Sun picoJava Licensees
Disclose Plans for
Employing
picoJava Architecture
|
Korean research institute, ETRI, introduces first
reference platform based on picoJava architecture
LAS VEGAS -- November 16, 1998 -- At Sunday's session of JavaSM UniversitySM, produced
by Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s Educational Services, (http://suned.sun.com), Sun's
picoJavaTM licensees publicly disclosed their business plans for using the picoJavaTM
architecture. The day-long technical track, entitled picoJavaTM Processor Architecture
for Embedded Applications, part of Java University's Embedded Java Curriculum, included
a detailed overview of picoJava architecture and a discussion of Sun's picoJava
Core Roadmap. The roadmap specified that picoJava I would be targeted for use in
the development of embedded control devices; picoJava II for screen phones, set-top
boxes and auto navigation; and future core directions targeted for low-cost, low-power
applications. Following a presentation highlighting Sun's licensing strategy, picoJava
licensees including Fujitsu, NEC, and Siemens presented their strategies for incorporating
the picoJava architecture into appliances for the home, automobile, smart card and
portable markets. "This marks the first time that Sun's Java licensees have
presented their business plans and strategies," said Fadi Azhari, group marketing
manager, picoJava. " It is also the first time Sun has presented demos of real,
working silicon for running JavaOS and a graphics display."
ETRI
In addition to licensee business presentations and technical demonstrations, ETRI,
Korea's premier research institute for developing information and telecommunication
technology, showcased NetTheater, the Internet set-top box reference design it developed
using a picoJava-based chip and all Java software. The Java-enabled set-top box,
the first product to embed LG Semicon's Java processor, allows for execution of
the Java applet/application through the World Wide Web. "The legacy Internet
Set-top box supplies a very simple function. Users can only surf the World Wide
Web and send or receive electronic mail," said Gil-Rok Oh, vice president of
ETRI. "In contrast, NetTheater is the Java-enabled Internet Set-top box supporting
multimedia applications on the PersonalJava 1.1 environment. This means that users
of NetTheater can enjoy their Java-based software on a cheap and simple computer
instead of on complicated Pentium PCs."
FUJITSU
Fujitsu disclosed that its Java solutions, using Fujitsu's advanced LSI technologies,
will be targeted at digital consumers and the emerging networked personal computing
and communications market, including smart, handheld devices, digital still communications
markets, and car navigational systems. Through its semiconductor group, Fujitsu
is offering Java system LSI solutions, including the picoJavca core for high-speed
execution of Java byte codes. Directly executing Java bytecode requires less power
and memory and executes at a faster rate than implementations using compiler or
interpreter technologies. The reduced memory footprint of picoJava core implementations
are especially useful for portable devices where power consumption and form factor
considerations are critical. Fujitsu also revealed that its JavaOS evaluation board
"J-StarterKit for Sparclite" with Java OS on SparcLite is available now.
The "J-StarterKit for picoJava" with JavaOS running on picoJava is expected
to be introduced in 1999.
NEC
Emphasizing that Java technology adds value as a controller to many embedded devices
such as home appliances, telecommunications systems, factory floor controllers and
vending machines, NEC disclosed that it will focus on a picoJava core for the embedded
controller market. NEC is also focusing its product development on reducing power
consumption and creating smaller cores that maintain good Java performance. NEC
believes that the picoJava core is well suited for use as an IP core and said that
it will focus on using the picoJava core as an IP core in its "System on a
Chip," (SOC) concept which has enabled adding high functionality to controllers
in embedded devices. "Java is gaining unstoppable momentum throughout the industry,
especially in emerging information access devices including consumer electronics,
communications systems and industrial systems," said Kazuhiro Kubota, NEC Semiconductor
Group, NEC Corporation. "With our history of creating networked, embedded applications
for the home, we are uniquely positioned to bring a picoJava-based customizable
microcontroller to market. We are confident in Sun's commitment to the picoJava
architecture and pleased in the way they've chosen to support this market."
NEC revealed that it has also developed an evaluation chip of the picoJava core
and run it on an evaluation board. By using the evaluation board, NEC will continue
to develop the software environment, including an RTOS kernel and Java runtime.
SIEMENS Looking toward future trends which will require customized, multi-application
smart cards, Siemens Semiconductors disclosed its plans for developing the high-end
controller 88-series of smart cards. Siemens' 88-series smart card chips accelerate
the execution of the Java Card Instruction Set while addressing the needs of multi-application
cards. Siemens' 88-series, the most efficient implementation of Java technology
on smart cards, enables direct execution of Java Card bytecodes, providing higher
performance and faster transactions, higher security and more memory space for additional
card functions. It also allows for efficient implementation of cryptographic functions
using native code. Siemens' 88-series microcontroller series provides a smooth migration
path from the company's current SLE66Cxxs, a 16-bit core which offers a bilingual
instruction set for 8051 as well as Java code, is optimized to directly execute
Java applications on the industry standard Java Card platform. "Java hardware
technology will drive down costs to card developers and licensees, encouraging the
proliferation of cards in the U.S. and globally," said Ulrich Hamann, general
manager and vice president of Siemens Chip Card ICs and Ident Systems ICs. "The
Java-enabled chip technology increases the information capacity of the chips, thereby
allowing for more information and additional functions to be included, all on the
same smart card. Java technology is a perfect match with our plans to develop a
new smart card integrated circuit platform for secure Internet commerce products."
Siemens also plans to develop chips that will be used in a variety of smart card
applications including banking, electronic commerce, mobile communications and healthcare.
One card has the potential of allowing consumers access to their bank accounts,
loyalty programs, even access to the Internet. MICROJAVA 701 In addition to the
licensee's disclosures, Sun demonstrated, for the first time, JavaOS JDK1.1.4 running
on the microJava 701 silicon. Based on the picoJava-II core, the microJava 701 is
a high-performance, general-purpose microprocessor, developed to validate the picoJava
architecture. It is deployed as an evaluation platform for licensees and OEMs. It
also provides an excellent hardware platform for real-time software development
and performance benchmarking. The software was developed with Metaware C/C++ compiler,
linker on and debugger on SolarisTM. This demo, which will ultimately be deployed
as reference platform for software development and benchmarking, demonstrates a
major achievement in validation of the picoJava architecture.
PICOJAVATM MICROPROCESSOR CORES
The picoJavaTM processor cores comprise the central component of a microprocessor
or controller chip. Chips based on the picoJava core are ideally suited for consumer
electronic products that run Java applications. The combination of the small size
of the processor core and the performance gained from direct execution of Java code
instructions, means that smaller, higher performance devices such as cellular phones,
TV set top boxes and other information appliances can be rapidly developed and brought
to market. Five major corporations have already licensed the picoJava processor
core into their next generation products representing an important endorsement of
the value of Java processors in the market by major industry players. Now is the
time to optimize your next-generation products for the Java environment.
ABOUT SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The ComputerTM,"
has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW), to its position as a leading
provider of high quality hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide
intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $10 billion in
annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide
Web at http://www.sun.com.
@Macarlo, Inc.
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