Date: 6 December 2001

Source: Embedded.com

Firmware Vendors Meet to Develop OEM Support Model

Bellevue, Washington - Firmware design too often takes a backseat to operating systems and chipsets. This idea was generally agreed upon by the vendors in attendence at the General Softwares Embedded Support Conference in Amsterdam, which took place earlier this month. The companies convened in hopes of developing a basic model for supporting OEM product development. Attending were representatives from AMD, STMicroelectronics, Logic Technologies, Technology Rescue, DIV Systeme, Trident Infosol, Embedded Laboratories, LocSoft Ltd, Hitex Ltd, and TenAsys.

According to a General Software spokesman, the companies reached their conclusion about firmware over the course of a series of presentations and roundtable discussions.They also stated that firmware makes a significant contribution to a the effectiveness of RTOSes and hardware. They said that without supporting firmware for advanced SRAM technologies, multiprocessor chipsets, or high-integration graphics, hardware chipsets can't provide "whole solutions for specific markets."

Operating systems are similarly shackled when they lack supporting firmware initiatives for RTOS loading, symmetric multi-processing, and remote boot, because without them, the OS cannot maximize the capabilities enabled by new chipsets. Thus, a need exists for a standard model for firmware support.

The group identified two recently successful markets that, presumably, would be well served by an effective support model: telecom/datacom and consumer electronics. It was opined that datacom/telecom is shifting towards commercial off-the-shelf products, which will likely drive usage of industry standard RTOSes and firmware. Many believe this dynamic will make a simple and comprehensive development support structure attractive and useful to OEMs.

It was also concluded that the consumer electronics market is being "pushed" by increased acceptance of home gateways and the convergence of set-top boxes, TVs, and computers, all of which rely on firmware. If this idea is correct, it would be another reason to establish a cohesive support system for the OEMs serving this market.