Development Kit Advances Plug-In, Always-on Computing Environment

Tailored for the SheevaPlug, an embedded computer that plugs into a wall socket and is capable of running network-based services that normally require a dedicated personal computer, the SheevaPlug development kit contains the SheevaPlug as well as all the software tools needed to develop applications for the platform. Employing a 1.2-GHz Marvell Sheeva CPU with 512 MB of flash memory and 512 MB of DDR2 memory, the SheevaPlug allegedly provides ample processing power and resources to run any embedded computing application. Network connectivity is via Gigabit Ethernet and peripherals connect via USB2.0. Software includes multiple Linux distributions and follows the open source model. Developers can create applications for the SheevaPlug natively on the open-source Linux platform and the company’s RainDrop, an open-source API framework, enables deployment of third party applications. Additionally, support is on tap for a Java Virtual Machine and an OSGI stack. The SheevaPlug development kit includes a SheevaPlug, USB cable, Ethernet cable, and a CD-ROM containing software and documentation. MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR INC., Santa Clara, CA. (408) 222-2500.