Xirrus, Inc. recently released its Wi-Fi Monitor utility as an open source desklet application for Linux. The free utility is already available on Windows Vista, Windows XP, and MacOS platforms. The Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor enables users to monitor, secure, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks quickly and easily. The Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor for Linux was developed under the gDesklet framework and will be made available under the GPL (General Public License). Developed in the Python language, users have access to the complete source code of the application for their own customization.

Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor Features

• At-a-glance radar-like view of available Wi-Fi networks and their relative distance
• Details on available Wi-Fi networks – SSID, signal strength, channel, security, etc.
• Current Wi-Fi connection signal strength with 5 minute history
• Display of Wi-Fi adapter IP and MAC addresses
• 9 different color skins

Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor Applications

• Searching for Wi-Fi networks
• Verifying Wi-Fi coverage
• Locating Wi-Fi devices
• Viewing and controlling laptop Wi-Fi settings
• Detecting rogue APs
• Aiming Wi-Fi antennas
• Education on Wi-Fi

More info: Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor

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The multi-touch gestures SDK enables ISVs to add multi-touch functions to current or future applications, providing a more hands-on experience for the user. N-trig's multi-touch currently enables functions such as rotating, zooming in and out, panning, and pinching. However, this is only the beginning of multi-touch manipulation, and N-trig is continuing to develop its technology and will be releasing more multi-touch features in the future.

Multi-Touch Gestures SDK

• Allows ISVs and other software developers to flexibly integrate multi-touch functionality into their application designs
• Provides OEMs with straightforward, out-of-the-box integration capabilities into their current notebook manufacturing designs and processes
• Enabled through a firmware upgrade to existing DuoSense digitizer without any need for hardware changes
• Supports current and future Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7), Microsoft Office (2003 and 2007), and multiple web browser/navigational platforms

More info: N-trig

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Handset Findings

• Apple's global handset shipments fell sharply, from 1.7 million units in Q1 2008 to 0.7 million in Q2 2008. Apple's worldwide marketshare stood at a tiny 0.2% in Q2 2008. We forecast Apple to rebound to 1.1% share in Q3 2008 as shipments spike from the new, cheaper iPhone 2.0.
• Total annual growth for the worldwide mobile handset market reached 15% in the second quarter of 2008. Contrary to popular perception, and despite much economic gloom, the global handset market is growing faster than at any time during 2007.

Global Mobile Handset Shipments and Marketshare – Top 5 Vendors

More info: Strategy Analytics

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Wind River ICE 2 Features

• Ability to identify and resolve complex system-level multicore or multiprocessor hardware/software integration issues, extended to support debugging of up to 16 cores simultaneously through one Wind River ICE 2 emulator
• Manage connections with 128 devices on a single scan chain
• Quick and effective diagnosis of system-level hardware layout issues through comprehensive hardware and memory diagnostic capabilities
• Complete integration with Wind River Workbench, On-Chip Debugging Edition, the industry's leading Eclipse-based on-chip debugging environment
• Ongoing support for industry-leading operating systems, including VxWorks and Wind River Linux
• Simplified hardware debugging configuration, setup, and status monitoring via the easy to read LCD panel
• Support for a broad range of processors on the ARM, MIPS, and PowerPC architectures

More info: Wind River ICE 2 (pdf)

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With the CPU's 2700 gates, the T8051 is ideal for IC designers who want to make use of complete 8-bit architecture functionality while substantially reducing the size of their systems. The lowest possible gate count is especially valuable for engineers working with mixed signal designs implemented in older processes with larger feature sizes, where the silicon area is a significant factor.

The T8051 makes it possible to replace hard-coded control FSM with a programmable microcontroller, which was hard to reach with a significant difference in gate count between the two solutions.

Despite its tiny size, the T8051 is a powerful 8-bit microcontroller. Instruction cycle latency has been tuned to minimize hardware resources, however, the core still performs 4.1 times better than the original Intel 8051 in terms of Dhrystone MIPS per MHz. Communication with both built-in and external memories has been accelerated by de-multiplexing the address and data buses, while alternate port functions such as external interrupts and serial interface are available on separate pins - all this to give the user a possibility to connect and effectively manage a greater number of peripheral devices.

More info: Evatronix

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DIAdem 11 New Features

• Build complex queries with logical AND/OR operators and parentheses
• Map sensor data onto 3D CAD models for advanced visualization
• Convert data into other engineering units using the expandable units catalog
• Simplify the creation of scripts using object-oriented programming and CodeCompletion
• Extend your reporting capabilities with new display modes in REPORT
• Apply new curve-fitting algorithms for fitting freely defined non-linear functions, Gaussian curves, and solving sets of linear equations

DIAdem makes it easy to manage, analyze, and report on data collected during data acquisition or generated during simulations, and the software's ability to handle large volumes of data as well as provide consistent reporting and data visualization makes it ideal for applications such as aerospace, automotive and structural test. With DIAdem 11.0, users now can map data acquired from sensors to any virtual reality modeling language (VRML) or STL file format CAD model to gain a clearer understanding of the measurement or simulation data.

DIAdem 11.0 also adds new features to improve user productivity. The latest version of the software helps global teams share data by providing automatic conversion and scaling of engineering unit sets or measurement units to reconcile any geographic or standardization differences that may result from users working in multiple locations. To give users greater flexibility in managing and mining their data sets, DIAdem 11.0 offers the ability to both expand and limit search parameters for creating more complex data queries. Additionally, DIAdem 11.0 provides a script editor that simplifies and accelerates script writing through the use of CodeCompletion for methods and properties of objects as well as syntax highlighting.

More info: NI DIAdem

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Attendees can interact with a wide range of technical professionals from industry leading companies, hear about the most recent technical advances, and experience the latest from tool and IP providers, design companies, and post wafer service companies. Jazz Semiconductor will also offer window fab tours of its 200mm manufacturing facility as well as provide presentations on its modular AIMS technologies and world-class design enablement tools to accelerate customers' time from design to revenue production.

On Wednesday, October 22, Jazz will offer an Analog-Intensive Mixed-Signal Circuits, Applications, and Technology (AIMS-CAT) seminar. The event brings together a wide range of influential technical professionals and managers focused on analog-intensive mixed-signal circuits, applications, and technology to discuss the latest trends and results. The conference will include a list of key invited speakers as well as contributed talks, vendor exhibits, and a cocktail reception hosted by Jazz.

On Thursday, October 23, Jazz will present its customer event. Russell Ellwanger, CEO of Tower Semiconductor and Jazz Semiconductor Chairman, will provide the keynote address to present the strategic initiatives of Jazz and Tower post-merger. JATC is the company's largest worldwide customer event. Customers will be able to interact with a wide range of technical professionals from industry leading companies and hear about the latest technical advances in SiGe, RF CMOS and BCD (Bipolar CMOS DMOS).

More info: Jazz Semiconductor

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Qseven Applications

• Automation
• DIN Rail Systems
• Automotive
• Ultra Mobile
• Mobile

Qseven is the first COM standard that defines an integrative software interface. This Application Programming Interface (API) covers these important embedded features: Watchdog Timer, I²C Bus, LCD brightness control, BIOS user memory and system temperature. Qseven[tm] modules from different manufacturers can thus be easily exchanged without modifications to hardware or software.

The SDIO interface is also a new COM feature. Rugged and cheap SD-Cards can be used as bulk memory. Qseven defines an 8 Bit SDIO interface that is capable of supporting MMC 4.0 cards thereby providing a maximum data transition rate of 52 MByte/s. The Secure Digital Standard also enables other applications such as WLAN, Bluetooth, RFID, etc. while using the same card format.

Qseven Interfaces

• 4x PCI Express x1 Lanes
• 2x SATA
• 8x USB 2.0
• 1000BaseT Ethernet
• SDIO 8 Bit
• LVDS 2x 24 Bit
• SDVO / HDMI / DisplayPort (shared)
• HDA (High Definition Audio)
• I²C Bus
• LPC (Low Pin Count Bus)
• Fan Control
• Battery Management
• 5V Power (TDP max. 12 Watt)
• Power Management Signals
• Unique API for I²C Bus, Watchdog Timer and EPI (Embedded Panel Interface)
• Thermal Cooling Interface defined

More info: Qseven Specification Revision 1.1 (pdf)

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Webinars Times

• Thursday, October 23
  10am New York
  3pm London
  4pm Germany
• Thursday, October 23
  11am California
  1pm Chicago
  2pm New York

Jim Ready, the chief technical officer and founder of MontaVista Software, will describe different migration paradigms, including VxWorks API emulation, run-time partitioning with virtualization, and application porting. Ready will present criteria for choosing the best paradigm for a given application and offer run-time considerations as well as resources for finding help.

Developers will benefit from understanding the difference between VxWorks and embedded Linux general programming models, memory models, real-time techniques, and debugging. The online seminar will also explain how to find free migration tools.

Each web seminar is scheduled for 60 minutes, including time for questions from the audience. The webcast is free.

More info: webcast

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The XAP5 processor core is delivered as a soft IP core in Verilog RTL (Register Transfer Level), thus putting the licensee's ASIC engineers in full control of semiconductor process selection, synthesis and layout. Technical features of the processor include very high code density that minimises the size and cost of program memory, high performance (68 Dhrystone MIPS when clocking at 100 MHz on a 0.13 micron CMOS process) and a small footprint of 18k gates, or around one-tenth of a square millimetre of 0.13 micron silicon.

The processor also features protected software operating modes that partition user and privileged code for secure, high-availability applications. The processor hardware is supplemented by software and development tools architecture, including a GNU C compiler and assembler, which support a sophisticated programming environment. For example, the XAP5 supports in-place execution of programs that can be located anywhere in memory without the need for linking or copying them to different locations. This means programs can be easily distributed and will start up faster. It also offers a robust update of programs stored in Flash without the risk of losing the system part-way through the update process.

Typical applications for a XAP5 processor core include ZigBee and Bluetooth wireless networks, energy metering, sensor networks, tagging and transactions using RFID or NFC, location systems such as GPS and any other embedded ASIC application that requires a robust and capable software environment. XAP5's design is particularly suited to applications such as these with programs stored in non-volatile memory, for example; Flash memory that is either embedded in the chip or in a SiP (System in Package).

More info: Cambridge Consultants XAP Processors

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