CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

30 July 2009

Product News

Mentor Graphics Enables Android on Freescale Products Based on Power Architecture Technology, Reaching New Applications and Audiences

Mentor Graphics Corporation through its acquisition of Embedded Alley, a leading provider of embedded Linux and Android solutions, announced that the company is extending the popular Android mobile applications platform to support Freescale’s QorIQ and PowerQUICC III processors, which are built on Power Architecture technology. Mentor now adds the Embedded Alley Development System to the ESD product offering, enabling device OEMs to deploy Android or Linux on devices built with these industry-leading Freescale products.

With this new release for the Embedded Alley Development System, the company broadens its support for Android and also continues to grow the application space for the Google/OHA software stack. By supporting Android on QorIQ and PowerQUICC III processors, Mentor Graphics opens numerous industries and applications to Android deployment, including networking and network appliances, storage, printing and imaging, multimedia, and industrial control applications.

“Mentor Graphics’ experience and know-how with Power Architecture technology and in-depth knowledge of the Android platform positions us as a strong ecosystem partner to Freescale and an ideal supplier to OEMs,” said Glenn Perry, Mentor Graphics general manager for the Embedded Systems Division. “Our support for Android on Freescale’s top Power Architecture processors brings a consumer-grade user interface and applications framework to new realms of intelligent devices and industrial equipment.”

“Enabling Android for QorIQ and PowerQUICC III processors offers Freescale’s customers additional choices and flexibility to help enable differentiated end-user experiences,” said Kamal Khouri, senior manager, Platform Product Management for Freescale’s Networking and Multimedia Group. “Our collaboration with Mentor Graphics allows OEMs to build smart, feature-rich devices based on Freescale processors using either their own value-added applications or shrink-wrapped software from the Android Marketplace.”

Mentor Graphics’ engineering and productization efforts to enable Android for processors built on Power Architecture technology begins with the integration of Android-specific Linux kernel patches (for 2.6.28), and encompasses a range of other investments that include:

- Porting the Dalvik virtual machine underlying Android to Freescale’s PowerQUICC and QorIQ processors, including architecture and build support and comprehensive optimization for Dalvik acceleration

- Extending Android bionic run-time library and linker support to accommodate Power Architecture technology

- Utilizes SPE APU, and/or Power Architecture FPU performance enhancement across all software modules

- Integrating and testing board support and industry-specific device drivers, CODECs and other middleware

- Supporting Power Architecture technology in the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) and Android targets in the Mentor Graphics customizable Development System

- Platform and integration testing of Android stack components and shrink-wrap Android applications

Availability

The Embedded Alley Development System for Android-based devices from Mentor Graphics will be available starting in August 2009. Based on the Open Handset Alliance “Cupcake” release of Android, the initial Mentor Graphics tool kit will include support for the Freescale MPC8536E development system, complemented by customer-tailored support from Mentor Graphics. Contact Mentor Graphics for more information at www.mentor.com/embedded.

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