Android is a new open-source platform for mobile phones. With its solid Linux foundation, a very business-friendly open-source license and an easy-to-use Java programming model, it provides a perfect basis for mobile applications – and beyond. As part of the Open Handset Alliance that guides Android‘s evolution, Noser Engineering AG contributed functionality to the core platform.

The project
As part of the Open Handset Alliance and on behalf of Google, Noser Engineering AG contributed the larger part of the so-called «Android core libraries». These are basically a set of libraries that provide most of the functionality typically found in desktop implementations of the Java programming language, but adapted to and optimized for a mobile device, such as the Limestone PDA design kit from Toradex.

Limestone PDA design kit based on PXA320

The benefit
Android provides a complete software stack for mobile phones and will be made availabel via the Apache v2 license. Although the system is based on Linux, application development happens in the Java programming language. The system comes with a powerful new application framework and a set of built-in applications. To leverage the reuse of existing code and knowledge, Android supports a subset of the Java class libraries known from the desktop. This includes packages in the typical java.* and javax.* namespaces.

The implementation
These days no large software system is written from scratch and Android is no exception. Instead of reinventing the wheel, Android builds on many existing, proven open-source solutions. The class libraries that Noser developed are partially a port of Apache Harmony. Packages close to the virtual machine had to be rewritten specifically for Android, while some others were optimized for the resource-constrained mobile device. In the latter case, native libraries like IBM‘s ICU (for localization) or OpenSSL (for security) were  rapped using JNI. The complete porting and integration was done in an agile manner with many intermediate deliveries, allowing quick adjustments to early feedback and requirements changes, as well as close collaboration with Google.

The technology
On the tool side, Ubuntu 6.06 Linux was used as our primary development system and Eclipse was the IDE of choice. Subversion was employed for version management with Trac being used for repository browsing,  ssue tracking, and storing general project-related information in a Wiki. For quality assurance, CruiseControl, FindBugs and PMD were employed. Each check-in triggered a build and test run on a  edicated server, with the results being immediately visible to all project members.

The result
With a highly skilled team of both internal and external experts Noser Engineering AG managed to deliver a subset of the Java class libraries for the Android platform. All this was done in a very competitive time frame. Java developers worldwide are now using these libraries for the development of Android mobile applications. An Android BSP for the Limestone PDA design kit of Toradex is available for download from the Noser Engineering AG website.

More information
noser engineering ag, e-mail info@noser.com, www.noser.com

Marvell provides the datasheets of their application processor family online without NDA finally. You can find application notes, datasheets, EMTS and more for the PXA270, PXA3xx and PXA168 at:
http://www.marvell.com/products/cellular/applications.jsp

Toradex has successfully booted the Release Candidate for Microsoft Windows 7 on the Robin and Woodpecker Module based on Intel ATOM Processor and US15W Chipset.

Microsoft Windows 7 comes built in with all required drivers needed for the Woodpecker and Robin Computer Modules. The installation takes about half an hour.

With a low power consumption (about 5W for the Module, without Hard Disk and Display) and a Windows Experience Index of 4.3 for Desktop Graphics and 3.5 for Gaming graphics (both measured on a Woodpecker Z530), the Woodpecker and Robin Computer Modules are the right choice for a broad range of embedded applications where fanless operation or low power consumption is required.

Windows 7 for Embedded will also be available soon. For questions about using Windows 7 or other Microsoft Embedded Operating Systems for Embedded Devices please contact us or directly our Microsoft Embedded Partner Sembatec, www.sembatec.com

More Information about Windows 7 you will find here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/

More Information about Woodpecker and Robin you will find here:

http://www.toradex.com/En/Products