CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

March 15, 2012March 14, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Using OpenOCD JTAG in Android Kernel Debugging – Android Builder Summit 2012

Mike Anderson, CTO and Chief Scientist for The PTR Group, gives a tutorial about Linux kernel debugging in Android with OpenOCD JTAG at the Android Builder Summit in February 2012. Abstract: Owing to the use of the Linux kernel, Android device drivers can be debugged using many of the same techniques as Linux. Still, much of the user-space interface code typically found in Linux is missing in Android. This complicates the debugging of kernel driver code. This presentation will demonstrate the use of the open on-chip debug (OpenOCD) software and an inexpensive JTAG to debug Android kernel code. The target audience for this presentation are platform developers looking to debug their kernel code such as device drivers. This presentation is targeted at intermediate-level developers with some understanding of kernel code development. You can also download the presentation slides on linuxfoundation.org website.

March 14, 2012March 14, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Android Device Porting Tutorial – Android Builder Summit 2012

Benjamin Zores, Open Source Software and Multimedia Architect at Alcatel-Lucent, gives step-by-step to port Android to your own device at Android Builder Summit in February 2012. Abstract: This talk is presented as a step by step tutorial meant for Android platform rookies, as to discover all Androidisms one has to tackle down to bring his own custom device to life. Based on a real-life Android 4.0 ICS device porting experience, the talk will cover early board bringup (from U-Boot and Fastboot to Linux kernel and drivers), AOSP device integration, Android-specific device init customization, touchscreen input layer adaptations and Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) driver interfaces development. You can also download the presentation slides on linuxfoundation.org website.

March 14, 2012March 14, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ADB: (Android Debug Bridge) : How It Works – Android Builder Summit 2012

Tetsuyuki Kobayashi, working at Kyoto Microcomputer a Japanese development tool vendor, explains how the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) works at Android Builder Summit in February 2012. Abstract: ADB is very nice and important tool. Every Android Builders uses adb command such as ‘adb shell’ and ‘adb logcat’. But what does it mean ‘adb kill-server’ ? I studied the source code of adb. I share you how adb works and some tips I found. This session is for developers who want to know Android internal deeply. You can also download the presentation slides on linuxfoundation.org website.

March 14, 2012March 14, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Using Android Outside the Mobile Phone Space – Android Builder Summit 2012

Jason Kridner, chief software architect for the Sitara ARM microprocessor business at Texas Instruments (TI) and the community development manager, explains why and how to use Android in diverse embedded systems (and not only smartphones and tablets) at the Android Builder Summit in February 2012. Abstract: A few years back all embedded devices were designed like PCs. For example, users understood the use of a mouse and keyboard and could minimize and maximize a window using mouse clicks and launch new applications from Start. The increasing demand and usage of smartphones globally has not just changed the definition of user experience for embedded equipments but has made emerging technologies like touch and display panels, connectivity solutions and infrastructure, affordable to non- phone products segments. The embedded equipment designers and users have grown accustomed in no time to the smartphone features and technologies like multi-touch, high-resolution display panels, connectivity over 3G […]

March 14, 2012March 13, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Designing An Android Sensor Subsystem: Pitfalls and Considerations – Android Builder Summit 2012

Jen Costillo of Lab 126 discusses the Android sensor subsystem at the Android Builder Summit in February 2012. Abstract: This lecture will arm Android device architects with the tactical knowledge they need to navigate the Android Sensor subsystem and make knowledgeable design choices to improve user experience and improve battery performance. The talk will address: Hardware architecture and trade-offs including latency, power, and software architecture implications: Wake up events and power considerations Gesture Detection Algorithm processing location and considerations Testing methodologies (Creating tools to aid develop and collect data. This talk targets the kernel/firmware developer responsible for the sensor architecture. They should be familiar with kernel drivers, embedded systems, hardware bring up, Android services, and the C language. You can also download the presentation slides on linuxfoundation.org website.

March 14, 2012March 13, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

The AllJoyn Open Source Project – Android Builder Summit 2012

Marcello Lioy, Director engineering at Qualcomm Innovation Center, talks about AllJoyn open source project at then Android Builder Summit in February 2012: Description of AllJoyn project: AllJoyn is a peer-to-peer technology that enables ad hoc, proximity-based, device-to-device communication without the use of an intermediary server. True peer-to-peer communications without the traditional barriers Simple device and service discovery Security framework for authenticated and encrypted communications per application/service Managed networking and message routing Object-oriented programming model Optimized for the mobile embedded environment Low latency Header compression Reliable and unreliable transport Point-to-multipoint communications Potential applications of the technology include Multi-player gaming Social media sharing Multi-user productivity tools AllJoyn is part of Qualcomm Android development tools. I could not find the presentation slides for this particular talk.

March 13, 2012July 17, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

ARM Announces ARM Cortex-M0+ Core to Power the Internet of Things

ARM has just unveiled the ARM Cortex-M0+ 32-bit processor optimized to deliver ultra low-power and low-cost MCUs to power the ‘Internet of Things‘ by controlling connected intelligent sensors and smart control systems in a broad range of applications including home appliances, white goods, medical monitoring, metering, lighting and power and motor control devices. ARM claims the Cortex-M0+ consumes just 9µA/MHz on a low-cost 90nm LP process, around one third of the energy of any 8- or 16-bit processor available today, while delivering significantly higher performance (1.77 CoreMark/MHz). Beside the low power consumption, the main advantage of the Cortex-Mo+ over 8-bit and 16-bit MCUs , is that it can provide low power wireless connectivity to a variety of embedded systems such as wireless sensors. The new processor is based on Cortex-M0 processor but has been redesigned to include a few new features such as: Single-cycle IO to speed access to GPIO […]

March 13, 2012March 13, 2012 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Bump In Host on Android – IPv4 to IPv6 Translation – Android Builder Summit

Yonghui Wang, representative of China Mobile to the Linux Foundation, gives a presentation about BIH (Bump in the Host) protocol at the Android Builder Summit in February 2012. Abstract: BIH or Bump-in-the-host realizes a host-based IPv4 to IPv6 protocol translation mechanism that allows a class of IPv4-only applications that work through NATs to communicate with IPv6-only peers on Android. The host on which applications are running may be connected to IPv6-only or dual-stack access networks. BIH hides IPv6 and makes the IPv4-only applications think they are talking with IPv4 peers by local synthesis of IPv4 addresses. China Mobile has released an open source implementation of the protocol. The presentation slides has not available for this talk.