Editor’s Note

Reshaping the World

This is a great time to be an embedded engineer. We are infusing intelligence into embedded
devices in ways that can reshape society and transform the way we live. As embedded computers
move from stand-alone devices to Internet-connected machines, we are creating completely new cat-
egories of equipment—and completely new markets eager for our innovation. There is huge new
demand for networked medical equipment, smart grids, and interactive equipment in the retail envi-
ronment. Cars are sprouting web connections, and even military equipment is rapidly evolving as
information becomes as important as firepower.
However, these new opportunities come with new challenges. Now more than ever developers
need solutions that deliver high return on investment. There is unprecedented pressure to lower
development risk and cost. And customers are more concerned than ever about lowering total cost of
ownership—which means designers need to deliver products that are secure, reliable, and manage-
able.
The design process is also changing as product differentiation moves from hardware to software.
In addition, space and power budgets are shrinking, putting new constraints on designs. And many of
the new applications come with harsh operating conditions or stringent certification requirements.
So here’s the big question: How do you get there from here? The opportunities are in front of us
and the challenges are clear, but what is the best path forward? Intel has a bold answer to this ques-
tion—one that encompass hardware, software, and even the development process itself. In our sec-
ond edition of the Embedded Innovator, we’ll share this vision for success. We’ll show how you can
cut costs, risk, and time to market with standards-based hardware. We’ll also show how this hard-
ware helps you maximize code re-use and scale your designs—both across your existing product
lines and into future designs.
We’ll lay out the secrets to software success, with
ON THE COVER articles on everything from development tools to
Yes, that is a media phone operating systems to middleware. We’ll show you
made out of child's clay— how you can jump-start your development with solu-
it’s a playful rendering of tions designed for specific application areas includ-
the OpenPeak® ing industrial, medical, retail, and automotive.
®
OpenFrame , to be exact. Finally, we’ll show you how to deliver products
We put this cover together that give your customers the manageability and low
to illustrate how much total cost of ownership they need. And we’ll let you
simpler product develop- know how to do all this while squeezing big perform-
ment can be when you ance into tiny spaces and low power budgets.
have the right resources at Internet connectivity is reshaping the embedded
hand. Just as child’s clay industry, creating a future full of possibilities. Let’s
opens up a world of cre- see together what intelligence can do!
ativity, Intel® technology makes possible a new world of
intelligent embedded devices. For example, the
OpenFrame uses an Intel® Atom™ processor to deliver
entertainment, information, and household organizational
tools, all in a single easy-to-use device.
What will you create? KENTON WILLISTON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
Contents
Stimulus Spending Brings Medical Applications to Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Opportunities and Challenges in Digital Records
By Thomas Chou, Director of Business Development, Advantech Co., Ltd.

A Smooth Path to Rugged Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

New Industrial-Temperature Intel® Atom™ Processors Meet Extreme Demands
By Lorraine Orcino, Sr. Product Line Manager, COM Express™, RadiSys

Outsmarting the Recession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Cutting Development Cost and Risk with COTS Platforms
By Norbert Hauser, Vice President Marketing, Kontron AG

Making Software Simpler

Using Intel® Technology to Overcome System Complexity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
By Matthew J. Adiletta, Director, Communication Infrastructure Architecture and Intel Fellow, Intel
Michael F. Fallon, Software Architect, Intel
Myles Wilde, System Architect, Intel

The Atom-Powered Car

Speeding up In-Vehicle Infotainment Development with Intel® Atom™ Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
By Christian Riesinger, R&D Manager, and Christian Eder, Marketing Manager, congatec AG

Open Source Autos

Using Linux for In-Vehicle Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
By Franz Walkembach, Senior Product Manager, Automotive Solutions, Wind River

Cutting Rackmount Systems Down to Size

Cluster Computing in Space-Constrained Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
By Jim Renehan, Director of Marketing & Business Development, Trenton Systems, Inc.

Building Next-generation Point-of-Sale Terminals and Kiosks

Cut Power and Improve Manageability with Intel® Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
By Nigel Forrester, Vertical Marketing Manager, Emerson Network Power, Embedded Computing

Consolidating Hardware with Virtualization

Using Multi-core Platforms with Multiple OSs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
By Kenton Williston, Editor-in-Chief

Developing Innovative Digital Signage

Windows® Embedded Standard Provides High Confidence Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
By Steffen Schreier, Senior Lead Program Manager, Microsoft Corp.

Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Atom, Intel Core, Pentium, Xeon, and VTune are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | 1
 MEDICAL

Stimulus Spending
MEDICAL
Brings
APPLICATIONS
to Life Opportunities and Challenges
in Digital Records

BY THOMAS CHOU, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ADVANTECH CO., LTD.

H
ealthcare systems
around the globe are
experiencing tremen-
dous pressure to
improve health services while containing
costs. As a result, medical providers are
replacing their older paper- and film-based
systems with more efficient health informa-
tion technology, such as electronic health
records. Recent governmental actions have
greatly increased the pace of this transition.
For example, the U.S. government will
invest billions over the next five years to
move the U.S. healthcare system to broad
adoption of standards-based health infor-
mation technologies. This represents a
huge new opportunity for medical system
developers and integrators.
Specifically, the U.S. economic stimulus legislation Americans to electronic patient records by the year
(also known as the American Recovery and 2014. The legislation allocates grants and funding to pro-
Reinvestment Act of 2009) signed into law in February mote health information technology. Vendors delivering
2009 includes almost U.S. $20 billion to modernize certified electronic health records products will benefit
healthcare systems. This provision, known as the from the large portion of the HITECH Act’s funding
HITECH Act, calls for a nationwide health information geared toward physicians and hospitals purchasing and
technology infrastructure with a goal of switching all implementing medical technology solutions.

2 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
 However, the opportunities come with challenges.
Medical settings have unique requirements in terms of seal-
ing, thermal and acoustic properties, electromagnetic inter-
ference control, longevity, maintenance, disinfection, certifi-
cation, and adherence to a vast array of strict rules and
regulations—and these requirements are often quite intri-
cate. In addition, hospitals and clinics are complex and
diverse environments with widely varying needs. The med-
ical world therefore needs flexible technology that can be
adapted and customized to the unique needs of each loca-
tion and facility. At the same time, medical system develop-
ers need to get their products to market quickly and effi-
ciently—a major challenge considering the accelerated time
table and the complex demands of medical applications.
In this article we will show how OEMs can meet these
challenges using standards-based solutions built around
the Intel® architecture. We will outline some of the medical
solutions available today and highlight their benefits. We
will also explain how an experienced partner can help the
OEM meet the unique certification challenges associated
with medical applications.
CHALLENGES IN MEDICAL APPLICATIONS
Medical and clinical environments have highly diverse,
highly specific computing needs that present unique
challenges. Some medical systems demand maximum
performance while others have modest performance
demands but must run silently and efficiently. Some have
advanced interface and peripheral requirements while
others need to support legacy connections.
Despite the wide variety of systems, consistency and
compatibility are critical: New medical products must offer
interoperability and compatibility with existing customer
systems. Clinical and medical settings almost always
have both legacy systems as well as highly specialized
medical equipment. New or replacement technology must
be able to easily integrate into existing systems, and it
must be flexible enough to interface with complex and
specialized medical systems. In addition, the hardware
must provide asset management and protection measures
in order to maintain the security and integrity of the elec-
tronic health records systems.
New initiatives such as the move to electronic patient
records represent opportunities, but OEMs can only take
advantage of these opportunities if they get to market
quickly. There will be great competition in this field, and
the ability to deliver on time and within budget is crucial.
Space is often an issue in medical and clinical envi-
ronments, and there may also be special mounting
requirements. This means that systems must be avail-
able in different form factors and in compact, adaptable
enclosures.
▲ Figure 1. The SOM-6760 features the Intel® Atom™ processor Z500
series running at up to 1.6 GHz, hardware video accelerators, and
connectivity options including PCIe and USB 2.0.
The combined mandate of sealed enclosures and silent
operation necessitates low-power technology in many
medical applications. At the same time, medical applica-
tions require state-of-the-art performance. Thus, a hard-
ware platform that combines performance with power effi-
ciency is essential.
Medical systems generally have a much longer life
cycle than commercial or consumer products. They also
have different maintenance, service, and longevity require-
ments. These factors must be taken into consideration.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE WITH INTEL
Developers can address these challenges by leveraging
the vast lineup of Intel architecture-based products for
medical systems. Intel covers the spectrum from low-
power solutions all the way to high-performance multi-core
processors, all with a compatible architecture that lever-
ages decades of expertise and investment. This large line-
up is available with 7+ year lifespan support, letting OEMs
choose these devices without fear of obsolescence.
To illustrate the advantages of the Intel lineup, consider
the low-power Intel® Atom™ processor, which is designed
for applications where power consumption and thermal
management are top concerns. This makes it a great fit for
clinical and medical computing products, which often have
special thermal and sealing requirements that preclude fans
or vents. At the same time, the Intel Atom processor offers
a high level of performance, letting OEMs build devices that
were not possible before. In addition, developers can use
familiar software development tools which can mean faster
time to market.
Intel also offers networking and chipset technologies
that enable easy connectivity and high data security. Intel’s
E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | 3
 MEDICAL
Patient infotainment terminals
allow patients to watch
movies and TV, make phone
calls, play games, and
communicate via the Internet.
networking technology includes 802.11 Draft-N, WiMAX,
and gigabit Ethernet adapters for fast, reliable connections.
On the security front, Intel chipsets offer Intel® Trusted
Execution Technology (Intel® TXT) hardware-based data
protection; Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel®
AMT) for protection and repair of networked computing
assets; and Intel® Anti-Theft technology (Intel® AT), which
protects portable devices with a special theft mode.
Intel’s massive lineup of processors, chipsets, and
ancillary technology solutions means that OEMs can
choose from numerous options in a variety of form fac-
tors. These solutions range from standards-based com-
puters-on-module (COM) boards to ready-made config-
urable platforms such as Mobile Clinical Assistants
(MCAs) and Point-of-Care (POC) terminals. Drawing from
these standards-based components eliminates the need
to “reinvent the wheel” and allows developers to leverage
existing investment in training and software development
tools and expertise—thereby reducing development costs
and time to market. It also reduces the cost of integrating
legacy customer systems and helps
leverage customer investment in
Intel® technology.
▲ Figure 2. Advantech’s
MICA-101 Mobile Clinical
Assistant features a sealed, fanless
design; WiFi, Bluetooth®, and optional 3.5G
connectivity; and support for touch and pen operation.
4 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
EXAMPLE SOLUTIONS
Below are some of the building blocks of modern medical
systems made possible by Intel technology. They range
from versatile, standardized components all the way to
configurable and customizable systems and terminals.
Single Board Computers (SBCs): For applications requiring
very low-power, low-footprint solutions, Advantech offers a
variety of 3.5- and 5.25-inch Biscuit Single Board
Computers. The SBCs offer a high degree of high shock
and vibration resistance, making them excellent choices for
portable products. These SBCs support a wide range of
connectivity options, including USB 2.0, PCIe, SATA, and
dual-channel LVDS. The boards can be expanded with a
huge range of PC/104 add-on modules. Figure 1 on page 3
shows a typical board, the SOM-6760.
Mini-ITX: Advantech Mini-ITX boards offer a 170 x
170 mm footprint that is suitable for many compact med-
ical applications. These Intel Atom processor-powered
boards offer power efficiency and silent operation,
advanced features and options, and competitive pricing.
Because they use a standard form factor, Mini-ITX boards
can be easily combined with other standards-based hard-
ware to create a complete solution.
Medical mini PC: Designed specifically for healthcare
settings, the Advantech PIN-M106 medical mini PC is a
compact, waterproof solution for space-limited clinical
applications. Using a fanless design for silent operation,
the Intel Atom processor-based mini PC can connect to
two high-resolution displays. One screen can be used for
X-ray, endoscope, or other applications, while the other is
used to display and update patient records.
Point-of-Care (POC) terminals: Point-of-Care terminals are
medical-grade panel computers suitable for a variety of
healthcare applications. These touch screen-
equipped POCs come in a variety of configurations
with screen sizes ranging from 12 to 19 inches
diagonally. POCs offer fanless designs for
silent operation and easy cleaning. Their
sealed LCDs and enclosures are built to pre-
vent electronic emissions, resist spills and water
damage, and keep out dust. POCs can be used for
barcode scanning, viewing of electronic patient records,
and general use of medical software.
Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA): Based on the Intel®
Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA) reference architecture,
Advantech’s MICA-101 Mobile Clinical Assistant (Figure 2)
is a production-ready handheld tablet. Its low-power Intel
Atom processor facilitates long battery life and a sealed,
fanless design makes disinfection simple. The MICA-101
features easy connectivity via WiFi, Bluetooth®, and
optional 3.5G mobile communications. It has a dual digi-
tizer for both touch and pen operation. Other features
 MEDICAL

Certification Name Market Brief Description

EN 55011:1998, A1:1999, A2:2002 Europe Measuring radiated emissions
CB IEC/EN-60601-1-1 Europe Safety requirements for medical electrical systems
EN 60601-1-2:2001, A1:2006 Europe Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements and tests
IEC 61000-4-2:1995, A1:1998, A2:2000 Europe EMC
IEC 61000-4-3:2006 Europe EMC
IEC 61000-4-4:2004 Europe EMC
IEC 61000-4-5:2005 Europe EMC
IEC 61000-4-6:2006 Europe Immunity to conducted disturbances induced by RF fields
IEC 61000-4-8:1993, A1:2000 Europe Magnetic field immunity
IEC 61000-4-11:2004 Europe Voltage variations
EN 61000-3-2:2006, Class D Europe Harmonic current emissions
EN 61000-3-3:1995, A1:2001, A2:2005 Europe Voltage fluctuation and flicker
ISO 13485 Europe Comprehensive management system for medical device design and manufacture
UL 60601-1 U.S. Safety requirements for medical electrical systems
FCC Class B U.S. Testing standard for electronic equipment
UL2601-1 U.S. Medical certification

▲ Figure 3. Overview of important medical certification standards.

include an integrated camera, an RFID reader, and option-
al barcode scanner and webcam.
Patient Infotainment Terminal (PIT): These touch screen
panel PCs are used as bedside terminals. They allow
patients to watch movies and TV, make phone calls, play
games, and communicate via the Internet. PITs can also be
used by hospital staff to pull up records and perform other
functions. The terminals include RFID, a digital camera, and
a smart card reader for data capture and identification pur-
poses. The PIT platform also includes prominent nurse call
buttons for emergencies.
CERTIFICATION ISSUES
So far we have focused on technical issues, but technical
issues are only one side of the coin when it comes to medical
applications. Electronic products for use in medical settings
must not only be designed for maximum safety, minimum
electronic interference, and superior reliability, they also must
be certified under standards such as UL 60601 in the United
States and EN 60601 in Europe. Some products also require
certification under ISO 13485, which sets quality standard for
the design and manufacturing of medical devices (Figure 3).
OEMs must also consider the requirements of organi-
zations like the CCHIT (Certification Commission for
Health Information Technology), a non-profit U.S. authority
for electronic health records (EHR) and networks. CCHIT
certifies EHR products with the goal of ensuring compati-
bility, privacy, reduced risks, quality, and so on. For U.S.
designs, OEMs must also meet the standards issued by
the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC/HHS) and its
advisory committees, and they must meet the new
requirements introduced in the stimulus legislation
(ARRA/HITECH).
Tackling these requirements takes a high level of experi-
ence, political savvy, and technical expertise. Developers
can speed development and cut costs by leveraging the
expertise of vendors and suppliers that already have expe-
rience in medical markets, detailed knowledge of all the
pertaining regulations and requirements, and established
relationships with the major global medical companies. It
also helps having partners with their own dedicated med-
ical R&D team, which can provide detailed knowledge of
medical technologies and deliberate understanding of clini-
cal environments. A partner who understands core tech-
nologies such as various imaging systems as well as the
clinical applications can provide an edge in quick and cost-
efficient project implementation. OEMs can also see faster
time to market by using an experienced vendor who offers
customization capability, global logistics and local support,
and ability to provide a wide range of solutions.
INTEL + EXPERIENCED VENDORS =
SUCCESS
The current stimulus spending provisions offer consider-
able opportunity for the embedded industry in areas such
as electronic health records. Taking optimal advantage of
this opportunity requires familiarity with certification issues
as well as complex and diverse clinical environments. To
meet these goals, OEMs can leverage the benefits of Intel
architecture-based products and components, as well as
the expertise of experienced vendors who are already
familiar with the medical field and medical customers. This
results in more attractive proposals, smoother negotiation
of certification issues, and quicker time to market. ■
Join the discussion at
intel.com/embedded/community/applications
Advantech (www.advantech.com) is a Premier member of Intel®
Embedded and Communications Alliance. It offers a complete range
of embedded ePlatforms, from board to system level, as well as com-
prehensive integration services.

6 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
 RUGGED TECHNOLOGY

A Smooth Path
to Rugged
Technology
New Industrial-Temperature Intel® Atom™ Processors
Meet Extreme Demands
BY LORRAINE ORCINO, SR. PRODUCT LINE MANAGER, COM EXPRESS™, RADISYS

W
hether it’s an emer-
gency responder
robot, a remote sensor
on a traffic light, or a
telecommunications tower, embedded tech-
nology is finding its way into products that
need to operate flawlessly at -25 °C to
+70 °C and hold up in rugged environments.
A growing range of applications—including
Dome covering the United States base at South Pole. ® Galen Rowell/CORBIS

military, aerospace, and government (MAG)

products, industrial automation, and trans-
portation—requires embedded solutions
that can withstand these harsh conditions
while performing critical functions.
Creating these embedded solutions has always
been a challenge. Embedded developers must deliver
products that not only stand up to tough conditions,
but also meet stringent performance, power, and
temperature requirements. At the same time, these
products are getting smaller, which means more
functionality needs to occupy less real estate. On top
of all this, embedded developers have to stay within
tight budgets and meet tough deadlines.

8 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
 This article shows how the industrial-temperature
Intel® Atom™ processor Z5xx series helps equip-
ment manufacturers meet these challenges. These
new processors are changing the playing field and
paving the way for off-the-shelf rugged COM
Express™ modules, such as the new RadiSys
Procelerant™ CEZ5XT (Figure 1). These small yet
speedy modules help developers keep costs and
schedules under control, while standing up to the
extreme thermal environments in industrial settings,
transportation systems, and other environmentally
demanding applications.
MEETING EXTREME DEMANDS ▲ Figure 1. The RadiSys Procelerant™ CEZ5XT is the first COM Express™
From traffic lights to environmental controllers,
embedded devices have long been exposed to
heat, humidity, and other environmental hazards. Today
embedded devices are being developed for even more
extreme conditions—mounted on vehicles in the desert or
upper atmosphere, exposed to the elements in industrial
settings, or carried on military devices designed to survive
severe impact.
Thermal extremes, humidity, shock, vibration, and other
environmental factors all present design challenges.
Extreme heat can shorten device life or lead to unpre-
dictable behavior, while extreme cold can affect voltage or
frequency, preventing a device from turning on or starting
up correctly. Humidity can short out components, and shock
and vibration can weaken and eventually break connections.
Design for these conditions has traditionally involved
significant trade-offs, such as development time and cost
vs. functionality or durability, heat dissipation vs. comput-
ing performance, and thermal efficiency vs. device form
factor or device life. The trade-offs related to development
time and cost have been particularly vexing. Devices for
rugged environments have generally required proprietary
components (and accompanying software) specified to
industrial temperature ranges. The need for proprietary
designs has forced developers to accept higher develop-
ment time, cost, and risk.
New industrial-temperature versions of the Intel Atom
processor Z5xx are rewriting these rules. These low-
power processors are now available in rugged, standards-
based COM Express modules, such as the new RadiSys
Procelerant CEZ5XT. These reliable, proven COTS com-
ponents are designed to maximize device performance
and battery life while withstanding extreme conditions.
Using these COM Express modules lets OEMs enjoy the
benefits of standard-based technology: faster develop-
ment, lower costs, and a clear upgrade path.
module based on the the industrial-temperature Intel® Atom™ processor.
THE INTEL® ATOM™ PROCESSOR
Z5XX SERIES
The Intel Atom processor Z5xx series is Intel’s smallest
and lowest-power processor. It offers high performance
and the ability to run standard software, making it an exe-
cellent choice for today’s rugged applications. The
processor’s design extends battery life with very lower idle
power and average power. This low-power design is also
important for minimizing heat dissipation. Heat dissipation
is an issue for many embedded applications, but the envi-
ronmental hazards of rugged applications make it a partic-
ularly critical issue. For example, a device that operates in
sand may need to be sealed, without airflow for cooling.
Intel Atom processors are designed to maximize perform-
ance per watt in several ways:
A sub-2.2 watt power budget is enabled by a low-
power 45 nm fabrication process, as well as power
management technologies that include enhanced
thermal sensors and monitoring.
Enhanced Intel Speedstep® Technology provides multi-
ple voltage and frequency operating points so that
devices can deliver optimal performance at the lowest
power to extend battery life.
Power is further reduced with a new Deep Power
Down (C6) mode, clock gating, and other power sav-
ing architectural features.
Dynamic Cache Sizing allows the processor to flush
and disable a programmable number of cache ways
upon entry of deep sleep states, conserving power to
extend battery life and minimize heating.
E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | 9
 RUGGED TECHNOLOGY
Hyper-threading support enables two threads to run
in parallel, increasing performance and power
efficiency.
The front side bus (FSB) is optimized for low-power
CMOS drivers, yet it offers fast data transfer with
speeds of up to 533 MHz.
THE COM EXPRESS STANDARD
Computer-on-module, or “COM,” methodology, has
become a well-accepted way to implement many of the
most demanding embedded solutions. A COM module
contains all the components needed for a bootable host
computer, packaged as an off-the-shelf component.
System expansion and customization for each solution is
implemented on an application-specific carrier board.
Together, the COM and carrier board deliver the function-
ality of a single-board computer.
A COM Express™ module based
on a standard Intel® architec-
ture processor simplifies the
entire product lifecycle.
As the COM approach gained in popularity, the
embedded industry saw the need for an open COM
standard to enable creation of modular, off-the-shelf
building blocks and to enable a smooth transition from
legacy interfaces, such as PCI and AGP, to legacy-free
LVDS interfaces, including PCI Express, Serial ATA, and
Serial Digital Video Out (SDVO). The COM Express stan-
dard (hosted by PICMG) includes specifications for high
levels of processing performance and I/O bandwidth in
compact form factors. It also allows flexibility in stan-
dard form factor boards that require upgradeable host
functionality. A COM Express module integrates core
CPU and memory functionality, the common I/O of a
PC/AT, USB, audio, graphics, and Ethernet.
By removing the processor, chipset, and memory from
the rest of the design, COM Express modules allow manu-
facturers to focus engineering resources on developing
differentiating features and avoid the design churn that
comes with implementing new processor generations.
There are a lot of benefits to the two-board approach, but
it does pose its challenges. The carrier is often customized
to the customer’s specific application, and there are a
number of factors to consider in doing a custom design:
thermals, BIOS, and the complexity of the carrier design.
To help with these challenges, vendors like RadiSys also
provide a wide range of custom services that further accel-
10 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
erate customer time-to-market by supplying carrier con-
cept definition and design, carrier schematic reviews,
BIOS customization, and thermal design.
By using COTS technology, Radisys COM Express
modules enable OEMs of rugged applications to start
designing with available evaluation units at the same time
as processor release, saving months of development time
and resources. The OEM can focus on core competencies
such as software and application development rather than
high speed circuit design. In fact, using a COM Express
module based on a standard Intel architecture processor
simplifies the entire product lifecycle. The two-board
approach helps with redesign for planned feature changes,
demand fluctuations, and performance upgrades because
a new module can be put on the same carrier board. A
COM Express module can also reduce service repair
inventories, and can simplify upgrades because the OEM
does not need to stock special parts.
THE RADISYS PROCELERANT™ CEZ5XT
Based on the low power Intel Atom processor, the RadiSys
Procelerant CEZ5XT is the industry’s first Intel architecture-
based COM Express module that can operate in an
extended temperature range of -25 °C to +70 °C. It was
designed specifically to help manufacturers of rugged
devices reduce time to market and development costs.
The Procelerant CEZ5XT module uses the COM
Express Type 2 connector. This high-speed connector
allows the module to support pin-out for high-speed serial
interfaces including PCI Express, Serial ATA, USB 2.0,
LVDS, and Serial DVO, while still retaining some legacy
support to ease migration from existing modular designs.
The module is available with a CR202 development carrier
board, which is equipped with a heatsink, memory mod-
ules, and all hardware needed for quick prototyping.
By using the Intel Atom processor, the Procelerant
CEZ5XT module is able to deliver unprecedented per-
formance and ultra low power in a tiny 85 mm x 70 mm
footprint—the smallest footprint possible with a Type 2
COM Express pin-out. The Procelerant CEZ5XT is
designed with a number of features that simplify design
of rugged devices:
The small board size reduces flex. Strong connections
to the heat sink also provide significant stiffening.
These features allow the module to withstand
significant shock and vibration (Figure 2 on page 12).
Memory-down (up to 2 GB) provides a more rugged
connection to the board than socketed memory
modules, and also simplifies mechanical and
thermal design.
T H E N E W I N T E L ® ATO M ™ P R O C E S S O R Z 5 X X P T S E R I E S F R O M A R R OW E LE CT R O N I C S .

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processor Z5xxPT series. Built on 45 nm technology and part of the first generation
low-power, IA-32 architecture chips, this exciting new series is specially designed
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• 100 MHz and 133 MHz Source-Synchronous FSB
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trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

www.arrownac.com/atomunleashed | 1.866.910.3646
 RUGGED TECHNOLOGY

▲ Figure 2. Procelerant™ CEZ5XT environmental ratings.

Cooling Forced air Class EAC1 as defined in the ANSI/VITA 47-2005

Conduction Class ECC1 as defined in the ANSI/VITA 47-2005

Temperature Operating Up to 2,300 m (7,500 ft), -25 °C to +70 °C, derated 1.1 °C per 305 m (1,000 ft) above
2,300 m (7,500 ft)

Non-operating -40 °C to +85 °C

Shock Operating 40 g, half sine shock pulse, 11 ms duration 3 times per face

Non-operating/Unpacked 50 g, half sine shock pulse, 11 ms duration 3 times per face

Transportation/Packaged Fixtured assembly: 50 G, 17.4 ms trapezoidal pulse

Drop test, 10-up bulk packaging, 30 in free-fall, one drop each of six faces

Vibration Operating Random 5 Hz–2 KHz, 12.07 grms, 1hr in each of 3 axes
5–40 Hz 0.04 g2/Hz
40–100 Hz 0.04 g2/Hz ramping up to 0.1 g2/Hz (3dB/oct)
100 Hz–1,000 Hz 0.1 g2/Hz
1,000 Hz–2,000 Hz: 0.1 g2/Hz ramping down to 0.025 g2/Hz (6dB/oct)

Non-operating/Storage Random 5 Hz–2 KHz, 12.07 grms, 1hr in each of 3 axes

5–40 Hz 0.04 g2/Hz
40–100 Hz 0.04 g2/Hz ramping up to 0.1 g2/Hz (3dB/oct)
100 Hz–1,000 Hz 0.1 g2/Hz
1,000 Hz–2,000 Hz: 0.1 g2/Hz ramping down to 0.025 g2/Hz
(6dB/oct) 5–500 Hz swept sine, 2.5 g (0-p), 25.4 mm(p-p) MAX
displacement, 5 min dwell at 3 resonances in each of 3 axes.

Humidity Operating 5%–95% non-condensing. 95%RH@30C, linear derating

to 25%RH@70C"

Non-operating/Storage 5%–95% non-condensing

Altitude Operating To 15,000 ft (4,570 m)

Up to 2,300 m (7,500 ft), -25 °C to +70 °C
Derated -1.1 °C per 305 m (1,000 ft) above 2,300 m (7,500 ft)

Non-operating/Storage To 40,000 ft (12,000 m)

An optional on-board PATA solid-state device (SSD)
provides shock-resistant storage.
The module is available with MIL spec-compliant
conformal coat using Humiseal® 1B31 coating to
protect against humidity and corrosive elements.
Other available services such as extended
environmental testing can help shorten development
cycles.
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD
The COM Express standard gives designers and develop-
ers a powerful tool to balance embedded device perform-
ance, size, I/O, and thermal requirements. Now that these
benefits are available with industry standard Intel architec-
ture in a rugged module, manufacturers can shift their
resources and skills to achieving new levels of innovation
in embedded computing. In addition to reducing the
resources spent on hardware development, manufacturers
can take advantage of the many available applications for
Microsoft Windows®, Linux, and real-time operating sys-
tems on the Intel architecture. OEMs who take advantage
of the modular approach will find that its benefits con-
tribute to success throughout the product’s lifetime. ■
Join the discussion at
intel.com/embedded/community/hardware
RadiSys (www.radisys.com) is a Premier member of the Intel®
Embedded and Communications alliance and a leading provider of
advanced solutions for the communications networking and commer-
cial systems markets. Through customer collaboration and combining
innovative technologies and industry-leading architecture, RadiSys
helps OEMs, systems integrators, and solution providers thrive.

12 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
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www.radisys.com
 COTS PLATFORMS
Outsmarting the
RECESSION
Cutting Development Cost and Risk with COTS Platforms
BY NORBERT HAUSER, VICE PRESIDENT MARKETING, KONTRON AG
T
he current economic climate is
putting embedded system OEMs
under pressure to do more with
less. Engineers are being asked to
reduce development cost and risk while simulta-
neously producing more competitive designs. This
is no easy task—staying competitive
means using fewer and smaller
components, meeting lower
power thresholds, and maximiz-
ing performance, all while hitting
ever-shrinking market windows.
OEMs can meet these challenges
with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)
solutions based on the latest Intel®
architecture processors. Using opti-
mized, proven embedded computing
platforms helps OEMs lower risk
while keeping up with tough applica-
tion requirements. Because these
platforms are standards-based, OEMs
can also take advantage of a broad
range of outsourcing services, further
reducing cost and risk.
INTEL® ARCHITECTURE VALUE FOR
EMBEDDED COMPUTING
Intel architecture processors provide value to embedded
markets by enabling higher performance, reduced chip
count, and lower BOM costs, along with drastically reduced
power consumption and heat. These advantages are readily
apparent in multi-core processors such as the Intel® Core™2
14 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
Quad processor. Multi-core processors allow OEMs to con-
solidate previously separate hardware onto a single platform,
resulting in a smaller, lower-cost, and lower-power solution.
Of course, not all systems require a multi-core processor.
Many applications call for a single-core platform that can
meet tight power, space, and cost budgets. The Intel®
Atom™ processor Z5xx series was developed specifically for
these applications. It offers clock speeds up to 1.6 GHz in a
2.2 W power envelope and a 13 x 14 mm package. The
processors are validated with the Intel® System
Controller Hub (SCH) US15W, which inte-
grates a graphics controller, memory con-
troller, and I/O controller into a 22 x
22 mm package. Together these chips
offer a remarkable level of performance
per watt inside a small physical footprint.
With options ranging from the Intel®
Atom™ processor up to the Intel Core 2
Quad, Intel architecture processors can
satisfy the requirements of applications
extending from basic embedded computing
to high bandwidth communications and imag-
ing (Figure 1). This scalability is an important
asset, as it helps designers reduce risk, future-proof
designs, and maximize code re-use across projects.
COTS PLATFORM ADVANTAGES
Capitalizing on the inherent advantages of Intel architecture,
leading suppliers such as Kontron offer a comprehensive
portfolio of standards-based computing platforms. These
standards-based platforms help speed time to market and
are a cost-effective way to free up engineering resources.
They also ensure interoperability and satisfy market demand
for open-standard equipment. In addition, COTS-based
solutions help OEMs maximize their resources by promoting
design re-use. Best of all, modularity gives OEMs the flexi-
bility they need to achieve differentiation.
 The versatility of Intel architecture allows it to scale
across a wide range of standards and form factors, from
the rack-mounted AdvancedTCA® to the credit card-sized
nanoETXexpress. This wide selection of COTS solutions
lets OEMs reduce costs and risks for a broad range of
markets and a variety of applications.
To choose the right solution, an OEM must consider a
number of factors. Size, performance, and power are
among the first considerations designers must weigh.
After the basic feature set is determined, it is important to
compare similar form factors as they relate to specific
application requirements and the future upgradeability of
the product (Figure 2, on page 16). In the following sec-
tions, we will briefly outline some of the most popular
form factors and explain the benefits of each.
switch, and carrier blades based on the latest Intel® multi-
core processors. For example, the Kontron AT8050—one
of the highest-performance AdvancedTCA blades available
today—features the Intel® Xeon® processor L5518. This
quad-core processor boasts a 2.13 GHz clock rate, an 8
MB cache, and dual Intel® QuickPath Interconnect (Intel®
QPI) links running at an impressive 5.86 GT/s.
MicroTCA® and AdvancedMC™ were developed to meet
the needs of embedded systems that do not require the size
and associated costs of a full AdvancedTCA system. A good
example of an AdvancedMC module is the Kontron AM5010,
which is based on the Intel® Core™2 Duo Low Voltage (LV)
processor at 1.5 GHz and the Intel® 3100 chipset. In addition
to serving telecom markets, this module is well-suited for
high-performance vision/inspection systems.

AdvancedTCA®, AdvancedMC™, and COMPACT PCI®

MicroTCA®
AdvancedTCA is a high-density carrier-grade platform that
offers high transactional processing performance with low
latency and high availability. These features are valued for
today’s GbE and 10GbE networking applications. OEMs
can choose from a comprehensive selection of processor,
CompactPCI® is an industrial computer standard based on
a passive PCI backplane. CompactPCI implements full PC
functionality, but offers many features not found in PC-ori-
ented products. These features include ruggedization and
longevity, as well as support for intelligent cabling, hot
swapping, full EMI shielding, and optimized cooling.

PICMG 3U/6U AMC/ Industrial Communications

COMs SBCs MB 1.x VME VPX ATCA uTCA PC HMIs Rackmount
& CPCI Servers

Performance Platforms

Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 Series • • •/• •/•

Intel® Xeon® processor ULV •
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T9400 • • • • • • •
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor L7400 • • • • • • • •
Intel® Celeron® M processor ULV3373 • • • • • •
Scalable Platforms

Intel® Core™2 Quad processor Q9400 • • •

Intel® Core™2 Quad processor E7400 • •
Intel® Celeron® processor 440 • • •
Low-Power Platforms

Intel® Core™2 Duo processor • • • • •

Intel® Pentium® M processor • • • • • • • •
Ultra-Low-Power Platforms

Intel® Atom™ processor Z530 • • •

Intel® Atom™ processor N270 • • • • •
• Single processor • Dual processor • 3U CPCI only • 6U version only

▲ Figure 1. The wide range of Intel® processors and Kontron boards allows OEMs to choose the processor and form factor that fits their needs.

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 15
 COTS PLATFORMS

CompactPCI offerings include a range of 3U and 6U
multi-core boards that can meet the highest standards for
the management and security of high-availability applica-
tions in the medical, military, aerospace, communications,
transportation, and industrial markets. The Kontron CP6016
illustrates the potential of CompactPCI. This 6U product
incorporates a 45 nm Intel® Core™2 Duo processor along
with the Intel® 5100 Memory Controller Hub (MCH) chipset.
Compared to previous-generation Kontron 6U boards, the
Kontron CP6016 delivers up to 25% faster core speeds,
50% more L2 cache, a 60% faster FSB, and significantly
higher data throughput—all with energy consumption simi-
lar to that of the previous generation.
VME AND VPX
The VME architecture is a proven platform for many mili-
tary and aerospace applications. VME boards provide
rugged, high-availability performance for applications with
extremely high demands on data throughput. They are
used in ships, aircraft, and ground vehicles for applications
such as radar, sonar, image computing, data control, and
electronic warfare. The Kontron PENTXM2 is a good repre-
sentative of a VME-based board. This 6U board features a
dual-core Intel architecture processor, dual GbE interfaces,
and dual SATA ports, making it suitable for a range of
high-bandwidth applications either in a standalone or a
complex cluster configuration.
The emerging VPX platform is an evolution of VME for
data-intensive applications where even greater perform-
ance and I/O bandwidth are needed. A key advantage of
VPX is its new multi-gigabyte backplane, which helps VPX-
based solutions meet the increasing demands of signal
and data processing applications. VPX boards available
today include the 3U Kontron VX3020, which is based on a
Intel Core 2 Duo LV processor at 1.5 GHz. The Kontron
VX3020 also features all the high-performance I/Os that
are available on the latest laptop PCs, such as a UXGA
graphics controller with PCI-Express, two GbE interfaces,
three SATA II interfaces, and multiple USB 2.0 ports.
COM EXPRESS™
COM Express™ is an industry standard for computer-
on-module (COM) designs. These highly integrated
designs are based on pre-configured CPU modules,
which plug into customizable baseboards via a stan-
dardized connector. COM Express modules are available
in a variety of form factors, including microETXexpress®
and nanoETXexpress small-form-factor (SFF) modules.
The Kontron nanoETXexpress-SP is a particularly
noteworthy example of a COM Express. This Intel Atom
processor-based module offers excellent performance
per watt in a credit card-sized 55 x 84 mm footprint,
making it a compelling choice for ultra-mobile designs.
In fact, the nanoETXexpress-SP won the Intel® ECA 2008
Award of Excellence as the Most Innovative Board
Product for the Intel® Atom™ Processor.
INTEGRATED PLATFORMS
Many of the modules described above are also available
as part of open modular platforms. Modular platforms
give designers building blocks and implementation-ready
systems that significantly reduce development risk, ulti-

3U/6U VME 6U
Form Factors COMs SBCs PC/104 Motherboards PICMG 1.x 3U cPCI VPX cPCI ATCA/AMC uTCA/AMC

Medical • • • • • •
Industrial • • • • • • • •
Communication • • • • •
Energy • • • • • •
Transportation • • • • • •
Infotainment/
Gaming • • • •
Defense/
Aerospace • • • • • • • •
• Key form factors used today • Key form factors that will be used in the future

▲ Figure 2. Each market segment and application benefits from a variety of form factor solutions.

16 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R

▲ Figure 3. The Kontron OM9140 series is a 13U AdvancedTCA platform with
12 user-customizable slots. It is designed for high-availability, high-density
applications.
mately lowering the total cost of ownership for the OEM
and the end-user alike. These platforms are pre-integrat-
ed, pre-validated, and pre-tested to quell the high cost of
in-house or proprietary hardware designs. Vendors like
Kontron also offer semi and full customization capabilities
that let OEMs tailor these platforms to their needs.
The Kontron OM9140 series illustrates the advan-
tages of these open modular platforms. This 13U
AdvancedTCA platform is designed to supply highly
available, high-density computing in applications includ-
ing transcoding/encoding engines, call servers, media
gateway controllers, and IMS-SCSF and HLR/HSS sys-
tems (Figure 3). The Kontron OM9140 is designed for
NEBS compliance and has 12 slots for GbE or 10GbE
processor and/or carrier nodes.
OUTSOURCING FOR DESIGN SUCCESS
Continued competitive and price pressures are driving
OEMs to seek outsourcing partners. These partners can
help speed time to market, lower costs, and provide
expertise in life-cycle management. With a strong commit-
ment to helping its customers remain competitive, Kontron
offers regional experts who can support customers’ needs
with local, single point-of-contact project management.
Kontron also offers production and logistical assistance at
sites throughout the world including Penang (Malaysia).
Plus, Kontron’s global R&D facilities provide local access
to the latest technologies to ensure product life is maxi-
mized based upon market expectations.
Working with an expert in outsourcing such as Kontron
helps customers by:
Decreasing R&D costs
Reducing material costs with centralized purchasing or
through Kontron’s Taiwan-based purchasing
corporation
Utilizing production facilities in lower-cost regions such
as Malaysia
Lowering risk in high-growth geographical areas with
IP protection
Outsourcing services can also take on the form of appli-
cation-ready platforms, software and OS support pack-
ages, as well as custom carrier boards or full custom
designs. Obtaining these services from an experienced out-
sourcing partner simplifies and shortens the design
process. OEMs can also reduce risk and costs by leverag-
ing the partner’s understanding of volume production for
multiple markets across a diverse range of form factors.
The number of OEMs now turning to outsource support is
testimony to the success of services from a partner with
high-quality engineering and cost-effective manufacturing.
CONCLUSION
OEMs face tough demands in today’s economy. The good
news is that OEMs can do more with less by utilizing
commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions based on the
Intel architecture. Intel architecture processors offer value
for a wide range of embedded applications with their high
performance, low power consumption, and reduced chip
count and BOM costs.
Kontron offers a wide portfolio of Intel architecture-
based embedded computing products designed to help
speed time to market and lower development costs.
Kontron products include COTS boards and modules as
well as application-ready platforms. These optimized and
proven platforms help OEMs continually innovate, stay
competitive, and lower risk—and the broad range of
choices helps OEMs find the optimal solution for their
design. OEMs can also leverage Kontron’s worldwide
team of outsourcing design experts, who help OEMs
expedite the development process and reduce total cost
of ownership. With all of these products and services at
their disposal, OEMs can meet the challenges of today’s
economy with confidence. ■
Go to intel.com/embedded/solutionsdirectory for
more information on Kontron’s products.
As a Premier member of Intel® Embedded and Communications
Alliance, Kontron (www.kontron.com) is committed to delivering
Intel-based solutions that help designers solve today’s tough design
challenges with a comprehensive portfolio of innovative, cost-effec-
tive solutions.
E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 17
 SOFTWARE

Making Software
SIMPLER
Using Intel® Technology to Overcome System Complexity

BY MATTHEW J. ADILETTA, DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE ARCHITECTURE AND INTEL FELLOW, INTEL
MICHAEL F. FALLON, SOFTWARE ARCHITECT, INTEL
MYLES WILDE, SYSTEM ARCHITECT, INTEL

L
eonardo da Vinci said that “Simplicity
is the ultimate sophistication.” This
should always be a guiding principle
for embedded software development,
particularly in this age of multi-core processors.

Until recently, steady increases in processor operating fre-

quency helped embedded software developers maintain a
straightforward approach to coding. Developers could write
serially executed, single-threaded applications knowing that
performance would scale with operating frequency. Software
test and debug strategies for these applications were equally
straightforward.
While this approach worked beautifully for decades, the
industry eventually reached a point where operating frequen-
cy increases resulted in excessive power consumption. For
embedded systems this meant, among other things, shorter
battery life, growing thermal issues, and increasing energy
costs. Something had to change, and the hardware did.
Today multi-core processors double or even quadruple com-
pute performance while keeping operating frequencies—and
power consumption—in check. Similarly, hyper-threading lets
a single core do the work of two processors in a much small-
er power envelope. Hardware architects are also innovating
at the micro-architecture level, adding features like Intel®
Streaming SIMD Extensions (Intel® SSE) that perform many
operations with a single command. As a result of these
efforts, power consumption has dropped considerably.
This is good news for software designers, who once
more have the performance they need for next-generation
embedded systems. However, the changes in hardware call
for a corresponding change in software. Let’s consider
what this means.

18 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
KNOW YOUR HARDWARE
Microsoft®
One challenge in programming is that Visual Linux
there is always more than one way to Intel® Parallel Studio Studio®
develop software. Picking the best path
can be tricky. This is especially true in Inspector Composer Amplifier
times of new hardware advances. While
the advances ultimately benefit software Intel® Integrated
developers, they also present new sets of Intel® C++ Performance
choices. This doesn’t mean that software Compiler Primitives Yes
development is more difficult, but simply
that new skills are required. Open MPTM Intel® Thread
These new skills start with a firm under- Support Building Blocks
standing of the underlying hardware. You
cannot fully exploit the capabilities of new
hardware until you understand its features.
Intel® C++ Compiler Yes Yes
No development tool is going to help the
software developer get around this funda-
mental tenet of embedded software devel- Intel® VTuneTM Performance Analyzer Yes Yes
opment. What’s more, a careful study of the
hardware can reveal simple, yet sophisticat- Intel® Thread Checker Yes Yes
ed solutions to seemingly difficult problems.
To illustrate this point, a member of our Intel® Integrated Performance Primitives Yes Yes
team recently doubled the performance of
an application by adding a single compiler ▲ Figure 1. Intel offers the integrated Intel® Parallel Studio and a variety of stand-alone tools.
directive. This one line change turned a Tools are available for both Microsoft® Visual Studio® and Linux.
single-threaded application into a multi-
threaded one through the use of an OpenMP™ API call, the tools and implementation options can lead to elegant
thus elegantly taking advantage of the multi-threaded solutions.
processing hardware. In another recent example, a col- Micro- and macro-level parallelization are two key
league increased the performance of his software four- techniques for exploiting today’s hardware. Both tech-
fold simply by modifying an inner loop to take advan- niques should be used whenever possible to improve
tage of the processor’s Intel SSE unit. Again, a simple performance. Intel understands the importance of these
code change resulted in a sophisticated solution. techniques and has created a variety of tools to help you
Naturally, these are hand-picked examples used to fur- develop parallel software. Figure 1 outlines these tools.
ther a point, and few software modifications are so Many of the tools come packaged in the Intel® Parallel
localized. However, the lesson learned from these
examples is that software optimization can be surpris-
ingly simple once you understand how to take advan-
“As the Embedded Internet contin­
tage of the hardware. ues to grow around us, embedded
software development is changing and
INTEL® TOOLS new skills are required for success.
In addition to understanding the hardware, you also need While no single solution fits every
need, Intel software development
a solid understanding of software development tools and
tools offer a comprehensive range of
techniques. Let’s return to the two optimization examples. solutions for enabling your applica­
The first illustrates a “macro-level” modification that takes tions to take advantage of the latest
advantage of an underutilized hardware thread. The sec- processor advancements.”
ond example is a “micro-level” modification that leverages View video >>
underutilized Intel SSE hardware. Both examples show —Matthew J. Adiletta, Director, Communication
how parallelization techniques can improve performance. Infrastructure Architecture and Intel Fellow
These examples also show how a solid understanding of

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 19
» Relax with Kontron at your side «
Save your costs and time – rely on technology leadership and experience
» Broadest Embedded Computing Technology
product portfolio
» Open Standards
» Rugged Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Products 5 Years in a row:
» Customization & ODM Services Highest status for customer
satisfaction worldwide!
» Outstanding Support – high level Engineering Testimony to the high quality of
» Extended Lifecycle Management Kontron‘s Products and Services.

NEW PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

ETXexpress®-PC VX3020 NSN2U

COM Express™ Computer-On-Module VPX – The future of Rugged COTS Communication Rack Mount Server

CONTACT US
Kontron offers you an extensive portfolio of Info-Hotline: +49(0)8165 77 777
products and services. Visit our Website! Email: info@kontron.com
www.kontron.com

If it’s embedded, it’s Kontron.

Studio, a plug-in for Microsoft® Visual Studio®. Intel also
offers stand-alone tools, as well as tools that run on
Linux®.
As illustrated in Figure 2, tools vary widely in terms of
their complexity, ease of use, and targeted hardware
features. It is important that software developers under-
stand the options these tools provide so that they can
use them effectively.
Micro-level parallelization uses Intel SSE acceleration
to perform many operations with a single instruction.
Although Intel SSE acceleration is often associated with
multimedia and math-focused applications, the Intel
SSE hardware can be used to accelerate just about any
application. In addition to math functions, today’s Intel
SSE hardware parallelizes execution of such things as
data movement, data comparisons, cache control, and
state management. These instructions have broad
applicability for embedded applications.
To implement micro-level parallelization, you can
employ a variety of methods including:
Compiler switches that instruct an Intel SSE-aware
compiler (such as the Intel® C++ Compiler) to use the
Intel SSE extensions
Libraries optimized for Intel SSE, such as the Intel®
Math Kernel Library (Intel® MKL) and the Intel®
Integrated Performance Primitives (Intel® IPP)
Hand-coded assembly language instructions
These options provide varying levels of control and
complexity. The best approach is to use the simplest
solution that meets your system requirements. Compiler
switches are an excellent place to start. You can often
achieve considerable acceleration simply by letting the
Design Approach
Micro-level Macro-level
Compiler
Virtualization
Switches
Simplicity
Control
Optimized High-Level
Libraries Threading
(e.g., Intel® IPP) Packages
Customized Native
Threading
Software
Optimization Packages
▲ Figure 2. Intel® tools support macro- and micro-level approaches
to parallelism. Developers can choose between simpler approach-
es, and those that offer more control.
compiler use Intel SSE instructions. The Intel MKL and
Intel IPP libraries are also highly effective options. These
libraries provide both micro- and macro-level paralleliza-
tion. On the micro-level, these libraries take advantage of
the Intel SSE extensions and other instruction set exten-
sions specific to a particular processor. On the macro-
level, the libraries detect the hardware’s threading capa-
bilities and use a multi-threaded execution model when
appropriate. Hand-coding Intel SSE instruction provides
the maximum level of control, but often at the cost of
increased code complexity.
Macro-level parallelization executes programs on mul-
tiple threads of the same core (hyper-threading), on differ-
ent cores (multi-core processing), or both. Here again the
programmer has several implementation options to con-
sider, including:
Virtualization
High Level Threading Packages, such as:
• The OpenMP (Open Multi-Processing) application
programming interface (API)
• The Intel® Threading Building Blocks (Intel® TBB)
• The Intel MKL and Intel IPP libraries
Native Threading Packages
Virtualization allows you to instantiate multiple virtual
machines—each running its own OS and applications—
on separate threads. The big benefit of virtualization is
that it enables macro-level parallelization without requir-
ing explicit refactoring of your code for multi-threaded
execution. (You do need an understanding of virtualiza-
tion, however.) For a detailed discussion of virtualization,
see “Consolidating Hardware with Virtualization” on
page 45.
If virtualization does not satisfy your requirements,
then refactoring your software for multi-threaded execu-
tion is most likely necessary. Choosing the appropriate
means to refactor your code is critical, as the options
available vary considerably in complexity and level of
control, so we’ll discuss these options in detail.
Native threading packages such as POSIX® provide
the highest level of control. Further, native threading is
often a fast and simple implementation choice. However,
native threading can become complex and unwieldy for
applications that have significant thread interactions,
such as synchronizations and data sharing between
threads. For these applications, other options such as
OpenMP or Intel TBB can save considerable coding and
debug time. These tools provide simple, flexible meth-
ods for controlling programs. By abstracting away low-
level details, these tools allow the programmer to avoid
the complications which often arise when using native
E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 21
 SOFTWARE

Intel® facilitates parallel programming by using a fork-and-join

Threading model of parallelization. This model requires the pro-
OpenMP™
Building grammer to explicitly call out which loops and tasks are
Blocks to be parallelized as well as what data is shared
between threads. OpenMP’s structured programming
Task-level abstraction ✔ ✔
paradigm and low overhead make it a compelling option
Cross-platform support ✔ ✔ for parallelization of C and Fortran programs. For C++,
Scalable runtime libraries ✔ the object-oriented nature of the language can make
Pre-tested and validated ✔ ✔ Intel TBB a better option and worth its slightly longer
C development support ✔ learning curve. Intel TBB also has a task scheduler
which can be used to ensure task quality of service.
Scalable memory allocator ✔
Intel TBB is a C++ library that is similar to OpenMP in
“Light” mutex ✔
providing a scalable and portable method for implement-
Processor affinity Thread affinity ing parallelization. Unlike OpenMP, however, Intel TBB
does not require the programmer to know how threading
▲ Figure 3. Feature comparison: OpenMP™ vs. Intel® Threading Building works. Instead, Intel TBB abstracts away threading
Blocks. through a task-based paradigm. The programmer simply
creates tasks and relies on Intel TBB to schedule and
threading packages. Figure 3 compares the features of manage available hardware threads and software tasks.
OpenMP and Intel TBB. OpenMP is generally the better This abstraction can come at a slight performance over-
option as its straightforward, low-overhead API is easy head as compared to native threads or OpenMP, but this
to learn and use, but there are times when Intel TBB penalty is overshadowed by the benefits of parallelization.
makes more sense. Let’s discuss each option. Once you have code running on multiple threads, you
OpenMP is a simple, yet flexible standardized API will need to look for threading-related bottlenecks. You can
implemented in C, C++, and Fortran compilers. OpenMP identify these bottlenecks with Intel® Parallel Amplifier or

Intel® Intel VTune™ Performance Analyzer

Parallel
Amplifier Windows® Linux PTU
ANALYSIS TYPES
Hotspot Analysis with statistical call tree ✔ ✔ ✔
Hotspot Analysis (EBS) ✔ ✔ ✔
Concurrency Analysis ✔ ✔
Locks & Waits Analysis ✔ ✔
Compare Results ✔ ✔ ✔
Event Based Sampling ✔ ✔ ✔
Threading Timeline ✔
Exact Call Graph ✔ ✔ Text based
Data Access Profiling, Events over IP, … ✔
LANGUAGE SUPPORT
Source View ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
C/C++ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Fortran and other compiled languages ✔ ✔ ✔
Assembly ✔ ✔ ✔
Basic Block Analysis ✔

▲ Figure 4. Feature comparison: Intel® Parallel Amplifier vs. Intel® VTune™ Performance Analyzer. Some Intel VTune Performance Analyzer for Windows®
features are provided as part of Intel Parallel Amplifier or Intel® Thread Profiler. The Performance Tuning Utility (PTU) is a new, experimental technology.

22 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
 Intel®® Intel®
Parallel Thread
Inspector Checker SOFTWARE:
Threading errors—data races and
deadlocks ✔ ✔ Why is it so hard
Does not require special build
or source code ✔ ✔ to get it right?
Memory errors ✔
Easier to learn and reuse ✔
Low overhead analysis
Improved scalable analysis without
✔
S oftware development is tricky for
embedded projects and can eat up
enormous resources in terms of both time and
serializing the application ✔
money. As more features are packed into
Windows® standalone ✔
devices the amount of code needed will grow
Linux® support ✔
tremendously. Add to this the fact that develop-
ment teams are often scattered globally, and
▲ Figure 5. Feature comparison: Intel® Parallel Inspector vs. Intel® Thread
Checker. the code they’re working with is a mix of old,
new, and everything in between. No surprise
then, that according to the 2009 Embedded
Intel® VTune™ Performance Analyzer (Figure 4). With Intel Systems Design study, more than 60% of
Parallel Amplifier, you can find performance bottlenecks embedded projects finish late.*
without knowing the details of the processor architecture or Intel understands these challenges. While
assembly code. Intel VTune Performance Analyzer is a most people think of Intel as the leader in
more advanced tool. It takes longer to learn, but can have processor technology, the company is also one
a big payoff by revealing specific tuning opportunities like of the world’s biggest software companies.
cache misses or misalignment. Besides employing many developers who write
No discussion of tools would be complete without code, the company also has organizations
taking a look at debugging, which is often the most criti- focused on delivering development and opti-
cal portion of any development effort. To debug parallel mization tools along with device drivers to
code, you can use a number of tools including the Intel® ensure software is useable for Intel® architec-
Parallel Inspector and Intel® Thread Checker. Both of ture-based products. “Intel is committed to eas-
these tools help identify threading errors, but the Intel ing the software dilemma in this complex and
Parallel Inspector also checks for parallel memory errors. demanding embedded industry,” said Lynn
Figure 5 summarizes the differences between the two Comp, Director of Strategic Software Planning
debugging tools. for the Intel® Embedded and Communications
Group. “Software needs to enable growth in the
CONCLUSION industry, not impede it.”
Embedded software development is changing, and new One of the big issues facing the industry is
skills are required to be successful. The key is to have a the need to support and maintain code bases
firm understanding of the hardware and the available over years and even decades. According to
software development tools, and to use the tools wisely. Comp, “Companies need to weigh the sus-
There is no single solution that fits every need, but the tainability of their products so they are taking
good news is that Intel provides a comprehensive range advantage of processor roadmaps that pro-
of solutions. You may be surprised at how simple soft- vide the best generation to generation and top
ware development can be once you understand the solu- to bottom software scalability. This allows
tions available. Remember the maxim: “Simplicity is the them to benefit from technology advance-
ultimate sophistication.” ■ ments including Moore’s law while optimizing
their total cost of development beyond one
product lifecycle.”
Join the discussion at
intel.com/embedded/community/software Continued on the next page.

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 23
 SOFTWARE
SOFTWARE: . . . continued from page 23.
With its broad range of embedded processors
and chipsets, Intel offers solutions that can meet
entry-level performance requirements all the way
up to high-performance, compute-intensive appli-
cations. Intel supports these products with soft-
ware tool suites that address architectural analysis,
parallelism, debugging, and performance tuning,
which help application developers optimize their
applications and increase performance in Intel
architecture-based systems.
To help companies navigate the ever-changing
embedded landscape, Intel has built a strong sup-
port system that includes unique online resources
such as the Intel® Software Network and Intel®
Embedded Design Center (Intel® EDC). Besides
offering training and software tool evaluations, these
sites give visitors a venue to interact with—and learn
from—thousands of developers to determine the
best solution that can meet both short- and long-
term needs.
Intel has also worked with its partners to build
the Intel® Embedded and Communications Alliance
(Intel® ECA)—one of the most recognized ecosys-
tems in the world. Members of Intel ECA include
* “2009 Embedded Market Study,” Embedded Systems Design. www.techonline.com/learning/webinar/216500641
24 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
industry-leading software vendors who are dedicat-
ed to providing the solutions developers need to
build better code, faster. Many of these solutions
are featured in the Intel® ECA Solutions Directory.
This magazine highlights two outstanding solu-
tions, Microsoft’s platform for innovative digital sig-
nage (page 49) and Wind River’s solution for In-
Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) devices (page 34).
Intel also recognizes the value in joining forces
with others in the industry. To that end, the com-
pany plays a key role in organizations such as
GENIVI, a non-profit industry alliance driving
adoption of an IVI reference platform and IPSO
(IP smart object alliance) to help foster initiatives
and promote adoption of new technologies and
standards.
Intel also works with leading third-party vendors
to develop proof-of-concept (POC) platforms to
expand markets. Two recent examples include Intel’s
multifunction car PC and a retail self-service POS
system (see www.intelrethinkthepossibilities.com).
Intel also works with third-party vendors to provide
application reference designs to help speed time-to-
market and minimize bill of materials. These target
many of today’s most dynamic embedded applica-
tion segments, including intelligent retail, home
automation, digital security surveillance, and in-vehi-
cle infotainment.
Software will continue to propel the embedded
industry. To remain competitive, companies need
to focus on writing code for the job at hand today,
while keeping a keen eye on the future. They also
need to consider code modularity, portability, and
scalability as the right software design for two
cores today could easily migrate to running on
dozens of cores tomorrow. Intel will continue to
bolster its expertise, especially when it comes to
extending into new spaces driven by the
Embedded Internet. Intel’s recent acquisitions of
Havoc, Wind River, Cilk, and Rapid Mind are evi-
dence of the company’s commitment to solving
the software dilemma, and to helping companies
meet harsh development schedules and protect-
ing their software investment. ■

Intel’s Playbook for the
Embedded Internet
M uch has been written about the
Embedded Internet, the network
space where billions of intelligent
embedded devices connect and work
together and with larger computing
systems, without human intervention.
This new paradigm is just as transfor-
mative as the connection of people to
the Internet with PCs. The difference
is what we’re connecting to the
Internet—cars, home media phones,
digital signs and shopping carts, mobile
medical diagnostic tools, factory
robots, wind turbines, and hundreds
of other types of devices—and the
high degree of automation involved.
The Embedded Internet is in full
swing right now. Intelligent connected
devices based on embedded computers
are swiftly redefining human-machine
relationships, spawning new usage
models, and enhancing people’s lives
in fields such as IP networking and
security, video monitoring, medical
ADVERTISEMENT
equipment, in-vehicle infotainment,
energy management, and home
and industrial automation.
What do you need to play in the
Embedded Internet? One of the best
playbooks can be found in Intel®
architecture. Driven by a number
of breakthroughs in microarchi-
tecture and process technology,
the same Intel architecture that
is at the heart of the majority of
today’s Internet devices (servers,
computers, and more) delivers all the
essentials for playing in this space:
scalable performance, low power,
connectivity, ruggedness, remote
manageability, security, and extended
lifecycle support (seven years).
This article takes a deep look at why
Intel architecture is so important to
enabling the Embedded Internet. We
then look at how Intel architecture is
applied in six innovative Embedded
ADVERTISEMENT
Internet solutions from leading
members of the Intel® Embedded and
Communications Alliance (Intel® ECA).
The Importance of Intel®
Architecture in the
Embedded Internet
Intel is already a major player in
the embedded world. In 2007,
Intel architecture accounted for
nearly 70 percent of the embedded
motherboard business.1 The scal-
ability of Intel architecture and the
development shortcuts that come
from being able to rely on a single
architecture are two big reasons
the Embedded Internet is advanc-
ing so fast. To better understand
Intel architecture’s specific advan-
tages and why so many designers
are choosing it, let’s look at Intel’s
playbook, concentrating on three
key areas: architecture, technology,
and ecosystem and design support.
ADVERTISEMENT
Architecture
From high-end Intel® Xeon® proces-
sors all the way down in size to the
Intel® Atom™ processor, Intel offers a
consistent Instruction Set Architecture
(ISA) that is unparalleled in the industry.
Intel provides developers a unifying
platform architecture that allows them
to focus on their strengths in value-
added software and services, rather
than spending time supporting multiple
CPU architectures. What’s more, Intel
architecture offers clear advantages in
scalable performance, low power, small-
form-factor designs, and connectivity.
Scalable Performance
Intel architecture scales from peta-
FLOPs of computing performance to
milliwatts of ultra-low-power consump-
tion. This range of performance is
critical for supplying all the pieces
of the Embedded Internet. Intel’s
range makes it possible to meet the
requirements for enhanced graphical
interfaces, complex video analytics,
security, increased connectivity and
networking loads, and virtualization
and consolidation. Best of all, develop-
ers can depend on Intel to grow with
their needs. The exponential growth
in computing power described by
Moore’s Law holds the key to enabling
the many demanding applications that
will be asked of embedded devices.
At the communications level, Intel’s
latest generation of multi-core
processors provide the dramatic
increases in performance required to
enable bladed and carrier-grade rack
mount systems to meet the increasing
demands of both traffic volume and
data complexity—and do it within the
thermal footprint of existing facilities.
Low Power/Small Form Factor
Intel’s industry-leading 45nm process
technology enables low-power,
small-form-factor processors, chipsets,
and system-on-a-chip devices that are
ideal for the space-constrained fanless
designs of many embedded applica-
tions. What’s more, they’re rugged
and designed for reliable performance
in environments filled with dust,
vibration, heat, and electrical noise.
Today mezzanine cards, Computer on
Module (COM), and small-form-factor
motherboards—as well as traditional
standards-based bladed single-board
computers (SBCs) such as CompactPCI®
Versa Module Eurocard* (VME*),
and AdvancedTCA® (ATCA®)—offer a
comprehensive selection of choices
designed to meet nearly all market
requirements. The top-to-bottom avail-
ability of embedded Intel® processors
and chipsets in these designs has
enabled a new wave of innovation
capitalizing on their increased perfor-
mance capabilities in both processing
speed and power efficiency.
Connectivity
The rise of the Embedded Internet is
pushing out the edge of the network
quickly, moving beyond the phone,
car, and PC to billions of connected,
embedded devices and sensors. As
this trend gathers momentum, the
network infrastructure must sup-
port a wider spectrum of network
traffic types, ranging from video to
RFID transactions. The Embedded
Internet also depends on multiple
networking protocols and standards.
Intel products support (and Intel helps
drive) improvements in wired and
wireless networking technologies
and standards, ranging from WiMAX®
to Power over Ethernet (PoE), that
provide flexible connectivity solutions.
Technology
For more than 30 years, Intel has played
a significant role in the embedded
market. New processor lines extend
its reach, but Intel’s innovation also
includes important leadership in
remote manageability and security, as
well as embedded market initiatives.
Remote Manageability and Security
In an age where handheld medical
devices access patient records and
intelligent retail devices collect
customer data, the ability to reliably
connect, manage, and ensure security
is essential. The continuing deploy-
ment of embedded devices with the
intelligence to recognize voices, faces,
retail shopping cards, and other per-
sonal identifiers raises the importance
of Intel’s solutions for security, privacy
protection, and remote manageability.
• Privacy and security. Intel® embedded
platforms with Intel® Virtualization
Technology2 (Intel® VT) and Intel®
Trusted Execution Technology3
(Intel® TXT) ensure the requisite
trust in embedded devices. Intel TXT
provides a versatile set of hardware
extensions to Intel processors that
helps protect against software-
based attacks while simultaneously
protecting the integrity of data moving
through an embedded system.
• Remote manageability. Intel embedded
platforms with Intel® Active Manage-
ment Technology (Intel® AMT)4 provide
remote manageability features that
allow IT to improve reliability while
reducing the cost of asset manage-
ment through remote diagnostics
and updating of connected devices.
Embedded Market Initiatives
A variety of Intel initiatives promote
the development of new embedded
usage models. Intel works with
leading third-party embedded
vendors to develop proof-of-concept
(POC) platforms to expand markets.
Two recent examples include Intel’s
multifunction car PC and a retail
self-service POS system. (See: www.
intelrethinkthepossibilities.com.)
Intel also works with third-party
embedded vendors to provide
application reference designs to help
speed time to market and minimize
bills of materials. These designs
target many of today’s most dynamic
embedded application segments,
including intelligent retail, home
automation, digital security surveillance,
and In-Vehicle Infotainment.
 ADVERTISEMENT

Seven Visionary Leaders Speak Out on the Embedded Internet

A future in which the world depends on billions of embedded devices has more far-reaching
implications than any single technologist can imagine. Here seven leaders from Intel® Embedded
and Communication member companies discuss upcoming innovations in six different fields.

Jeff Chen, Stephen Dow, Dirk Finstel,

Chief Technical Officer, Advantech
“Renewable, clean energy is vital
to our survival as a living planet. As
our reliance on wind, solar pan-
els and other renewable sources
grows, so will our reliance on
the rugged connected embedded
systems that monitor their opera-
tion. Connecting alternative energy
sources to the smart grids of the
future will double their value.”
View video >>
President, Embedded Computing,
Emerson Network Power
“Brick-and-mortar retailers will
continue to lose customers to
online retailers unless they
bring the rich, interactive
shopping experiences found
online into the store. Stores that
use the Embedded Internet to
seamlessly blend e-commerce
and real store experiences into
a superior shopping experience
are the future of shopping.”
View video >>
Chief Technical Officer, Kontron
“In a world of 15 billion embedded
devices, a good many will alert
us to human safety issues.
Cameras and sensors connected
to multi-core processors will
‘see’ and warn us of the dangers
we’re not aware of. It could be
worn-out tires on our car or a key
component in an escalator that
needs immediate attention.”
View video >>

Anthony Ambrose, Alan Lee, Gurjot Singh, Stephen Cunha,

Vice President and General Manager,
Communications Networking,
RadiSys Corp
“As more of the world’s critical
infrastructure becomes connected,
more customers will need
equipment and applications that
are designed not to fail. In a
universe of 15 billion devices,
the importance of a track record
in reliable, high availability
embedded products based on the
most recent processor technology
will continue to grow.”
View video >>
CEO, Portwell CEO, LynuxWorks
“Most biomedical sensors are
proprietary solutions. Our proof
of concept is a platform based
on leading edge embedded and
virtualization technologies. We
designed it to enable a personal
wireless biomedical network with
a secure common architecture.
Such a system could enable
manufacturers to address stringent
industry requirements more quickly
and shorten time to market.”
View video >>
Vice President, MEN Mikro, Inc.
“Standards-based embedded
systems are transforming even
the entertainment world. Now film
producers can have cameras that
shoot at cinema resolutions and
wirelessly transmit that footage
to an editing station right on the
set. Slumdog Millionaire was the
first predominantly digitally shot
feature film to win Oscars for Best
Picture and Best Cinematography.
The Embedded Internet makes
it possible to see if you truly
have the shot in the can.”
View video >>
ADVERTISEMENT
Ecosystem and
Design Support
The Intel ECA is one of the industry’s
most recognized ecosystems.
Its members offer hundreds of
board-level Intel architecture-based
products and solutions ranging
from 65mm x 58mm CoreExpress®
modules to full ATCA systems. From
high-performance multi-processor,
quad-core 200W ATCA systems down
to sub 5W size-constrained modules
and small-form-factor SBCs, these
Intel architecture-based solutions
can meet the enormous range of
performance, thermal, size, and cost
requirements necessary to enable
the Embedded Internet. Many of
these are featured in the Intel® ECA
Solutions Directory. (See: www.intel.
com/embedded/solutionsdirectory.)
To help guide designers, Intel
launched the Intel® Embedded
Design Center (edc.intel.com). This
one-stop online resource includes
comprehensive and technical design-in
information, virtual labs, support,
training, community resources, and
application reference designs.
To protect your system investment,
Intel provides industry-leading
lifecycle support—a seven-year,
extended-lifecycle support for
processors and chipsets for embedded
and communications applications.
Intel’s Playbook in Action
There are hundreds of examples
of how Intel architecture is being
used in today’s Embedded Internet.
We’ve picked six to feature from
leading members of the Intel ECA.
Opportunity Is in the Wind
A survey
by World
Wind Energy
Association
(WWEA) predicts
double-digit
growth for
the wind energy market despite the
general economic crisis. Based on
available figures from 11 of the top 15
countries (more than 80 percent of the
world market), WWEA recorded in the
first quarter of 2009 an increase of
23 percent in wind energy compared
with last year in the same countries.5
In the United States, wind turbines
now generate enough to power about
7 million average American homes.6
To address this growing market,
Advantech*, a Premier Member of
the Intel® ECA, makes embedded
computer systems that record,
monitor, store, and transmit real-time
data through an IP-based network
when wind turbines are in operation.
This helps reduce maintenance costs
in the isolated areas in which wind
farms are located. Ruggedness is key
since wind farms are located in harsh
environments with strong winds. This
means embedded computers must
be highly reliable, shock, and noise
resistant (blade rotation generates
a lot of vibration, shock and noise),
and capable of being fanless and
hermetically sealed against dust.
For these reasons, Advantech
chose Intel® embedded processors.
The Advantech UNO-2170 is an
Intel architecture-based embedded
automation computer available in a
fanless, diskless design using industrial
CompactFlash* to increase system
reliability. It’s currently used at a U.S.
wind power farm. For wind turbines
erected to provide power to Beijing
and the 2008 Olympic Games, Advan-
tech supplied its Intel architecture-
based ARK-3382 fanless embedded
computer. (Learn more at: www.intel.
com/embedded/15billion/applications/
clearing-the-air-over-energy.htm.)
Ask the Intelligent Kiosk
Intelligent kiosks
enable brick-and-
mortar retailers
(specialty stores,
department
stores,
supermarkets,
movie theaters, hotels, airports, and
many others) to deliver the same rich,
personalized experience customers get
on the Web. These kiosks can check
stock, help locate and order hard-to-find
items, suggest companion or alternative
purchases, give alerts on special offers
and discounts, and provide detailed
information and customer reviews.
One motherboard designed for retail
kiosks is the MATXM-C2-410-B from
Emerson Network Power*, a Premier
Member of the Intel ECA. This board
uses an embedded Intel® Core™2 Duo
processor with an on-board Gigabit
Ethernet interface that allows fast
connections with retailer IT systems
for use with database management
systems. This processor helps minimize
power consumption and save retailers
money. Its embedded Intel Core 2
Duo processors and chipsets support
quick transitions in and out of sleep
states. In fact, power-stepping in the
Intel architecture platform can provide
power savings up to 70 percent.7
Retailers can also save money through
the use of Intel Active Management
Technology (Intel® AMT) to remotely
power down kiosks when stores are
closed. According to the research firm
Forrester, a typical retail store open
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. could reduce
computer energy consumption by more
than 40 percent by shutting systems
down during off-hours. Intel AMT also
enables IT to run remote diagnostics
to ensure maximum reliability, and
install patches and update software
over the network. (Learn more at:
www.intel.com/embedded/15billion/
applications/interactive-kiosks-are-
virtual-shopping-assitants.htm.)
What’s Riding on Your Tires?
Tires are a major
technical cause
of road accidents.
Based on figures
recorded in
Germany in
2002,8 accidents
due to “general tire causes” amount to
60,000 a year. Approximately 10,000
of these accidents are due to having
less than the legal tread depth limit.
Since most people don’t check tires of-
ten enough, why not have technology
do it for them? That’s the idea behind
the H3-D, a multifunctional image
processing system from ProContour*,
a company based in South Germany.

This system can measure tire tread
patterns in moving traffic at speeds of
up to 75 mph. The computing required
for this high-speed image capturing
is carried out by the passive-cooled
ThinkIO-Duo, a DIN (Deutche Industrie-
Norm) rail PC developed by Kontron*,
a Premier Member of the Intel ECA.
The performance of the Intel® Core™
Duo processor at 1.2 GHz is needed to
calculate the tread depth of a tire in
just a little more than two milliseconds
based on data from a fast CMOS
sensor. Parallel processing on this
system’s multi-core processor brings
the computing speed of the image-
processing system to the necessary
level for real-time calculations. What’s
more, since ThinkIO-Duo requires
no fans and has no moveable com-
ponents, such as rotating disks, it is
essentially maintenance-free and ideal
for environments where shock and vi-
brations are expected (such as roads).
The ProContour H3-D as a device
particularly epitomizes the Embedded
Internet as it can be implanted in a
road to automatically measure tread
depth and tread type and provide the
information via Ethernet cable or wire-
less LAN in order to activate warning
systems, barriers, camera systems, or
even road blockages. (Learn more at:
www.intel.com/embedded/15billion/
applications/smart-roads-measuring-
tire-tread-at-75mph.htm.)
In-Home Displays
Help Consumers Save
on Electricity
The best way
to change
people’s energy
use patterns is
to show them
exactly how
much they can
save. According to a recent survey,
69 percent of consumers have a
high interest in in-home displays
(IHDs) that give real-time views of
energy usage and utility pricing.9
Such “demand response” monitoring
could be implemented through an
intelligent home energy management
system (HEMS) that would connect
through a home network to a smart
utility meter and intelligent appli-
ances. Consumers could access the
information through a handheld IHD.
Designers of IHDs would be smart to
check out the Procelerant PICOZ500
from RadiSys*, a Premier Member of
the Intel ECA. With the Intel® Atom™
Z510 processor, up to 512MB DDR2-
400 integrated memory, and a microSD
socket for up to 2GB Flash memory,
this single-board computer (SBC) can
handle any processing task a HEMS
serves up. The PICOZ500 includes an
integrated video controller that can
support a variety of touch screens
and a PCI Express® Mini Card socket
that makes it easy to add wireless
LAN capabilities. With all this aboard, it
still just sips electricity because of its
low-power Intel Atom processor. That
makes it perfect for battery opera-
tion. (Learn more at: www.intel.com/
embedded/15billion/applications/in-
home-displays-cut-energy-costs.htm.)
Proof of Concept May
Help Expand Wireless
Use in Hospitals
Because of their
ease of use
and flexibility,
wireless sensors
are ideal for
healthcare
scenarios.
Wireless sensors, for instance, could
save surgical staffs from contending
with dozens of sensor wires. Steady
progress has been made since the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved Bluetooth® wireless medical
systems in 2003. Medical equipment
manufacturers face strict industry
standards for reliability and patient
data privacy. Commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) boards help address these
requirements more rapidly, allowing
manufacturers to start with a proven
design that lowers development
risk and shortens time to market.
One solution needed is a device that
can reliably consolidate multiple
applications on one platform to save
cost and reduce the physical footprint.
ADVERTISEMENT
Using hardware-assisted Intel VT10,
combined with hypervisor software,
Portwell*, an Associate Member of
the Intel ECA, and LynuxWorks*, an
Affiliate Member, demonstrated a
proof of concept based on a COTS
mini-ITX board connected to more
than 25 Bluetooth wireless sensors.
The Bluetooth networking stack
executes from a virtualized secure
partition, providing isolation from
other system software and increasing
the reliability of the platform. With
such a solution, medical equipment
manufacturers could better meet
emerging government regulations
and gain a competitive advantage
through the development of safer and
more secure products. (Learn more at:
www.intel.com/embedded/15billion/
applications/body-area-networks-for-
faster-wireless-sensor-adoption.htm.)
Digital Video Camera Shoots
Oscar-Winning Movie
Standards-based
embedded
hardware
with sufficient
ruggedization,
IP connectivity,
and processing
and graphics performance now
enables film producers to record
scenes directly to disk at full HD or
cinema resolutions. No recent movie
better epitomizes this state of the art
in digital filmmaking than “Slumdog
Millionaire.” One of its eight Oscars*
was for Best Cinematography, and
parts of its award-winning visuals were
shot by a Silicon Imaging digital camera
system using a MEN Mikro Elektronik*
(an Affiliate Member of the Intel ECA)
MEN F17-3U CompactPCI/Express Intel
Core 2 Duo processor-based SBC. The
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T7600 in
this SBC and its Intel® Graphics Media
Accelerator 950 Graphics Core support
jumbo frames for transfer of 100MB/s
of video data over standard Gigabit
Ethernet. The ruggedized MEN F17
SBC is designed for operation in harsh
environments including shock/vibration
and extended temperatures, such as
long, hot days in India. With less than
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40W power consumption, this SBC also A Winning Playbook small-form-factor embedded boards
enables a long camera battery life. The possibility of having 15 billion and is setting new standards with a
Prior to the availability of Intel Core 2 devices connected by the Internet broad line of Intel Xeon processors
Duo processors, digital cinema camera by 2015 is an unprecedented that meet a range of demanding
systems were limited to dedicated opportunity for the entire embedded performance and energy efficiency
hardware, such as costly ASICs. This industry. This is the time to get in on requirements for compute-intensive
limited their flexibility in software the action. This is the time to make embedded and communications
upgradability and connectivity. Now sure you have the right playbook to applications. With its playbook and
the same camera control software that win your share of the business. full range of solutions, Intel can help
runs on the camera can run on a laptop any embedded solution provider
As use of the Internet expands toward
computer, providing new options for field a winning team of products.
this vision of 15 billion connected
video capture, such as a direct feed devices, Intel processors continue Learn more about the Intel ECA.
to the computer. (Learn more at: to drive the rapid transformation of Visit its community for ideas,
www.intel.com/embedded/15billion/ the Internet’s infrastructure. Intel solutions, and answers you can’t
applications/digital-cinema-camera- architecture is reaching deeper than easily get anywhere else at
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For information on the Embedded Internet, see: www.intel.com/embedded/15billion.

1
“Merchant Computer Boards for Real-Time and Embedded
Applications (MCBREA),” 2008 Intelligence Service, Volume 2:
Embedded Motherboards, July 2008, Exhibit VI-36.
2
Intel® Virtualization Technology requires a computer system with an
enabled Intel® processor, BIOS, virtual machine monitor (VMM), and
for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality,
performance, or other benefits will vary depending on hardware and
software configurations and may require a BIOS update. Software
applications may not be compatible with all operating systems. Please
check with your application vendor.
3
No computer system can provide absolute security under all
conditions. Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT) requires
a computer system with Intel® Virtualization Technology, an Intel
TXT-enabled processor, chipset, BIOS, authenticated code modules,
and an Intel TXT-compatible measured launched environment (MLE).
The MLE could consist of a virtual machine monitor, an OS, or an
application. In addition, Intel TXT requires the system to contain a
TPM v1.2, as defined by the Trusted Computing Group, and specific
software for some uses. For more information, see: www.intel.com/
technology/security.
4
Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) requires the
computer system to have an Intel AMT-enabled chipset, network
hardware and software, as well as connection with a power source
and a corporate network connection. Setup requires configuration
by the purchaser and may require scripting with the management
console or further integration into existing security frameworks
to enable certain functionality. It may also require modifications of
implementation of new business processes. For more information, see:
www.intel.com/technology/platform-technology/intel-amt.
5
“Wind Energy Market worldwide continues strong growth,” World
Wind Energy Association press release, June 23, 2009.
6
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. See: www.nrel.gov/wind.
7
Langdoc, Scott. Advanced CPUs: The Impact on TCO Evaluations of
Retail Store IT Investments, Global Retail Insights (An IDC Company),
September 2008.
8
References: “Survey on Motor Vehicle Tyres & Related Aspects,”
TÜV Automotive, 2003; Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland, www.
destatis.de.
9
In-Home Displays Spike Interest in Energy Usage and Efficiency,
Energy Insights, IDC.
10
Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT), Intel® Trusted Execution
Technology (Intel® TXT), and Intel® 64 architecture require a computer
system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, enabling software and/or
operating system, device drivers and applications designed for these
features. Performance will vary depending on your configuration.
Contact your vendor for more information.
 IN-VEHICLE I N F O TA I N M E N T: HARDWARE

The Atom-Powered
Speeding Up In-Vehicle Infotainment
Development with Intel® Atom™ Processor

BY CHRISTIAN RIESINGER, R&D MANAGER, AND CHRISTIAN EDER, MARKETING MANAGER, CONGATEC AG
I
n-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems are
becoming increasingly complex. Today’s
systems incorporate satellite navigation,
DVD and digital television, Internet
access, connectivity to a range of consumer elec-
tronics (CE) devices, and many other features. As
the feature sets and connectivity requirements of
IVI systems grow, OEMs are struggling to bring
these systems to market on time and on budget.
Car
IVI Reference Design). The Intel IVI Reference Design is an
open, standards-based platform that simplifies develop-
ment and speeds time-to-market. The platform incorpo-
rates a broad range of IVI features, ranging from satellite
navigation to hands-free communications to rear-view
cameras. Although the platform is highly integrated, it is
also highly flexible. This flexibility helps OEMs scale their
designs to different markets, and it creates a simplified
path for future upgrades.
OEMs can further simplify development by using the
conga-IVI Starterkit, which extends the Intel IVI Reference
Design with additional hardware. The conga-IVI Starterkit is

One key challenge of Video

Intel® AtomTM SDVO Video Encoder
IVI design is that these processor Z530 VGA & LVDS connector
systems are usually built 45 nm Audio
HD Audio HD Audio connector
up from proprietary sub- 1.6 GHz
533 MHz FSB Codec
systems. For example, an LVDS (video)
512 K L2 cache, 45
IVI design might use a Hyper-Threading R5232
navigation subsystem Touch screen
APIX
Auto 7 inch
from one supplier and a connector Touch display
Video ADC
DVD subsystem from Xilinx Vehicle I/O 800x480
On/Off
another supplier. This PCIex1 Automotive I/O Controller CAN
Intel® Spartan 3E
approach increases sys- System Controller Dual Ethernet
LPC FPGA MAC/PHY
tem cost, power, and size. Hub US15W RJ45
XA3S1600E
It also creates integration -4FGG484 MOST INIC MOST
Xilinx MOST NIX PCT
challenges, because each
subsystem uses a unique Bluetooth SMA Antenna
architecture. In addition, Radio tuner SMA Antenna
1 GB
the proprietary approach DDR2 RAM SD Card
makes it difficult to plan 6x USB 2.0
next-generation products, conga-CA 6x USB GPS

because the subsystem COM Express

compatible module PATA Harddisk
suppliers do not coordi- PATA
PCIe x1 DVD
nate their roadmaps. WLAN
1x USB 2.0 Mini PCIe Wide Range
OEMs can overcome DC Power
DC/DC
6.20 Volt Power AC/DC
these challenges with the
new low-power Intel® In- Embedded PC Module Automotive Carrierboard
Vehicle Infotainment
Reference Design (Intel®
▲ Figure 1. The conga-IVI Starterkit incorporates the conga-CA COM Express module (left), the Intel® IVI Reference Design carrier
board (middle), and hardware such as a touch-screen display (right).

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 31
 IN-VEHICLE I N F O TA I N M E N T: HARDWARE

The processor and

Dimensions 165 mm wide by 175 mm deep supports standard DIN slot chipset are housed on
Processor Intel® Atom™ processor Z530 the conga-CA comput-
Chipset Intel® System Controller Hub US15W er-on-module (COM).
Peripheral extension chip Xilinx® Spartan®-3E FPGA This module provides
Operating system Drivers for a variety of operating systems a complete computer
Memory 1 GB DDR2 533 MHz in a 95 x 95 mm COM
Hard disk interface One PATA connector supporting up to two drives Express™ footprint.
Included drives 80 GB HDD; Slimline DVD ROM drive The conga-CA plugs
Display interface Primary: LVDS; Secondary: LVDS or VGA into a 65 x 175 mm
Included display NEC 7" WVGA LVDS display with integrated touch screen and bracket carrier board via a
Audio interface Through connector: Line-in L/R, Line-out L/R, SPDIF 5.1, stereo standard COM
microphone Express connection.
I/O connectivity Six USB ports, one serial port, one Ethernet RJ-45 connector OEMs can upgrade
Receivers USB GPS receiver; Integrated Bluetooth® and radio tuner including their design simply by
antennas plugging in a different
Expansion card options Wi-Fi®, WiMAX, TV tuner COM Express board.
Power supply Wide range (8-20 V); 12 V @ 5 A This modular design
reduces development
▲ Figure 2. conga-IVI Starterkit specifications. time and provides a
clear upgrade path.
a DIN-sized platform that comes with everything needed The carrier board provides a variety of vehicle-specif-
to build an IVI system. Figure 1 on page 31 provides a ic interfaces, such as APIX, MOST, and CAN. These
block diagram of the conga-IVI Starterkit, and Figure 2 interfaces are implemented with a Xilinx® Automotive
lists its specifications. We will now look at some of the Spartan®-3E FPGA. OEMs can add or remove interfaces
key features of the conga-IVI Starterkit, and show how from the FPGA as needed, and can select the FPGA
these features benefit OEMs designing IVI systems. device density that provides an optimal solution. OEMs
can also add devices by using the six available USB 2.0
CONGA-IVI STARTERKIT ports and the SDIO expansion card interface. The SDIO
The conga-IVI Starterkit is based on the Intel Atom™ ® interface can be used to integrate low-cost SD cards for
processor Z530 at 1.6 GHz and the Intel® System mass storage, or for enhanced functions such as addi-
Controller Hub US15W. Together, these devices offer the tional Bluetooth® or WLAN interfaces.
high levels of 3D performance needed for advanced
human-machine interface (HMIs)—an important benefit POWERING A NEW GENERATION OF IVI
because HMI is a key area of product differentiation. As a highly integrated solution, the conga-IVI Starterkit
The platform can independently drive two separate flat- helps OEMs get to market on time and on budget. At the
panel displays for different front- and rear-seat applica- same time, the platform’s flexibility and use of standards-
tions. Integrated hardware video decoding allows the based technology give OEMs an exceptional degree of
platform to play high-resolution video smoothly with design freedom. The Intel Atom processor-based plat-
minimal processor loading. form’s modular COM Express design gives OEMs a clear
Although it provides an impressive level of perform- upgrade path for future designs and, most importantly,
ance, the platform is highly power-efficient. The Intel Atom helps OEMs focus on differentiating features by removing
processor has a TDP of just 2 W, enabling a fanless solu- integration and interoperability headaches. ■
tion. The fanless design helps eliminate noise and reliabili-
ty concerns related to the use of fans and heat sinks. Go to intel.com/embedded/solutionsdirectory for more
The Intel Atom processor also offers full interoperability information on congatec’s products.
with home and office technology, letting OEMs take
advantage of proven, standards-based software. For congatec (www.congatec.com) is an Associate member of Intel®
example, the conga-IVI Starterkit can run the Wind River Embedded and Communications Alliance. It offers a portfolio of
Linux Platform for Infotainment described on page 34. embedded computer modules for a variety of form factors, as well as
professional board support packages, extensive design-in support
The compatibility with home and office technology also and specialized embedded BIOS features for industrial use.
simplifies connectivity to consumer devices.

32 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
To you, the advantages are clear.
To your customer, it makes you the clear choice.

Emerson Network Power is now clearly the leading provider of embedded computing solutions.

From platforms, blades, modules and motherboards, to software and services,

Emerson’s industry-leading technology portfolio is ready to help solve your customers’
most demanding applications. Make our AdvancedTCA®, MicroTCA™, AdvancedMC™,
CompactPCI®, Processor PMC, VMEbus and OpenSAF™ standards-based products
your first choice.

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Intel® technology-based embedded solutions.

Just another reason why Emerson Network Power is the global leader
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Emerson, Business-Critical Continuity, Emerson Network Power and the Emerson Network Power logo are trademarks of Emerson Electric Co.
AdvancedTCA, CompactPCI, MicroTCA and AdvancedMC are trademarks of PICMG. Intel is a trademark or registered trademark of Intel Corporation
or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. ©2009 Emerson Electric Co.
 IN-VEHICLE I N F O TA I N M E N T:
Open Source Autos
Using Linux for In-Vehicle Infotainment
BY FRANZ WALKEMBACH, SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER
AUTOMOTIVE SOLUTIONS, WIND RIVER
I
n recent years the automotive industry
has struggled to match the automotive
device development cycle and require-
ments with the pace of change in the
consumer electronics market. Consumers’
desire to integrate consumer electronics (CE)
technology seamlessly with their driving expe-
rience is leading to a convergence between CE
technology and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI)
devices. While these platforms help differenti-
ate one vehicle from another, consumers are
unwilling to pay large premiums for IVI sys-
tems. This is a major problem because the
costs to develop an IVI platform can easily
exceed U.S. $70 million. As a result,
OEMs are being pushed to reduce the
development costs for new IVI devices Automaker • Integration
even as they deliver ever more sophis- and Tier1 • Commercial and
supplier
ticated devices. domain
OEMs also face a major challenge in the area
of time to market. The IVI platform development
cycle is too long, especially when comparing the
rate of change in the CE market. By the time an
IVI system can support a hot new CE device or
standard, the CE market has already seen multi-
ple generations of the device, or has moved on to
a new standard. One reason IVI development is
so long is that each OEM has created unique
requirements that inhibit software reuse. To speed
up development, OEMs are seeking to use more
standards-based software.
34 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
SOFTWARE
OPEN SOURCE: A COMPELLING NEW
ALTERNATIVE
Faced with these challenges, OEMs and their suppliers are
turning to an open source model. The open source model
represents a game-changing opportunity to meet today’s
market challenges head-on and revolutionize the software
development processes. The benefits of an open source
development and license model:
Faster time-to-market through re-use of common tech-
nologies developed in CE markets
Rapid innovation via the large community of open
source developers
Lower development costs, as proprietary license fees
can be substituted with open source in many of the
required technologies
To help push these benefits into IVI applications, a
group of OEMs and suppliers has come together to form
the GENIVI consortium. This alliance includes OEMs such
as BMW, GM, and PSA, as well as suppliers including
Magnetti Marelli, Visteon, and Delphi. The GENIVI alliance
is creating an open source platform specifically for use in
IVI devices. The GENIVI Platform (Figure 1) is a common
software architecture that is scalable across product lines
and generations. It consists of Moblin-based Linux core
• Differentiation HMI (Human-Machine Interface)
proprietary solutions
• Implementation Apps OSV Libs
competition Extensions
• Non-differentiating
features Open source IVI stack
Alliance • Consolidated requirements
domain • Auto specific middleware
• Testing/validation
• Vendor compliance
Open source kernel
▲ Figure 1. The GENIVI alliance is developing a common IVI platform that allows automakers
and suppliers to focus on product differentiation.
 REQUIREMENT PLATFORM FOR INFOTAINMENT FEATURES

Fast boot/initialization
Power state management
Graphics and HMI
Media management
Mobile office
CE device management
Automotive connectivity
Robust file systems
Kernel tailoring, deep hardware integration, and parallel execution help achieve “instant on” and
standby states.
A policy-based system controls the IVI device’s behavior during automotive power state changes,
such as initialization, shutdown, reversal of shutdown, and recovery.
Supports 3D graphics, including hardware acceleration. HMI construction and deployment tools
support device differentiation.
Audio and video frameworks deliver media reproduction, digital rights management enforcement,
and audio/video switching and mixing (such as automatic music fading during navigation
announcements). The framework includes support for CODECs and hardware acceleration.
Supports indexing and synchronization of content such as contacts and calendar appointments.
Supports CE connectivity standards such as USB and Bluetooth®, device discovery and
notification, and specific device integration for playback such as iPod®.
Supports auto connectivity standards including MOST and CAN, positioning devices such as GPS,
and an AUTOSAR abstraction layer for UDS (Unified Diagnostic Services).
File system supports 10+ years of continued use, balancing strategies such as journaling vs.
transactional file systems and performance vs. cost.

▲ Figure 2. Key features of the Wind River Linux Platform for Infotainment.

services, middleware, and open application layer interfaces
tailored for use in IVI devices. OEMs and their suppliers can
use this open source foundation to add differentiated prod-
ucts and services.
Although its benefits have been known for years, open
source software has often been avoided in automotive appli-
cations due to its potential drawbacks—which include con-
cerns for intellectual property (IP) protection and code quali-
ty. To be truly effective for IVI devices, open source software
needs to have the technical and business characteristics of a
commercial software product. The software must fulfill auto-
motive needs—such as reliability and intellectual property
protection—and must be optimized for and tightly integrated
with the selected hardware platform. To meet these goals,
OEMs need an open source solution that is backed by
world-class commercial support.
In recognition of this need, Wind River has extended
GENIVI’s open source efforts by offering the GENIVI
Platform as a standard product. The Wind River Linux
Platform for Infotainment is a complete solution that spans
the following areas:
Hardware: The Platform for Infotainment is deeply inte-
grated with and optimized for Intel® Atom™ processors.
For example, the Platform for Infotainment can be used
with the Intel® In-Vehicle Infotainment Reference Design
(Intel® IVI Reference Design) described on page 31.
Operating system: As a Linux-based system, the Platform
for Infotainment is both Moblin and GENIVI compliant.
Middleware: The GENIVI middleware is extended with
pre-integrated third-party middleware, such as media
players and speech recognition engines.
Business terms: Wind River offers indemnification and
transparent IP licensing within a simplified business
model.
Support: Wind River offers full commercial-grade support
for the entire delivered platform, including open source
and ISV software components.
To succeed in IVI devices, open source software must
provide the essential software components while still allow-
ing innovation and differentiation. The Platform for
Infotainment was designed with this goal in mind. Figure 2
lists some of the platform’s key features, and explains how
these features meet key market needs.
Of course, having the right software is not enough. The
choice of chipset technologies is also critical. To re-use
technology developed for consumer markets—drivers,
CODECs, Internet standards, and so on—the chipset must
be compatible with consumer-market hardware. At the
same time, the chipset must satisfy automotive reliability
requirements. The Platform for Infotainment helps develop-
ers meet these goals through its integration with the Intel IVI
Reference Design. The Intel® chipset used in this reference
design offers full compatibility with the PC platform in a
platform designed specifically for the needs of IVI devices.
With these recent developments, open source is now an
accepted approach for today’s automotive challenges. By
extending open source components, deeply integrating the
hardware and software solution, and standing behind the
total solution, Wind River has made open source a com-
pelling platform for innovation and differentiation. ■
Go to intel.com/embedded/solutionsdirectory for
more information on Wind River’s products.
Wind River (www.windriver.com) is an Associate member of Intel®
Embedded and Communications Alliance and a founding member of
the GENIVI Alliance. Wind River is the global leader in device software
optimization (DSO). We enable companies to develop, run, and man-
age device software better, faster, at lower cost, and more reliably.

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 35
 RACKMOUNT SYSTEMS

Cutting
Rackmount
Systems
Down to Size
Cluster Computing In Space-Constrained Applications

BY JIM RENEHAN, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING &

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, TRENTON SYSTEMS, INC.

T
oday’s embedded com-
puting applications are far
more sophisticated than
those of the recent past.
Industries such as medical imaging,
homeland security, and military defense
call for rackmount systems that can run a
growing number of complex software
applications. In many of these industries
the reliable and timely processing of
information can mean the difference
between life and death. These industries
also require equipment that can squeeze
into tightly constrained spaces and—in
some cases—meet low weight require-
ments. Providing the needed compute
capability inside this space and weight
envelope is a considerable challenge.

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 37
 In the medical imaging field, applications vary from Trenton’s PCI Express® (PCIe®) single board computers,
simple single slice X-ray machines to three-dimensional, and multi-segment, passive backplanes.
multi-image slice CAT scan machines. Although these
applications have widely differing compute requirements, CHASSIS & BACKPLANE DESIGN
they share a need for increased image clarity. This is Weight and space are at a premium on a surveillance air-
driving a quest for higher-performance rackmount sys- craft. Additional computer hardware has an exponential
tems. At the same time, the overall size of the imaging effect on the cost of operating the aircraft. In addition to
machines is shrinking.
In the area of homeland security,
cryptography analysis is a key ele-
ment in understanding what the
bad guys are planning. Crypto-
graphy analysis systems must
process an extraordinary amount of
incoming data from a wide variety
of sources. These systems require
advanced software that can sort
out the incoming data in order to
allow intelligence specialists to
focus on the most important infor-
mation. To meet these needs, rack-
mount systems must provide scal-
able performance in relatively small
enclosures.
Surveillance aircraft represents a
small slice of the overall military
defense market, but they illustrate
many of the challenges facing the
rackmount system designer.
Surveillance aircraft provide loca-
▲ Figure 1. By taking advantage of cluster computing, this lightweight chassis can replace
up to sixteen conventional 1U chassis.
tion information and near-real-time
situational analysis—a critical role
in today’s military, where information is as essential as increasing the fuel costs, extra equipment weight creates
firepower. Fulfilling this mission requires an enormous mission delays due to the need for more frequent mid-air
amount of computational horsepower. refueling.
A typical airplane may have seventy computer systems Trenton addressed both the space and weight issues
dedicated to different aspects of the surveillance mission. by developing a shallow-depth chassis made out of light-
The computer systems must also be flexible enough to weight aluminum. Figure 1 shows an expanded view of a
handle the multiple system configurations used in the air- typical Trenton Systems platform designed for use in a
craft. The computers must have a long service life and a surveillance aircraft application.
stable system configuration to meet the aircraft’s long The most common rackmount chassis used on the
deployment and refurbishment schedules. Military end- aircraft has a depth of 18 inches (45.72 cm) and a 5U
users require the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) chassis height. Each system has a multi-segment
technology whenever possible. PICMG® 1.3 backplane that enables multiple single board
In this article we will use surveillance aircraft as an computers (SBCs) or system host boards (SHBs) to func-
example of rackmount system design challenges. We will tion in a single chassis. Other chassis design elements
show how designers can meet these daunting challenges include individual SBC segment power control, quick
by using cluster computers, which group single board access storage drives, corrosion-resistant metal work, a
computers together in a common chassis. We will outline high-performance cooling system, and armored cable
the features and benefits of a cluster computer that incor- sleeves for vibration protection.
porates quad-core Intel® architecture processors, The backplane is often a frequently overlooked compo-

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 39
 RACKMOUNT SYSTEMS

Ethernet Fabric Option Ethernet Fabric Option

Connector (P1) BP4FS6890 Backplane BP4FS6890 Backplane
Connector (P1)
Server-class Configuration for SHB Segments Graphics-class Configuration for SHB Segments
A1 A2 A3 A4 A1 A2 A3 A4
ATX or EPS Power Connectors ATX or EPS Power Connectors
(P1-1, P2-1, P3-1, P4-1) (P1-1, P2-1, P3-1, P4-1)

+12V AUX Connectors

(P1- 2, P2-2, P3- 2, P4- 2)
+12V AUX Connectors • • • •
(P1- 2, P2- 2, P3- 2, P4- 2)

+12V Terminal Block Power +12V Terminal Block Power

Connection Option Connection Option
(P1-3, P2-3, P3-3, P4-3) (P1-3, P2-3, P3-3, P4-3)

x8PCIe x4 x8PCIe x4 x8PCIe x4 x4 x8PCIe

Connector Link Connector Link Connector Link Link Connector
(PCIe1-1) (PCIe1-1) (PCIe1-1) (PCIe1-1)
x16 PCIe x8 x16 PCIe x8 x16 PCIe x8 x8 x16 PCIe x16 PCIe x4 x16 PCIe x4 x16 PCIe x4 x4 x16 PCIe
Connector Link Connector Link Connector Link Link Connector Connector Link Connector Link Connector Link Link Connector
(PCIe1-2) (PCIe1-2) (PCIe1-2) (PCIe1-2) (PCIe1-2) (PCIe2-2) (PCIe3-2) (PCIe4-2)
x16 PCIe x8 x16 PCIe x8 x16 PCIe x8 x8 x16 PCIe x16 PCIe x16 x16 PCIe x16 x16 x16
x16 PCIe x16 PCIe
Connector Link Connector Link Connector Link Link Connector Connector Link Connector Link Connector Link Link Connector
(PCIe1-3) (PCIe1-3) (PCIe1-3) (PCIe1-3) (PCIe1-3) (PCIe2-3) (PCIe3-3) (PCIe4-3)

▲ Figure 2. The Trenton BP4FS6890 backplane supports server-class (left) and graphics-class (right) configurations.

nent of an embedded computing system, but it is an
essential element of a high-performance embedded
design. Today’s higher bandwidth card-to-card interfaces
such as a PCIe demand robust backplane designs in
order to maintain optimum system throughput. For this
system, we used the four-segment Trenton BP4FS6890
backplane (Figure 2). This multi-segment PICMG 1.3
backplane is available in server-class or graphics-class
configurations.
The PICMG 1.3 backplane supports one or more
SHBs, as well as industry standard COTS option cards for
functions including communications, video, sound, and
data storage. This design allows designers to mix and
match single board computer capabilities based on the
needs of the application.
SYSTEM HOST BOARDS
Figure 3 shows the two types of Trenton SHBs used in
surveillance aircraft: the Trenton TQ9 System Host Board
and the Trenton MCXT System Host Board. Each SHB
features quad-core processors with Intel® Virtualization
Technology (Intel® VT).
As noted above, up to four SHBs can be used in a sin-
gle chassis. The SHBs can function together as a com-
puter cluster, where all boards work together on the same
application. Alternatively, each SHB in the chassis can act
as a computer unto itself. Intel VT takes this concept fur-
ther by allowing a single SHB to run multiple independent
operating systems and applications. The combination of
the multi-SHB chassis and Intel VT saves rack space by
allowing a single chassis to run many independent appli-
cations. (For more on Intel VT, see “Consolidating
Hardware with Virtualization” on page 45.)
A chassis with four dual-processor Trenton SHBs can
run up to 32 different applications—one for each proces-
sor core in the chassis. This means that one 5U rack-
mount computer, with four dual-processor SHBs, can take
the place of sixteen 1U dual processor motherboard sys-
tems. Using a single 5U enclosure instead of sixteen 1U
enclosures reduces rack space by 19.25 inches
(48.90 cm)—a nearly 70% savings.
Remember that an aircraft can have up to 70 systems,
so this space savings is repeated many times throughout
the plane. The space savings supplied by the Trenton
cluster computer solution also comes with a cumulative
weight savings advantage because the solution requires
fewer cables, enclosures, and computer power supplies.
So far we have only briefly outlined the features of the
system host boards. In the following sections, we take a
closer look at the technologies in the two SHBs used in
this application, the Trenton TQ9 System Host Board and
the Trenton MCXT System Host Board.
TRENTON TQ9 SYSTEM HOST BOARD
(SHB)
The TQ9 is a single-processor, graphics-class PICMG 1.3
system host board. Among other responsibilities, the TQ9
helps render information for analysis by intelligence spe-
cialists. As a graphics-class board, the TQ9 supports one
x16 and one x4 PCIe electrical link. The x16 PCIe link is a

40 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
common edge card connector interface on many high-
end graphics cards. This link is useful for aircraft sys-
tems that require video or other high-performance
graphics. The x4 PCIe link may be used on a backplane
as four individual x1 PCIe links, giving designers an
added degree of flexibility.
In this application, the TQ9 is configured with the Intel®
Core™2 Quad processor Q9400. This processor features a
quad-core design, a 1333 MHz front side bus, and Intel
Virtualization Technology. Intel VT enables multiple operat-
ing systems to run on the TQ9, which in turn allows the
end-user to run multiple applications on the same SHB.
The TQ9 also comes equipped with the Intel® Q35 Express
Chipset, which incorporates a 3D graphics accelerator.
Other TQ9 features include:
Four DDR2-800 sockets supporting up to 8 GB of
system memory
Four SATA II 300 interfaces with RAID support
On-board audio and video support
Eight USB 2.0 interfaces ▲ Figure 3. The Trenton TQ9 (top) and Trenton MCXT (bottom) system host
Support for an I/O expansion board, including an boards.
optional TPM 1.2 module

The Intel parts used in this design are long-life
products supported by the Intel® Embedded and
Communication Group. The long-life product support
allows Trenton to meet the stability and longevity
requirements of surveillance aircraft applications.
Trenton designs in other extended life components to
ensure that the completed systems meet and exceed
the deployment cycle requirements for the aircraft.
TRENTON MCXT SYSTEM HOST BOARD
(SHB)
The MCXT is a dual-processor, server-class PICMG 1.3
system host board. This SHB supports one x4 and two x8
PCIe links down to the backplane. The MCXT is used to
handle the heaviest loads of data and the most complex
situational analysis software on the aircraft.
The MCXT configurations on the plane use the quad-
core Intel® Xeon® processor E5440 and the Intel® 5000P
chipset. Both processors on the MCXT communicate
directly to the chipset along independent, 1333 MHz front
side busses. The chipset in turn features a four-channel
DDR2-667 memory interface. As with the TQ9, this
Trenton MCXT SHB configuration features long-life
devices that support Intel Virtualization Technology.
Other MCXT features include:
Four DDR2-667 FB-DIMM sockets supporting up to
16 GB of system memory (or eight sockets and 32 GB
of memory in the MCXT-E version)
Six SATA II 300 interfaces with RAID support
On-board SXGA video support
Four USB 2.0 interfaces
Support for a x4 PCI Express link expansion
CLUSTER COMPUTING SYSTEM
DESIGN—SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
The design objectives for surveillance aircraft are
challenging but are certainly not unique. Equipment
space constraints also exist in medical imaging systems,
cryptography analysis, telecom, industrial automation,
and many other applications.
Trenton single board computers and multi-segment
backplanes bring the same space and efficiency benefits
seen in the surveillance aircraft to a wide variety of
embedded computing applications. Many applications
need to run different applications on a single platform, and
single board computers and backplanes have long made
this possible. This basic architecture design advantage is
now coupled with the Intel Virtualization Technology. This
potent combination gives system designers the ability to
leverage the benefit of cluster computing across a broad
range of industry applications. ■
Join the discussion at
intel.com/embedded/community/hardware
Trenton (www.trentontechnology.com) is an Affiliate member of
Intel® Embedded and Communications Alliance. It is a global
leader in high-performance embedded computing systems,
including single-board computers, backplanes, and rackmount
systems.
E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 41
 RETAIL

Building
NEXT-GENERATION
Point-of-Sale
Terminals and Kiosks
Cut Power and Improve Manageability with Intel® Technology
BY NIGEL FORRESTER, VERTICAL MARKETING MANAGER,
EMERSON NETWORK POWER, EMBEDDED COMPUTING

R
etailers are looking for new
and innovative ways to
entice customers to spend
more money while simulta-
neously lowering their costs and labor require-
ments. Recent developments in point-of-sale
(POS) and kiosk technology can help retailers
meet both goals. POS terminals have evolved
from simple electronic cash registers into
sophisticated devices with advanced features
such as video advertising. These terminals can
also help track inventory and sales patterns,
giving management the power to rapidly
respond to changing retail conditions. Figure 1
illustrates a next-generation POS proof-of-
concept recently demonstrated by Intel.
Similarly, intelligent kiosks are now widely used within
the retail environment for self-service operation. These
kiosks give customers greater convenience, and they are
highly cost-effective in retail situations such as the pur-
chase of train and bus tickets, self checkout at grocery
stores, and DVD rentals. Kiosks can increase sales by
helping customers locate unusual items, find out about
promotions, and access complementary services.

42 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R

▲ Figure 1. Intel® retail point-of-sale (POS) proof-of-concept system.
Although advanced terminals and kiosks have many
benefits, they introduce new challenges related to running
costs, security, and manageability. It is extremely important
that these solutions operate reliably and are easy to fix
when something does go wrong, because there is unlikely
to be any local IT support. Reliability is particularly important
for kiosks, which are unstaffed and often located in unmoni-
tored locations such as shopping mall hallways. Security is
another major concern. Terminals and kiosks typically lever-
age low-cost PC technology but still need stringent security
capabilities for the retail environment. This article outlines
these and other challenges associated with POS terminals
and kiosks and shows how to meet these demands with
motherboards using Intel®-based technology.
THE POWER PROBLEM
There is now a general consensus that we need to con-
serve energy, not just because it makes economic sense
but also because global warming has become an urgent
concern. One of the main energy users in retail checkout
equipment is the central processor. Retailers can realize
dramatic power savings by upgrading to the latest Intel®
architecture processors. For example, Intel recently demon-
strated a POS proof-of-concept based on the 45 nm Intel®
Core™2 Duo processor. Compared with legacy POS plat-
forms, the processor in the demo can enable more than a
70% reduction in required power use while still providing as
much as double the amount of raw processing perform-
ance as previous generations of processors.1
Retailers can also save energy by turning their checkout
systems off when their stores are closed. Today many
1. Source: “Advanced CPUs: The Impact on TCO Evaluations of Retail Store
IT Investments,” by Global Retail Insights (an IDC company).
retailers leave their checkout systems run-
ning 24 hours a day because they fear that
if their checkouts are turned off during the
night, they will not be able to power them
back on successfully at reopening time.
Intel® Active Management Technology
(Intel® AMT) provides an elegant solution to
this concern by enabling checkouts and
kiosks to be switched off and back on
remotely by centralized IT experts.
Intel AMT allows a remote manager to
discover, diagnose, verify, isolate, and
update clients completely out of band from
any application and operating system that is
running. Furthermore, these functions are
possible even when the client is powered
off. In the retail environment this makes it
possible for a remote manager to power off
checkouts and kiosks after trading hours to
save energy, knowing they can be powered
back on again before opening time. In addition, if there is
any problem when powering up, the manager can isolate
and recover the checkout or kiosk as though the manager
was sitting next to the machine. This recovery is possible
Intel AMT allows a remote
manager to discover, diagnose,
verify, isolate, and update
clients, even when the client
is powered off.
whether the problem is at the BIOS, OS, or application level.
Intel AMT even makes it possible to remotely update the
BIOS firmware or reset the BIOS setup parameters while the
checkout device is powered down.
This level of remote management has a secondary
benefit: By minimizing unproductive time spent traveling
to deal with local issues, Intel AMT helps technical staff
use their time more efficiently. This in turn reduces the
number of qualified technical staff needed to maintain the
terminals. Remote management also enables much tighter
OS and application version control for greater consistency
and security.
Intel AMT is a set of features built into the processor
and chipset. Activating these technologies typically
requires specific motherboard designs, software, and
provisioning. Figure 2 (on page 43) depicts a mother-
board designed using Intel AMT-enabled components,
the Emerson MATXM-C2-410. This motherboard
E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 43
 RETAIL
▲ Figure 2.
MATXM-C2-410
motherboard
showing Intel®
Active Management
Technology-enabled
components.
includes several features that aid retail deployments. For
example, the motherboard routes all power and LCD
display cabling through a unique midplane that can be
permanently fixed in the chassis. This design allows the
motherboard to be removed without disturbing the
cabling, minimizing the risk of cabling errors. The moth-
erboard also features dual-display capability as well as
PoweredUSB™ ports, which eliminate the need for addi-
tional AC-DC adapters on external peripherals.
SECURITY
Data and application integrity is another issue that is
vital in a retail deployment. Checkouts and kiosks oper-
ate in a public environment and are sometimes com-
pletely unattended. Thus, these devices must be careful-
ly secured against fraudulent misuse as well as compro-
mising events caused by programming mistakes.
Intel AMT aids security by providing local policies to
detect threats and isolate an infected terminal to avoid
any spread across the network. If a problem occurs,
Intel AMT can automatically send an alert message to
the management console for immediate investigation
and correction. This is especially useful for kiosk appli-
cations such as photo printing where the user can insert
uncontrolled storage media like USB sticks or DVDs.
In addition to Intel AMT, the Emerson MATXM-C2-410
supports two other features that aid security: Intel®
Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT) and Intel®
Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT). Intel TXT creates a
secure environment by storing secure signatures for
each OS and application. These signatures are checked
whenever trusted environments launch, preventing
44 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
uncontrolled code from being started either
at boot or through a backdoor. The signa-
tures are encrypted and stored within hard-
ware on the motherboard. Trusted environ-
ments can seal, or lock, private data to the
motherboard so that it cannot be read in
insecure environments or even if the data is
transferred to another computer. In addi-
tion, Intel TXT protects the memory
used by each application, preventing
cross-contamination of code or
data.
Intel TXT also prevents any communi-
cation between the input devices and unauthorized
software by cryptographically encrypting the keyboard
and mouse strokes. In addition, Intel TXT provides appli-
cations with protected frame buffers for visual displays.
Together, these technologies help to protect against key-
board, mouse, and screen “snooping” by malware.
Intel VT makes it possible to create multiple virtual
machines (VMs) on a single hardware platform. When
Intel VT is used in conjunction with Intel TXT, the VMs
are isolated from one another. If an error occurs in one
VM, the other VMs can continue running unaffected. To
illustrate the benefits of Intel VT, consider a DVD rental
kiosk with three key functions. First, the kiosk must run
movie trailers to catch the attention of passing cus-
tomers. Second, it must execute secure transactions for
DVD rentals and returns. Third, it must serve online cus-
tomers who want to reserve DVDs for later collection.
Treating each of these three functions as a separate
module with its own secure data storage improves sys-
tem security and uptime. A problem with the trailer soft-
ware cannot crash the rental system, for example. (For
more on Intel VT, see “Consolidating Hardware with
Virtualization” on page 45.)
CONCLUSIONS
In today’s difficult market conditions, retailers need
cost-effective solutions for their kiosks and POS termi-
nals. The Intel architecture-based Emerson MATXM-
C2-410 motherboard helps meet this need by cutting
power consumption and reducing the operating costs.
Combined with the security capabilities included in the
motherboard, this solution offers a compelling proposi-
tion for the retail market. ■
Join the discussion at
intel.com/embedded/community/applications
Emerson (www.emerson.com) is a Premier member of Intel®
Embedded and Communications Alliance and plays a critical role in
developing motherboard solutions for retail and other markets such
as medical, automation, and telecommunications.
 VIRTUALIZATION

Consolidating
HARDWARE with
Virtualization
Using Multi-core Platforms
with Multiple OSs

BY KENTON WILLISTON
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

M
ulti-core Intel®
processors are revo-
lutionizing embedded
system design. With
multi-core processors, applications that
previously required separate hardware can
be consolidated onto a single platform.
This consolidation can result in dramatic
reductions in cost, power, and size.
Before embedded developers can take advan-
tage of multi-core processors, however, they must
overcome several hurdles. First, the developer
must address any legacy code written for a single-
core processor. In some cases this code can be
rewritten, or it can be reworked for multi-core exe-
cution (see “Making Software Simpler” on page 18
for details). In many cases, however, such modifica-
tions are impractical. Next is the challenge that
many embedded systems require multiple OSs. For
example, an embedded system might require both
a general-purpose OS (GPOS) and a real-time oper-
ating system (RTOS). This is a problem because
multiple OSs cannot run on the same hardware
directly. Finally, consolidation is a challenge for sys-
tems that use hardware redundancy to achieve reli-
ability and security.
Virtualization can solve these problems by running
multiple virtual machines (VMs)—each running its

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 45
 VIRTUALIZATION
Intel® Virtualization Technology
provides hardware assistance to
the virtualization software,
reducing its size and complexity.
own OS—on a single hardware platform. From the OS per-
spective, each VM appears to be a dedicated hardware
platform. Virtualization achieves this by introducing a new
software layer called a hypervisor that abstracts away the
underlying architecture. The hypervisor allows the system
designer to determine the resources assigned to each VM.
For example, the designer can dedicate processor, memo-
ry, and I/O resources to VMs running real-time or mission-
critical applications. This flexibility allows designers to
consolidate OSs and applications with widely differing
requirements. For example, virtualization can be used to
consolidate real-time and non-real-time applications, to
run single-core applications on a multi-core processor, and
to provide redundancy within a single hardware platform.
The benefits of virtualization are well known in data
centers, where virtualization makes it possible to consol-
idate many applications onto a single server. These ben-
efits are now available to embedded developers thanks
to the adoption of Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel®
VT) into the embedded space. Intel VT provides hard-
ware assistance to the virtualization software, reducing
its size and complexity and enabling lower cost, more
Virtual Machine 1 Virtual Machine 2
Time-critical Other applications
applications (e.g., HMI)
Real-time General-purpose
operating system operating system
Hypervisor
Multi-Core Intel® Architecture with
Intel® Virtualization Technology
▲ Figure 1. Intel® Virtualization Technology makes it possible to run an
RTOS and GPOS on the same hardware.
46 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
efficient, more secure, and more powerful virtualization
solutions. Embedded virtualization has also been aided
by the development of hypervisors designed specifically
for embedded applications. Together with Intel VT, these
hypervisors help virtual machines maintain the determin-
ism and real-time system response necessary for
embedded systems.
This article explains the basics of virtualization and
outline the benefits of Intel VT. We also illustrate the
advantages of using virtualization in industrial, telecom,
and military and aerospace applications. Additionally, the
article covers how Intel VT accelerates virtualization in the
processors, chipsets, and IO devices, and provides a
checklist of the hardware and software you need to take
advantage of virtualization.
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION, PRINT
IMAGING, AND MEDICAL
Many embedded systems—including industrial automa-
tion, print imaging, and medical systems—combine real-
time controllers with graphics-rich human-machine inter-
faces (HMIs). The controller and HMI typically require sep-
arate OSs. A GPOS might provide the rich graphical envi-
ronment needed by the HMI, but might not offer sufficient
determinism for the control system. Conversely, a RTOS
may offer determinism but lack a rich graphical environ-
ment. In the past, the need for two OSs meant that
designers had to run the controller and HMI on separate
hardware, driving up system cost, power, and size.
Virtualization lets designers work around this quandary
by running a GPOS and RTOS on the same hardware
platform. However, this hardware consolidation is only
possible if the system retains the determinism required
by the controller. Until recently, this was a tough goal to
meet with. One of the hypervisor’s most important func-
tions is trapping certain sensitive instructions. When an
OS attempts to execute one of these instructions, the
hypervisor takes control of the processor, services the
OSs’ request via emulation, and returns control of the
processor to the OS. Performing this trap-and-monitor
function in software is computationally expensive, and it
makes the system far less responsive and deterministic.
Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT) for IA-32 Intel®
Architecture (Intel® VT-x) introduces hardware accelerators
into the CPU that trap and execute sensitive instructions,
relieving the hypervisor of these duties. This acceleration
technology greatly reduces the overhead of virtualization
and improves system responsiveness. Performing these
functions in hardware also makes the system more secure.
Intel VT-x also provides hardware support for transferring
platform control between the hypervisor and OSs, so that
when hypervisor intervention
Single-Threaded Multi-Instanced
is required, handoffs are
faster, more reliable, and
more secure. Taken together,
Virtual Machine 1 Virtual Machine 2
these enhancements allow
virtual machines to achieve
near-native performance in Application Application Application
many applications. They also
greatly improve determin-
ism—a critical consideration
for developers who are con- Operating Operating
solidating real-time and non- Operating System
System System
real-time systems. Figure 1
illustrates a system running a
GPOS and RTOS simultane-
ously using Intel VT-x. Single-Core Hypervisor
When consolidating sys- Processor
tems, designers also need to
make sure that the IO contin- Multi-Core Intel® Architecture with
ues to operate reliably and Intel® Virtualization Technology
efficiently. In the past this ▲ Figure 2. Intel® Virtualization Technology lets developers run multiple instances of single-threaded software on
presented a major challenge a multi-core processor.
because the hypervisor had
to intervene in every I/O
transaction. Instead of giving an OS direct access to an COMMUNICATIONS
I/O device, the hypervisor presented it with a virtual device Communications applications often require reuse of legacy
that emulates the underlying hardware. The hypervisor single-threaded software. Migrating this software onto a
then multiplexed accesses to the virtual devices onto the multi-core processor is challenging, because it is usually
physical devices. Multiplexing and emulating the devices difficult to refactor the code for multi-threaded execution.
in software added considerable computational overhead. Virtualization provides an elegant solution to this problem.
This overhead was unacceptable for systems with high I/O Instead of rewriting code, developers can simply run multi-
requirements, such as machine vision systems. This ple instances of the software on the same processor, each
approach also precluded direct memory access (DMA) within its own VM (Figure 2). This allows developers to real-
transfers between I/O devices and memory, because the ize the power, cost, and size advantages of multi-core
hypervisor had no means of intervening in these transfers. processors with a minimal level of programming effort.
Intel® VT for Directed I/O (Intel® VT-d) solves these Virtualization also gives developers a low-cost means
problems by adding virtualization hardware to the chipset. of providing redundancy. Instead of providing redundan-
This hardware allows the hypervisor to securely assign cy through expensive hardware duplication, virtualization
specific I/O devices to specific VMs. Each assigned device makes it possible to run Active and Standby instances on
is given a dedicated area in system memory that can be the same platform. As shown in Figure 3, a Standby par-
accessed only by the device and by its VM. Once a device tition can be used for hot upgrades or fault tolerance. In
is assigned, the VM can access that device directly with- the case of a hot upgrade, for example, the system
out hypervisor intervention. By reducing the need for administrator can load new software onto the Standby
hypervisor intervention, Intel VT-d decreases the load on instance, restart it, and switch it into Active status. If the
the processor and accelerates data movement. Intel VT-d new software fails, the system can fall back on the previ-
also makes it possible to perform DMA transfers between ous software running on the other instance.
a device and memory, providing a significant performance Intel VT-x and Intel VT-d are critical to enabling these
boost for high-bandwidth applications. In addition, Intel virtualization usage models. These technologies give
VT-d enhances I/O security and availability, because data virtual machines the efficiency, reliability, and security
intended for a specific device or VM cannot be accessed required for telecom applications. Telecom applications
by any other hardware or VM. can also take advantage of Intel® Virtualization

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 47
 VIRTUALIZATION

Standby instance
Virtual Machine 1 Virtual Machine 2 provides for hot communication links bypass the
upgradeability and hypervisor switch altogether,
software fault enabling faster I/O and lower
Active Standby tolerance. processor overhead.

MILITARY AND SECURITY-CRITICAL

Operating system Operating system Virtualization is an attractive option for safety- and securi-
ty-critical applications, such as military applications. These
applications present many opportunities for hardware con-
solidation. In one recent example, virtualization was used
Hypervisor in a surveillance aircraft to consolidate sixteen 1U rack-
mounted computers into a single 4U chassis. (For more on
this example, see “Cutting Rackmount Systems Down to
Multi-Core Intel® Architecture with
Intel® Virtualization Technology Size” on page 37.)
These applications may be attractive targets for virtual-
▲ Figure 3. Intel® Virtualization Technology provides soft redundancy for hot ization, but they have unique and particularly challenging
upgradability and software fault tolerance. requirements. For example, military applications typically
require strict isolation between applications with different
Technology for Connectivity (Intel® VT-c), a technology levels of security. These security and reliability concerns
that integrates hardware assists into Intel® Ethernet can be met by using Intel VT-x and Intel VT-d in conjunc-
Controllers. In a system without Intel VT-c, the hypervi- tion with Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT).
sor has to sort and deliver each packet. For systems Intel VT-x provides a baseline level of security by providing
with high network loads, this sorting creates a signifi- virtualization operations in hardware, while Intel VT-d can
cant bottleneck in terms of both processor performance isolate I/O traffic to the VMs.
and I/O throughput. With Intel VT-c, packets are sorted Intel TXT provides additional security by enabling the
and grouped for delivery in hardware. All the hypervisor measurement of the hypervisor and VM images. These
has to do is route the presorted packet groups to the measurements—which are stored in a cryptographically pro-
appropriate VMs. This greatly reduces I/O latency and tected manner—provide a means to verify the integrity of the
processor overhead. hypervisor and VMs before they run. This verification helps
Intel VT-c also allows VMs to access network hardware prevent the launch of unwanted hypervisors or VMs (such as
directly, using the PCI-SIG Single Root I/O Virtualization images that have been tampered with or otherwise compro-
(SR-IOV) standard. In this scenario, the network device mised), limiting the effects of software-based attacks.
presents multiple virtual ports so that individual VMs can
access the device via direct, one-to-one connections. For DO MORE WITH LESS
example, each of ten VMs could be assigned a protected, The key advantage of virtualization is that it allows devel-
dedicated 1 GB/s link to the network through a single port opers to consolidate their hardware, thereby reducing sys-
on the Intel® 10 Gigabit Server Adapter. These direct tem cost, power, and size. By using Intel VT, developers
can maintain real-time performance while consolidating
systems. They can increase system uptime by enabling
Platform Components Required Capability software failover without redundant hardware, and can
Processor Intel® VT-x enabled perform software migration without bringing down the
Chipset Intel® VT-d enabled application. Virtualization also allows legacy applications to
Intel® VT-c enabled Intel® Ethernet co-exist with new applications by executing both software
Networking
Controller (optional) environments in parallel, and it provides the means for
Software available from vendors applications to take advantage of multi-core processors.
Hypervisor such as Green Hills, LynuxWorks, Real
Figure 4 summarizes the components developers need
Time Systems, TenAsys, VirtualLogix,
to get started with virtualization. All of these components
and Wind River
are available today, allowing embedded developers to
Intel® VT-enabled, available from AMI,
BIOS realize the benefits of virtualization across a broad range
Phoenix, and Insyde
of applications. ■
▲ Figure 4. Required Intel® VT components. Join the discussion at
intel.com/embedded/community/software

48 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
 DIGITAL SIGNAGE

Developing
Innovative
Digital Signage
Windows® Embedded Standard
Provides High Confidence Platform

BY STEFFEN SCHREIER
SENIOR LEAD PROGRAM MANAGER
MICROSOFT CORP.

S
mart, connected digital
signage is one of today’s
hottest embedded com-
puting applications.
Vertical markets for this technology
include advertising, retail, hospitality, cor-
porate events, transportation, public secu-
rity, and healthcare. According to market
analyst firm iSuppli, the digital signage
market for retail alone is expected to triple
by 2013, generating a CAGR of 22.9%
from 758,122 units in 2008. Figure 1 illus-
trates typical installations.
The development of digital signage systems is
driven by an assortment of customer require-
ments. To eliminate disk drive failures, devices
need to boot from solid state media. Unattended
devices also require a highly secure, locked-down
operating system (OS) image to prevent tamper-
ing. Smooth and quick system recovery from
power outages—or from a nightly power-down—is
another concern in retail and other markets with

E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 49
 DIGITAL SIGNAGE
▲
unpredictable power supplies. The signage sys-
tem must also block OS popup messages from
being displayed at inappropriate times.
From the enterprise perspective, the system
must include a variety of networking options for
easy connectivity. Customers also want a rich
graphical environment that makes it easy to cre-
ate attractive displays. Remote administration
and management are also important for lowering
the total cost of ownership. Finally, customers
want to see their digital signage concepts imple-
mented as quickly as possible, so fast time to
market is vital.
For software engineers, selecting the right embedded
operating system is critical to a successful, low-risk, low-
cost development project. Today developers have a new
option, Windows® Embedded Standard, the next genera-
tion of Windows® XP Embedded. Windows Embedded
Standard offers several advantages over other OSs. It
delivers the high performance, familiarity, and reliability of
the Windows operating system in a componentized form.
Several features of Windows Embedded Standard directly
address the needs of today’s digital signage devices. The
following sections outline some key components and
explain how they benefit digital signage.
File read/write File read/write
CDFS NTFS
R/W
R
R/W
EWF
Read Read
CD-Rom class driver Disk class driver
Read Read
Write
El-Torito Hard disk
CD-ROM
▲ Figure 2. Windows® Embedded Enhanced Write Filter Architecture.
50 | FA L L 2 0 0 9 | E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R
Figure 1. Examples of digital signage.
HIGH RELIABILITY
As noted earlier, digital signage typically boots from solid
state media. While this improves reliability, it introduces
some challenges. For example, flash memory has a finite
number of erase-write cycles. The Enhanced Write Filter
(EWF) addresses this issue by protecting a volume from
writes (Figure 2). All writes to an EWF-protected volume
are redirected to a cache overlay, which may exist either
on disk or in RAM. The overlay is made available as part
of the volume, so that the overlay can be accessed as if
it were part of the protected volume. This gives the
appearance that the protected volume is writeable. If
desired, the data stored in the overlay may be
File read/write committed to the protected volume.
EWF provides a layer between the system and
read-only devices like bootable CD-ROM drives
FAT and write-protected hard disks. Writes to these
protected devices are redirected to a cached
EWF Volume, whose contents can be committed
back to the protected drive if desired. This write-
protection mechanism protects bootable
EWF Volume
Compact Flash® volumes from wearing out. A
common use case is to make the system parti-
tion read-only and provide a separate writeable
data partition for application settings and other
Commit data. Access to the writable partition can then be
optimized to occur as infrequently as possible,
reducing flash wear and insuring a long lifetime
for the flash card.
EWF is also commonly used to implement
stateless and semi-stateless devices. The key
advantage of a stateless device is that it is
always in a known-good state. This allows the
device to boot back into known state after a
sudden power outage. In short, EWF can
increase predictability, reliability, and perform-
ance, while decreasing boot time.
BLOCKING OS POPUP MESSAGES
No one wants popup messages interrupting the
dynamic display of a digital sign. The Message Box
Default Reply provides an easy way to intercept any
MessageBox calls and provide a default reply. The
default setting disables the display of all the pop-ups
generated by the MessageBox Function. The Message
Box Default Reply also allows developers to log
messages to the event log.
RICH MEDIA AND USER EXPERIENCES
Windows Embedded Standard supports Microsoft
Silverlight™ for rich, stutter-free media experiences.
Silverlight 3 supports 3D graphics and GPU acceleration,
as well as H.264 video support and full HD (720p+) play-
back. Silverlight 3 also supports out-of-browser capability
for building lightweight, sandboxed experiences on digital
signage. With Silverlight, developers can use existing
code, assets, skills, and tools to deliver superior user
experiences on digital signage.
Developers can also replace the Windows® Explorer
interface in Windows Embedded Standard with a cus-
tom, rich user interface using Windows Presentation
Foundation (WPF), a graphical subsystem introduced in
.NET™ Framework 3.0. WPF unifies a host of application
services such as 2D and 3D drawing, fixed and adaptive
documents, advanced typography, vector graphics,
raster graphics, animation, data binding, audio and
video, and other rich User Interface (UI) features. WPF
also clearly separates the UI code from the underlying
business logic, so changes to one side of the application
do not affect the other.
ENTERPRISE CONNECTIVITY AND
MANAGEABILITY
Windows Embedded Standard offers tight connections
to enterprise systems for delivery of applications and
media, as well as robust network management services.
It provides various servicing options to the embedded
developer and the IT professional administering the
device, including tools for both deploying and updating
devices. One notable new feature in Windows
Embedded Standard is its support for System Center
Configuration Manager (SCCM) OS Deployment, which
is used to capture OS images and deploy those images
to target devices.
Windows Embedded Standard also supports Remote
Desktop Protocol 6.1 (RDP 6.1). This technology allows
technicians to perform management and maintenance
remotely, eliminating the need to send a local technician
to the device.
INCREASED SECURITY
Windows Embedded Standard is a componentized oper-
ating system that allows developers to build the OS
image from the ground up, including only the features
required to run the application. This approach reduces the
OS footprint and minimizes the surface area for attacks.
The OS also requires less security patching since fixes are
only required for features included in the image.
Windows Embedded Standard also includes security-
oriented components such as the Windows Group Policy
Editor. Among other functions, the Windows Group Policy
Editor can control what users can do on a device. For
example, a developer can enable a USB port for reading
data from a removable memory device, but turn off the
ability to install an application from the same connection.
With technologies like Silverlight
and Windows Presentation
Foundation, developers and
OEMs can focus on driving
differentiation.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the OS decision is critical and the right
choice can help bring innovative digital signage devices
to market faster. With Windows Embedded Standard
technologies like Silverlight and Windows Presentation
Foundation, developers and OEMs can focus on driving
differentiation. Equally as important, the high-confidence
platform provides performance and reliability with the
latest security features, enhanced write filters, and
popup message blocking.
By connecting to the world of Windows, Windows
Embedded Standard also minimizes the cost of owner-
ship for digital signage. Remote maintenance, security
updates, and interfaces to enterprise management
systems are all readily available. An established global
ecosystem of Windows Embedded Partners is ready to
step in to help developers bring their devices to mar-
ket faster. ■
Go to intel.com/embedded/solutionsdirectory for
more information on Microsoft’s products.
Microsoft® (www.windowsembedded.com), an Associate member
of Intel® Embedded and Communications Alliance, delivers a high-
performance and reliable embedded platform, end-to-end develop-
ment tools, support, and resources, which enable building powerful
and innovative devices.
E M B E D D E D I N N O V AT O R | F A L L 2 0 0 9 | 51
 Intel® Embedded and Communications Alliance is a global ecosystem program recognized
worldwide for helping companies advance innovation, set new embedded performance standards,
and speed time to market. Explore our members’ industry-leading products and services at:
intel.com/embedded/solutionsdirectory
Premier Members
Advantech
Advantech products are based on embedded Intel® processors that combine efficiency and high performance
with long life cycle support from board to system-level. These products are designed for medical/patient
infotainment, industrial control, signage, surveillance and in-vehicle.
www.advantech.com
Emerson Network Power
Emerson is a leading provider of products and services based on open standards such as ATCA, MicroTCA,
AdvancedMC, CompactPCI, Processor PMC, VMEbus and OpenSAF. The company’s product portfolio includes
application-ready platforms, blades, motherboards, modules and enabling software and services.
www.emersonnetworkpower.com/embeddedcomputing
Associate Members
AAEON
Manufacturer of a range of embedded SBC’s, panel appliance, automa-
tion and industrial system solutions, original design manufacturer
(ODM)/OEM industrial PCs, and integration services. Applications include
medical, transportation, kiosk/POS/ATM, digital signage, networking,
industrial, telecom, gaming and more.
www.aaeon.com
ADI Engineering, Inc.
Leading provider of Intel® architecture-based SBC’s, development kits,
OEM appliances, custom engineering solutions, and flexible design-
through-production services. ADI continues to deliver world-class
solutions utilizing Intel’s latest innovations.
www.adiengineering.com
ADLINK Technology, Inc.
Specializes in embedded computing, improving and advancing test and
measurement, industrial automation, and communication technology.
ADLINK provides high-quality and long-term solutions for telecom,
intelligent transportation systems, and electronic manufacturing
industries.
www.adlinktech.com
AXIOMTEK Co. Ltd.
Designs and manufactures industrial PC platforms, embedded boards,
server systems and chassis, network security platforms, panel computers
and workstations for industrial automation, DVR, security, medical,
gaming, transportation, POS/POI, kiosk, HMI, telecom, and storage.
www.axiomtek.com
congatec AG
Offers a product portfolio comprising small form factor modules based
on the most common industry standards such as COM Express, Qseven,
and XTX/ETX. congatec AG also provides professional board support
packages, extensive design-in support, specialized BIOS features, and
mighty tools for industrial use.
www.congatec.com
Continuous Computing Corporation
Enables network equipment providers to rapidly deploy carrier-class
LTE, DPI, and femtocell applications with reduced risk, cost, and
complexity by combining open-standards systems, Trillium protocol
software, and expert professional services to create fully-integrated
solutions.
www.ccpu.com
Affiliate Members
ads-tec GmbH
Develops and produces PC-based solutions offering a broad range
of industrial PCs, thin clients, embedded systems, and integrated
solutions in mobile computing and wireless Ethernet. Complementing
its hardware platforms, ads-tec develops software tools, specializing in
embedded operating systems.
www.ads-tec.de
ALT Software Inc.
The world’s leading supplier of advanced 2D/3D graphics, safety critical
and OpenGL enabling solutions for embedded systems. ALT Software
provides OpenGL ES, OpenGL SC, and OpenVG graphics drivers to enable
industry leading GPUs, CPUs, SoCs, and RTOS across a broad range of
performance requirements.
www.altsoftware.com
Altera Corporation
World’s largest pioneer of system-on-programmable-chip solutions.
Altera’s programmable silicon, structured ASICs, and intellectual
property are used by leading manufacturers worldwide in everything
from customer premise equipment and access to transport.
www.altera.com
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Kontron
Kontron designs and manufactures standards-based, custom embedded and communications solutions for a
variety of markets. The company’s industry-leading portfolio includes: advanced boards, mezzanines, single-
board computers (SBC’s) (ATCA, AdvancedMC, MicroTCA, CompactPCI, VME), computer-on-modules, human
machine interfaces (HMI’s), displays and systems.
www.kontron.com
RadiSys
RadiSys is a leading provider of advanced solutions for the communications networking and commercial
systems markets. Through customer collaboration and combining innovative technologies and industry-lead-
ing architecture, RadiSys helps original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s), system integrators, and solution
providers thrive.
www.radisys.com
DFI-ITOX Applied Computing
A leading provider of long-life, revision-controlled Panel PC, system,
motherboard, and SBC products for the demanding x86 embedded
systems community. All products are manufactured at the company’s
ISO 9001:2000 registered facilities under the supervision of a
dedicated 80-member engineering staff.
www.itox.com
Eurotech
Eurotech, a leader in pervasive computing, delivers the latest
technology in sensors, embedded boards, computing platforms,
ready-to-use devices, and high-performance computers to OEM and
enterprise customers in industrial, medical, military, transportation,
and instrumentation industries worldwide.
www.eurotech.com
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms
Global provider of hardware, software, services, and expertise in
automation and embedded computing for energy, water, consumer
packaged goods, government and defense, and telecommunications.
Headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, GE Fanux Intelligent Platforms is
a part of GE Enterprise Solutions.
www.gefanucembedded.com
Hewlett-Packard Company
The world’s largest technology company, HP simplifies the technology
experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans
printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure.
More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.
www.hp.com
IEI Technology Corp.
The world’s leading solution provider supplies the wide range of Intel®
advanced embedded technology of SBC’s, embedded computing, high-
performance Panel PC, video wall solutions, digital signage platforms,
and medical systems.
www.ieiworld.com
Lanner Electronics Inc.
An industry-leading designer and OEM/ODM manufacturer of security,
storage, and industrial computing solutions. With headquarters in
Taiwan, and branches in the United States, Germany, India, and China,
Lanner delivers leading-edge technical solutions with localized,
value-added services.
www.lannerinc.com
Microsoft Corporation
Windows Embedded offers the most productive set of tools and tech-
nologies and an active development community, to give you confidence
that you will be successful in delivering the next generation of smart,
connected devices—faster.
www.microsoft.com
American Megatrends Inc.
Best known for AMIBIOS, AMI supplies UEFI firmware, debug tools,
remote management, KVM-over-IP, motherboards, disk subsystems,
virtualization, and innovative storage solutions to today’s industry
leaders. AMI is a one-stop-shop for today’s core technology.
www.ami.com
Anovo Co., Ltd.
Industrial PC and embedded boards designer and manufacturer. Anovo
is dedicated to innovation in its CPU cards, embedded motherboards,
and Box-PC, through slot PICMG, industrial computing, network comput-
ing, and Panel PC product lines. Anovo offers ODM and OEM services
worldwide.
www.anovotech.com
ARBOR Technology Corp.
ARBOR specializes in embedded computing solutions to provide
standard and custom products to serve our customers. ARBOR’s full
spectrum of embedded computing products are utilized by the medical
industry, industrial control, transportation control, POS/kiosk, the
military, and other mobile markets.
www.arbor.com.tw
MontaVista Software
A leader in embedded Linux commercialization, helping customers get
the most of open source by providing commercial-quality Linux and
developer tools that significantly reduce the time and effort required
to deliver commercial products to market.
www.mvista.com
National Instruments
Transforms the way engineers around the world design, prototype,
and deploy systems for test, control, and embedded design applica-
tions. Using NI LabVIEW open graphical programming software and
modular hardware, customers simplify development, increase
productivity and reduce time to market.
www.ni.com
NEXCOM
For over 17 years, NEXCOM has been committed to providing the latest
technology for embedded solutions, including fanless computers, digital
signage players, mobile Tablet PC, industrial computers and network
security appliances. NEXCOM’s global service network has been
established for total satisfaction.
www.nexcom.com
Portwell
A world-leading innovator in the industrial PC and network security
market, developing a wide range of cutting-edge platforms to meet the
versatile needs of mission-critical applications. Portwell provides board-
level solutions along with high-quality and real-time industrial-level
system integration service.
www.portwell.com.tw
QNX Software Systems, Ltd.
Offers real-time OS technology, development tools, and professional
services for mission-critical embedded systems in the automotive,
networking, industrial, medical and defense markets.
www.qnx.com
Sun Microsystems Inc.
Develops the technologies that power the global marketplace. Guided
by a singular vision, “The Network is the Computer”, Sun drives
network participation, shared innovation, community development
and open-source leadership. Sun’s products include servers, storage,
software and processors.
www.sun.com
Wind River
The global leader in device software optimization (DSO) that enables
companies to develop, run, and manage device software better, faster,
at lower cost, and more reliably. DSO is a holistic, enterprise-wide
solution to the challenges generated by increasing complexity in
developing device software.
www.windriver.com
Aricent
Global innovation, technology, and outsourcing company focused on
the communications technology space. Aricent has multi-year expertise
and software products in device multimedia, media phone, MID,
Netbook, and Android solutions. They are a strategic supplier to the
world’s leading application, infrastructure, and service providers.
www.aricent.com
Arium
Supplies JTAG emulators, debuggers, and an IDE for the personal com-
puting industry and for embedded system development. Throughout
the industry, Arium’s products debug embedded applications, BIOS,
BSPs, device drivers, Linux kernals, and kmod and Linux applications.
www.arium.com
Avalue-BCM
Designs and manufactures embedded CPU boards/systems. We
are worldwide with offices in the USA, Taiwan, China, and Europe.
Avalue-BCM products include industrial motherboards, SBC’s, SOM-ETX,
Panel PCs, and industrial systems for kiosk, POS, gaming, medical and
industrial controls.
www.avalue.com.tw
Affiliate Members
BSQUARE
Software and engineering services provider to embedded developers
using Intel® technology with Microsoft Windows embedded OS’s.
BSQUARE offers software and hardware development, systems
integration services, reference designs, board support packages,
middleware and applications.
www.bsquare.com
Concurrent Technologies
Designs and manufactures a wide range of single-board computers
for the CompactPCI, VME, VPX, and AdvancedMC architectures using
Intel® Pentium® M, AtomTM, Xeon®, CoreTM2 Duo and dual-core Xeon®
processors.
www.gocct.com
Corvalent Corporation
A leading industrial design and manufacturer of long-life, embedded
Intel architecture-based, revision controlled motherboards and com-
puter systems for industrial applications. Custom computing solutions
guaranteed in production for 8-10+ years consistently. Engineering
and support located in Cedar Park, TX, USA.
www.corvalent.com
Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing
The defense and aerospace industry’s most experienced single source
for embedded processing, subsystems, data comm, DSP, and radar and
graphics solutions. Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing’s
expertise ranges from board-level components and services to fully
integrated custom systems.
www.cwcembedded.com
Dedicated Computing
Designs, validates, and integrates embedded, single-purpose computers
and high-level assemblies for OEM’s and independent software vendors
(ISV’s) serving several market segments, including healthcare, military
and government and industrial controls and security.
www.dedicatedcomputing.com
DIGITAL-LOGIC AG
Standard and custom embedded computers based on Intel architecture,
ranging from Intel® AtomTM up to Intel CoreTM2 Duo processors.
MODULES: smartCore-Express, smartModules, COM-Express, BOARDS:
PC/104Plus, PC/104Express, 3.5” SBC, EPIC, EBX, and MICROSPACE
fanless embedded computer systems.
www.digitallogic.com
Diversified Technologies, Inc.
Provides both standard and customized board and system-level
products based on the latest processors and interconnect fabrics,
targeting mission-critical applications such as telecommunications,
factory automation, networking, ruggedized military, high-end gaming
and medical control.
www.dtims.com
DUX Inc.
Maker of CPU boards for industrial computers. Having system design
ability, evaluation ability, and quality management. Obtaining high trust
from the enterprise in all fields such as the financial equipment, traffic
equipment, medical equipment, manufacturing equipment, inspection
equipment, etc.
www.dux.jp
EVOC Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.
Devotes itself to providing embedded products and solutions for trans-
portation, electric power, telecommunications, sports, finance, lottery,
medical, energy, manufacturing, networking, military, etc. Products are
available in chassis, board and modular form factors.
www.evoc.com
Exar Corporation
Delivers silicon, software, and subsystems for industrial, consumer, and
enterprise applications. Exar Corporation’s knowledge of the markets
along with analog/mixed signal and digital expertise results in innova-
tive solutions that secure, optimize, and transport information for the
evolving connected world.
www.hifn.com
Green Hills Software, Inc.
The largest independent vendor of embedded software solutions,
comprised of platform-independent real-time operating systems
(RTOS) and development tools. Green Hills Software’s INTEGRITY RTOS
technology is the first and only operating system to be certified by the
NSA to EAL6+ High Robustness.
www.ghs.com
Hectronic AB
Provides custom and standard embedded PC boards and systems. De-
signer of motherboards, graphics, communication systems, source code
BIOS, O/S BSP, own developed Linux distribution, Windows Embedded
partner. OEM/ODM services with long-term maintenance of solutions.
www.hectronic.se
IBASE Technology Inc.
Provides standard and customized industrial PCs to OEM’s/ODM’s,
including various single-board computers, Mini-ITX motherboards,
industrial motherboards, ETX CPU modules, CompactPCI processor
boards, network appliances and digital surveillance systems.
www.ibase-i.com.tw
Insyde Software
Global provider of firmware, BIOS, and engineering services to ODM’s/
OEM’s in the embedded systems and PC markets. Insyde Software
supports the Intel embedded platforms with InsydeH2O, the industry’s
most mature and most widely accepted UEFI firmware on the market
along with world-class engineering services.
www.insydesw.com
LiPPERT Embedded Computers GmbH
Supplies embedded PCs based on Intel architecture. The company
specializes in applications that require high reliability, require an
extended operating temperature range and must operate flawlessly in
rugged environments.
www.lippert-at.com
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LSI Corporation
Leading provider of silicon, systems, and software technologies. Capabili-
ties and services include custom and standard product ICs, adapters, sys-
tems, and software that are trusted by the world’s best known brands
to power leading solutions in the storage and networking markets.
www.lsi.com
LynuxWorks, Inc.
Embedded RTOSes are based on open standards, and offer safety and
security certification without compromising performance. LynxSecure
separation kernel and embedded hypervisor allows multiple guest
operating systems such as Windows and Linux to be run on Intel
multi-core devices.
www.lynuxworks.com
Macraigor Systems, LLC
Leading supplier of JTAG connection devices for on-chip debugging. The
company’s OCDemonTM technology provides low-cost, full-featured con-
nection to on-chip debug facilities of 32- and 64-bit processors. Host
connections include parallel, serial, USB, and Ethernet with Windows,
Vista, Linux x86 and x86_64 sys.
www.macraigor.com
MEN Mikro Elektronik GmbH
Over 100 standard and custom board- and system-level embedded
computing solutions qualified for highly reliable operation in harsh, mo-
bile and mission-critical environments, such as ground transportation,
avionics, shipbuilding, commercial vehicles, medical, industrial control,
and test and measurement.
www.men.de
Micro Industries
Offers engineering services to OEM’s, specializing in design, develop-
ment, manufacturing, and quick-turn prototypes for products ranging
from high-volume, low-cost microcontrollers for consumer and automo-
tive to sophisticated systems for retail, medical, telecom, industrial
and aerospace.
www.microindustries.com
MindTree Ltd.
A global company specializing in product engineering, which comprises
R&D services and software product engineering. MindTree provides
complete system development services that includes hardware,
firmware, system software, embedded and management applications
across various industries.
www.mindtree.com
MSC Vertriebs GmbH
Leading supplier for Com Express, ETX, and Qseven to OEM’s and
a pan-European distributor of active and passive components. MSC
provides off-the-shelf standard modules and customized designs based
on embedded Intel architecture and is licensed to extend and distribute
Phoenix BIOS for embedded designs.
www.msc-ge.com
NEC Corporation, Application Workstations
One of the world’s leading providers of Internet, broadband network,
and enterprise business solutions. NEC’s Application Workstations Divi-
sion supports ubiquitous terminals creating added value for the local
offices or stores such as supermarkets, gas stations, movie theaters
and factories.
www.nec.com
NetLogic Microsystems, Inc.
A fabless semiconductor company that develops and markets high-
performance processors and high-speed integrated circuits that help
accelerate the delivery of voice, video, data, and multimedia content
for advanced enterprise, datacenter, communications, security, storage
and mobile wireless networks.
www.netlogicmicro.com
Netronome
Develops programmable semiconductors for intelligent flow processing
in network and communications devices. Netronome offers network
flow processors and acceleration cards that scale to 20 Gbps and that
provide deep packet inspection, flow analysis, content processing, IO
virtualization and security.
www.netronome.com
Norco
A leading designer and manufacturer of industrial computers, NORCO
attributes its success to its sustainable R&D ability, allowing it to
adhere to the most-up-to-date computer technology. Norco serves a
vertical market with over 40 branches across the nation providing an
on-site seamless service.
www.norco.com.cn
PFU Ltd. / PFU Systems, Inc.
PFU, a Fujitsu group company, provides system-on-module components
for healthcare, industrial automation, datacom, test and measurement,
retail, transportation, defense, and security. PFU is the leading supplier
of kiosks in Japan, providing kiosks for product information, registration
and payments.
www.pfusystems.com
Phoenix Technologies, Ltd.
Builds world-class core systems software platforms, tools, and applica-
tions for OEM’s/ODM’s of connected digital devices that dramatically
improve the manageability, reliability, and usability of their products.
Phoenix products address the industry need for radically simplified and
trusted computing.
www.phoenix.com
Protech Systems
Established in 1980, Protech Systems Co., Ltd. specializes in the design
and manufacturing of industrial PCs, automation products, and embed-
ded computers for companies around the world. Product lines include
single-board computers, book-size PCs, POS and Panel PCs.
www.protech-ipc.com
Real-Time Systems GmbH
Leading provider of real-time virtualization products and engineering
services for embedded and real-time systems. Their in-house teams of
specialists collaborate with customers at any stage of their projects,
helping them develop platform software (BSP), device drivers and
application programming.
www.real-time-systems.com
Red Flag Software Co., Ltd.
Largest Linux vendor in China by providing Linux-related products
and services such as high-end Linux server OS, cluster and embedded
systems, desktop OS, and technical support services for government,
education, telecom, finance, insurance, transport, power, logistics,
media and manufacturing markets.
www.redflag-linux.com
Ricoh
Well known for its office equipment (copiers, printers, fax machines,
PDs, CD-R/CD-RW drivers/media, and digital cameras and other
devices), Ricoh now provides a line of high-quality embedded
controllers and chassis to meet various customer demands for
premium, long-term supply and customization.
www.rei.ricoh.com
SECO
European designer and manufacturer of highly-integrated board
computers and systems for embedded applications focused on
developing innovative products with high performance, low power
consumption and heat dissipation, low cost and increased functionality,
offering short time to market.
www.seco.it
Sensory Networks Inc.
Provider of L4-L7 high-speed software pattern matching and content
processing acceleration solutions. For applications such as IPS, Firewall,
DPI, and content filtering, Sensory’s HyperScan software delivers up
to 20 Gbps of throughput performance, while running on off-the-shelf
platforms.
www.sensorynetworks.com
TenAsys
Specializes in real-time software platforms for the embedded computer
industry, specifically designed and optimized for use with the Intel
architecture processors and Microsoft Windows. The company’s INtime
and eVM products use virtual machine technology to join real-time
functionality with Windows versatility.
www.tenasys.com
Tieto Signaling Solutions
Offers global services, solutions and products to telecom equipment
manufacturers and network operators. Tieto has 3,500 telecom
experts, 15 years’ experience with signaling products and solutions,
and partnerships with several of the largest TEMs.
www.signaling.tietoenator.com
Toshiba Personal Computer System Corporation
Utilizes high-quality embedded PC boards and systems for arcade game
machines, medical equipment, digital signage equipment, manufactur-
ing equipment, inspection equipment, etc. Toshiba continuously offers
unique, innovative products and services to their customers.
www.toshiba-tops.co.jp
Trenton Technology, Inc.
Designs and builds single-board computers, backplanes, and complete
industrial computer systems for use in several embedded computing
applications. Trenton SBC’s come in a variety of form factors and Intel
processors. Backplanes and systems come in various standards and
slot configurations.
www.trentontechology.com
Trucomp Inc.
Market leader of high-performance and low-power processor board
and system solutions, ruggedized for extreme conditions for applica-
tions such as industrial control, test equipment, telecom, medical and
mobile applications.
www.eepd.com
Venture Corporation Limited
Provides ODM services for POS systems and other industrial applica-
tions such as metering products, industrial controllers, and diagnostic
test equipment as well as contract manufacturing for electronics
products.
www.venture.com.sg
VirtualLogix
Global leader in real-time virtualization technology for connected
devices. VirtualLogix founders bring more than 20 years of experience
developing and deploying system software for network infrastructure,
mobile handsets, automotive, medical, and industrial equipment and
other embedded devices.
www.virtuallogix.com
WIN Enterprises
Produces custom, Intel architecture-based boards and appliances used
in networking, network security, mobile imaging, medical, industrial
control, and other environments. Products range from low- to ultra-
high-performance multi-core processing. Appliances are offered in
desktop, 1U and 2U sizes.
www.win-ent.com
Wipro Technologies
One of the largest third-party R&D service providers, Wipro Technolo-
gies’ portfolio includes product strategy/architecture, electronic and
mechanical hardware design, application software, testing, compliance
and certification, product sustenance/support and technical publica-
tions across industry domains.
www.wipro.com
Xilinx, Inc.
Leading innovator of complete programmable logic solutions that
invented the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and fulfills more
than half of the demand for these devices today. Xilinx programmable
logic provides a revolutionary alternative to custom logic chips that
require lengthy design times.
www.xilinx.com
*Intel® Embedded and Communications Alliance membership as of
August 26, 2009. Premier, Associate, and Affiliate listing only. For the
latest listing of membership visit: www.intelcommsalliance.com/roster
 Real people. Real topics. Real answers.

SOLVE PROBLEMS GET ADVICE SHARE IDEAS

The Intel® Embedded Community is a place where you can discuss embedded design
solutions with the people who know. Share and solve problems, get the advice you need,
and exchange design ideas with others in your field. And that’s just the beginning.

intel.com/embedded/community