On Target: Embedded Systems

Host Development Platforms Used by Embedded Engineers

One of the areas of interest to suppliers of embedded software development tools is to make sure that they target their investments to the type of platforms engineers prefer to use for their software development. Based on VDC’s 2012 survey, a majority of embedded engineers cite the use of Windows-based systems as their preferred development environment. The use of Windows 7 as a host development platform has increased year-over-year and according to survey respondents could reach almost 50% within the next two years as engineering organizations migrate from Windows XP. Windows 8 as a selection, while not included in this... Read more →

Embedded Bits n Bytes – In case you missed these recent announcements……

AdaCore, provider of tools and expertise for the mission-critical, safety-critical, and security-critical software communities, announced the successful usage of its SPARK Pro and GNAT Pro High-Security products by Rockwell Collins in the development of the SecureOne™ Guard, a high assurance cross domain guard for military tactical systems. http://www.adacore.com/press/secureone/ ARM (NASDAQ: ARMH) and Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS) signed a multi-year agreement that expands Synopsys’ access to a broad range of ARM intellectual property (IP). http://www.arm.com/about/newsroom/arm-and-synopsys-expand-collaboration-to-optimize-power-and-performance-and-accelerate-design-and.php Atego, a supplier of software tools and professional services for complex, mission- and safety-critical systems and software engineering launched Aonix ObjectAda® 8.5 for Windows with new... Read more →

Software Development Tools Market Update

Competitive Market Dynamics at Work Recently published research by VDC Research Group continues to indicate the market for commercial standalone software development tools remains under pressure and challenged as a result of competitive market dynamics. The embedded market has evolved since the early nineties when market players were compartmented and offered RTOSs or software development tools. Over time, players converged at the center, either through acquisitions and mergers, internal development or some combination of both, in offering a software solution that spans operating systems and tool chains. Regardless of the direction of convergence, the focus was on providing an integrated... Read more →

The Embedded Software Beat

A Q&A with John Blevins, Director of Marketing, LynuxWorks This interview is the second in a series that we look to conduct during the course of 2012 with embedded software solution providers to share their views on their company, products, and state of the market. VDC: LynuxWorks has been in the RTOS business for over 20 years; can you briefly introduce the company to our readers? Blevins: LynuxWorks was founded in 1988 as Lynx Real Time Systems, and the first product, LynxOS, was designed to give embedded developers a high performance yet full featured Real Time Operating System. LynxOS offered... Read more →

Embedded Bits and Bytes – In case you missed these recent announcements……

AdaCore, provider of tools and expertise for the mission-critical, safety-critical, and security-critical software communities, announced that SmartSide, a Paris-based company providing Smart Metering and Smart Grid management solutions, has adopted the Ada programming language and AdaCore’s GNAT Pro development environment for the implementation of their Smart Devices platform. http://www.adacore.com/press/smartside-adopts-ada-gnat-pro/ ARM (NASDAQ: ARMH) announced that their relationship with Cavium has been extended to include an architecture license for the ARMv8. http://www.arm.com/about/newsroom/arm-and-cavium-extend-relationship-with-armv8-architecture-license.php Atego, a supplier of software tools and professional services for complex, mission- and safety-critical systems and software engineering has entered into an agreement with International Business Machines Corporation to acquire... Read more →

State of the Market: Android in Embedded

Together with Apple’s iOS, Android has helped to redefine expectations with regard to user interaction and functionality in the smartphone space. The widespread success of Android and iOS are among the major factors contributing to changes in OS strategy on the part of traditional market leaders Nokia (a shift from Symbian to Windows Phone) and Research In Motion (acquisition of QNX Software Systems and shift to a QNX-based platform). Furthermore, the ubiquity of smartphones has begun to impact UI expectations in other devices classes, with interest in utilizing Android to serve these requirements continually mounting. But while interest in Android... Read more →

Navigating the FUD on Multicore Software Development

As you may have seen on our blog or in our research, one trend that we have been following over recent years is the usage of multicore processor configurations within the embedded market. Clearly this is a topic that has received a significant amount of industry attention over recent years, largely led by silicon manufacturers’ marketing initiatives as well as the community’s general familiarity with the technology from PC and server class devices. As many of you all know, the embedded market is a different animal entirely. The inherent diversity of the embedded market has likewise led to there being... Read more →

Can Google Defend Open Source Software?

As you probably know, Google is currently entrenched in a battle with Oracle over the use of Java in Android. The trial may be only a month old, but the war began with the original suit filed in August 2010 for alleged copyright and patent infringement related to the Java programming language. However, this case is not just about Google defending its use of the technology or simply lining its pockets. The outcome of this trial has the potential to cripple the Android ecosystem and other open source projects as well. The copyright phase of the trial has the attention... Read more →

The Embedded Software Beat

A Q&A with John Carbone, Vice President of Marketing, Express Logic This interview is the first in a series that we look to conduct during the course of 2012 with embedded software solution providers to share views on their company, products, and state of the market. VDC: Congratulations on the 15 year anniversary for Express Logic in the RTOS business. Can you briefly introduce the company to our readers? Carbone: Express Logic is a software company, focused on real-time operating systems (RTOS), related middleware, and development tools for embedded systems. Our ThreadX RTOS was introduced in 1997, and has been... Read more →

Embedded/Real-time Operating System Market - Uneven Growth in 2011 – Slower Growth Expected Over the Forecast Period

In 2011, growth in the market was uneven and the rate of growth below what VDC had forecasted from last year. Suppliers in the market expressed mixed views on the state of the market in 2011 and the challenges they faced during the course of the year. VDC estimates that the market for embedded/real-time operating systems was greater than $1 billion in 2011, an increase of slightly more that 5% from a revised 2010 estimate. Over the forecast period we expect this market segment to grow at a combined annual rate of less than 6% per year through 2014. OEMs... Read more →