Green Hills Software introduces software development tools for RISC-V 

Software development tools targeting 32- and 64-bit RISC-V processor architectures have been announced by Green Hills Software. The company announced availability and early customer adoption of its Multi integrated development environment (IDE), multi-core debugger, optimising C/C++ compilers and hardware JTAG probe for software developers targeting pre-silicon and silicon platforms using RISC-V.

The tools for RISC-V can help developers achieve shorter development times, higher processor performance, and to gain competitive differentiation through the RISC-V’s custom instructions and modular instruction set architecture, says Green Hills.

The Green Hills software development tools support both 32-bit and 64-bit RISC-V architectures and provide for the integer, multiply/divide, atomic, compressed, and single- and double-precision floating point modules. Users can add their own custom RISC-V instructions for use in the Green Hills’ compiler, assembler, Multi debugger, and instruction set simulator. RISC-V’s separate privileged instruction set specification is also supported.

Green Hills compilers support ISO/IEC 14882:2011 (C++11), ISO/IEC 14882:2014 (C++14) and ISO/IEC 14882:2017 (C++17) which offers a number of new language features and standard libraries. They also support Embedded C++ and GNU C/C++ extensions.

Certification support and evidence for MULTI and the C/C++ run-time libraries for RISC-V will be available in CY2021 to enable customers’ FuSa production program requirements.

To help prevent new software bugs in RISC-V applications, an integrated MISRA C/C++ Adherence Checker for MISRA 2004 and MISRA 2012 is seamlessly integrated in the Multi development tools and the DoubleCheck static source analyser identifies programming errors. DoubleCheck automatically runs during compilation, differentiating it from traditional static analysis tools which run separately from the compiler. The Run Time Error Checking tool complements DoubleCheck by finding bugs at run-time that cannot be identified by static analysis alone.

The Multi development tools can quickly identify and solve problems during software development on RISC-V and other 32- and 64-bit processor architectures. They include the Multi debugger and JTAG probe for single-window debugging and control on complex heterogenous SoCs comprised of one or more RISC-V cores with other cores.

The Profiler pinpoints performance bottlenecks by clearly displaying processor times consumed by each task, function, source line, and assembly language instruction.

The Multi development tools, optimizing C/C++ compilers and Green Hills Probe for RISC-V are available today.

https://ghs.com/go/risc-v

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OX03C10 is smallest ASIL-C automotive image sensor says OmniVision

Believed to be the industry’s first image sensor for automotive viewing cameras with 140dB high dynamic range (HDR) and LED flicker migration performance, the OX03C10 ASIL-C sensor provides low light sensing in premium vehicles.

The OX03C10 combines a large 3.0 micron pixel size with an HDR of 140dB and what OmniVision Technologies claims is the best LED flicker mitigation (LFM) performance for viewing applications with minimised motion artefacts.

It is claimed to be the first view sensor with HDR and LFM that can deliver 1920 x 1280p resolution at the highest rate of 60 frames per second, enabling greater design flexibility and faster camera-view switching for drivers. It is also claimed to have the lowest power consumption of any LFM image sensor with 2.5Mpixel resolution, which is 25 per cent lower than the nearest competitor says OmniVision, and the industry’s smallest package size.

Integrated basic image processing capabilities include defect pixel correction and lens correction. Integration of the HDR and LFM engine (HALE) combination algorithm provides optimal HDR and LFM performance simultaneously. The OX03C10 can be integrated into space constrained rear view cameras, surround view systems, camera monitoring systems and e-mirrors.

“The OX03C10 uses our Deep Well, dual conversion gain technology to provide significantly lower motion artefacts than the few competing sensors that offer 140dB HDR,” said Kavitha Ramane, staff automotive product marketing manager at OmniVision. The split-pixel LFM technology with four captures operates across the entire automotive temperature range, across all lighting conditions and in the presence of flickering LEDs from headlights, road signs and traffic signals, says the company.

OmniVision’s PureCel Plus-S stacked architecture enables pixel performance advantages over non-stacked technology. For example, 3D stacking allowed OmniVision to boost pixel and dark current performance, resulting in a 20 per cent improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio over the earlier generation of its 2.5Mpixel  viewing sensors.

The OX03C10 also features four-lane MIPI CSI-2 and 12-bit DVP interfaces.

The image sensor is planned to be AEC-Q100 Grade 2 certified, and is available in both a-CSP and a-BGA packages.

http://www.ovt.com

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Basler introduces embedded vision dev kit for Nvidia Jetson

An embedded vision development kit and two add-on camera kits with Basler’s BCON for MIPI interface powered by Nvidia Jetson have been added to the Basler portfolio.

Jetson is the AI platform for autonomous machines and Basler is a preferred partner for Nvidia.

Image processing for today’s AI at the edge applications in robotics, logistics, smart retail, smart factories, and smart cities requires high computing power. The compute and energy efficiency advantages of the Nvidia Jetson platform and Basler’s vision expertise are combined for use in automatic optical inspection and intelligent video analytics.

The Embedded Vision Development Kit, includes the Jetson Nano developer kit, and comes with a Basler dart BCON for MIPI camera with a 13 Mpixel, S-mount lens, an adapter board specifically developed for the Jetson Nano module and accessories. Basler has also integrated a new camera driver and sample reference applications to provide developers with a ready-to-use development package for edge AI use cases.

The two add-on camera kits provide the appropriate vision extension for developers already working with a Jetson Nano processor board. The kits contain either a 5 Mpixel or a 13 Mpixel Basler dart BCON for MIPI camera with S-mount lens, an adapter board and accessories. The required driver packages and the Basler pylon software development kit are available for download.

“With the Basler vision kits for the Jetson Nano, developers get an integrated, easy to use solution for vision-based embedded applications in robotics, manufacturing and industrial IoT,” said Murali Gopalakrishna, head of product management for autonomous machines at Nvidia. “Basler’s ongoing support for the Nvidid Jetson platform brings a wealth of experience in industrial cameras into our partner ecosystem,” he added.

Nvidia Jetson has support for cloud-native technologies, enabling manufacturers of intelligent machines and developers of AI applicationsto build and deploy high-quality, software-defined features on embedded and edge devices targeting robotics, smart cities, healthcare, industrial IoT and more, says Basler. Cloud-native support helps manufacturers and developers implement frequent improvements, improve accuracy, and use the latest features with Jetson-based AI edge devices.

A further add-on camera kit for the recently released Jetson Xavier NX is under development. Additional camera kits for Jetson TX2 and AGX Xavier will follow by Q3/2020, added Basler. The company is also developing an embedded vision system with access to cloud services based on a Jetson Nano due to its specific suitability for AI computing tasks on edge devices. This software solution, which extends embedded vision development kits with machine-learning application software, will also be available by Q3/2020.

http://www.baslerweb.com

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Industrial I/O is software-configurable for automation and control

Analog Devices claims to have developed the industry’s first software configurable industrial I/O for building control and industrial automation. The AD74412R and AD74413R are intended for building control and process automation, allowing manufacturers and industrial operators to achieve greater control system flexibility while reducing product complexities.

Traditional control systems require costly and labour-intensive manual configuration, with an array of channel modules, analogue and digital signal converters, and individually wired I/Os to communicate with the machines, instruments, and sensors on the operating floor.  The AD74412R and AD74413R enable flexible control systems to be designed with reconfigurable module channels remotely and without requiring extensive re-wiring, explained Analog Devices. This not only increases the speed of implementation, but increases flexibility to make changes without incurring significant cost and system downtime.

The AD74412R and AD74413R will allow manufacturers to adopt industry 4.0, and adapt to changing requirements, driven by changes in consumer behaviour and demand. Flexible systems will react quicker than fixed, large-scaled systems as they can be reconfigured quickly with minimal downtime and capital investment, said Analog Devices. ADI’s software configurable I/O can be used by manufacturers to efficiently implement new projects and achieve more flexible automated control, reduce design and installation costs, as well as commissioning delays.

Software configurable I/O also allows manufacturers to develop a platform that replaces multiple aging fixed function I/O modules or be applied across multiple customer applications where the I/O dynamic changes with each installation.

For systems traditionally reliant on control cabinets with multiple I/O modules and specified wiring for each channel type, users can reduce hardware by installing a single module type programmable from the control room, which decreases logistic, manufacturing and support costs, added ADI.

Software configurable I/O also acts as a bridge to Ethernet-based control networks, as it can further be applied to brownfield installations requiring updates to 10BASE-T1L industrial Ethernet systems. It enables development of standardised, configurable field I/O units capable of translating between installed HART-enabled 4-20mA sensors and actuators and 10BASE-T1L or 100M Fibre backhaul.

Both the AD74412RBCPZ and AD74413RBCPZ are available, both in a 64-lead LFCSP, measuring 9.0 x 9.0mm.

http://www.analog.com

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