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Martin's Corner is a monthly feature whereby our Chief Technical Officer, Martin Rudloff, sounds off on technical tidbits geared to the engineering community.
Feel free to e-mail Martin to discuss a technical topic (or with a good joke) and he will do his best to respond to you.
Martin's Look at Microsoft OS Support
February 2008
Hello, all! Martin here and welcome to the February edition of Martin’s Corner! This month I wanted to touch on Microsoft Operating Systems.
Lately there has been a lot of confusion with Microsoft releasing VISTA and threatening to stop supporting Windows XP. Is there really a compelling reason to switch Operating Systems? Why change something that is not broken?
What they don’t tell you is that there is an alternative! Microsoft will still support several of the “older” Operating systems for quite a while! Windows XP will be supported until 2016… That takes some of the edge of validating VISTA, doesn’t it?
You can even still license DOS6.22 (don’t tell anybody, but I still use it in the lab…)
There are several ways for you to get your Operating system:
The Embedded Channel, serving OEMs that build dedicated-purpose devices (e.g., a telephony server for VoIP applications).
The System Builder Channel, serving OEMs that build general-purpose devices (e.g., a general-purpose file or print server for internal use within an enterprise)
The Embedded Channel is the only Microsoft channel for buying certain products—Windows XP Embedded®, Windows CE®, Windows Embedded for Point of Service® (WEPOS), and MS-DOS®. Other operating system products can be purchased from either the Embedded Channel or the System Builder Channel. But, while products available from both channels are identical regardless of the channel through which you buy them, the licensing provisions and pricing are different.
Products available through the Embedded Channel fall into three categories:
Desktop Operating Systems
- Windows XP Professional with Embedded Restrictions(32- and 64-bit versions)
- Windows 2000 with Embedded Restrictions
- Windows NT Embedded
- Windows 3.1 and 3.11
- MS-DOS 6.22
Server Operating Systems
- Windows Server™ 2003 R2 for Embedded Systems (32- and 64-bit versions)
- Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 for Embedded Systems (32- and 64-bit versions)
- Windows Server™ for Embedded Systems with the Server Appliance Software Version 3.0
- Windows Server 2003 for Telecommunications Systems with the Server Appliance Software Version 3.0
- Windows Server™ 2003 for Embedded Systems with Internet Security and Acceleration Server
- Data Protection Manager 2006 for Embedded Systems
- SQL Server™ 2005 for Embedded Systems
- Windows Server 2000 for Embedded Systems
Embedded Operating Systems
- Windows XP Embedded (XPe)
- Windows CE
- WEPOS
- MS-DOS
In order of complexity of implementation we have:
Windows Embedded CE integrates reliable real-time capabilities with advanced Windows technologies to help you rapidly build a wide range of innovative, small-footprint devices. Windows Embedded CE can run on multiple CPUs and is used in a broad range of device types including: mobile handhelds, thin clients, gateways, IP telephones, and automated industrial devices.
Windows XP Embedded (XPe) delivers the complete power of Microsoft Windows in componentized form to rapidly build reliable and advanced embedded devices based on the x86 processor and PC architecture hardware. Examples of Windows XP Embedded devices include retail point-of-service (POS) devices, ATMs, Windows-based thin clients, and advanced set-top boxes. Windows XP Embedded is a specialized operating system, consisting of componentized Windows XP Professional features and an end-to-end set of development tools, for use in non-personal computer (non-desktop) devices. Windows XP Embedded is typically used by embedded developers, system integrators, and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
WEPOS is a product specifically designed for POS (Point of Sale) applications. It is a product positioned between Windows XP Pro and XPe, and also adds support for typical POS devices.
Windows XP Pro with Embedded Restrictions is basically the same Windows XP that everybody already uses. Compatible with all the drivers and software
WEPOS is a product specifically designed for POS (Point of Sale) applications. It is a product positioned between Windows XP Pro and XPe, and also adds support for typical POS devices.
Make no mistake. Windows XP will not be available later this year unless you get the embedded version. Corvalent is proud to offer Windows XP Embedded and all the products above on our platforms!
Thanks for checking in and see you next month!
Martin
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New Year, New Products!
January 2008
Hi all, Martin here with another installment of Martin's Corner.
As we kick off the new year, we are excited that we are kicking off a lot of new products to meet our customers needs. I know what you're thinking, that is what companies like Corvalent are supposed to do. True, but that does not normally mean nine new products during the first half of '08! The bottom line is that we have been busy at Corvalent and we have already launched three new products in January.
Of note is our new Quad Core, Dual Processor Server Class motherboard based on the Intel® Xeon® processor now available for our standard 5 to 8 years guaranteed availability. This board is in an Extended ATX form factor and will meet the needs of anyone who needs to have a server class board for longer than commercial server boards.
We feel we are moving in the right direction with our product offerings. Be sure to take a look at them online and let us know what you think.
Yes, even to an engineer like me, we really value your opinion!
Thanks for checking in on Martin's Corner!
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'Tis the Season for COM Express!
December 2007
Happy Holidays from Martin's Corner!
I hope you are still getting some laughs from last month's installment. I am still cracking some of those jokes (when I can find the time).
With this season of giving I wanted to share with you a gift that my engineering department gave me and Corvalent this month. No, it’s not a new DeLorean or anything that cool, but our new COM Express module based on the Intel® 945 chipset and a new baseboard to place it on!
We are excited about rolling out this new technology and what this PICMG standard form factor means to the embedded computing industry. We see this new product as being applicable to Medical, Point of Sale, Military and Defense, Security and Surveillance, Automotive, Gaming, Oil and Gas Exploration, Industrial Computing, and Test and Measurement Equipment.
The main benefit as we see it is for a common platform. That is, a customer could theoretically build one baseboard and provide multiple configurations by simply changing the COM Express modules themselves on the baseboard. Thus, allowing them one common platform that can run the same software throughout their company, providing maximum flexibility and scalability, while reducing time to market and development costs.
This is all part of a standards-based modular computing philosophy that Corvalent subscribes to that provides our customers an optimum choice for their projects.
I look forward to speaking with you regarding an upcoming project and how Corvalent can assist you with COM Express. For more information on our COM Express products visit: http://www.corvalent.com/02b_ind_boards.shtml#com.
Happy Holidays,
Martin
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Gimme a Break
November 2007
Hello again! Martin here with the November edition of Martin's Corner.
If you are an Engineer like me you probably are not slowing down as we approach the holidays. In fact, there is a good chance that the pace of your work is accelerating as new roadmaps and products need to be launched or updated by the end of the year.
With this in mind I want to share a few humorous engineering jokes with you so that once in a while you can take a five minute break to have a laugh while still staying in your engineering mindset. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Engineering Rules
1. Any circuit design must contain at least one part which is obsolete, two parts which are unobtainable and three parts which are still under development.
2. Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget.
3. A failure will not appear until a unit has passed final inspection.
4. If you can't fix it -- document it.
5. The primary function of the design engineer is to make things difficult for the fabricator and impossible for the serviceman.
Arguing with an Engineer
Arguing with an engineer is a lot like wrestling in the mud with a pig. After a few hours, you realize that he likes it.
Astronaut Anxiety
An astronaut in space in 1970 was asked by a reporter, "How do you feel?"
"How would you feel," the astronaut replied, "if you were stuck here, on top of 20,000 parts each one supplied by the lowest engineering bidder?"
For more, check out the links below:
http://www.inflection-point.com/jokes.php
http://www.grahamnasby.com/misc/engineering_jokes.shtml
Wishing you all a great Thanksgiving holiday!
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Is That Bug a Bug or a High-Tech Spy?
October 2007
Hello, all! It’s me, Martin, again with October’s edition of Martin's Corner. This month I have found some interesting links and information that you have to check out. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
When someone says, “I’d like to be a fly on the wall for that conversation”, they may soon be able to thanks to some new nanotechnology developments.
The idea behind this development is to implant Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) into an insect during its larva stage of metamorphosis. The implanted MEMS would enable the insect to be remotely controlled to transmit conversations or sense certain chemicals. Now is that embedded technology or what!?
The following link takes you to an interesting article that highlights some of the applications that this type of technology can be used for.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4808342.stm
Pentagon Speak?
Say what? The missile was guided by what?
If you or your company has ever done business with the military or defense contractors you need to check out “Pentagon Speak” under our Interesting Links section. This soundbite highlights just how confusing Pentagon Speak (as I call it) can be. It’s hilarious and well worth the visit.
Disclaimer: Humorous content not actually sourced from the Pentagon or Department of Defense.
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Intel Processors… Low Power? Yes!
September 2007
Hello, everyone! Sprechen Sie talk? It’s me, Martin, again for our September’s installment of Martin’s Corner.
This month I want to touch on the fact that Intel processors are getting to be very attractive in the low power space (so much so that you could never fry an egg on one).
We, at Corvalent, are excited by the new Low Power and Ultra Low Voltage Intel processors that are hitting the market. If you are privy to Intel’s roadmaps, you know what we’re talking about. Some solutions are now in the five watt range with likely even lower wattages next year. This means that designs that used to only be passively cooled X-Scale candidates are now able to utilize Intel Architecture (IA). These processors will be ideal for medical, security & surveillance, oil & gas, point-of-sale, aerospace, and military/defense applications, to highlight a few.
The good thing about this is that all the tools and software that have been written for IA will now be able to be utilized by us as a system integrator and by our customers who have many of their applications written for IA.
Some of the processors we are excited about include:
- Intel® Core™ Duo Processor ULV
- Intel® Celeron® M Processor ULV
- Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor Low Power
For more information on Intel's future Ultra Low Voltage processors visit: www.intel.com/design/embedded
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Multiplying Numbers Using the Binary System
August 2007
Hello, Sprechen Sie Talk? I am Martin Rudloff and welcome to my corner! Today's technical (mathematical?) tidbit is about multiplying numbers using the binary system. It's actually easier than you may think!
Let's multiply two numbers: 130 x 5, for example!
- First, write down the two numbers you want to multiply side by side: 130 x 5.
- Now, start to create a column under the number 130. Start with the number 1 and keep doubling it until you reach a number under 130. In our example you would have created a column with 8 numbers under 130: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128.
- Now, let's create a column under the number 5. Start with 5 and keep doubling it until you have the same amount of numbers as in column 1. In our example, you would have created a column with 8 numbers: 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, and 640 (a total of 8 numbers).
- In the first column, circle all numbers that add up to 130. In this example that would be 2 and 128 (2 + 128 = 130)
- In the second column, circle all numbers that correspond to those circled in the first column. In this example that would be 10 and 640.
- Add the numbers circled from the second column and you will get the answer to the equation: 130 x 5 = 650 (10 + 640 = 650)
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