QNX Introduces Advanced Graphics Toolkit

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OTTAWA, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- QNX Software Systems today announced a new suite of middleware that allows system designers to build scalable, reliable, and high performing 2D and 3D graphical environments using industry standards. The QNX(R) Advanced Graphics Technology Development Kit (TDK) supports the most advanced graphics processor features, such as hardware-accelerated 2D and 3D draw commands, hardware blit support, layering control, and video capture. Graphical applications built with this toolkit directly control the graphics processor's resources, ensuring the highest drawing throughput. In addition, the tookit is modular, allowing a system to load only the graphical components needed by the application. Optional components include image rendering (BMP, JPG, PNG with Alphamap), font rendering (TrueType and Bitstream Stroke with rotation and anti-alias), and OpenGL(R) ES libraries.

QNX is also the only embedded systems provider to offer a standards-based graphical framework for 3D graphics. The QNX Advanced Graphics TDK provides libraries for OpenGL ES Common Profile 1.0 that have been certified by the Khronos Group, an independent standards body. By using these open standards, including EGL (a building block for OpenGL ES), applications developed with the QNX Advanced Graphics TDK are future ready and can leverage other standards such as JSR 239 (Java bindings for 3D), OpenVG (for 2D vector graphics rendering), and SVG.

"We designed this graphical framework to run every graphics program as fast as possible, while ensuring an extremely high level of reliability and realtime performance," said Mark Roberts, director of product management at QNX. "By using special serialization techniques to manage graphics resources, the framework allows multiple concurrent applications to render graphics based on their priority. The framework can also clean up after a misbehaved or failed graphics application. All of this occurs automatically, without any special coding on the part of the graphics programmer. In effect, QNX is offering the Human Machine Interface designer the same values of realtime and reliability that we have always provided to the system designer."

As with all QNX products, the modular nature of QNX architecture ensures the utmost in scalability. Developers can incorporate "guest" windowing systems and third-party graphic frameworks into the QNX graphics framework with ease. This allows software such as Web browsers and email programs to run at the same time as other 2D and 3D programs.

Availability

The new QNX Advanced Graphics TDK is available now. Contact your local QNX sales representative or distributor for details.

About QNX Software Systems

QNX Software Systems, a Harman International company (NYSE: HAR), is the industry leader in realtime, embedded OS technology. The component-based architectures of the QNX(R) Neutrino(R) RTOS and QNX Momentics(R) development suite together provide the industry's most reliable and scalable framework for building innovative, high-performance embedded systems. Global leaders such as Cisco, DaimlerChrysler, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens depend on QNX technology for network routers, medical instruments, vehicle telematics units, security and defense systems, industrial robotics, and other mission- or life-critical applications. Founded in 1980, QNX Software Systems is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and distributes products in over 100 countries worldwide.

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Schwartz Communications
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QNX Software Systems
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CONTACT: Jennifer Barlow or Bill Keeler both of Schwartz Communications,
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Web site: http://www.qnx.com/