Click to view youtube video: Arcturus Demonstrates Embedded Device Virtualization Service

Click to go to: uC53281 product page

Click to go to: Management Middlewware product page

Click to read: Press release

ARCTURUS DEMONSTRATES EMBEDDED DEVICE VIRTUALIZATION SERVICE FOR REMOTE OPERATION, ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT USING MOBILE PLATFORMS

Middleware interface allows mobile devices such as iPad®, iPhone® or Android® tablets to become a powerful tool in the deployment, remote operation and on-going maintenance of Arcturus enabled equipment.

TORONTO – NOVEMBER 9, 2011 – Arcturus Networks Inc. a leading innovator of embedded digital voice and device management solutions, demonstrated today a new implementation for the in-field remote operation, administration and management of network connected devices at Designing with Freescale Toronto. The solution uses a combination of device discovery along with a thin server implementation to establish a remote connection between the device and a mobile or PC platform.

The demonstration consisted of multiple devices running Arcturus embedded middleware along with a PC, an iPad, Android tablet and an iPhone. The solution showed how a PC or mobile platform could be used to remotely detect and connect to each unique embedded device on a network, identify the firmware version and handle configuration and maintenance tasks such as automating global firmware updates. The demonstration also showed how the system could be integrated into work flow by providing virtualized operation of a device. In this example, a device end-point alerts the mobile or PC platform that a button was pressed. The operator then uses the mobile application to respond to the event by commanding the device to place a voice call or to remotely control equipment connected to the system, such as a notification lamp or door lock. The demonstration showed how the solution could be used for implementing applications such as a nurse call system, building access/door entrance controller or other application where many distributed end-points require control and management.

“We currently provide a number of device management tools within our middleware suite including a full-featured web user interface and secure provisioning service.” said David Steele, product manager at Arcturus. “What we wanted to highlight here is the power of our management middleware by creating a light-weight protocol that could sufficiently virtualize a device in order to move the management interface from on-board, to a remote PC or mobile platform. For our customers who are deploying many thousands of end-points, this centralized approach is critical to the sustainable operation of their install base. Our management middleware solutions not only help with one-off configuration and management, but now provide a network wide overview, complete operator panel, and mobile install and troubleshooting tools.”

Target Devices and Applications

The demo was based on the uC53281 product platform from Arcturus using a 240MHz Freescale MPU. The software was comprised of Arcturus management, voice and media middleware, built on an embedded Linux platform.

The solution is portable across architectures and is suitable for MCU devices that have limited memory resources for graphic intensive user interfaces. Off-loading the user experience to a PC or mobile application reduces overall system cost and complexity at the embedded end-point node, while retaining the ability to have a powerful management tool. View demo video.

Availability

The solution is currently under evaluation by a select group of Arcturus customers and is scheduled for general availability in the Spring 2012 release. The release will be available for download by qualified customers from the Arcturus support sites. Customers interested in participating in field trials prior to the release date are encouraged to contact Arcturus directly.

About Arcturus Networks Inc.

Arcturus Networks Inc. is a leading provider of embedded solutions for communication and industrial applications. Recognized as an embedded Linux pioneer, Arcturus has contributed to the innovation of thousands of products and helped to establish embedded Linux solutions as a defacto global standard. Since 2002, Arcturus has been focused on simplifying product development by creating enablement technologies including a line of product-ready hardware modules, corresponding open source OS packages and middleware solutions for device management, voice and media. Arcturus middleware is award winning and certified interoperable by leading infrastructure vendors. For more information, visit www.arcturusnetworks.com

Press Contacts:
Arcturus Networks Inc.
media@arcturusnetworks.com
416.621.0125 x233

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Click to view youtube video: Speech and Command Recognition for Voice Controlled Devices

Click here to read: Speech and Command Recognition White Paper

Click to go to: uC53017 product page

Technical White Paper discusses current state of speaker independent speech recognition technology for embedded devices. The paper overviews the application of the technology for the creation of voice controlled devices, including solutions for assisted living, building systems and automated service delivery. The paper discusses design, application implementation, as well as practical considerations, such as human factors.

Click here to read: Speech and Command Recognition White Paper

Click to view youtube video: Speech and Command Recognition for Voice Controlled Devices

Click to go to: uC53017 product page

ARCTURUS NETWORKS, ENCORE SOFTWARE AND REDPINE SIGNALS JOIN FORCES TO DELIVER SOLUTIONS KIT FOR FREESCALE VOICE PROCESSOR

Collaboration nets multiple connectivity options as well as a rich software portfolio for digital voice applications.

Toronto, Bangalore and San Jose – APRIL 6, 2011 Arcturus Networks Inc., Encore Software and Redpine Signals today announced the availability of an enhanced, bundled software solution for wired or wireless digital voice applications. The solution is the product of a three-way collaboration that has resulted in a highly optimized system-level solution available for Freescale Semiconductor’s advanced MCF5301x voice processor family. The solution is geared toward industrial and consumer digital voice applications including VoIP devices, intercom systems, access control applications, healthcare and point-of-sale devices.

The software is built on the ColdFire® embedded Linux distribution, enhanced with components provided by all three groups. Overall integration was completed by Arcturus to form a system-level development kit that includes complete hardware, software and out of the box demos. The software package also includes an integrated voice processing sub-system optimized for the ColdFire architecture by Encore Software.

“Encore Software’s voice processing subsystem is tightly coupled with the hardware in order to make use of internal CPU acceleration and SRAM. The result is a highly optimized suite of vocoders as well as robust acoustic echo cancellation algorithms that are performance tuned for the system architecture” said Vasuki M P, vice president, from Encore Software.

WAN/LAN and WLAN

“Multiple connectivity options are made available through the dual Fast Ethernet Controllers (FECs) supported by the MCF5301x processor as well as support to enable 802.11 b/g/n wireless network communications using Redpine Signals’ RS9110-N-11-02 802.11n WLAN module, utilizing the processor’s Secure Digital Host Controller (SDHC). ”

“Redpine Signals’ 802.11n n-LinkTM module, which is among industry’s first to get Wi-Fi Direct and voice-personal certification from Wi-Fi Alliance, provides ultra low-power and high data rate wireless LAN support extending the connectivity options of the overall system to include applications such as wireless belt-pack, handsets and voice gateways. The MCF5301x solution kit includes Redpine’s 802.11n board along with all the software making it very easy to integrate in the end system,” said Venkat Mattela, CEO of Redpine Signals.

Pricing, Options, and Resources

The modular hardware development kit was designed by Arcturus to provide developers a reference tool as well as a product ready hardware implementation suitable for OEM applications. Arcturus also provided core middleware subsystems for voice and device management.

“Our middleware components accelerate development by providing the building blocks to create an array of digital voice devices. By leveraging our middleware, developers have access to a complete VoIP and broadcast voice sub-system as well as a full management infrastructure with web user interface, device discovery, firmware and remote management,” said David Steele, product manager at Arcturus.

NRE-free License Model

All licenses for software use are bundled by Freescale and included as part of the MCF5301x voice processor part numbers. This model eliminates prohibitive upfront NRE charges as well as the need to integrate multiple software components from various vendors.

“By working with our partners, Freescale has been able to help remove a considerable barrier for developers by eliminating the extensive upfront NRE charges associated with other system-level VoIP and digital voice solutions,” said Rudan Bettelheim, product manager at Freescale Semiconductor.

Pricing and Availability

The development kit includes an MCF53017-based system module, host board, Redpine signals RS9110-N-11-02 n-Link WLAN SDIO evaluation board, debugger, cables, headset and power supply. Support is provided directly by Arcturus through a dedicated online support site. The system is currently available for a suggested retail price of $799US through Freescale distributors or Arcturus direct.

About Arcturus Networks Inc.

Arcturus Networks Inc. is a leader in providing embedded solutions for communication and industrial applications. Recognized as a pioneer of uClinux, Arcturus has contributed to the innovation of thousands of products and helped to establish embedded Linux solutions as a de-facto global standard. Arcturus simplifies product development by creating enabling technologies including a line of product-ready hardware modules, corresponding open source OS packages and middleware solutions for device management and media. Arcturus middleware is award-winning and certified interoperable by leading infrastructure vendors. For more information, visit www.arcturusnetworks.com.

About Encore Software Ltd.

Encore Software Ltd.,is a product development company, based in Bangalore, India. Encore’s software products include licensable VoIP software modules, DSP based vocoders and soft modems. Apart from licensing the components, Encore has the expertise to deliver a complete product design solution for OEMs targeting the VoIP product market. For more details on Encore’s offerings, please visit www.ncoretech.com .

About Redpine Signals

Press Contacts:
Arcturus Networks Inc.
media@arcturusnetworks.com
416.621.0125 x233

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ColdFire is a registered trademark of Freescale Semiconductor Limited. All other trademarks included herein are the property of their respective owners.

A new part is being introduced in the uC53281 product family. This part reflects a new PCB revision based on cumulative changes as well as new design recommendations from Freescale Semiconductor.

The following significant changes apply:

• Filtering on the PLL supply clock source input
• Power sequencing protection on the 1.5v and 2.5v power rails
• Use of the LM4931 audio codec (supported in previous Rev.2.0)
• Hardware Watchdog Controller

The new revision of the hardware is identified on the PCB silk screen as “Rev.2.4”. Previous versions included Rev.2.0, Rev.1.2 and Rev.1.1

Compatibility

The Rev.2.4 PCB hardware is pin compatible with Rev2.0 and Rev1.2. It is expected that customers using existing uC53281 Rev.1.2 or Rev.2.0 hardware versions may transition with little or no impact to their existing design or software application.

Software support for configuration changes including the hardware watchdog controller and LM4931 codec are contained in the R229 software distribution under the respective target configuration.

The product is RoHS compliant and available in extended temperature versions.

Additional Resources

For additional information including orderable part number and life-cycle status, refer to the:

Detailed Product Bulletin

Latest middleware software module enables large-dictionary, speaker independent command recognition using low-cost ColdFire embedded microprocessor device.

TORONTO – June 23, 2010 –Arcturus Networks Inc. today demonstrated live at the Freescale Technology Forum in Orlando Florida the use of a new software module specifically designed to provide a voice control interface for embedded devices. The hands-on lab featured two 32-bit Freescale ColdFire V3 hardware platforms running specialized software that accepts spoken-word commands to control system functions and external devices. The software, targeted at developers, demonstrated how the system could be used in home automation applications, patient monitoring, appliance control, automated order taking or other applications where a touch interface may not be practical or desirable.

The command recognition software is built on top of existing Arcturus Middleware that already supports digital voice and telephony functionality. The system provides an application framework that decodes human voice using a speaker independent speech recognition model. The system post-parses the output of the speech recognition application to look for command matches, signal success or failure and execute associated actions. The application framework is extensible and includes facilities to run internal commands, launch applications, place a telephone call or control external devices.

The speech recognition application uses an industry leading acoustic model based on 78,000 training utterances or the equivalent of approximately 73 hours of speech. The implementation contains a run-time configurable vocabulary to give developers a virtually unlimited command set, without having to recompile or update firmware. A run-time configurable sentence corpus provides increased command match determinism with no significant impact on system resource requirements.

“When compared with a touch screen and LCD, adding a small microphone or speaker represents a fraction of the system cost and size,” said David Steele, product manager at Arcturus. “Many applications can benefit from this, from devices like ticketing equipment and vending machines to home automation systems. A key area of interest is devices that can help overcome the mobility and safety issues faced by our aging population.”

In addition to demonstrating how to place and receive calls, the hands-on lab also showed developers how they could use the middleware as a voice interface to control external devices through the general purpose I/O of the ColdFire processor. The hands-on lab made use of an out-of-the-box demo that assigned a group of digital outputs to a configurable table of voice command matches. Using this demo, developers were able to quickly create a powerful voice control system and interface it with external equipment such as appliances, lights, actuators or controls.

Pricing and Availability

The solution is currently available from Arcturus as part of a suite of licensed Middleware available for the uC53017 embedded voice module. Installation support is provided. In addition, through a partnership with Arcturus, Freescale is providing a version available at no charge with the purchase of a MCF53015-EVB development board.

More Information

About Arcturus Networks Inc.

Arcturus Networks Inc. is a leader in providing embedded solutions for communication and industrial applications. Recognized as a pioneer of uClinux, Arcturus has contributed to the innovation of thousands of products and helped to establish embedded Linux solutions as a defacto global standard. Arcturus simplifies product development by creating enabling technologies including a line of product-ready hardware modules, corresponding open source OS packages and middleware solutions for device management, voice and media. Arcturus middleware is award winning and certified interoperable by leading infrastructure vendors. For more information, visit http://www.arcturusnetworks.com.

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Non-recurring engineering (NRE)-free VoIP-based digital voice software solution was designed in partnership with Encore Software and Arcturus Networks specifically for industrial and consumer applications.

AUSTIN, Texas – Feb. 24, 2010 – Freescale Semiconductor has introduced the ColdFire MCF5301x 32-bit family of microprocessors (MPUs) to help designers get the most performance from their industrial and consumer applications while providing low power consumption.

The highly integrated MCF5301x family, based on the V3 ColdFire core, combines low power and extensive connectivity options with an audio subsystem to create a powerful platform for general industrial control applications, including the optional digital voice solution for intercom and public address systems.

The audio subsystem includes a speech coder-decoder (CODEC), microphone, headset and loudspeaker amplifiers. In addition, an optional non-recurring engineering (NRE)-free VoIP-based digital voice software solution was designed in partnership with Encore Software and Arcturus Networks specifically for industrial and consumer applications.

The MCF5301x family includes multiple connectivity options, including dual 10/100 Ethernet media access controllers (MACs), two smart card interfaces, two USB controllers and an SDIO host controller for easy connection to flash memory cards or wireless connectivity modules, such as the Redpine‘s n-link™ 802.11n Wi-Fi modules. In addition, the V3 ColdFire CPU with enhanced multiply accumulate unit, 16 KB of cache and 128 KB of integrated SRAM, provides a high level of performance for embedded control with industry-leading low power consumption across all operating modes.

Ease of use

The MCF5301x is supported by a rich ecosystem of Freescale and third-party hardware and software tools. Freescale’s CodeWarrior™ Development studio for Microcontrollers v.7.2 offers a comprehensive tool suite that supports software development for future migration opportunities for 8-bit, 16-bit or 32-bit designs.

The MCF5301x 32-bit MPUs are available now, with suggested resale pricing in 10,000-unit quantities starting at $7.99 (USD). To simplify board design, Freescale offers a cost-effective evaluation board kit and other development tools:

• Evaluation Boards (M53015EVB): MSRP $599
• Digital Voice Solution Kit (M53017KIT): MSRP $799
• Production Ready Digital Voice Module (M53017MOD): MSRP at 1,000-unit quantities $118

For more information about the MCF5301x MPUs, demonstration board kit and development tools, visit www.freescale.com/coldfire.

About Arcturus Networks Inc.

Arcturus Networks Inc. is a leader in providing embedded solutions for communication and industrial applications. Recognized as a pioneer of uClinux, Arcturus has contributed to the innovation of thousands of products and helped to establish embedded Linux solutions as a defacto global standard. Arcturus simplifies product development by creating enabling technologies including a line of product-ready hardware modules, corresponding open source OS packages and middleware solutions for device management, voice and media. Arcturus middleware is award winning and certified interoperable by leading infrastructure vendors. For more information, visit http://www.arcturusnetworks.com.

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A life cycle status change in the Toshiba NOR TC58FVM6B5BTG-65 8 Mbyte flash used in some Arcturus product has resulted in a permanent component substitution on the following parts:

uC68VZ328-8E8L33, uC68VZ328-8E8L33-X, uC5272-8E32U66, uC5272-8E32U66-X, uC5272-8EE32U66, uC5272-8EE32U66-X, uC5282-8E16C64, uC5282-8E16C64-X, uC5282-8E16C80, uC5282-8E16C80-X

Due to the end-of-life status of the Toshiba NOR TC58FVM6B5BTG-65 the affected parts will transition immediately to an alternative pin compatible NOR Flash component.

The alternative component will be RoHS compliant and available in extended temperature.

Lifecycle status will remain the same on all affected products.

For additional information including order and pricing contacts, refer to the:

Detailed Product Bulletin

A performance increase for the 33MHz uC68VZ32 product line is planned for Q4, 2009. The performance increase is the result of a pin-compatible module that makes use of the 240MHz MCF5328 ColdFire^® processor from Freescale^TM Semiconductor. The 240MHz product will be uniquely identified by part numbers beginning with UCCF5328D144. The product will be RoHS compliant and available in extended temperature versions.

The performance increase should only represent minimal software changes for most applications. It is expected that customers using the 33MHz uC68VZ328 may take advantage of the enhanced performance of the 240MHz product with no impact to their existing hardware design. The 33MHz uC68VZ328 will remain in full production.

The product is RoHS compliant and available in extended temperature versions.

Alpha program and migration support is available immediately.

For additional information including order and pricing contacts, refer to the:

Detailed Product Bulletin