CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

November 9, 2011November 9, 2011 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Tuning Linux For Embedded Systems – ELCE 2011

Darren Hart, Intel’s Open Source Technology Center, gives a 5 step method to optimize Linux (image size, memory footprint and boot time) for embedded systems at Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2011. Abstract: Although embedded systems are less and less resource constrained, there is still a lot of demand for minimizing the image size, runtime memory usage, and boot time. The firmware, kernel configuration, hardware initialization, boot-time arguments, start-up scripts, and library sizes are all examples of things with a direct impact on your image size and/or boot time. There are several core processes involved with minimizing the size of an image, which has a direct impact on runtime memory usage and boot time. The focus is on configuration techniques that get you most of the way there and follow-up with source-level customizations that get you the rest of the way. You can also download the presentation slides.

November 8, 2011 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Booting Userspace in Less Than 1 Second with Systemd – ELCE 2011

Koen Kooi, the lead developer of the Angstrom distribution, introduces systemd (sysvinit replacement) and shows how it can be integrated to a specific platform at Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2011. Abstract: Systemd is currently being hyped as *the* sysvinit replacement and this presentation will show why it’s here to stay. A brief introduction to systemd is given but the main focus is on showing how to integrate it into your favourite platform and how a few hours of tweaking can boot userspace into X11 in less than 1 second on the current generation of ARM chips (OMAP4 on Pandaboard). A comparison with slower low-end ARM chips is also be included and some design considerations when designing those low-end systems. The audience is system integrators and hobbyists that require a fast boot (e.g. robotics people). You can also download the presentation slides.

November 8, 2011 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ARM Linux Kernel Alignment & Benefits For Snowball – ELCE 2011

Andrea Gallo, Chief Linux Architect in the Smartphone and Tablet Solution organization in ST-Ericsson and part of the Linaro Technical Steering Committee, explains how a common Linux ARM kernel benefits ST Ericsson Snowball development platform. Abstract: Last March, the ARM Linux community got shaken by the complaints by Linus Torvalds for its lack of proper structure and organization. This is totally true and mainly due to the large number of different SoC vendors, each one integrating the ARM IP’s in a slightly different variant. Linaro immediately accepted the challenge to drive the kernel alignment of the ARM community and most ARM Linux experts got together and agreed on the way forward as early as May 2011 at the Developers’ summit in Budapest. ST-Ericsson is a founding member of Linaro and some key ST-Ericsson engineers are assigned to Linaro and specifically to this kernel alignment working force. In the speech, Andrea […]

November 8, 2011 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Yocto Project Community BoF – ELCE 2011

Jeff Osier-Mixon, community manager for the Yocto project and working at Intel, presents the Yocto Project at Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2011. Abstract: The Yocto Project is an open source collaboration project that provides templates, tools and methods to help you create custom Linux-based systems for embedded products regardless of the hardware architecture. This BoF (Birds of a Feather) provides a meeting place for members of the Yocto Project community to gather, meet Yocto Project developers, see hands-on demonstrations, and get answers to questions about using the tools. The audience for this BoF includes embedded Linux developers, application developers, and systems integrators who are looking for an industry-standard approach to building custom embedded Linux distributions, at all expertise levels from newly-hatched developer to grizzled professional. Attendees can expect to learn the latest about the Yocto Project and to learn how they can participate and benefit.

November 8, 2011 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

The Yocto Project Eclipse Plug-In – ELCE 2011

Jessica Zhang is Software Engineer at Intel and works on Yocto Application Development Kit (ADT) and its Eclipse plug-in. She presented Yocto Project Eclipse Plug-in at Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2011. Abstract: Yocto project is an open source collaboration project that aims at helping embedded Linux software developers, either for system or application development. The Yocto Eclipse plug-in provides an effective integrated development environment that is based on the widely adopted Eclipse CDT and TCF extensions. It allows user to seamlessly interact with various Yocto project development tools. Yocto 1.0 targeted application developers via cross toolchains and sysroot setup, with remote deploy, debug and analysis. For 1.1, we have added support in the Yocto Eclipse plug-ins for system development through interaction with the bitbake UI interface for a Yocto bitbake commander type project. This talk will demo the end-to-end usage flows of Yocto Eclipse plug-in for both system and application […]

November 8, 2011November 8, 2011 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

WIMM One Developer Preview Kit is Now Available

WIMM Labs has just announced the availability of its wearable Android-based reference platform and software development kit. It can be purchased for 299 US dollar and is only available in the US. It is currently only available to registered developers but will be available to all by the 9th of November. The WIMM One Developer Preview Kit includes: WIMM One Module Black wrist strap Charging kit: Paddle charger, USB cable, USB power adapter Here’s the email registered developers received: We are thrilled that you expressed early interest in the WIMM One Developer Preview and we’d like to invite you to be among the first to purchase a WIMM One during our limited release. From now until November 9, the store will only be open to those who’ve reserved in advance. Just register at dev.wimm.com using this email address and purchase your WIMM One Preview for $299. Inventory is limited and […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs

November 8, 2011 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Optimizations for Cheap Flash Media – ELCE 2011

Arnd Bergmann, Linaro (and IBM), explains how NAND flash access can be improved in Linux embedded systems at Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2011. Abstract: Mass storage in embedded systems typically means NAND flash in the form of eMMC, SDHC or similar technologies. Unlike server-class SSDs, these have few optimizations that help reduce write-amplification. This presentation explains the typical shortcomings in this design and how system builders and software developers together can avoid them, in order to get longer life and better performance out of low-end media. You can also download the presentation slides.

November 8, 2011November 8, 2011 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Android Platform Optimizations – ELCE 2011

Ruud Derwig and Mischa Jonker, both working at Synopsys, present different Android optimization methods at Embedded Linux Conference Europe 2011. Abstract: Although compute platforms gain performance with every new generation, getting the most out of every cycle and milliwatt remains a key value driver for Consumer Electronics. This presentation opens up the Android platform and explain what platform components and frameworks can benefit from performance optimizations. The optimizations are illustrated using real-life examples from the porting and optimization of the Android platform for the DesignWare ARC CPU. Both Android platform and application developers will gain insight in how to improve Android performance. Topics that are addressed include the Pixelflinger, Linux kernel and drivers, Javascript engine, Bionic C library, and the Dalvik VM. We’ll demonstrate the portability of Android and suitability of the ARC architecture for building efficiently Android systems. You can also download the presentation slides.