SAN FRANCISO, ElectronicaUSA & Embedded Systems Conference, Booth 2626, March 31, 2004 - Aiming to increase the adoption of IEEE-1394/FireWire® in aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, automotive, transport, and medical markets, Mindready Solutions is offering a free 1394 evaluation stack to encourage device makers to integrate this high-performance serial bus in their products. Stack supports QNX Momentics development suite.Evaluating a software package is a mandatory step when selecting the best solution for an embedded system, especially when new technologies are involved. Mindready Solutions has answered this need by providing a free introductory package of its widely-recognized IEEE-1394 Stack: the SedNetTM 1394 evaluation stack. It provides the software needed to get started with this popular technology.
The 1394 evaluation stack is designed for new users of IEEE-1394 connectivity who wish to evaluate the benefits of the 1394 bus and API for future software implementation. It provides access to the full capabilities of the Mindready SedNet 1394 Stack off-the-shelf product, including source code examples to demonstrate the capabilities of this high-performance serial bus. The 1394 evaluation stack package enables users to build a simulated network of devices with IEEE-1394 interfaces in PC environment, as well as to operate a fully-functional 1394a or 1394b bus.
Key features of the SedNet 1394 evaluation stack include control of the OHCI hardware interface and the ability to execute common IEEE-1394 functions, such as, asynchronous read/write requests, CSR read/write/lock accesses, bandwidth/channel allocation, isochronous communications, and more.
The 1394 evaluation stack is now available for the Pentium platform and runs on a QNX® Momentics® development suite evaluation license to give developers a jump start. Mindready's 1394 evaluation stack package provided to device makers is compliant with IEEE Std 1394a-2000 and IEEE Std 1394b-2002. Delivered as a standalone software package, organizations will be allowed to combine up to three evaluation stack licenses to form a network.
"Our decision to offer developers a free IEEE-1394 Evaluation Stack comes as IEEE-1394/FireWire® adoption increases in the aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, automotive, transport and medical markets, joining the PC and industrial markets that have already embraced this technology," stated Marc Doré, Mindready's president and CEO.
"QNX welcomes Mindready's initiative to offer a free IEEE-1394 evaluation stack running on the QNX Momentics development suite," stated Andrew Poliak, automotive segment manager at QNX Software Systems. "Real-time applications using IEEE-1394 are becoming increasingly adopted in the same vertical markets targeted by QNX. Giving developers the capabilities to evaluate the 1394 standard for embedded prototypes is another way to accelerate QNX's growing market share in the automotive, consumer electronics, and networking markets."
FireWire continues to dominate the audio/video market for digital camcorders and other devices, a trend furthering the FCC ruling to force the addition of 1394 digital interfaces on set-top boxes and digital televisions. Through the efforts of the 1394 Trade Association, and because of its capability to connect devices without requiring a PC, IEEE-1394/FireWire is also finding its way into home networking solutions, such as linking multiple audio/video products.
More information on the SedNetM 1394 Evaluation Stack is now available for developers at www.mindready.com