Linux Development Platform Eases FPGA Design

Sept. 2, 2002

For the first time, developers of FPGA systems using the popular Xilinx products can build and deploy their systems on a Linux platform, thanks to the Linux Professional Edition from MontaVista Software. The platform will support Xilinx's Virtex-II ProTM FPGA products. With this MontaVista/Xilinx collaboration, Linux developers will be able to reconfigure, enhance, and optimize their designs throughout the entire product development life cycle. They now have a completely programmable, reprogrammable, and field-upgradable system platform.

"The combination of Xilinx's flexible, programmable platform and MontaVista Software's embedded Linux development system allows developers to use a single hardware/software platform for a variety of products," explains Glenn Seiler, MontaVista's director of product marketing. "This in turn helps designers lower production costs and, at the same time, speeds next-generation products to market."

Linux Professional Edition 2.1 is offered as an annual product subscription, with the fully tested MontaVista Linux kernel, utilities, development tools, continuous software updates, access to the MontaVista Zone (exclusive customer Web portal), and comprehensive technical support. For a minimum of three seats, the annual product subscription is about $25,000. For a larger number, the per-seat cost may be less. MontaVista also provides several complementary technology products addressing specific customer needs such as the Java development environment, high-availability technology, and graphics toolkits at an additional cost.

Linux Professional Edition 2.1 will be available for the Xilinx Virtex-II Pro platform in the fourth quarter from MontaVista Software and its worldwide distribution channels. This royalty-free open source is built from 100% pure Linux sources.

MontaVista Software, (408) 328-9213; www.mvista.com.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.