Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/6095-radisys-and-general-software-team-on-new-com-express-modules

RadiSys and General Software Team on New Com Express Modules

April 9, 2008

In a joint effort to help manufacturers build highly-optimized and differentiated products while reducing time to market and lowering cost, General Software and RadiSys Corp. announced a partnership to incorporate General Software's Embedded BIOS® with StrongFrame® Technology into the new RadiSys Procelerant® Z500 and future RadiSys COM Express modules. The RadiSys Procelerant Z500 module, a new 85 x 70 mm COM module that uses the COM Express® Type 2 pin-out, was also recently announced by RadiSys.


"Customers are telling us that having a powerful yet easily customizable modern BIOS is critical to building high-value, high-margin devices. Not all BIOS are created equal. With General Software's toolkit, we can significantly increase the options and innovation that we put into our customers' hands," said Wade Clowes, vice president, RadiSys commercial segment. "With the RadiSys-General Software partnership, RadiSys can tap into General Software's expertise at building adaptable firmware products that help our customers succeed in their marketplace."

The RadiSys Procelerant Z500 module is loaded with specific features for handheld and mobile applications such as 1GB memory, a MicroSD socket, a slim line profile and an extended input voltage range for battery power. General Software Embedded BIOS with StrongFrame Technology has a modular architecture that supports fast and effective implementation of a smart battery subsystem, thermal and power management and fast booting to further enhance the mobility and usability of designs.

"The RadiSys-General Software partnership delivers core and unique functionality at the BIOS level that was often unattainable at this price point and within the speed-to-market requirements for specialized products like mobile devices," said Craig Husa, CEO General Software. "General Software helps product development teams and manufacturers to take full advantage of the Radisys hardware's impressive performance and functionality."

Embedded BIOS with StrongFrame Technology is the sixth generation of General Software's firmware SDK solution for embedded x86 designs, having been deployed across the entire range of embedded verticals on more diverse targets than any other BIOS kit. It offers the most flexible and configurable BIOS SDK available, with more than 1,000 simple source-level build options, descriptive tables, and with ~90 OEM-configurable callouts, all optional, to ensure OEM policies take precedence over industry norms for precise, dependable behavior.

Using Embedded BIOS with StrongFrame Technology, BIOS developers can produce working prototypes in days, and finish deployments in weeks, thanks to the new core's descriptive configuration management that uses intuitive and descriptive methods rather than assembly language.