Embedded BIOS enables personal communications

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Dec 7, 2004

General Software's Embedded BIOS 2000 was used for the design and development of the firmware for AMD's novel Personal Internet Communicator.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has developed a small form factor motherboard to be used in its new Personal Internet Communicator (PIC) product featuring AMD's Geode GX 533@1.1w processor.

The PIC has been developed as part of AMD's global "50x15" initiative of providing affordable Internet and computing capabilities to 50% of the world's population by the year 2015.

This new product targets large scale communication companies in third world and developing countries in order to provide a reliable and cost efficient means to expose these markets to computers and technology.

The PIC is designed to be a high-quality, affordable, easy-to-use, robust consumer device that can operate under less than ideal conditions such as inconsistent power voltage, dust and dirt.

A fully managed system with features and functionality controlled by the service provider in each market, the PIC is a highly integrated, low-power computing subsystem.

AMD selected General Software to design and develop the BIOS/firmware for the PIC.

Embedded firmware is the enabler that can allow a hardware feature to scale across all the operating systems, or an OS capability to scale across all the hardware components.

Firmware is a two-way enabling layer that gates or accelerates the ability to deliver these capabilities to the application developers of embedded devices.

Stuart Parker of SDC Systems, the European distributor for General Software explained: "General Software is dedicated to the unique needs of embedded x86 customers and has partnered on thousands of successful designs in all major industry segments".

"Unlike any other BIOS/firmware company, General Software's proven ability, years of embedded experience, and unique product offerings shorten development time so quality products get to market on schedule".

General Software's Embedded BIOS 2000, with Firmbase Technology v1.3, was used for the design and development of the PIC BIOS/firmware.

Embedded BIOS 2000 is a configurable firmware layer that provides the essential functions needed by operating systems and applications for PC-compatible embedded systems, consumer electronics, telecommunications and data communications devices, Single Board Computers, point-of-sale terminals, kiosks, thin clients and pads, industrial automation devices, and other embedded devices.