Avnet Embedded EMEA has developed a microsite to explain the benefits of Microsoft’s family of software for dedicated devices.

The new site, which is now live at www.avnet-embedded.eu/software, details the available products and their suitability for certain vertical markets. Manufacturers will be shown the benefits of Windows Embedded licensing such as extended product availability, lower cost of ownership and specific features unique to the embedded portfolio. The site also hosts videos that demonstrate, step-by-step, how simple building a Windows Embedded image can be.

Nick Donaldson, Marketing Director Software EMEA, comments: “We recognised a need to raise awareness of a set of products that can dramatically improve the profitability of intelligent systems manufacturers. At Avnet Embedded, we decided to build a resource to help identify the best-fit Microsoft platform for them. This microsite is intended to be the first step in a long-term partnership with our manufacturing ecosystem built on delivery of value and continuous improvement. “

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Acal BFi – a division of Acal plc – is the first distributor to sample the new PremierWave®-XN dual-band 802.11n multi-port device server from Lantronix. As part of the award-winning PremierWave family, this 802.11n server combines high-performance WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, with Lantronix’ SmartRoam™ technology for seamless mobile connectivity, and enhanced security within a compact 11cm x 8.9cm x 2.6cm module.

With development kits and a limited number of samples available from May 2012, Acal BFi will enable lead customers to develop next-generation machine-to-machine (M2M) applications featuring increased wireless speed, improved reliability and an extended transmission range over 2.4GHz or 5GHz.

“These new servers allow designers to respond to market demands for enhanced remote monitoring and control of larger and more complex network infrastructures by delivering optimal wireless performance, signal reliability and security,” explains Martin Kemp, European Sales & Marketing Manager, Acal BFi. “The PremierWave-XN device server allows applications with an existing Ethernet interface to easily add WiFi connectivity, with no modifications to the existing code, by using Lantronix’ proprietary Secure ComPort Redirector virtualisation software.”

“The launch of four new products in the past four months highlights the new, more customer-driven, aggressive global growth strategy for Lantronix,” said Martin Poppelaars, Vice President of EMEA Sales for Lantronix. “A key driver in this strategy is aligning ourselves with partners who have the technical expertise, along with established sales and distribution channels throughout Europe. Acal BFi has proven to be exactly this type of partner, and we look forward to working more closely with them to speed our time-to-market and accelerate our growth in the region.”

Acal BFi’s wireless communications team will provide specialist design support to customers implementing advanced M2M applications using the Lantronix PremierWave-XN device server.

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RS Components and Allied Electronics are commencing shipments of Raspberry Pi, the credit-card sized computer board designed to seed a new generation of programmers. The shipments are being sent to the first group of customers from around the world, all of whom registered for a Raspberry Pi from RS and Allied.

Invitations to place an order on the new RS and Allied Raspberry Pi online store have been sent out to customers on a first-come, first-served basis in line with registrations of interest placed on the companies’ websites and to match the number of boards available from RS and Allied in the first production run. This process will be repeated once the next batch of boards becomes available. RS and Allied have implemented this procedure to ensure that all orders for Raspberry Pi are fulfilled with a confirmed delivery date. Due to the exceedingly high demand for the product, and limited quantities available from the manufacturer at this time, orders are currently restricted to one board per customer.

When ordering Raspberry Pi from the dedicated online store, customers can click through to the associated parts and accessories required for activation of the board. These include USB A-B cables, HDMI cables, power supplies and SD memory cards from a range of leading suppliers, all available to purchase from stock. By ordering these cables and other accessories from RS and Allied at the same time as the Raspberry Pi board, customers can make a saving on the delivery cost, as the same total shipping charge is applicable.

“There has been a huge wave of anticipation and extraordinary levels of demand for Raspberry Pi since it was launched, so we are delighted to be delivering the first boards to initial customers,” said Glenn Jarrett, Head of Electronics Marketing at RS Components. “We are working very closely with the manufacturer to bring subsequent batches of boards into stock so that we can fulfil every customer order for Raspberry Pi as quickly as possible.”

Eben Upton, Raspberry Pi founder and trustee, commented, “This is an exciting and momentous phase for Raspberry Pi as the boards start heading out to customers from our distributors. We know from the incredible amount of interest in Raspberry Pi that there is a huge impetus among enthusiasts and educators for a product that brings computer programming to the masses, and we encourage these new programmers to share their experiences and results with us.”

RS and Allied are currently developing a variety of tools and initiatives to support Raspberry Pi users and the companies’ DesignSpark electronics design community is seeing many people discussing ideas and thoughts on Raspberry Pi. Recent additions to the site include a series of Pi Perspectives, where leading UK academics and scientists share their views on Raspberry Pi, and information on a Raspberry Pi experimenter’s kit now being developed. Various tutorials covering everything from initial set-up to a guide to the different Linux flavours, including a Fedora Mix start-up guide, are also available.

For developers, there is the free schematic capture and PCB layout tool from RS and Allied, DesignSpark PCB. It has already won awards from across the globe, and the company is seeing more developers adopt it with some already creating prototyping boards to use with Raspberry Pi.

The Raspberry Pi boards from RS and Allied are priced at £21.60 plus a shipping charge of £4.95 to any destination worldwide, plus VAT and import duty as applicable.

The Raspberry Pi board was created by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a charity based in Cambridge, UK, and was conceived to encourage and enable children to learn and apply computer programming.

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Acal BFi announces the first samples of the world’s smallest complete GPS receiver. The OriginGPS ORG1410 is a complete GPS System‐in‐Package (SiP), which allows high-volume, cost-sensitive applications to achieve high levels of integration and sensitivity, combined with low power consumption and an ultra-compact footprint.

“As the only pan-European partner for OriginGPS, Acal BFi is able to offer the first samples and development kits for this benchmark product. Our unique position also allows us to support customers, throughout Europe, with an unrivalled level of product knowledge, in addition to design support and manufacturing services which will allow customers to push their products’ GPS capabilities to new levels of performance and functionality,” explains Philippe Gruson, Electronics Division President Acal BFi.

The integration of a SiRFstarIV™ GPS processor enables the ORG1410 to operate in challenging GPS environments, such as indoor tracking or when the end-user is on the move. This high level of GPS performance is achieved by using innovative GPS firmware which can detect changes in context, temperature, and satellite signals, and opportunistically update its internal parameters which enables the ORG1410 to deliver near-continuous navigation.

Within its 10mm x 10mm package, the ORG1410 integrates an active antenna; RF shield; TCXO and RTC crystal; LNA and SAW filters; and UART, SPI or I2C host interfaces; whilst achieving ultra-low power consumption of less than 15mW; a fast position fix of under 1 second and sensitivity of ‐163dBm.

A limited number of ORG1410 samples, in addition to development kits for lead customers, are available immediately from Acal BFi.

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Admiral Microwaves, has just announced the availability of the DBS6950 desktop antenna. It is aimed specifically at LTE (Long Term Evolution) applications in the cellular mobile communication systems marketplace. Undergoing rapid deployment in international markets, LTE is described as the last step toward the 4th generation (4G) mobile phone technology, designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks.

Manufactured by Laird Technologies, the DBS6950 external wireless dipole antenna provides a high quality, high performance air interface for LTE installations. This unit features a wide bandwidth, covering both the 700 to 960MHz and 1.7GHz to 5GHz frequency bands, making it ideal for systems required to provide multiple bandwidths, and therefore suitable for use in various regional and global applications.

In fact, the antenna operates simultaneously in more than 11 frequency bands supporting not only LTE, but also cellular, Quadband, GSM+UTMS, WCDMA/3G, AWS, IEEE802.11b/g/n WLAN, WISP, WiMAX MMDS/3.5GHz and Public Safety Radio applications.

The desktop antenna features omnidirectional gain patterns, and is designed with a minimal detuning effect when placed on a ground plane. Gain figures are quoted as 3.0dBi (698 to 960MHz) and 4.9dBi (1.7 to 5GHz) and VSWR at

The unit is supplied with coaxial cable pigtail providing a variety of connector choices, and conforms to the RoHS directive.

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RS Components has launched an exclusive promotion on its range of oscilloscopes from Tektronix, a leading supplier of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation. The special offer enables RS customers to trade-in a working oscilloscope, signal generator or frequency/counter timer from any manufacturer and receive a 15% discount on a new model from the Tektronix range.

Available for a limited period until 31 May 2012, the trade-in scheme provides embedded system designers with a cost-efficient means of upgrading their test equipment with the latest generation of high-performance products from an industry-leading manufacturer.

Tektronix offers a comprehensive range of test and measurement instruments and application software to quickly find and diagnose problems in complex designs. The MSO3000 Series and DPO3000 Mixed Signal Oscilloscopes Series, for example, allow users to analyse up to 20 analogue and digital signals with a single instrument. Bandwidths up to 500 MHz and a minimum of 5 times over sampling on all channels ensure the performance necessary for many of today’s mainstream applications.

“Today’s engineers are under pressure to meet increasingly demanding deadlines while getting to grips with ever more complex technologies. Tektronix’s intuitive tools for device design validation and debug play a significant role in easing the process by producing fast, intelligent results,” said Fred Knowles, Head of Product Management – Electronics at RS Components. “This exclusive offer gives engineers access to the most sophisticated equipment available on the market at cut-down prices and exemplifies RS’ value-for-money electronics offering as well as our commitment to maintaining strong relationships with suppliers and customers alike.”

“It is clear that the provision of a value-added service is a priority for RS. As a supplier, we can feel confident that our customers will have a highly efficient purchasing experience through RS’ ongoing find, design-in and buy initiatives,” Nigel Bentley, Channel Partner Manager, Tektronix, added. “By partnering with RS for this offer we are highlighting the most advanced test and measurement equipment available to engineers, while giving them the opportunity to replace old equipment at significantly reduced prices.”

Further information on this exclusive offer is available at http://www.rs-components.com/tektronix-recycle

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Specialist electronic components distributor Advanced Power Components is pleased to announce that Sensirion’s new Nano Flow Sensor for Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) applications is now available through APC Hero.

Key Features are a pressure rating of 1000bar (15000psi) and a short response time of 30ms. These properties mean that the high-end SLG64-0075 device is especially suited for monitoring dynamic flow rates in cutting-edge chromatography systems. This flow meter (US Pat. 6813944B2), which is based on CMOSens® technology is designed to accurately measure flow rates up to 5 microlitres per minute and features an additional high flow mode for up to 20 microlitres per minute.

A highly sensitive CMOSens® microchip that is mounted on the outside of an internal, straight fused silica capillary (ID 75 um) detects the flow while remaining totally isolated from the media. By using this technology, great repeatability for analysis – the most important criterion in chromatography – is ensured. The fully digital, calibrated liquid flow meter operates with repeatability that is better than 0.6% of the measured value. Moreover, the sensor offers resolutions down to 0.5nl/min and better. The SLG64-0075 is equipped with stainless steel fittings for 1/16” capillaries and an I2C interface for digital communication. An RS485 bus interface is offered as an alternative option.

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The innovative illumotion multi-sense system, available from Rutronik as of now, provides an experience of a very special kind. This technically thought-through combination of animated images, high-definition displays and a brilliant multi-channel audio experience opens up the senses. With a affordable expenditure of effort and money it is possible to set virtually any scene and achieve extraordinary effects. Visual experiences can be perfectly enhanced and intensified by means of individually configurable sound and light effects as well as other sensory input such as scents, cooling/warming and the movement of the wind. For instance, synchronised LED lighting considerably reinforces the impression. The scene to be set can very easily be modified according to the desired environment. “This function – the synchronous rendering combined with additional control options – represents an absolute innovation in an affordable range,” points out Nikolai Schnarz, Product Sales Manager at Rutronik. The virtual all-round experience is designed for use in a wide range of settings, from wellness areas and saunas via light and colour therapy practices, doctors’ surgeries, deceleration rooms and hospitals right through to hotels, offices, event gastronomy and so on – our customers can live out their creativity to the full.

The basic components of the multi-sense illumotion system are a theme package, multi-channel audio technology, hardware for the base and control units as well as high-resolution displays, optional LED lighting / sound system and the control unit for all elements. Preconfigured theme packages can be selected from the so-called ‘multi-sense areas’: panorama, ambience, aquaria or art gallery. The 4K technology involved gives viewers a live experience as if they were actually somewhere else. To display the themes, illumotion relies on robust full-HD industrial screens. Using a sophisticated splitting technique the 4K themes are transferred to the displays in synchronised image sections. The customers have a wide range of options to configure their fantasy worlds, such as the number and size of the displays and their placement in the space available, e.g. as a panorama set on the ceiling for an open sky view, as a virtual window or landscape set for breathtaking panoramic scenes, sets in portrait orientation or single displays for static themes. There are no limits to the imagination.

The customers can also select a suitable frame for the view in question from a range of options: There are easily interchangeable front display panels (either square or with a porthole effect), as well as an illuminated tank with real, bubbling water to enhance the impression of an aquarium.
The base unit is fully programmed for lighting, sound and audio. This is the ‘player’ for the themes stored on flashcards. It controls the displays and coordinates them using RFID technology. The autonomous solid-state system (a not PC-based operating system) is immune to both viruses and crashes – and it is almost impossible to operate it incorrectly. As an option, control via WLAN and iPad or iPhone is possible.

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element14 is giving Raspberry Pi fans around the world a chance to win one of three of these hotly desired gadgets.

Launched today, the global “Raspberry RoadTest” Challenge poses the question: “What innovation will you create using the amazing Raspberry Pi computer?” Designers and enthusiasts can enter the challenge by signing up on the Raspberry RoadTest page on the element14 Community and submitting ideas for the innovations they would create using this credit card-sized computer. The winner will be chosen on “Pi Day” – 14th March 2012.

element14 RoadTest has become increasingly popular among community members. Members receive a device to test and review from element14, then blog about their developments, discoveries and innovations on the community as well as their own blogs and forums. These blogs and reviews are used by other designers to connect with each other and be inspired.

The Community has has experienced a 30 fold increase in traffic since the recently launched element14 Raspberry Pi Group and product launch last week. Additionally there have been over 30,000 downloads of the operating system software – amassing over 30 Terabytes of file transfers.

More information on the “Raspberry RoadTest” Challenge can be found at www.element14.com/roadtest. To join Raspberry Pi conversations visit the element14 Community.

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Kontron has announced the cooperation with Real-Time Systems to distribute their RTS Hypervisor on selected Computer-on-Modules, boards and systems with Intel multi-core processors. Kontron will provide customers with application-ready, pre-integrated, real-time capable virtualization platforms from a single source to speed up time-to-market and reduce integration efforts for customers. The agreement complements Kontron’s portfolio of fully tested, application-ready platforms that combine standard embedded hardware with pre-integrated software suites such as operating systems, hypervisor technology and complementary middleware.

Kontron will showcase a demo system based on the Kontron V-Panel Express 170 equipped with the RTS Hypervisor at the Embedded World Trade Show (hall 1, booth 460). In this installation, a real-time OS (Wind River VxWorks 6.8) and a non-real-time OS (Windows 7 Professional) run independently on top of the RTS Hypervisor with 0 latency added in regards to hard real-time performance.

Kontron’s new pre-integrated virtualization platforms target applications in markets such as industrial, medical, military or transportation where customers rely on both a deterministic Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) for time- and/or mission-critical functions and a standard OS for other tasks, such as running a feature-rich graphical user interface (GUI). By utilizing the RTS Hypervisor and Kontron’s multi-core hardware, both the embedded real-time application and the GUI can now be implemented on a single consolidated hardware platform. This helps customers to cut costs for the second system to zero and increase Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and reliability.

Embedded system configurations with real-time hypervisors are complex and not typically a plug & play implementation. Consequently, customers need more support from hardware and software experts and ideally from a single source, said Werner Ressle, Director of Software & Software Services of Kontron AG. The cooperation with Real-Time Systems enables us to provide customers with a convenient out-of-the-box experience and they can now receive our embedded hardware platforms bundled with a pre-configured RTS Hypervisor including operating system licenses of their choice.

Kontron, as the worldwide market leader in embedded computing technology is a strategic partner who can help us attain a very broad audience for our RTS Hypervisor in the markets with real-time requirements, said Gerd Lammers, CEO and President of Real-Time Systems GmbH. We believe that offering hard- and software application-ready and from one source is very customer-friendly, as the customer can also get testing equipment from one supplier and only has one contact person in case of any queries during the application implementation.”

Highlights of the RTS Hypervisor
The RTS Hypervisor allows customers to simultaneously run multiple instances of a real-time operating system, such as Wind River VxWorks, QNX, Windows CE or a heterogeneous mixture of operating systems, including general purpose operating systems (GPOS) such as Linux and Microsoft Windows. Because RTS Hypervisor does not depend on a specific host OS, all operating systems can start in any sequence, reboot independently and never harm each other just as if they were still separated in hardware. In order to facilitate communication between the separated operating systems, RTS Hypervisor implementations provide a configurable user-shared memory as well as a TCP/IP based virtual network. Further highlights are:

- Hard real-time performance (0 µs latencies added)
- Leverages Intel VT technology to securely run GPOSes
- Direct hardware access – use standard device drivers
- 100% separation of operating systems in memory
- Use of standard development tools and IDE

Kontron is now supplying project services for the application-ready implementation of the RTS Hypervisor and the required host OS on customer-specific hardware platforms as part of its global software services.

For further information on Kontron’s latest product launches at the Embedded World Trade Show 2012, please visit: http://www.kontron.com/embedded-world2012-en

For further information on the RTS Hypervisor, please visit: http://www.real-time-systems.com/real-time_hypervisor/