About the Embedded Systems Group

In June 2001, the Embedded Systems Group of ASTI was formally conceived to deliver the needs of the Institute for its embedded systems requirements. It was tasked to develop an embedded systems track for the local R&D industry that is both locally and internationally competitive. In the world where there is really no clear definition of what embedded systems is, the group had characterized ASTI's own embedded technology.

Briefly described below is ESG's field of specialization. This capability list is continually being updated to reflect the dynamic changes in the embedded systems industry. This is ESG's commitment of being globally competitive in the market.

The number of embedded devices that must be run off of battery power or parasitic power continues to increase. Every low power design is different and will have its own interesting set of problems to solve. You have to think through every element of the design if you want to operate at very low power levels. ESG has done that.

Designing and implementing device drivers more quickly and easily than ever before, for major OSes, from keypads to graphical displays and various PC interfaces, across a variety of platforms. Design of device drivers has never been easier. That's the ESG.

What kind of RTOS do you think is most appropriate for the embedded systems market? What other research-oriented distributed operating systems should we look to for solutions? Do we have to look elsewhere for inspiration and solutions? Where? Which of the commercial RTOSes do you think will do the best job in this new environment and why? Will one size fit all? The ESG knows some of the answers.

In today's world, the quantity and variety of network-connected embedded devices are expanding rapidly. The data communication requirements of many of these applications involve frequent query-response or transaction-type exchanges of small chunks of data (small enough to fit into a single, un-fragmented IP packet) between client and server devices. And the ESG can't be far behind.

Embedded devices often have simple commands and simple queries. A full-blown Internet connection can be overkill for the amount of data required. If you want to provide a graphical user interface, a client program on the PC can do its communication via SMS and then present the raw data in a user-friendly format-with the aid of graphic displays. The power of SMS-the ESG has explored it.

How do you organize medium-sized or larger C programs? Few C textbooks give any insight; they concentrate on exposition of C's features using small examples. The examples usually fit in a single source code file. Without some guiding principle of organization, larger C programs can become difficult to understand and impossible to maintain. Modular programming is one way of managing the complexity, and ESG is doing just that.

Thought of principally as a quality procedure, the ESG tries to improve the entire software process to aid other engineers and developers in improving the quality of software systems.

In network-connected devices, it is often a given that the Internet Protocol (IP) will serve as the network layer protocol. A crucial choice for transaction applications is which protocol to use at the transport layer. The ESG is already looking at several issues and concerns that bear on this choice, especially (but not exclusively) in the context of embedded devices: memory use, network bandwidth, response time, reliability, and interoperability.

ESG can help you to choose the right micro-controller or microprocessor for your product, and assist you in making critical hardware/software decisions. We will quickly bring your firmware to a prototype stage so that you can demonstrate new technologies while they are still new. Together with other ASTI's projects, the ESG will support all elements to their final stages, from development to market release. That's commitment.

A. Software Development Kits

1. ARM Toolkit (for 32 bit -Microprocessor and OS Development)
2. Rabbit Semiconductor Toolkit (for Network Connectivity)
3. Cypress USB Kit (for Interconnection)
4. Motorola HC16 Tool Kit (for 16 - bit Microprocessor-based Design and Applications)
5. AMD Net186 Kit (for Network Connectivity)
6. Dialogic Toolkit (for VoIP Applications)
7. Others

B. Test & Measurement Equipment (Telecom/Datacom)

1. HP Oscilloscopes
2. Agilent Mixed Signal Scope
3. HP Digitizing Oscilloscope
4. HP Logic Analyzers
5. Anritsu PCM Channel Analyzers
6. PUMA Datacom/Telecom Tester
7. IDACOM Protocol Tester
8. Anritsu Selective Channel Meter
9. Anritsu Channel Selector
10. Anritsu Synthesizer/Level Generator
11. Others