ITTIA introduces Compact database for portable media player development

Submitted by ittia on

ITTIA, a leading provider of embedded database software and services, today introduced Compact edition as a new member of its ITTIA DB product family. Compact is a rock-solid transactional database engine that allows embedded developers to select the exact database features to match the requirements of a particular device. Compact is an ideal database candidate for application development projects related to digital media such as portable multimedia players (PMP), digital audio players (DAP), and automotive computer systems.

By offering embedded developers to select only necessary features, ITTIA DB Compact reduces code size and eliminates runtime overhead. A minimized library size leaves more room for application code on ROM, freeing developers to implement more features in the application itself or save cost with less expensive hardware. A smaller program can save memory and reduce device startup time. And since unused database features are completely disabled, the application is more responsive and consumes less power.

Applications developed with ITTIA DB Compact utilize ITTIA DB's low-level C or C++ API to access tables and indexes directly. The application has a fine degree of control over performance, and the overhead and complexity of SQL queries, which are often unnecessary in a device application, is eliminated. However, even if SQL is not used by the software on the device itself, developers can still use SQL to query ITTIA DB Compact databases on other platforms.

ITTIA DB uses recovery logging to prevent data loss caused by unexpected power failure. Portable media players often copy meta data from media files into a database to greatly improve responsiveness and start-up time. In such an application, the database is rarely modified. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that a power failure occurs while writing changes, the database can be regenerated from the media files themselves. With ITTIA DB Compact, developers can completely disable recovery logging.

Portable media players and other devices are often sold as a family of products that target different segments of a market. Products in a family are typically distinguished by hardware and advanced software features. Developers prefer to use the same application code for all products. Because the API and file format of ITTIA DB Compact are also supported by ITTIA DB-SQL Standard and Plus, the same application code can be used across a variety of hardware environments. Additional database features provided by Standard and Plus, such as runtime SQL queries and concurrent shared access, are included only in the products that need them.

ITTIA DB Compact is a cross-platform database library for devices with or without an operating systems. With the addition of Compact to the ITTIA DB product family, developers can deploy a database solution that exactly fits the needs of their project. From a full-featured SQL database environment to the most bare-bones hardware, ITTIA DB is a versatile answer to data management.

About ITTIA

ITTIA offers database solutions for platforms where limited memory, storage, and processing power make software development a challenge. ITTIA develops fast, high performance database products and tools with the goal of providing excellent data management software for embedded systems and devices. ITTIA products are designed to be suitable for application development and deployment at significantly reduced cost. ITTIA customers include GlaxoSmithKline, VNU, Boeing, Moodys, Sandia National Laboratory, Puget Sound Energy and others. You can obtain more information about ITTIA at: www.ittia.com.