type measurements have very small bandwidth, often sub-10 Hz, yet engineers often choose ADC IP with greater than 1 MHz bandwidth because of availability. This is like using a sledgehammer to drive the head of a pin. It gets the job done, but will consume more power than necessary. Similarly, integral and differential nonlinearity degrades the effective number of bits for some ADCs. If the requirement is 12 bits, a 14-bit ADC block might be needed to achieve the required 12-bit resolution.
IP selection
Armed with prioritized strategic objectives and exact technical requirements, the team can start the selection process. Websites such as Chipestimate.com and Design-reuse.com are good places to start. Xilinx and Microsemi also provide robust IP ecosystems that include analog IP functions from providers like Stellamar.
To attain the level of comfort needed to make a selection, the team must ask the vendor a number of questions, including:
  1. Does the vendor have customers and success stories?
  2. Are the cores silicon-proven?
  3. What level of support is provided?
  4. Can the core be evaluated before purchase?
  5. What deliverables are provided?
  6. What is the licensing structure?
  7. How long will it take to tailor IP to specific needs?
  8. How long has the company been providing IP cores?
  9. How free is the company with sharing basic information?
  10. What strategic partnerships does the vendor have?
By following this roadmap in sequence and asking all of the important questions, the design team should be confident that third-party analog IP selection and integration can help meet strategic objectives and add significant value to the overall system design.

refer:
http://embedded-computing.com/articles/understanding-analog-cores-embedded-computing-needs/


2013年2月4日 星期一

Intel® Core providing the bandwidth you need for applications

Industrial computer, gaming platform, Embedded pc
The Intel® Core™2 Quad processor for desktop PCs is designed to handle massive compute and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology.
Providing the bandwidth you need for multi-threaded applications, Intel Core 2 Quad processors are built on 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture enabling, faster, cooler, and quieter desktop PC and workstation experiences.

Intel® Wide Dynamic Execution, enabling delivery of more instructions per clock cycle to improve execution time and energy efficiency
Intel® Intelligent Power Capability, designed to deliver more energy-efficient performance
Intel® Smart Memory Access, improving system performance by optimizing the use of the available data bandwidth
Intel® Advanced Smart Cache, optimized for multi-core processors, providing a higher-performance, more efficient cache subsystem
Intel® Advanced Digital Media Boost, accelerating a broad range of multimedia, encryption, scientific and financial applications by significantly improving performance when executing Intel® Streaming SIMD Extension (SSE/SSE2/SSE3) instructions
Intel® HD Boost³, with Intel® Streaming SIMD Extension 4 (Intel SSE4) instructions for even greater multimedia performance and faster high definition video editing and encoding
Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT)², enabling greater security, manageability, and utilization
Future ready, designed to perform in highly threaded programs with powerful Intel® multi-core technology

from
http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2quad/index.htm

2013年1月29日 星期二

COM Express Basic Type 6 Product with Great-Performance for Industrial Automation Application









COM Express Basic Type 6 Module, the ACM-B6360. ACM-B6360 features Intel 3rd generation FCBGA1023 Core i7 processor with QM77 platform, two DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM with ECC and providing great computing and graphic performance. Which is suitable for Industrial Automation and Entertainment applications.

ACM-B6360 is base on COM Express Type 6 pin-out design and supports two DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM socket with ECC and four native USB 3.0 ports. Working with Acrosser evaluation basboard ACM-B4080. It provides not only speed and but also reliability. Moreover, two SATA 3.0, two SATA 2.0, four USB 3.0, four USB 2.0, one GbE and I2C, SMBus interface are integrated on them. Even with great computing and graphic performance, the optimized power design delivers high power efficiency and decrease system heat.

The ACM-B6360 carries on board Intel 3rd gnenration Core i7-3615QE FCBGA1023 processor which supports three independent display with multiple output : 24-bit LVDS, VGA, HDMI and one DDI interface. One PCI-E x16 Gen., 3.0 and seven PCI-Ex1 interfaces for IO expansion. It is suitable for Medical, Test & Measurement and Transportation applications.

2013年1月20日 星期日

Acrosser AR-R6006 is a rackmount platform designed for Networking Application

Single Board 3.5inch, Console server, gaming platform

AR-R6006 networking platforms based on Intel ATOM dual core D525 processor. It features 1U rackmount with maximum 4GB memory, 6 x GbE LAN ports, 2 pairs LAN bypass, 4 x USB ports(2 interanl USB ports), 3 x SATA ports, 1 x Mini PCI expansion slot and console port.

The platforms is equipped with six Intel PCI express Gigabit Ethernet controllers. Its advanced features include 802.1p (QoS), 802.1q (VLAN), IPv4 and IPv6 checksum offload, auto MDI-X, up to 256 KB TCP segmentation, ACPI power saving control and 9 KB Jumbo Frame support. Customers can benefit much higher communication performance from AR-R6006.

In addition, the software and hardware configurable LAN bypass feature also avoids the communication breaking due to power loss or system hang up.