Welcome
If you’re reading this for the first time, that makes two of us. I’m writing here for the first time! Welcome to my inaugural blog post on blogs.mentor.com. I hope you’ll find the coming content interesting, timely and varied. Thought it will be my primary focus, I won’t always write about Linux and open source related subjects. I will occasionally add some fun topics of interest to me, … Read More
I have raised the subject of embedded device power consumption before and I will again, as this is becoming more and more of a hot topic [no pun intended]. As I have touched upon on a previous occasion, power consumption is no longer purely a hardware - the software can have a significant effect. There are obvious ways that software has an influence: code efficiency, control of system voltage and clock … Read More
Tags: Low Power, multi-core, Multi-OS
I was recently approached for help by a Mentor Graphics customer, who was planning a new project and needed to select an operating system. They wanted guidance with that choice. Of course, one is tempted to say that it does not matter which of our products they chose [as, between them, Nucleus RTOS and Mentor Embedded Linux do cover most possibilities], but I felt they needed something more objective.
There … Read More
Tags: Windows CE, Source Code, Linux, Low Power, RTOS, Networking, Nucleus
In all aspects of life, the use of energy is an increasingly important matter. A domestic electricity bill is enough to get the attention of most householders and initiate thoughts about using more efficient equipment. Filling a car’s fuel tank is an eye-watering experience. Even in the US, where fuel is still quite cheap, the costs have risen drastically in percentage terms over the last decade. … Read More
Crystal ball gazing is a hazardous activity. However, this week I am going to take the risk. I have the honor of having been invited to present a keynote speech at a technical conference in Grenoble, France. Although I speak at conferences frequently, I normally have some constraints with the topic - normally I am presenting a paper, an abstract for which was submitted and accepted months before. On … Read More
Tags: Multicore, User Interface, Low Power, Android, Inflexion
Last week I attended the ARM Technical Conference in Santa Clara, California. I am not sure how many years this event has been running, but it seems to be going from strength to strength. There was a change to the management company this year, but the event format was basically the same: a 3 day multiple-stream technical conference, with a selection of keynotes and an associated exhibition area.
Obviously, … Read More
Tags: Low Power, User Interface, MCAPI, ARM, Multicore, Android
I have always for medical electronics interesting and I have blogged about it from time to time [here and here, for example]. Part of the reason for my interest stems from an occasional feeling that so much of the electronics around me is ultimately pointless. Many Mentor Embedded customers are making consumer devices, cell phones and other gadgets. Do we really need all of these? Aren’t they really … Read More
Tags: Android, User Interface, Networking, Inflexion UI, Low Power, Linux, Multicore, Medical, Nucleus, RTOS
Power consumption is an issue. With portable devices this affects battery life. [I am irritated by the short intervals between necessary charging sessions with my phone. On the other hand, my netbook can run for over 7 hours on a charge, which is great. Likewise, my newly-acquired iPad seems to perform well.] With mains powered equipment, power consumption is also a concern for environmental reasons.
The … Read More
As usual, I attended the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, CA last week. I guess it remains the foremost show in the embedded world in North America for sure - probably worldwide. My role was to make some presentations and look after the theater on the Mentor Embedded [our new branding for the Embedded Software Division of Mentor Graphics] booth. I did not have a chance to attend any conference … Read More
Life is often about compromise, but embedded developers really are not good at that. Code generation is a context in which compromise is somewhat inevitable and we call it “optimization”. All modern compilers perform optimization, of course. Some do a better job than others. A lot of the time, the compiler simply guesses which optimization will produce the best result without knowing what the designer … Read More
Tags: C, Optimization, EDGE Compiler, Low Power, Power