Windows Embedded Compact 7 for i.MX51 ARM Cortex-A8 module

Oxfordshire, England, July 28th 2011: Direct Insight, a Gold Partner in Microsoft's Windows Embedded ecosystem, has created a Board Support Package for Windows Embedded Compact 7 based on the TRITON-TX51 production-ready module using Freescale's i.MX51 applications processor, thereby creating a time-to-market solution aimed at smart, mobile devices in industrial, automotive and specialist consumer markets with advanced user-interface capability.

The new BSP extensively supports the TX51 module's wide-ranging connectivity - which includes USB, Ethernet, touch, display, UARTs, SPI, I2C, SD Card and audio amongst an array of interfaces. The i.MX51's video processing unit which provides 720p HD decode, and OpenGL ES / OpenVG graphics accelerator are also supported as is the vector point capability of the ARM Cortex-A8 NEON SIMD coprocessor.

Windows Embedded Compact 7 is Microsoft's latest small-footprint OS for connected embedded and handheld devices, allowing the creation of differentiated user interfaces via Silverlight for Embedded, and affording access to the features of the latest ARM devices, including powerful ARM Cortex-A series based applications processors such as Freescale's iMX51.

The TRITON-TX51 production ready module measures just 68mm x 26mm, and equipped with RAM, NAND flash, power management, and other low-level support devices and provides the possibility of bringing projects to market in weeks by providing a ready-made hardware implementation alongside a production-ready software platform. Users purchase a complete development system - the StarterKit-5 - which is supplied containing the module attached to a general-purpose baseboard, with a touch-screen, and running the chosen OS - in this case Windows Embedded Compact 7. Other available operating systems include Windows CE 6.0, Linux and Android 2.2. The production system is realised by replacing the module with a simple custom, or off-the-shelf baseboard, without need for modification of the BSP.

The recently introduced TRITON-TX51 features a long lifetime, based on Freescale's guarantee of a 10-year life for the i.MX51, and pin compatibility with other TRITON-TX modules.

"Our customers are looking to create user interfaces with an up-to-the-minute look and feel, with multitouch and gesture-based input," said David Pashley, Direct Insight's MD. "The combination of Microsoft's Compact 7 and the latest Freescale ARM-based devices delivers that capability in a usable form, and the modular nature of the solution means that they can get to market in as little as a couple of months," he continued.

The company also expects to make solutions based on the new Freescale iMX53 device family available during the summer months.