Building the Internet of Things with DDS

The real value of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet (I2) is ubiquitous information availability and consequently the decisions that can be made from it. The importance of ubiquitous data availability has significantly elevated attention on standards-based data sharing technologies. In this post, I’ll analyze the data sharing requirement characteristics of embedded systems and describe how the Object Management Group (OMG) Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard ideally addresses them.

Data sharing in IoT/I2
Data sharing patterns within IoT/I2 embedded systems can be classified as follows:

Device-2-Device. This communication pattern is prevalent on industrial systems where devices or digital signage systems need to efficiently share data, such as industrial plants, vehicles, mobile devices, etc. Device-2-Device data sharing is facilitated by broker-less peer-to-peer infrastructures that simplify deployment, foster fault-tolerant, and provide performance-sensitive applications with low latency and high throughput.

Device-2-Cloud. Individual devices and subsystems interact with cloud services and applications for mediating data sharing as well as for data collection and analytics. The Device-2-Cloud communication can have wildly different needs depending on the application and the kind of data being shared. For instance, a remote surgery application has far more stringent temporal requirements than a smart city application. On the other hand, the smart city application may have more stringent requirements with respect to efficient network and energy management of the device. Thus depending on the use case, Device-2-Cloud communication has to be able to support high-throughput embedded systems and low-latency data exchanges as well as operation over bandwidth constrained links. Support for intermittent connectivity and variable latency link is also quite important.

Cloud-2-Cloud. Although few systems are currently being deployed to span across multiple IaaS instances or multiple IaaS regions (such as deploying across EC2 EU and U.S. regions), it will be increasingly important to be able to easily and efficiently exchange data across cloud “domains.” In this case, the data sharing technology needs to support smart routing to ensure that the best path is always taken to distribute data, provide high throughput, and deliver low per-message overhead.

Besides the data sharing patterns identified above, there are crosscutting concerns that a data distribution technology needs to properly address, such as platform independence – for example, the ability to run on embedded, mobile, enterprise and cloud apps, and security. The DDS is an embedded systems for seamless, ubiquitous, efficient, timely, and secure data sharing – independent from the hardware and the software platform. DDS defines a wire protocol that allows for multiple vendor implementations to interoperate as well as an digital signage that eases application porting across vendor products. The standard requires the implementation to be fully distributed and broker-less, meaning that the DDS application can communicate without any mediation, yet when industrial communication can be transparently brokered.

 The basic abstraction at the foundation of embedded computer is that of a Topic. A Topic captures the information to be shared along with the Quality of Service associated with it. This way it is possible to control the functional and non-functional properties of data sharing. DDS provides a industrial set of QoS policies that control local resource usage, network utilization, traffic differentiation, and data availability for late joiners. In DDS the production of data is performed through Data Writers while the data consumption is through Data Readers. For a given Topic, Data Readers can further refine the information received through content and temporal filters. DDS is also equipped with a dynamic discovery service that allows the application to dynamically discover the information available in the system and match the relevant sources. Finally, the embedded systems Security standard provides an extensible framework for dealing with authentication, encryption, and access control. Among the standards identified as relevant by the Industrial Internet Consortium for IoT and I2 systems, DDS is the one that stands out with respect to the breath and depth of coverage of IoT/I2 data sharing requirements. Let’s see what DDS has that make it so special.

Device-2-Device. DDS provides a very efficient and scalable platform for Device-2-Device communication. DDS implementation can be scaled down to deeply embedded devices or up to high-end multicore machines. A top-performing digital signage implementation, such as PrismTech’s intelligent data sharing platform, Vortex, which can offer latency as low as ~30 usec on Gbps Ethernet networks and point-to-point throughput of several million messages per second. DDS features a binary and efficient wire-protocol that makes it a viable solution also for Device-2-Device communication in network-constrained environments. The broker-less and peer-to-peer nature of DDS makes it an ideal choice for Device-2-Device communication. The ability to transparently broker DDS communication – especially when devices communicate through multicast – eases the integration of subsystems into IoT and I2 systems.

Device-2-Cloud. DDS supports multiple transport protocols, such as UDP/IP and TCP/IP, and when available can also take advantage of multicast. UDP/IP support is extremely useful in applications that deal with interactive, soft real-time data in situations when TCP/IP introduces either too much overhead or head-of-line blocking issues. For deployment that can’t take advantage of UDP/IP, DDS alleviates the problems introduced by TCP/IP vis-a-vis head-of-line blocking. This is done through its support for traffic differentiation and prioritization along with selective down-sampling. Independent of the transport used, DDS supports three different kinds of reliability: best effort, last value reliability, and reliability. Of these three, only the latter behaves like “TCP/IP reliability.” The others allow DDS to drop samples to ensure that stale data does not delay new data.

The efficient wire-protocol, in combination with the rich embedded computer transportation and reliability semantics support, make DDS an excellent choice for sharing both periodic data, such as telemetry, as well as data requiring high reliability. In addition, the built-in support for content filtering ensures that data is only sent if there are consumers that share the same interest and whose filter matches the data being produced.

 Cloud-2-Cloud. The high throughput and low latency that can be delivered by DDS makes it a perfect choice for data sharing across the big pipes connecting various data centers.

In summary, DDS is the standard that ideally addresses most of the requirements of IoT/I2 systems. DDS-based platforms, such as PrismTech’s Vortex, provide device solutions for mobile, embedded, web, enterprise, and cloud applications along with cloud messaging implementations. DDS-based solutions are currently deployed today in smart cities, smart grids, smart transportation, finance, and healthcare environments.

If you want learn more about DDS check out this tutorial or the many educational slides freely available on SlideShare. Angelo directs the company’s technology strategy, planning, evolution, and embedded computer strategy. He also leads the strategic standardization at the Object Management Group, where he co-chairs the Data Distribution Service Special Interest Group and serves on its digital signage Board. Angelo is a widely known and cited expert in the field of real-time and distributed systems, intelligent data sharing platforms and software patterns, has authored several international standards, and has more than 10 years of experience in technology management and design of high performance mission- and business-critical distributed systems. Prior to joining digital signage sector, Angelo served as a Software Scientist within the SELEX-SI Strategic and Technological Planning Directorate. He earned a Ph.D. and a M.S. in Computer Science from the Washington University in St. Louis, and a Laurea Magna cum Laude in Computer Engineering from the University of Catania, Italy.

refer to:
http://embedded-computing.com/guest-blogs/building-the-internet-of-things-with-dds/

Acrosser Releases the PCI-E x16 Slot AMB-IH61T3 Mini-ITX Board, for Your Industrial Automation System

ACROSSER Technology, a leading provider of industrial and embedded computers, debuted the AMB-IH61T3 today, an industrial Mini-ITX motherboard with the highest cost-performance ratio yet, powered by an Intel H61 chipset supporting 3rd/2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 processors.

Generous I/O Connectivity
The AMB-IH61T3 possesses high connectivity and multiple high-speed I/O ports. Built with 8 USB ports/headers and 10 serial ports/headers, this board provides sufficient and flexible connection possibilities, especially for KIOSK and industrial automation system integrators to link and manage multiple peripherals.
Expandable Graphic Power and Functionality
The Mini-ITX AMB-IH61T3 equipped with a PCI-E x16 slot, brings you not only more expanded functionality, but also enhanced graphic power. You can even choose to leverage an additional graphics card on top of the slot to improve visual effects for any kind of gaming application, or use the multiple displays for industrial automation purposes.
The industrial PC industry has been craving smaller, more affordable portable computing devices. We responded to this demand by introducing our cost-effective Mini-ITX platform AMB-IH61T3, making mini-computing more usable and redefining the embedded SBC market.

Embedding the World Cup with goal-line technology

For years, international football association FIFA have heavily resisted technology’s influence in soccer, almost comically arguing that bad refereeing decisions are all part of the excitement of the game. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has described goal-line technology as “only 95 percent accurate”, though even that level of accuracy – when compared to a human eye, often tens of metres away – is surely a vast improvement?

For networking appliance technologists, even if this disputable 95 percent figure was to be believed, bridging that 5 percent gap was never a sizeable task. Though in 2008 following that statement, the FIFA president put the implementation of such technology on ice – permanently.

Predictably, subsequently further controversial decisions ensued, though in relatively low-key matches not on the international stage, and in March 2010 an election was held between eight of the founding bodies of soccer – voting 6-2 in favor of permanently ditching the technology, the two dissenters being England and Scotland.

In June that year at the 2010 FIFA World Cup the tide was about to turn, when hundreds of millions of fans across 241 separate countries saw England’s Frank Lampard score a goal – the ball clearly over a metre across the line – against Germany, which was disallowed due to human error by the referee. Scoring or missing was a turning point in the 2-1 game, which ended as a 4-1 loss for England. The entire embedded computer industry, quickly followed by immense global supporters!  Taking huge pressure on FIFA, and shortly after Blatter announced that the goal-line technology consideration would be re-opened.

The tech contenders
In 2011 FIFA began internal trials with 10 companies’ goal-line embedded system technology, and by 2012 they whittled this down to two potential candidates: Goal Ref, utilizing a passive “chip-in-ball” and a magnetic field to detect its whereabouts; and Hawk-Eye, utilizing a series of high-resolution cameras and triangulation algorithms.

Both have a very high, though interestingly unpublished, accuracy percentage, but neither could claim 100 percent accuracy as both are fallible to some degree.

Through networking appliance technology based on electromagnetic fields, which is being used at the 2014 World Cup, it would be susceptible to interference an unscrupulous party could theoretically interfere with its accuracy.

The high-speed-camera-based system, you could argue, is less vulnerable to outside interference, though is reliant on installation accuracy and calibration, having rigorously proven the calculations used to derive the embedded computer decisions.

Additionally, in the 2014 World Cup referees are wearing smartwatches as part of a GoalControl-4D system to alert them to goal-line technology cameras detecting goals.

Both systems also can’t consider the change in shape of a ball when it bounces, for example. The Hawk-Eye system, prior to soccer, has long been employed in snooker (similar to billiards), cricket, and tennis. Bounce distortion in soccer, given we’re concerned with it passing a line, not falling short of it, isn’t relevant – in tennis however this can be contentious; during the 2008 Wimbledon final, a ball that appeared out was cited as “in” by Hawk-Eye by a single millimeter.

refer to:
http://embedded-computing.com/articles/embedding-world-cup-goal-line-technology/

 

Acrosser Offers an Extensive In-Vehicle Computer Product Line with ODM/OEM Services for Your Specialized Market.

Still looking for a reliable in-vehicle computer? Acrosser offers a series of in-vehicle computers for your selection. As a frontier company in the vehicle PC market, Acrosser has been supplying the automotive industry with quality products for almost a decade. From the Intel® Atom™- based car computer AR-V6002FL, to the Intel® Core™ i7- based AIV-HM76V0FL, there are multiple options to satisfy every customer.

However, a tailor-made car computer can help you reach for your own niche market. Therefore, Acrosser offers systems integrators ODM/OEM services on large orders. For car PC ODM/OEM projects, we offer numerous customization options for software configuration, including GPIO, Watch Dog Timer, and Smart Power System. For each project, Acrosser works closely with clients and offers its 26 years of industry experience and expertise as promised. As a result, we have not only made a remarkable number of shipments, but also received TAITRA certification at the Taiwan Excellence Awards in 2013.

Acrosser’s In-Vehicle PC can multitask under the harshest driving conditions. For systems integrators, IT managers and logistics managers, each In-Vehicle Computer is an integrated, multifunctional platform that can handle infotainment, telematics, and fleet management applications. As for wireless communication integration, our In-Vehicle Computers can be designed with GPS, GSM/GPRS/HSPA/UMTS, Bluetooth, and WiFi, all in one machine. And don’t forget our smart power system, which offers customization of power delay controls for your unique demands! So, are you ready to optimize your business with our in-vehicle computers? With our enthusiastic sales team and wealth of professional experience, Acrosser is undoubtedly your first choice for an in-vehicle PC supplier!

Watch this video to learn more about Acrosser’s in-vehicle computers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAwc5YWGAXA

Product Information:
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/In-Vehicle-Computer.html

Contact Us:
http://www.acrosser.com/inquiry.html

Increasing Data Throughput with Innovative Embedded System

Developed by the PCI-SIG consortium in response to SSD’s increasing demands on data throughput, M.2, formerly known as Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) is a new specification for expansion modules in embedded systems with space limitations.

Slimmer and more flexible than the current Mini PCI Express (mPCIe)/Mini-SATA (mSATA) standard, M.2 does not introduce new signaling systems but rather allows for increased data throughput via multi-lane PCI Express (PCIe), and backward compatibility via SATA and USB signals. While driven by the demand for high-speed, high-capacity storage in ultrabooks, tablets and portable devices, M.2’s space-efficient form factor, backward automation, and flexibility mean it will have an impact on the embedded sector as well.

The unique needs and requirements of embedded systems make the adoption of M.2 a more complicated decision in this space than on the consumer side, but understanding the background of the technology, its specifications, and benefits can help embedded OEMs and system designers make the right choices now and prepare for the future.

The current automation of small form factor expansion modules for both storage and general peripherals uses a common 30 mm x 50.95 mm mPCIe card form factor (Figure 1). Designed originally for the notebook market as an evolution of MiniPCI, mPCIe is a physical and electrical specification for expansion cards allowing Wi-Fi, Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), and other add-on functionality via a miniaturized PCIe connector. mPCIe’s widespread adoption in consumer applications, small form factor and its use of the familiar PCIe bus meant it naturally became a convenient and space-efficient way to add functionality to industrial and embedded systems.

As demand for single board computer in notebooks and mobile devices grew, in 2009, the mSATA format was introduced as a small form factor for storage, utilizing the same physical form factor and connector as mPCIe with a miniaturized SATA interface. While physically similar to mPCIe in both form factor and connector, single board computer are electrically different from mPCIe and require mSATA host support to function. Being based on the tried and true SATA storage protocol, mSATA made it easy for manufacturers to implement small form factor storage and it was rapidly adopted in the client space. These embedded SBC have made mSATA attractive for embedded system storage and today it is one of the most popular small form factor SSD formats in both consumer and industrial markets.

As the client and automation markets pursue higher capacity embedded SBC and higher throughputs to match, the performance bottleneck for top-end single board computer has become the SATA protocol which is limited to 600 MBps. With increased capacities on embedded SBC, speeds go up as well and even the 600 MBps offered by SATA III is not enough for high-performance applications. At the same time, the automation which mSATA was based physically limited how much flash could be put on one mSATA card.

Single board computer strength as a small form factor lies not just in its potential for the next generation of high-performance SSDs, but also in its backward compatibility. While supporting high-performanced automation over multi-lane PCIe, M.2 also supports SATA, USB, and single-lane PCIe. As NVMe awaits adoption in the marketplace, SATA-based first-generation M.2 storage cards and M.2 peripheral cards can allow space-constrained systems to benefit from the smaller and more flexible form factor with the reliability and compatibility of SATA.

For general embedded system applications, mSATA and mPCIe are not going anywhere soon. Industrial applications have modest performance needs, emphasizing reliability and consistency instead. Even for performance-driven systems, the near-term value proposition is tenuous as the full performance benefits of M.2 SSDs require either NVMe support or proprietary drivers to realize native PCIe speeds. It will take time for the storage environment to support NVMe before embedded applications will be able to enjoy this level of performance, so current-generation M.2 embedded SBC may be a hard sell over mSATA modules in the embedded space. Meanwhile, mPCIe currently offers more than enough bandwidth for general embedded peripherals such as graphics cards or Wi-Fi modules.

refer to:
http://embedded-computing.com/articles/increasing-data-throughput/

Opening Doors to Embedded Automation

At the ultra-clean and newly expanded MINOR’s food processing plant in Cleveland a forklift picks up a bin of their product and carries it into the next room along the line, entering through an airlock to minimize the entry of automation pathogens into the packaging area. But unlike most facilities the forklifts here never take a break other than for a battery charge because there is no one sitting in the driver’s single board computer.

Nor is there a driver activating door operation. The signal to open and close is generated by the same process management system directing forklift travel.

MINOR’S has joined the growing ranks of companies that are putting automation material handling (AMH) vehicles to work, seeking increases in productivity and lower operating costs. A recent article in Fast Company on embedded SBC pending reveals that scientists are developing a embedded SBC that has already logged 500,000 miles. So it’s no surprise in the more controllable world of the manufacturing plant and with industry’s growing need for efficiency, speed and reliability; embedded system will be acquiring minds of their own.

The recently released Material Handling and Logistics US Roadmap, complied by the national supply chain publications and associations, looks at the industry ten years into the future. Among the ten megatrends unfolding in the next decade, the report predicts that “autonomous control and distributed intelligence” could one day extend to driverless equipment in the warehouse and over the road.

Engine maker  envisions unmanned  embedded SBC cargo ships, though many in the industry don’t think they will be sailing any time soon. Nevertheless, these technological changes will be driven by a changing embedded system, the growth of e-commerce, mass personalization and of course never-ceasing competition – all of which have impact on the factory or single board computer.

Industry  automation isn’t waiting for 2025. A report published by the Priority Metrics Group detailed that AMH vehicle sales exceeded $15.5 billion world-wide in 2011, up 18% over the previous year. This represents roughly 15% of the investment in new equipment.However, these vehicles also cannot wait for the doors within the plant to get out of the way.

Within these plants are walls sectioning off rooms; and like walls, doors are supposed to preserve the integrity of the processes or the inventories in the room while allowing traffic to pass in and out of the room. Just about every room maintains its own microclimate with a proper temperature. Humidity and air flow are controlled for whatever process takes place or for the product handled within it.

Doors ensure that these areas maintain those conditions, protecting the room from pressure differentials, extreme temperatures sparks, fumes, drafts, noise or other conditions in the previous room that could adversely affect work in process, employee productivity and building energy costs. But if the doors can’t get out of the way in time, progress goes nowhere.

To keep pace with embedded system that demand this speed, the doors along the material path must be able to do the following:

Open and Close Rapidly – The lumbering automation panel door is a thing of the past. For any door to be a member of today’s material handling team it must be an overhead roll up style to get out of the way of vehicles and to attain the high speeds necessary for efficient product flow. These single board computer also take up minimal wall space to maximize these areas for shelving or machinery.

These doors now are capable of speeds of 60 inches per second and faster, and can be fully opened in under two seconds for a typical eight-foot high door embedded system. The rapid roll up door minimizes room exposure, giving practically no time for energy to escape or contaminants to invade.

At MINOR’S ultra-pure food processing facility, their specially designed automated single board computer from one room to another. The concern of process engineers at this operation is to minimize contaminants throughout the processing chain. To maintain product quality, entrance/exit is through an airlock

refer to:
http://www.automation.com/automation-news/todays-featured-news-headlines/opening-doors-to-automation

Explore the Fanless Embedded System AES-HM76Z1FL in Real-Time Business Scenarios at Computex Taipei 2014!

As Acrosser Technology announces its participation in Computex Taipei 2014, we will introduce our latest embedded product, which will be shown in live demo: AES-HM76Z1FL. Featuring an Intel® Core™ i series CPU, a fanless thermal design and a super-thin frame, this model is a suitablebusiness solution for various system integrators. Let’s take a look at this device: 2 IP cameras and 2 monitor displays are attached to the AES-HM76Z1FL to demonstrate its outstanding performance. They not only highlight AES-HM76Z1FL’s applicability for surveillance technology, but also showcase its computing performance for audio entertainment. Acrosser has constructed live demos based on two different scenarios in which AES-HM76Z1FL is used as a business solution.

Scenario 1 takes place in the banking industry. Traditionally, a banking dispute is settled within 3 days. (No less than 72 hours). Therefore, for banking companies, a short file-storage time will not harm their business. However, the recorded file must be in a high-definition format, so that every detail of what occurred at the counter can be clearly seen. At the same time, a bank would also embrace the idea of having a screen displaying its corporate advertisement, not only for promoting its latest house loan plans, but also for garnering more corporate awareness. By assembling AES-HM76Z1FL under this framework, the bank owner can easily achieve his business goal without extra staffing or training.

Scenario 2 takes place in a fast food restaurant that runs 24/7. From breakfast to dinner, different menus and promotional ads are regularly replaced on a daily basis. In addition, the restaurant manager also needs to ensure that the customers are dinning in a safe environment. Through the adoption of AES-HM76Z1FL, the camera can reconstruct any moment in the restaurant, and also provides valuable information on consumer behaviors and preferences. Through thorough analysis of these video data, the manager can even begin to make his own business improvements without needing a consultant.

In conclusion, similar needs can be found in other commercial areas, such as hotel management, home/community security watch, etc. For example, a local governmental office may need a device that can monitor its work place, while also displaying its latest public announcement on population policy. The number of cameras can vary from 2 to 16 based on application. We cordially welcome you to join us for this year’s annual ICT trade fair! Visit Acrosser and its live demos of AES-HM76Z1FL at TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, booth K0216.

Double Up Your Security Level With The Acrosser AMB-A55EG1 Gaming Board!

The gaming business has never been easy. Most game developers not only need time to find suitable hardware, but also to work on software programming. By time they have finished both, the best time-to-market has already vanished. Acrosser’s AMB-A55EG1 All-in-One gaming board can assist you in building up more security measurements, while also remaining highly flexible for your gaming business.

Security mechanisms
Through a design integrating iButton®, PIC and FPGA, the A55EG1 ensures that your business is safer than ever. The security function allows you to define the security key with your gaming machine, preventing anyone from breaking into the gaming system and changing stored information without authorization. As for AMB-A55EG1’s exterior look, Acrosser has also prepared one intrusion detection log on the top, and one on the bottom of the board, in case you need it for security purposes in a cabinet design.

Battery back-up SRAM and protected input/output
Unlike most other Mini-ITX boards, this board is equipped with Battery back-up SRAM, allowing you to save gaming data when playing the game. Alternately, you can also save the log into the SRAM when the cabinet is opened to secure authorized entry. Currently, Acrosser’s all-in-one AMB-A55EG1 also embodies 2 ccTalk protocols, as well as 17 golden fingers for protected input and 16 for output, all of which are the main focus of the current gaming industry.

Acrosser supplies stable gaming boards to our clients. With our steady commitment to quality, casino manufacturers and arcade game manufacturers can concentrate on building the best game and win the market!

Product Information:
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/Gaming-Platform/All-in-One-Gaming-Board/AMB-A55EG1/AMD-Embedded-G-Series-AMB-A55EG1.html

Contact us:
http://www.acrosser.com/inquiry.html

IVI system sandboxing: The next frontier for in-vehicle upgrades

With the rapid advancement of mobile, cloud, and embedded technologies, it may surprise most that In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems are typically developed four to five years before the in-vehicles are release to the market. In fact, most 2014 models are running IVI systems from 2009. By most modern industry standards, a five-year development lifecycle is unacceptable. So how is it that one of our most valued commodities – the automobile – is subjected to such a technological lag?

Primarily, the bloated IVI development lifecycle can be linked to two factors: driver safety and vehicle longevity. Although most people associate IVI systems with just navigation and entertainment, these systems also interact with many critical in-vehicle safety components such as driver assistance, engine control, and vehicle sensors. This means that all IVI systems must go through significant testing, evaluation, security, and certification processes. In addition, in-vehicle manufacturers need to ensure that an IVI system will remain operational for the duration of a vehicle’s 10-15 year lifespan.

Unfortunately, even the sleekest of in-vehicle on the market today are equipped with IVI systems that contain old software and unattractive user interfaces. Furthermore, consumers do not currently have the option to upgrade their IVI systems through new software rollouts or third-party applications. And while some people do trade in their vehicles every two-to-three years, for most of us purchasing a car is a long-term investment. According to automobile information analysis firm R.L. Polk & Co., the average age of automobiles in the U.S. is rising. Assuming this trend continues, many consumers will be stuck with an outdated IVI system for the next nine-to-ten years.

Customizing the car

What if IVI systems could be customized and continuously upgraded like infotainment or tablets? What if drivers could listen to music through their Pandora account, share their location via Facebook, or take a call on Skype? What if online marketplaces like iTunes and Google Play started offering IVI-specific apps? With the rising demand for consumer device customization, it’s just a matter of time before these rhetorical scenarios become the new standard.

The Android platform is especially ripe for IVI customization efforts, as it is an open source wonderland for developers. Whereas iOS remains a proprietary Apple technology, Google has opened Android up to a wide variety of uses, which is why it is currently dominating in the mobile space.

However, Android does have some major drawbacks that must be addressed before it can be utilized for infotainment applications. For example, from an automotive perspective, Android has a slow boot time and does not meet the industry’s strict security and stability standards. The average boot time on an Android-based device is 40 seconds. While this is an acceptable length of time for a mobile device that rarely gets shut off, it becomes a bigger problem in a vehicle. Since most people immediately begin driving after turning on the car, a long IVI system boot time would result in drivers pulling up a map or a play list while the vehicle is in motion – further adding to distractions while driving.

Furthermore, drivers cannot simply restart their vehicles if the IVI system crashes. An unstable Operating System (OS) is inconvenient in a mobile device, but it’s downright dangerous in a vehicle. And if a driver downloads a third-party IVI app whose settings override those of the vehicle’s operational components, it could seriously compromise the vehicle’s security and functionality, from altering diagnostics and sensor parameters to disabling emergency services.

While slow boot times and operating speeds can generally be resolved by modifying the Android OS distribution for an “automotive-grade” platform, the real challenge lies in balancing the innovation of Android with the stringent safety and reliability requirements of the automotive industry. How can a infotainment system be flexible and modular for consumer customization while at the same time ensuring uncompromised security and reliability?

Hypervisor sandboxing splits safety-critical from software-upgradeable

The unfortunate truth is that there is no way to combine these two conflicting demands – nor should we try. Instead of managing one complex and potentially flawed OS, the goal should be to run two completely functional and sandboxed systems. By leveraging an open source, “bare metal” Xen hypervisor, developers could simultaneously run two different OSs on a single System-on-Chip (SoC) to provide:

Highly reliable automotive-grade Linux or Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOSs) like Autosar and QNX for mission-critical vehicle infotainment, Highly customizable Android for infotainment software .

A hybrid architecture that is based on a Type-1 hypervisor would allow developers to create an Android-based IVI system without compromising the functionality, security, or reliability of the vehicle’s operational software. Critical components such as vehicle sensors, diagnostics, and emergency services would never be impacted by third-party apps, as they would be completely enclosed within their own respective OSs (Figure 1). Sandboxed Linux and Android operating systems give developers the freedom to create truly customizable infotainment software without negatively impacting a vehicle’s security or reliability.

Although still a relatively untapped field, it’s only a matter of time before infotainment systems become just as customizable as any other mobile device. While Android still has some issues around reliability, security, and speed to address before it can become truly “automotive grade,” it is an ideal OS for IVI customization. By modifying Android to accelerate operating and boot time speeds, and by leveraging a hybrid architecture to separate a vehicle’s mission-critical and infotainment components, developers can begin shaping a new and industry-changing market for automotive software.

refer to:

http://embedded-computing.com/articles/ivi-sandboxing-next-frontier-in-vehicle-upgrades/

Meet Acrosser at Computex Taipei 2014!

ACROSSER Technology, a world-leading embedded solution provider and manufacturer, announces its participation in Computex Taipei 2014, the largest ICT exhibition in Asia. Visit Acrosser at TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, booth K0216. Look for the second booth from the entrance of the Embedded Products Area – our professional sales team is ready to present our outstanding products to you.
For 2014 Computex, Acrosser has upgraded our booth with even more live product demos than ever before. At least one model from each product line will be displayed vividly to showcase its excellent computing performance. All devices are thoroughly tested, and we invite you to share your comments and ideas with us!
Acrosser’s latest embedded mini PC, AES-HM76Z1FL, will be the focus of our booth during the event. Its fanless design, Intel® Core™ i series CPU, and ultra thin outlook have made the AES-HM76Z1FL a popular product during several European trade shows.
As for board-level products, Acrosser has reserved the front area of the booth for its embedded SBCand Mini-ITX products. These innovative single-board computers have several common features: cost-effectiveness, stability and amazing performance. Please stop by the booth and discover firsthand its superb computing power! Acrosser has also designated areas for its gaming platform,networking appliances and In-Vehicle PC separately, to showcase each of their unique applications.
In sum, Acrosser has prepared a wide range of IPC products for Computex 2014, and we cordially welcome you to join us for this annual ICT trade fair.
Acrosser Technology Co., Ltd.
For more information, please visit to Acrosser Technology website:www.acrosser.com