15bn embedded Internet devices likely by 2015

INTEL IDF, TAIPEI, TAIWAN: According to IDC, there are 5 billion connected devices today, which should likely go up to 15 billion by 2015. However, there are technology barriers to deal with on the way.

Douglas L. Davis, Vice President, Digital Enterprise Group and General Manager, Embedded and Communications Group, Intel, pointed those to be: reliability and long life, software scalability, low power and low cost, privacy and data security, IPv4 addressing and open standards. The solutions lie in Intel products, IA (Intel architecture), Atom processors and SoCs, and moving toward IPv6 by 2012.

According to him, the IA is the preferred architecture for the embedded Internet. "We have the world's best ecosystem and tools," he said. While on embedded products, post the Atom processor, Davis added that the Menlow XL is slated for a Q1-09 launch. The associated market segments include retail, PoS, digital signage, kiosks, vending, ATM, etc.

On digital PoS for retail markets, Davis highlighted India, adding that digital retail PoS would find applications, given the growing Indian middle class. It would improve inventory management and transaction security, allow more efficient space utilization, etc. Yet another application is digital signage for BI (informative displays).

Davis highlighted MediaCart's example, which provided a unique shopping experience. MediaCart is revolutionizing shopping with a computerized shopping cart that assists shoppers, delivers targeted communications at the point of purchase, and streamlines store operations. Singapore's Venture GES was contracted by MediaCart to develop the new shopping experience cart.

Embedded computing to become more pervasive

Davis believes that embedded computing would become more pervasive. "The Intel architecture has all unparalleled scalability to meet these needs," he added.

According to him, China should go on to become the world's largest semiconductor market over the next five years. The semiconductor TAM for industrial automation is likely to grow from $13.5 billion in 2008 to $17.5 billion in 2012. India is said to be the second largest destination for industrial automation.

Digital factory

Are we any closer to the vision of a digital factory? Addressing this question, Bruno Geiger, MD, Apac, KUKA, said that the company builds the world's leading robotic and automation devices, based on Intel platorms, that 'takes us closer to the vision of a digital factory.'

This is a great example of multi-core in industrial automation.

Extended support

Intel will also add seven-year extended lifecycle support for the Intel Core2 Quad processor Q9400 validated with the Intel Q45 Express chipset and the Intel 3210 chipset. The Q9400 processor is ideal for embedded systems that need the performance of a 45nm processor with four complete execution cores to deliver high performance and responsiveness in multi-threaded and multi-tasking environments.

The Intel 3210 chipset is a server chipset offers a unique combination to embedded customers with ECC, high bandwidth performance and improved memory speeds for mid-range network security, print imaging, storage and I/O-intensive industrial applications. The chipset features: Error Correcting Code (ECC) memory and  I/O performance and improved memory speed over the previous-generation chipsets for faster system responsiveness.

Announcing adaptations of Intel Atom processor Z5xx series, Davis disclosed that adaptations of Intel Atom processor Z5xx series for embedded will be available with seven-year long lifecycle support in the first quarter of 2009. The adaptations will offer a larger package size and industrial temperature options that will benefit customers designing applications in the in-vehicle infotainment, interactive clients, medical, industrial automation, print imaging and communications infrastructure market segments.

Portal for embedded designers

Davis added that the greatest challenge for customers is to integrate new technologies. "We (Intel) are investing in a new portal to deal for embedded designers," he said. The Intel Architecture Embedded Design Center is coming in spring 2009.

He concluded that Asia will become the largest market for embedded computing, and Taiwan, the largest market for automation.