Atmel offers free MS Windows embedded BSPs

ROUSSET, FRANCE: Atmel Corp. has announced the availability of Microsoft Windows embedded board support packages (BSPs) for its AT91SAM9 ARM926EJ-S-based embedded MPUs.

The Windows Embedded CE 5.0 BSP and the Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 BSP, initially developed by Adeneo Embedded and now supported by Atmel, are available for free from the Web site http://www.at91.com/windows4sam, subject only to the user accepting on-line a Limited License Agreement.

These BSPs were previously provided by Adeneo under a fee-paying software license agreement. Making them freely available significantly facilitates the access to Windows Embedded technologies on Atmel's ARM9 products.

A BSP is a set of software that implements and supports an operating system on a development board. It consists of a boot loader, adaptation layer for the specific hardware architecture, device drivers, and run-time image configuration files. It greatly simplifies application development on the target device, by creating a hardware-independent interface for use by the application code. It also enables application code to be rapidly ported from one hardware platform to another.

The Web site provides, in addition to download facilities for the BSPs sources, an extensive set of documents, including a ready-to-run demonstration, explaining how to use and customize the sources and how to build up applications by using the BSPs. These provide the tools that customers need to work on Atmel's ARM9-based products with Microsoft's embedded technologies.

The first five supported products are the AT91RM9200, AT91SAM9260, AT91SAM9261, AT92SAM9263 and AT91SAM9G20 embedded MCUs. The BSP for the AT91SAM9RL64 will be added within the coming months, and will be followed by the BSPs for the next devices in the AT91SAM9 product family as they become available.

Adeneo Embedded and Atmel are offering Windows Embedded training programs initially in the USA and in Europe. The four day in depth technical hands-on training courses are intended to provide an introduction to the Windows CE development environment. Adeneo trainers are Microsoft certified. In addition, Adeneo is a Windows Embedded Gold level partner. By the end of the course, attendees will have a solid development foundation upon which to optimize their own systems. Each attendee will also leave the course with a complimentary AT91SAM Evaluation Kit.

To complement Atmel's front-line support, Adeneo Embedded provides enhanced versions of these BSPs including additional features and complete support and maintenance, and continues to provide added-value services for embedded systems development based on Windows Embedded and the AT91SAM9 products.

Alfredo Vadillo, Managing Director for the ARM(R) product line, commented: "These freely-available and fully-supported Windows Embedded CE BSPs take our support for customers developing Windows-based applications to a new level. They capitalize on the long working relationship that Atmel has had with Adeneo, an industry leader in implementing and supporting Windows Embedded CE. They further consolidate Atmel's position as a leader in ARM-based MCUs and embedded MPUs."

Yannick Chammings, Chief Executive Officer Adeneo Embedded, said: "Adeneo is proud to release the BSPs for the AT91SAM9 embedded MPUs. As the editor of the reference BSPs, Adeneo Embedded provides a complete range of Windows Embedded CE solutions for Atmel platforms, along with a complete set of services including training, BSP customization, driver and application development. OEMs can benefit from the expertise of our engineering teams located both in Europe and North America to secure their designs in the best time to market."

Kim Chau, senior partner marketing manager for Windows Embedded, Microsoft Corp., commented: "Microsoft is excited to work with Atmel and Adeneo to make Windows Embedded BSPs available for free. By increasing access to Windows Embedded CE, a componentized real-time operating system, we are broadening the user base for these middleware products and powering innovation in the market for smart, connected, service oriented devices."