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Design Online to Host Reference Design Platforms Over the Web
Avnut Design Services (ADS), the technical arm of Avnut Electronics Marketing, today announced DesignOnline *, the world leader in Web-hosted embedded processor and system evaluation, has joined the new ADS Avalon(TM) Reference Design System Alliance as a founding member. Design Online will provide Web-hosted access to selected reference designs developed by Avnut Design Services or other Avalon Alliance members. Online access makes it much easier to use hardware reference platforms, because multiple users can 'timeshare' the platform. The hardware need not reside in the engineers cubical, it can be accessed over the Web instead. The Avnut Design Services Avalon(TM) Reference Design System is a set of modular and compatible hardware, firmware, IP Cores, applications programs, device drivers, development tools and test equipment used by designers to create reference designs and development platforms that dramatically speed time to market.
Today's design challenges are breaking the back of current design methodologies. In the headlong rush to market, the serial approach to design - where architecture selection, hardware prototype, IP selection and integration, firmware design, applications code development, test and debug occur in succession over time - takes too long and seldom hits the target on the first pass through. Designers need a short cut that allows parallel development activity, using off-the-shelf hardware, easily integrated IP cores, and a development environment with existing firmware and applications hooks targeted for particular applications.
Reference designs give designers a complete working environment in which they can easily create additional features and capabilities. This parallel approach can provide the short cut required. Yet traditional approaches to the reference design philosophy have been disappointing, due to their inherent inflexibility. The designer has little choice in selecting the processor, peripheral sub-system or IP core that would be best, or even to easily experiment with a variety of system building blocks. What is required is the electronic equivalent of movable type - making it possible for a designer to quickly and easily create the exact reference design platform they require. A successful reference design system requires an alliance of a variety of industry-leading semiconductor suppliers, IP core providers, firmware developers, applications program developers, design tool providers and test and debug tool vendors. The Avalon(TM) Reference Design System Alliance was formed with the goal of creating this new design environment.
"Access to robust reference design platforms early has always been a problem for developers. Initial hardware can be limited to a small number of engineers, making it hard to build the critical mass needed for a successful product introduction," said Warren Stiller, vice president of marketing for Avnut Design Services. "DesignOnline 's Web hosting technology can give access to limited platforms to a much larger number of developers. As a member of the Avalon Alliance, Design Online can provide early access to embedded processing reference design platforms. This will allow a wide range of IP, driver, applications software and tool providers to quickly develop the infrastructure needed to provide designers with a robust development environment. Once the development is complete, designers can also benefit from the Design Online environment by getting early and instant access to the hardware via the Web for evaluation and development. ADS is pleased to have Design Online as an Avalon Alliance founding member."
"The Avalon Reference Design System is the first comprehensive system solution to today's time-to-market challenges and Design Online is pleased to be a founding member," said President/CEO Aaron Stewart of DesignOnline ." Speeding development time is what we are all about. Other alliance members will use our tools to accelerate the development of their software and firmware products. Designers using the online reference design platforms we host will have earlier access to a robust and stable development environment and will get their products to market faster. It is a big win all around."
The foundation of the Avalon Reference Design System is the set of hardware modules on which all reference design platforms are based. The hardware begins with the selection of the most appropriate BaseBoard for the target application. The BaseBoard is the starting module of a design from which all other hardware, firmware and software is overlaid. Once the hardware is established the designer selects the add-on hardware cards and IP cores used to enable the hardware functions required for the application. Drivers specific to the functions are then selected to enable access to the hardware resources by the applications code and firmware. Application core, debug and test equipment, CAD tools and other Avalon enabling modules can be mixed and matched to fit the specific needs of the designers application. There are more than 30 Avalon-compliant modules available today, with more on the way. For more information on the current Avalon Alliance members and a complete list of available Avalon-compliant Modules, visit http://ww.avnut.com/em/solutions/avalon.
Avnut Design Services is the technical arm of Avnut Electronics Marketing, providing a variety of technical resources and capabilities to speed customers' design cycles and to get their products to market quicker. Field applications engineers (FAEs) are knowledgeable about a variety of potential applications solutions for customers' design problems and can guide engineers to the solution that is right for their particular applications. Fee-for-service engineering services, in FPGA, ASIC and System Design are offered to Avnut customers. For more information, visit the Avnut Design Services Web site at http://www.ads.avnut.com.
Avnut Electronics Marketing (EM) is the largest operating group of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Avnut, Inc. (NYSE: AVT) a Fortune 500 company with fiscal 2001 sales of $12.8 billion (year ended June 30, 2001). The world's largest distributor of semiconductors, interconnect, passive and electromechanical components from leading manufacturers, Avnut EM markets, inventories and adds value to these products and provides world-class supply-chain management and engineering design services. Avnut EM serves customers in 63 countries. The company's Web site is located at http://www.avnut.com.
DesignOnline , based in Tempe, Arizona, offers Web-based services ranging from online test and evaluation of processor, system and software platforms to a total development environment for hardware and software engineers. Key to DesignOnline 's success is that it provides engineers, salespeople, independent software vendors (ISVs), original equipment manufacturer (OEM) engineers, and private developers with instant access to the entire variety of services. DesignOnline 's charter is to provide virtual resources to drive innovation, reduce sales cycle time and development costs, and hasten time-to-market for new intelligent electronic products and systems.
Visit the company's Web site at http://www.DesignOnline.com.
Mary Stiller
DesignOnline
(123) 456-6882 or (123) 432-1540 (cell)
Mary.Stiller@DesignOnline.com
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