Electronic Design UPDATE: February 11, 2004

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Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter
Electronic Design Magazine 
PlanetEE ==> www.planetee.com
February 11, 2004
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http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSB0Ad eds_1_ 063
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Today's Table Of Contents:
1. Industry View
  * Critical Elements Of A Product-Line Software Strategy
2. Focus On Embedded Systems
  * DSP Gets TCP/IP Ethernet Stack
3. News From The Editors
  * Small-Outline LCD Modules Go Industrial
  * Micro-ohmeter Features High Accuracy
  * Semi Sales Soared Last Year
  * Eclipse Platform Under New Management
4. Upcoming Industry Events  
  * International Solid State Circuits Conference
  * Design Automation and Test in Europe
  * International Symposium on Field Programmable Gate Arrays
  * IPC Exhibition and Conference
  * 18th 3GSM World Congress
5. Magazine Highlights: February 2, 2004
  * Cover Story: Engineering Feature/Success Story -- Cognex Brings 
    In-Sight To Machine Vision
  * Leapfrog: Industry First -- Power-Management Chip Takes Charge In 
    Handhelds
  * Technology Report -- Gigabit-Per-Second Serial Buses Put Testing To 
    The Test
  * Design View / Design Solution -- Choose The Right Multiprocessor For 
    Your Embedded System
  
Electronic Design UPDATE edited by John Novellino

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1. Industry View -- Exclusive to Electronic Design UPDATE
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Critical Elements Of A Product-Line Software Strategy

By Norm Delisle, Engineering Vice President, Foliage Software Systems

Over the past couple of years, the software industry has started 
focusing considerable attention on product-line architectures. A product 
line is a closely related family of products intended to serve several 
segments of the same overall market. The product-line architecture 
allows the entire family of products to use the same software framework. 
In other words, there is a high degree of common software (and hardware) 
used across the product line. At the same time, the common software 
framework facilitates development of the variety of unique features 
required by each individual product.
   Product developers have been using product-line concepts informally 
for well over a decade. It is not unusual to see a single software 
framework used in dozens of product models -- sometimes across 
multiple product lines. Of course, this software reuse strategy is 
not always entirely successful. A software framework that is not 
architected to effectively support the range of commonality and 
variability required by the products it supports will quickly erode, 
resulting in productivity, quality, and time-to-market problems.
   Several elements are critical to an effective product-line software 
strategy:
   -- Setting Realistic Objectives: You need to start by determining the 
right mix of products. If the products are too diverse, a single 
product-line software framework will not be able to support them 
effectively. Objectives should include level of investment and 
return-on-investment needed and the timeframe.
   -- Formulating the Architecture Strategy: The architecture strategy 
needs to analyze the dominant complexities and architectural drivers 
across all the anticipated products in the line. It is not easy to 
predict future product requirements accurately, but most companies 
can base the projections on their history with these product types 
and industry trends.
   -- Developing the Architecture: The product-line architecture will 
employ organizing principles derived from the dominant complexities 
and other architectural drivers. Typically, the architecture employs 
loosely coupled, highly modular software components or services built 
on top of a rich common software infrastructure. 
   -- Developing the Common Software Components: Before any products can 
be developed using the product-line software framework, the common 
components need to be developed. Each component is developed with 
intra-component commonality and variability mechanisms in mind. In 
the case of migration from legacy software, the components are 
typically based on existing code that is reengineered for use in the 
framework.
   -- Developing Products from the Product-Line Framework: The 
product-line framework provides a huge head start when each product 
needs to be developed. Typically, the commonality and variability 
mechanisms provided in the framework will help guide the product 
development effort. In some cases, the framework's reusable 
components will need only minor enhancements. In other cases, new 
components can be developed and easily integrated into the framework. 
   -- Substantiating the Product-Line Framework: Sustaining a 
product-line framework requires an ongoing investment. Typically, the 
product developers need to be focused on producing the software for 
their products, and they are not able to invest the extra effort 
needed to continue to evolve the common framework components. 
Frequently, a separate product-line support organization is formed 
with the charter to continue to evolve the framework to better meet 
product needs and incorporate new capabilities developed by the 
product efforts.
   Too often in most companies, engineering decisions are made without 
full knowledge of the business implications. By the same token, 
software limitations overly constrain business strategies. A better 
coupling is needed between engineering and business strategies. A 
product-line strategy encompasses both realms, resulting in the 
coordinated, well-orchestrated creation and execution of both 
engineering and business objectives.
   For more information on how to apply product-line architecture 
concepts to semiconductor equipment software, see the Foliage White 
Paper "Designing Product Line Architectures for Semiconductor 
Manufacturing Equipment" available for download at 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSR0At

   Norm Delisle manages delivery of custom software development services 
as well as consulting services in technology strategy and software 
architecture. He can be reached at [email protected].

To comment on this Editor's View, go to Reader Comments at the foot of 
the Web page:

Electronic Design UPDATE ==> 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSF0Ah

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2. Focus On Embedded Systems
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***DSP Gets TCP/IP Ethernet Stack
Texas Instruments' TMS320VC5416 DSP device gains Ethernet connectivity 
with the addition of the Infinetix Ethernet daughter card. The card 
delivers TCP/IP support via CMX-MicroNet from CMX Systems. CMX-MicroNet 
requires only 3 to 20 kbytes, depending on the features included. The 
package includes a number of TCP/IP application services. CMX-MicroNet 
pricing starts at $5500, and a free demo version is available upon 
request. The Infinetix card costs $195. 
     CMX System ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSG0Ai 
     Texas Instruments ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ08CD0A4 
 
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3. News -- From The Editors
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***Small-Outline LCD Modules Go Industrial
Two new wide-viewing-angle thin-film-transistor (TFT) LCDs target 
industrial applications. The XGA 12.1-in. LTD121GA0S features a 100-deg. 
vertical/120-deg. horizontal viewing angle. The VGA 10.4-in. LTD104C11S 
allows 120-deg. vertical/140-deg. horizontal viewing. The 'C11S measures 
278.3 by 209 by 12 mm, and the 'GAOS sizes up at 238.5 by 177.5 by 12 
mm. Luminance is 350 and 400 cd/sq. m, respectively, and they consume 
7.7 W and 6.2 W, respectively, at 6 mA. The larger display module 
operates from 3.3 V, while the smaller one operates from 3.3 and 5 V. 
Available now in sample quantities, the 'C11S goes for $375 each, and 
the 'GAOS costs $325 each.
     Toshiba Electronic America Components ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSH0Aj

***Micro-ohmmeter Features High Accuracy
The LR2000 measures resistances from 1 micro-ohm to 2 Mohms with 
1-micro-ohm resolution and 0.05% basic accuracy. The instrument is 
designed for benchtop or automated test of contact and bonding 
resistance on a wide variety of components, including switches, 
connectors, relays, solenoids, fuses, motors, cables, and heating 
elements. It automatically selects from nine measurement ranges and 
includes a programmable high/low comparator function and eight sorting 
bins for pass/fail testing and device categorization. Test setup and 
comparator/binning information is automatically recalled on instrument 
power-up. Three measurement speeds allow for varying degrees of accuracy 
and up to 15 measurements per second. A four-terminal Kelvin connection 
and automatic zeroing eliminate errors introduced by the test leads. 
Polarity reversal and pulsed modes compensate for thermal 
electromagnetic-field effects and errors caused by device heating. The 
LR2000 costs $2495, which includes an RS-232 interface, a NIST-traceable 
calibration certificate, and Kelvin test leads. An IEEE-488 interface 
and handler is optional.
     QuadTech Inc. ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSI0Ak 

***Semi Sales Soared Last Year
Worldwide sales of semiconductors rose briskly in 2003 and may do even 
better this year, according to statistics from the Semiconductor 
Industry Association (SIA). Sales in 2003 were $166.4 billion, up 18.3% 
from $140.8 billion in 2002. Fourth-quarter revenues were $48.1 billion, 
up 11% from the third quarter and up 28% year-to-year. "The industry's 
broad, upward momentum across all product sectors and geographic markets 
is driving us toward another year of strong, double-digit growth, which 
is now expected to exceed 19% in 2004," said George Scalise, SIA 
president. "The wireless sector continues to spearhead growth, but PC 
shipments also recovered in 2003 to an 11% unit volume increase. We are 
experiencing a virtual revolution in global consumer markets as 
consumers adopt new technology and multifunctional smart devices such as 
camera phones, PDAs, and DVDs." All geographic markets recorded 
increased sales during the fourth quarter, according to the SIA report.
     Semiconductor Industry Association ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ07EI0AB 

***Eclipse Platform Under New Management
Future development of the Eclipse Platform is now in the hands of a 
not-for-profit corporation, a change from the consortium that was formed 
when IBM released Eclipse into Open Source. The result is an 
independent, full-time management organization that will engage with 
commercial developers and consumers, academic and research institutions, 
standards bodies, tool interoperability groups, and individual 
developers. It also will coordinate Open Source projects. A set of 
councils -- Requirements, Architecture, and Planning -- will guide the 
development done by Eclipse Open Source projects. With support from more 
than 50 member companies, Eclipse already hosts four major Open Source 
projects that include 19 subprojects. All technology and source code 
provided to the ecosystem will remain openly available and royalty-free.
     Eclipse ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ08hD0Ag

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4. Upcoming Industry Events
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Feb. 15-19, IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference
San Francisco, Calif.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSJ0Al

Feb. 16-20, Design Automation and Test in Europe (DATE)
Paris, France
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ07ci0AD 

Feb. 22-24, International Symposium on Field Programmable Gate Arrays
Monterey, Calif.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFIb0Az

Feb. 22-26, IPC Exhibition and Conference
Anaheim, Calif.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSK0Am 

Feb. 23-26, 18th 3GSM World Congress
Cannes, France
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSL0An 

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5. Magazine Highlights
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In case you missed them, here are some of the high points of our most 
recent issue.

February 2, 2004:

* Cover Story: Engineering Feature/Success Story -- Cognex Brings 
In-Sight To Machine Vision
Machine-vision technology continues to reinvent the production process, 
and In-Sight systems put it within everyone's reach.

* Leapfrog: Industry First -- Power-Management Chip Takes Charge In 
Handhelds
Taking its power from either an ac adapter, USB port, or battery, this 
IC performs power-source selection, power delivery, battery charging, 
and other functions for popular single-cell Li-ion devices.

* Technology Report -- Gigabit-Per-Second Serial Buses Put Testing To 
The Test

* Design View / Design Solution -- Choose The Right Multiprocessor For 
Your Embedded System

For the complete Table of Contents, go to 
Electronic Design ==> 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eeZh0DJhUf0EmQ0BFSM0Ao

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CONTACTS: Electronic Design UPDATE e-NEWSLETTER
==================================

Editorial: Lucinda Mattera, Associate Chief Editor:
mailto:[email protected]

Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities: Bill Baumann, Associate 
Publisher: mailto:[email protected]
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