Martin's Corner is a monthly feature whereby our Chief Technology 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.

Intel's Newest Processor and Chipset Families Explained

Today we will be discussing the new family of processors and chipsets from Intel®. There has been a lot of confusion surrounding these new products, especially with regard to their features and functionality. Although it's hard to see why there would be confusion when "3450" can refer to both a chipset or a processor, one out of all the i5 processors has the same specs as the i7 family, and ECC depends on a magic combination of processor, chipset, lunar phase, blood type, and whether or not you actually “turn yourself around” when you do the funky chicken... and this is all before we even talk about the mobile versions of the chips...but I digress... Read on and we will discuss some of what differentiates the various processors and what you can expect from this very powerful, yet confusing new generation of workhorse computer processors.

With any new generation of technology, there comes a few changes. First of all, the North Bridge has been designed into the processor, so no more front side bus speeds, that spec. has gone the way of the floppy drive. Next, the entire memory controller and a portion of the video functionality have been moved onto the processor(s). Now for the first time, certain capabilities of a motherboard are completely determined by the choice of processor that is installed.

For example, the i7, Xeon™, and i5-750 processors don't contain video processing circuitry, so on-board video does not work with these chips, even if a motherboard may be equipped with video ports. In exchange however, you get more cache, Intel Turbo Boost Technology (A spiffy automatic over-clocking feature), and (4) cores of powerful, raw number crunching power. What about the other i5 and i3 processors? These have lower amounts of cache, and (2) cores, but DO add support for onboard video. With these processors, our motherboards will activate the two on-board DVI video outputs, giving the user built-in dual monitor support.

The processors are named numerically, according to the rated "horsepower" of each chip. Meaning the i3 will be less powerful than the i5, with the i7 and server oriented Xeon acting as the "muscle cars" in the speed department. However there is some cross-over with the naming vs. specifications.

For example, here in the lab we've DNA tested the i5-750 and discovered that it was actually not an i5 at all. The story is, that about a year ago a loving and caring i5 family came across a hungry, and abandoned i7, ultimately adopting it. The i7's are a very selective bunch, and they tend to reject anyone they deem not worthy of the i7 lineage. In this case, they appear to have rejected the young processor only because it handled (4) threads instead of (8). The end result was a very powerful processor proudly carrying the i5 name of it's adoptive parents, but really containing the processing DNA (8MB cache, 45nm, (4) processing cores, and Turbo Boost) of an i7.

If you need to better understand the processor families, think of it like this: Xeons are the Italian sports cars of the processor world. Refined, ultra-fast, with custom error correction memory to keep all the cylinders firing exactly right. The i7's are the muscle cars... equipped with turbo boosts, fuel cache reserves, and placing sheer speed and power over creature comforts. The i5 processors are the extremely peppy and plush British luxury cars, with added things like video screens and 4 doors. While the i3 represents the family vehicle, giving you video screens for the kids, and plenty of horsepower for a family car. The new i3 is quite comfortable to drive, but you can't expect to keep up with the other faster sports cars around you. The really great thing is, that while an i3 may not be as fast as an i7 muscle car, the new 2010 Intel i3 family sedan is still a lot faster than most of the other older cars currently on the road.

So how do the chipsets play into the equation? Well, certain chipsets only support certain processors, this means that if your application needs ECC memory, you will need to use both a compatible chipset (such as the 3450) and a compatible processor such as the Xeon x3450 (that's not a typo, the processor and the chipset have the same name). If you don't care about ECC, and your preference is a "muscle car" i7, you'll need our Q57 chipset that is i7 compatible. Need onboard video? Then either chipset will work fine, but you will have to use an i5 or i3 processor. (Except for the i5-750 we already mentioned, due to it's adoptive status and denial of it's true parentage)

If you're still confused, don't feel alone, there are a lot of people scratching their heads right now. The good news is, you can feel free to contact us to ask questions. We've taken the time to really understand what is happening with these products, and to communicate with Intel for the latest developments. Our experts will be able to get you the right configuration for your needs! And best of all, that configuration will still be available years from now for your continued use, when everyone else has moved on to other things.

And it should be said that for all the confusion, new terminology, compatibilities and incompatibilities... Intel has produced some remarkably powerful processors that are improved from their predecessors in almost every way. Once again, Intel has "raised the bar" for processing power, lower thermal emissions, and lower power consumption, ultimately producing some of the fastest processors the world has ever seen.

If you would like to contact me, feel free to do so at: martinscorner@corvalent.com.
We love to hear feedback from our readers!

The last 486 motherboards soon to ship... The Official End of an Era

Walking through our production facility yesterday, I noticed a batch of motherboards on the assembly line, being prepared for shipment.

The board was our old "Predator 747" equipped with a blazingly fast 486DX2 processor. Long since 'officially' discontinued, we've quietly continued to manufacture and sell this to one of our clients that use the boards to repair medical equipment. However, after about (14) years of on-going production, we are no longer going to continue manufacturing the boards. The parts have become almost impossible for us to find these days.

It then occurred to me that I was really looking at something special... the end of an era... The last time in the history of mankind and technology, that a new production motherboard equipped with a 486 series processor will be shipping out to the world.

The contrast was interesting... on an assembly station right next to the 486 boards, sits our Q35 motherboard running an Intel Core™ 2 Quad processor. In the same room, spaced less than 10' apart we have factory new products representing a part of computing history spanning over 20 years. The 486DX2 processor runs at a whopping 66MHz, while the Core 2 Quad cruises along with 4 processors at 2.83GHz. Let's take a moment to put that into perspective...

These numbers are approximate, but I came up with some interesting data using historical processor comparisons from a favorite benchmarking software we use in the lab. A task that would take the Q35 a single minute to accomplish would require about 9.8hrs on the Predator 747. Put differently, an hour of work on the Quad Core, equates to about 3.5 weeks on the 486. Yet, the humble 486 is still in use out there in the world, still doing it's assigned tasks, and still helping humanity.

But now the time has come to say goodbye... Perhaps I should write a eulogy to the legacy of the 486 as we did for the death of the floppy drive. But I have a better idea... For those of you who were around to remember this part of our history (that will soon be ending with a final trip in a UPS truck)...

Let's have a little contest. If anyone out there wants to write a eulogy to the true end of the 486 processor, send them to me at: martinscorner@corvalent.com. We'll pick our favorite(s) and publish them with your name and credentials in the next update! Maybe I'll even come up with a special Martin's Corner Prize for the best one. :-)

Martin Looks at: A software package for digital signs, electronic menus, and public messaging

Traditionally limited to large CRT screens in Airports and Public Transportation Terminals, digital signs can now be found almost anywhere. With the advancement of LCD technology, and tiny powerful computers, digital signs have evolved from basic DOS-like graphics, to bright, ultra high resolution displays. Even at my local movie theater they've replaced the traditional menu boards with displays that not only show pricing, but movie previews and HD animations of food and drinks. You can find them playing advertisements and offering specials in stores such as Target and Wal-Mart, I've even seen touch-screen digital displays replacing the entire front of soda vending machines.

For this Martin's Corner, I'm going to discuss one such software package used to implement digital signs, and how we used it in the Corvalent lobby at our headquarters here in Texas.

Basic or Complex

We frequently have visitors come to our facility, and most often they spend at least a brief time in our lobby. We wanted to have something in that room that offered some information about our company, while also providing a "painless" way to pass a short amount of time. Several months ago we mounted a 48" Samsung LCD HD Television on the wall. That particular TV is equipped with a USB port, that is capable of playing a slide show using .jpg image it finds USB memory key inserted into the side of the monitor. This is one of the most basic and simple forms of a digital sign, and almost anyone can implement it. All you do is load a USB key with photos or screen captures of your power point presentation, and name them appropriately (knowing that they will typically play in alphabetical or numerical order). In the beginning, this is what we had playing in our lobby. But it was decided that we needed to find a better and more advanced solution that was not extremely expensive.

After asking Google some questions, and a little searching, our marketing department found a company called: mediasignage (Note that we don't partner or work with them in any way, this is simply our experiences with their service). They offer a solution based on Adobe Flash Technologies. And best of all? For the 1st digital sign, it is 100% free. No ads, no restrictions, no credit card required, no fees, no overage charges, nothing. It's a way to completely test it and run a sign indefinitely at no monthly cost.

They are a "cloud" based service, where all of the files and saved presentations live entirely on their system. This allows for easy expansion and management of hundreds of remote signs anywhere in the world there is an internet connection. On the actual sign, you place a Windows or Linux computer that will act as the sign player. (you can run (1) of these under the free license)

Making the Sign Presentation

This isn't .jpgs anymore. Everything shown on the screen has to be made and designed and placed there intentionally. We started out with the same slide show, and over a few days of off and on playing around with the service, watching their "how to" videos, and asking questions, our marketing department started to evolve the presentation. Ultimately, we ended up adding some RSS video feeds to play from Fox news and Discovery channel, we have an text based news scrolling on the bottom (from an AP news feed), Flash animated weather displaying on the upper right, and our corporate presentation playing on the main screen. Updates can be made from anywhere in the world from the mediasignage web site, or from the desktop studio application. They even have a lot of pre-made elements like weather players, clocks, etc. so you don't have to spend time developing in Flash.(We're probably using less than 1/4 of the software's features and capabilities, and it's meeting our needs).

The software isn't perfect by any means, on the user interface side there are still some bugs and glitches to work around, particularly when compared to much higher end solutions.To be honest, it feels a little like a Beta or early version of the software. Key features like copy and paste are lacking, resulting in development becoming tedious in some cases. But overall, the value and "bang for the buck", even after licensing multiple signs, is really hard bargain to beat.

The Corvalent Sign

If you would like to see the presentation our lobby is playing today, just click here. Note that the presentation is designed for our lobby monitor at 1920x1080 resolution, if your screen size is smaller, the formatting of the presentation won't be perfect.

For our signage computer, we set up one our compact CorBrick 945MIT industrial computers for the task. It was perfect for the job because aside from it's compact size and on-board memory, it was well ventilated, easily outputs the required 1920x1080 native resolution for our monitor, and has more than enough "horse power" for the job.

Good Luck, and be sure to call us at 888-776-7896 or contact us, if we can help you out with your digital signage or kiosk hardware needs.

A Special Martin's Corner Obituary: "Floppy" You will be missed
The loss of a dear and trusted technology friend.

It has happened. For those of you with low Midichlorian counts, a great disturbance has been felt growing in the force, finally culminating with engineers across the globe crying out in terror, followed by a moment of respectful silence.

We regret to report that a long time and trusted power in the computing universe has finally ceased to exist. Though we may see his glowing spirit live on in USB drives, or in hybridized drives with flash media readers, our dear friend "Floppy" has finally passed on from this earth.

What follows is our Eulogy to a part of our computing history forever engrained in our collective tech consciousness.

Friends.

We gather today to bid farewell to our old friend, "Floppy" the 1.44MB disk drive. Recently Floppy passed away with the remaining manufacturer ending his production, at the ripe old age of 238 years.
(If tech years are like dog years).

Floppy was conceived in 1971, and born in 1976 measuring a mere 5 1/4". He began to come of age as something of a disruptive presence in the 1980's. His free spirit, and small stature, allowed him to flourish during his youth. While his flexible and open nature made him very vulnerable to outside influences, despite this, his spirit of innovation brought about a new era of data portability giving birth to the modern computer storage age as we know it today. As Floppy grew older in the early 1990's, he gained additional capacity and experience that hardened his outer shell making him more thick skinned, as so many of us do as we grow old.

Though by 2003, (now in his Twilight years) Floppy had retired almost completely from public life. He was not however, content with full retirement and as recently as just a few weeks ago could still be found working hard in the modern embedded world assisting with the installation of RAID drivers and SCSI controller software.

We smile when we remember how much he hated to be bothered while working, sometimes becoming so angry that if disturbed at the wrong time, he was known to trash and corrupt all the data around him.

We will always remember with nostalgia, the free storage discs provided courtesy of AOL. Sitting at home with a drill or notching tool to increase the capacity of his less expensive discs, and learning first hand from his teachings about the dangers of magnets and the importance of backing up our newly portable and surprisingly fragile data.

Floppy leaves behind quite a legacy, having fathered so many children over his 238 years, including but certainly not limited to Dr. Floptical, Mrs. Iomega Zip, and Grandma SyQuest (who also inherited Floppy's severe annoyance at being disturbed while working).

Dear departed friend, though modern technology may have cloned your body into USB devices and spliced your genes with flash media readers, we bid farewell to your original pure, internal-direct-to-motherboard form.

Though portable flash memory may pave the way forward, we will always remember fondly the "Brrrrr brrrrr, bunk bunk bunk" sounds you made when you worked. Future generations will forever benefit from your legacy. Farewell old friend, we will not forget.

Rest in peace.

Martin's Look at Processor Cooling

Hello, all! Martin here and welcome to our most recent edition of Martin's Corner. It's been quite a while since I last made an update, since that time we have completed our move to the Austin, TX area. And everyone has taken the time to get settled into our new home (many of us have also relocated the places where we sometimes park our cars and sleep as well). :-)

This month I wanted to talk about processor cooling. In the lab here, we like to use a product called Artic Silver. (consider this a free plug to them) On their website, they have some very detailed instructions regarding the application of their product. We realized that many of our readers may not know the in's and out's of processor cooling, and might find this interesting. There is a lot more going on here than one might think when it comes to processor cooling and it definitely will impact the performance of your system!.

First of all, the temperature reading of the chip is not always the most dependable method of determining a cooling compound's level of effectiveness. Depending on the situation, the temperature your chip reports may be HIGHER when your thermal compound is WORKING BETTER.

Sounds backwards huh? Here's the explanation: Intel typically positions their thermal couplers (the part of the chip that detects the temperature) in the same area as the memory cache... which is not the hottest part of the chip. This means that when a thermal compound is working best, it is making the heat spread and flow away from the warmer areas. This means that instead of acting as an insulator, (keeping hot areas hot, and cool areas cool) which might result in a lower temperature READING, a good compound will act as a thermal conductor, conducting or transmitting the heat throughout the compound. (and into the heat sink, and into the air). That's why the chip may report a higher temperature (as much as 5C higher) when in fact, it is cooling more effectively. By spreading that heat around, (and away from the source) we're more evenly distributing it over the surface of the chip (and over the surface of the heat sink), in the process however the heat is also spread over the chip's thermal coupler, which can result in a higher temperature reading.

So then how do you know if your compound and heat spreader are actually working vs. another compound that may result in a higher temperature reading because of poor performance? Well, a much more effective measurement of a cooling compound performance would be to measure the amount of heat being conducted into and radiated from a particular heat sink. In two given machines with equal specifications, and identical heat spreader assemblies, if one heat spreader is warmer than another, that would indicate that the warmer one is pulling heat away from the chip more effectively in that instance…which is a good thing. Most people think that the application of the 'grease' or thermal compound to the chip is not a very complicated thing. "Just goop some on, clamp down the processor heat sink/fan, and you're good to go". That would not seem to be the case at all. As far as the quantity you apply… for this product at least, "less is more". Too much, and you create a layer of insulation, that can't conduct the heat away fast enough. Too little, and well, you will have too little to be effective, and once again, you are insulating the chip (though this time, with air pockets), instead of properly filling those microscopic cracks and crevices with the compound, so it can conduct the heat away from the source.

Take this example of a dual core chip. They only suggest a very thin line of compound, down the center of the chip, and even caution to apply the compound in the correct direction. The purpose is to allow the compound to be positioned directly over the source of the heat, conducting as much of the heat as possible over the entire
surface area of the chip, maximizing the
surface area in contact with the heat sink/fan assembly.

In this example with a quad core chip, the suggestion is to apply the compound in a different direction, running across the hottest parts of the chip assembly.

They also caution that if you are using a heat sink/fan that already has used thermal compound on the surface, that it should be removed first, ideally with alcohol and a soft tissue or cloth. Not all compounds will work well together, and dry compounds in particular are not compatible with grease.

Remember, the idea is to conduct heat away from the chip. If you mix two different compounds you will very likely just increase the insulation characteristics of the compound, making it less effective. There is a lot more science to this than one might think, and that's just for the application. We've not even touched on the characteristics of the thermal compound itself!

The application instructions for the various compounds may be found at this link: http://www.arcticsilver.com/instructions.htm

Remember, the application techniques we've discussed here, will change for the various different types of thermal compounds. Different thermal compounds whether from Artic Silver, or from other manufacturers will each be applied differently. Never assume the instructions for one product will be applicable to others.

Well, I hope this has been enlightening for you. Happy Cooling!

Martin's Look at Microsoft OS Support

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!

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!

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

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?

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!

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

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!

1. First, write down the two numbers you want to multiply side by side: 130 x 5.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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).
   
   
4. In the first column, circle all numbers that add up to 130. In this example that would be 2 and 128 (2 + 128 = 130)
   
   
5. 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.
   
   
6. 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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