Embedded controllers have always been our favorite projects. We enjoy the opportunities they provide for working together with the hardware engineers. It is also very satisfying to be able to develop the firmware package in its entirety.
MicroSD
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Working with our hardware partner, Advanced Logical Design we developed a security device packaged as a MicroSD card. This work was done on behalf of Koolspan. The device has been given the brand name “TrustChip”. It provides a highly secure environment for generating and using encryption keys. The current application is in cell phones. Though the system was very small, working on it was still much like working on any other embedded system. |
Laser Controllers
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Working with Infinera, we have helped to develop a wide range of laser controller systems, all of which are components of Infinera’s larger backbone communications systems. Infinera has remarkable skill and vision in these control applications. Our role has been to provide the real-time infrastructure of the systems, all communications interfaces, logging facilities, system boot, and the design of the task structure. |
Encryption
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On behalf of Koolspan, we have developed a low cost encryption processor which can serve as a “bump in the cable” between a secured environment and an interface to an unsecured environment. Again working with Advanced Logical Design, we implemented this with an Altera Nios processor in a very low cost FPGA. The use commercial, off the shelf, soft core logic together with an open source RTOS and networking stack led to a very rapid product development. |
CCD Image
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This is a network attached controller for image. The network attachment has become very straightforward in recent years, either with FPGA based designs or with SOCs. All the software and hardware involved is standard, so putting together large systems is easy and economical. The data transfer rates allow full image captures to be moved quickly to an external client. The embedded program responds to commands received via a TCP/IP socket, and returns information and images in a similar manner. In this case, a single FPGA housed the CPU, Ethernet MAC, DMA controller, and various specialized hardware interfaces. A standard RTOS and protocol stack minimized development time. |
Laser Amplifier
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We started this project with SDL, Inc., and continued it with JDS Uniphase after the two companies merged. We had responsibility for the overall controller, which was implemented with an HC16 processor. Two custom versions of the software were developed for large network customers. |
Battery Charger
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We developed a charger that implemented our client’s proprietary algorithm for achieving optimum charge of a lead acid battery. Digital filtering technology was employed on HC08 processor to detect subtle changes in battery behavior that indicate the state of charge. Since charging a lead acid battery is a relatively slow process, we were able to use very precise computational techniques, despite the lack of processing power in the system. |
When we work with our clients on larger systems, we usually make our contribution at or near the hardware/software boundary.
Frequency
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Working with Phase Matrix, we have designed and implemented the control firmware for a frequency counter. This firmware bears the responsibility of programming the instrument hardware for all of the measurements that it can perform, processing the incoming data stream, and producing high resolution results in double precision floating point. The higher level software for front panel operations and SCPI processing has been written by Phase Matrix’s business partner in this project. |
UBOOT/Linux
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We have helped bring up UBOOT and Linux on several boards. Such porting is often greatly simplified by the existence of reference designs from the manufacturer of the CPU. Nevertheless, each port does present its difficulties, most often in the setup of the high speed memory interfaces, and the detailed sequence of setups and tests. |
Printer Platform
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We helped Adobe port their embedded PostScript and PDF printing product to a MIPS/VxWorks platform. This was a reference platform, allowing Adobe to perform QA on the product in an environment similar to that used by their OEM customers. |
ATM
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On behalf of 3Com's Network Systems Division, we implemented drivers for three generations of ATM interfaces in their high speed routers. In these projects we had the opportunity to be involved all the way from the initial hardware bringup through QA and manufacturing. While some time has now passed since these projects were completed, they are still very much at the root of our philosophy for the implementation and testing of drivers for high speed communications interfaces. |
Communications and Printing Daemons
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We helped Identix control proprietary gray-scale printing and high speed image. The daemons manage lengthy, high speed I/O processes in parallel with image capture and transformations. |
All the engineers in our firm are programmers, but we have always worked very close to the hardware. Everyone in the shop knows how to operate common hardware instruments such as oscilloscopes and logic analyzers. We are all comfortable reading schematics, data sheets and hardware manuals. While these skills were developed in conjunction with our work in embedded controllers and device drivers, some customers seek us out to solely for work in support of hardware development and testing.
Manufacturing
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We have helped in the development of tests used in manufacturing for several of our clients. In many instances, this was done in conjunction with the implementation of an embedded system or drivers in larger systems. In some cases, though, we have been called upon to develop the manufacturing tests alone. |
Logic Analyzer
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As an outgrowth of our involvement with logic analyzers and microcomputer emulators, we have developed several inverse assemblers for Agilent logic analyzers. |
Time
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We helped Guide Technologies develop a functional tester for their sub-nanosecond time measurement system. This work was based on the National Instruments TestStand. |
Printer
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For several years we supplied diagnostics for Apple's laser printer products. This work included support for the initial bring-up of the controller boards, power-on self tests, field engineering tests, and manufacturing tests. Some of the most interesting work was related to the initial testing of their custom ASICs. Though this work was done some time ago – and Apple has since exited the printer business – this particular experience and the engineers that we worked with at Apple have helped form our ideas about how diagnostics should fit into the larger product design and manufacturing cycle. |
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