Electronic Design UPDATE: August 18, 2004

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Electronic Design UPDATE e-Newsletter
Electronic Design Magazine 
PlanetEE ==> www.planetee.com
August 18, 2004
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Today's Table Of Contents:
1. Industry View
  * Using A COTS RTOS In A Defense/Aviation System -- Reality Or 
Illusion?
2. Focus On Test & Measurement
  * Test Socket Handles 1-GHz Bandwidth
3. News From The Editors
  * Small Package Houses Powerful Transistor
  * StarFabric Links Multiple Chassis
  * Film Capacitors Feature Very Low Inductance 
4. Upcoming Industry Events
  * International Display Research Conference and Fourth International 
Meeting on Information Display
  * International Conference on the Commercialization of Micro and Nano 
Systems
  * SensorsGOV Expo & Conference
  * Embedded Systems Conference
5. Magazine Highlights: August 9, 2004
  * Cover Feature: Engineering Feature -- Securing The Games
  * Leapfrog: First Look -- FPGAs Bring Custom-ASIC Economy To System 
Design
  * Leapfrog: First Look -- Ethernet Processor Cuts Networking Overhead
  * Design View / Design Solution -- Taking Logic-Analyzer Probing For 
Granted Can Spell Trouble

Electronic Design UPDATE edited by John Novellino, Executive Editor

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1. Industry View -- Exclusive to Electronic Design UPDATE
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Using A COTS RTOS In A Defense/Aviation System -- Reality Or Illusion?

By John Carbone, Vice President of Marketing, Express Logic

Defense and commercial aviation systems generally include at least one 
real-time operating systems (RTOS) to control system resources and 
manage multiple application threads in a real-time, event-driven 
environment. Systems such as flight control, avionics, weapons 
guidance, and full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) engine 
management all require RTOS software that meets safety and security 
requirements appropriate to the system's mission.
   One such requirement is DO-178B, a standard of the Radio Technical 
Commission for Aeronautics used by the Federal Aviation Administration 
to certify software for safety-critical commercial aviation 
applications. DO-178B applies to the entire software system, not just 
the RTOS. It is not concerned with functionality, so compliance does not 
demand RTOS characteristics such as memory protection, preemptive 
scheduling, or even multiple priority levels. The standard is primarily 
concerned with the process of software development and the validation 
that the software will perform as intended. Certification rigorously 
examines development methodology, documentation, testing, verification, 
and validation of the software. With enough time and effort, though, 
almost any software can be certified if it can be proven to perform as 
intended.
   So while it is incorrect to call an RTOS "DO-178B Certified," vendors 
might use that term to refer to an RTOS that has been part of a DO-178B 
certified software system, implying that the RTOS is "certifiable" in 
future systems.
   Most commercial RTOSs are monolithic, consisting of a kernel and a 
collection of services used by applications. Such RTOSs remain 
consistent from one application to the next, regardless of which 
services a particular application might use. Other RTOSs are scalable -- 
configured as a library of individual services and linked with the 
application only to the extent a particular service is used by the 
application. To certify a system based on a monolithic RTOS, the entire 
RTOS must be examined, tested, and verified. But a scalable RTOS 
requires testing and validation only of the code that ends up in the 
final system, and that can be significantly less than the entire RTOS. 

The Illusion
   To address the economics of DO-178B testing and validation of 
monolithic commercial systems, some vendors "strip out" portions of the 
commercial RTOS that would complicate testing and make it more 
expensive. Vendors thus end up with a certifiable subset of the 
commercial product. These subsets are necessary for certification 
because the full product either is not certifiable in its commercial 
off-the-shelf (COTS) form, or it is too large to be certified 
economically. Notably, this means that the "certifiable subset" is not 
the same product as the COTS version. But vendors generally call it by a 
similar name, creating the illusion that the commercial product shares 
the certified subset's characteristics for reliability, safety, and 
security.
   On the other hand, if the application developer chooses a scalable 
RTOS, it does not have to be stripped down to a certifiable subset to 
meet DO-178B requirements. In fact, the RTOS component of the 
defense/aviation system software might consist of only a handful of RTOS 
services actually used by the application. If the RTOS is scalable in 
such a way that only that portion of the RTOS code is included in the 
system, then that's all that has to be analyzed, documented, and 
verified with rigorous testing for DO-178B compliance.
   Before expecting the benefits of DO-178B certification in a 
commercial RTOS, developers are well advised to clarify whether the 
exact same RTOS they are considering for commercial use has been 
certified or whether it's just a distant cousin. If developers are 
looking for a COTS RTOS that is DO-178B and Evaluation Assurance Level 
(EAL) certifiable, then it could be that the traditional COTS product is 
not where they should look. Instead, it's more likely that a simple, 
small RTOS will make the job easier, less expensive, and faster than a 
customized version of a larger system.

John A. Carbone's 35 years of experience in real-time computer systems 
and software ranges from embedded system development and field 
applications engineering to serving as vice president of sales and 
marketing. He has a BA in mathematics from Boston College. He can be 
reached at mailto:[email protected].

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

Electronic Design UPDATE ==> 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKcb0Av

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2. Focus On Test & Measuement
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***Test Socket Handles 1-GHz Bandwidth
A BGA/CSP test and burn-in socket in a standard molded socket format 
accommodates device packages up to 55 mm square in applications up to 
1 GHz. The socket is well suited for use with CSP, MicroBGA, DSP, 
LGA, SRAM, DRAM, and flash devices with a pitch of 0.50 mm or larger. 
A spring-loaded, cam-actuated pressure pad applies force against the 
device after the socket lid has been closed and the latched cam is in 
position. Reversing the cam removes the force prior to unlatching the 
spring-loaded lid. Mounting to the burn-in board is via solderless 
pressure-mount compression spring probes located by two 
molded-plastic alignment pins and secured by four stainless steel 
screws. During test, the signal path is only 1.92 mm. At pitches 
above 0.80 mm using a large probe, a 1-dB bandwidth of 1-GHz is 
possible. The socket's temperature range is -55 to 150 degrees C, and 
estimated contact life is 500,000 cycles. Pricing for a 500-lead 
socket starts at $1174.50 each in lots of 10. Delivery is in six 
weeks.
     Aries Electronics Inc.  ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKcd0Ax 

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3. News -- From The Editors
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***Small Package Houses Powerful Transistor
The ZX5T2E6 20-V pnp transistor features a switched-load power-handling 
capability of 70 W in an SOT23-6 package. One of the first products 
to be released from the company's Generation 5 bipolar process, the 
device has a low saturation voltage: Vce(sat) is 130 mV maximum at a 
collector current of 3.5 A, yielding a maximum Rsat of 37 mohms. The 
resulting high efficiency is well suited for battery charging, dc-dc 
converter, and power management-applications. Its high hfe, a minimum 
of 300 at 1 A, helps minimize base drive requirements. The transistor 
costs $0.27 each in lots of 10,000. Delivery for production volumes 
is four to six weeks.
     Zetex Inc. ==> http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKce0Ay 

***StarFabric Links Multiple Chassis
The XP-SB host adapters use PCI-to-StarFabric links. Their two 
2.5-Gbit/s full-duplex links can be combined to form a 5-Gbit/s 
full-duplex link. The adapters are available in a number of form 
factors, including PCI and PMC cards. The host and expansion unit can 
be placed up to 5 meters apart. The system supports SPARC Solaris, 
Solaris x86, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Linux operating systems. 
Prices start at $1200.
     Aurora Technologies ==> 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKcf0Az 

***Film Capacitors Feature Very Low Inductance
The UL31 series of film capacitors employs an exclusive thermoplastic 
capacitor enclosure that significantly improves thermal conductivity 
and resistance to harsh environments, meeting MIL-STD-202. 
Capacitances to 275 microF are available. Inductance is as low as 25 
nH for good performance in high-power dc filter applications. (Less 
than 1 nH is available on special request.) Voltages of 500 to 2200 V 
dc are offered, and the capacitors can carry up to 110 A with a low 
equivalent series resistance. Standard tolerance is 10%, and 
operating temperature ranges from -55 to 105 degrees C. They come in 
three styles, all with a low profile. Both male and female 
terminations are available, as is an integrated, predrilled flange to 
facilitate mounting. Prices range from $19 to $28 depending on 
quantity. Delivery is in six to eight weeks.
     Electronic Concepts Inc == http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKcg0A1 

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4. Upcoming Industry Events
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Aug. 23-27, 24th International Display Research Conference and Fourth 
International Meeting on Information Display
Daegu, Korea
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKBI0Ax

Aug. 29-Sep. 2, Ninth International Conference on the Commercialization 
of Micro and Nano Systems
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKI80An 

Sep. 13-15, SensorsGOV Expo & Conference
Virginia Beach, Va.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKch0A2 

Sep. 13-16, Embedded Systems Conference
Boston, Mass.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ05Tu0AX 

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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.

August 9, 2004:

* Cover Feature: Engineering Feature -- Securing The Games
Surveillance/intelligence technology and 70,000 in security personal 
combine to gird Greece against potential terrorist attacks at the 2004 
Summer Olympics.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKci0A3

* Leapfrog: First Look -- FPGAs Bring Custom-ASIC Economy To System 
Design
Designed for cost-sensistive applications, two FPGA families tackle 
system designs previously considered approachable only with custom 
silicon.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKcj0A4

* Leapfrog: First Look -- Ethernet Processor Cuts Networking Overhead
This multiprocessor chip uses hardware acceleration to handle remote DMA 
and iSCSI by itself.
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKck0A5

* Design View / Design Solution -- Taking Logic-Analyzer Probing For 
Granted Can Spell Trouble
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKcl0A6

For the complete Table of Contents, go to 
Electronic Design ==> 
http://lists.planetee.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eg6W0DJhTw0EmQ0BKcm0A7

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

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

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