[Trend] Open-source software has entered the embedded age

Over the past decade, open-source software has dominated embedded systems. Marcandressen, co-founder of Netscape and a principal LinkedIn investor, recently published an article titled "software is swallowing the world. Today's embedded software is more widely used than any other software. Embedded Software is the core of application systems such as transportation, security, medical care, food, agriculture, defense, and entertainment. In fact, every field in these industries is deeply integrated into our daily lives in various ways.

The complexity of embedded software design increases exponentially. To some extent, it reflects and complies with the law that the complexity of the door circuit doubles every 18 months in the past 40 years. The increase in Code complexity and the division of global market changes overlap. The demand for out-of-stock products doubles, the product features increase, and the development cost is reduced, which leads to the increase in demand, cooperation and code reuse. As the final manifestation of code reuse, open-source software has become the main driving force for competition in the embedded market today.

From the first GNU in 1983 to the intrusion of 2011 into the entire IT system, open source has penetrated into every layer of software development. Open-source software has become the choice of 40% embedded projects (download the full text of the report: select research: Embedded engineering survey, from vdcresearch), because it provides the following advantages: quick Start, low development costs, better security, tested quality, diversity, authorization costs, and multiple choices provided by many well-known suppliers.

Open source conquer embedded devices

Typical examples of open-source software in embedded applications include Android (Embedded Linux and other open-source Real-time Operating Systems RTOS), QT user interfaces for mobile phones and PDAs, refrigerators and industrial control systems, about 100,000 other projects cover communication software stacks, network browsing, user interfaces, remote management, embedded databases, audio and video codec, and even virtual machines (such as Java virtual machines ). 40% Real-time Operating Systems (RTOs) used in Embedded environments are open-source. In addition to Android, they also include heavyweight manufacturers such as montavista, QNX, and mentor.

Open-source applications should be managed

The advantages of open-source software can only be reflected when its actual application is managed. Open-source software has always had clear terms, with corresponding authorization, copyright, Security Risk Description and export control categories. If you do not understand or do not comply with these terms, it may lead to product quality problems. A large number of embedded devices such as consumer products are sold. Any problems with quality issues or damages to authorization terms may cause serious economic losses.

Project-level or organizational-level policies usually limit the acceptability of the terms. Although it is hard to admit, developers who have abundant resources today do not write code from the most basic part because they know where to obtain the required code, you only need to optimize the code by creativity. It is unrealistic to expect developers to understand and manage Code regulations when software development is tight. Therefore, relevant organizations are increasingly allowed to use open-source software under management in projects, shorten the development interval and reduce development costs.

There was a survey conducted by more than 100 small technology companies covering large multinational organizations and less than 50 people, and found the best practices for applying and managing open-source software in the embedded field. Prior to the launch of the product market, the establishment of authorization policies, the adoption of Software Package pre-approval processes, the creation of basic standards for existing software directories, real-time and regular specification of software analysis are all practices adopted in the embedded field.

Open-source software has begun to take the lead in the embedded device market. It brings a wide range of advantages to developers and Management of embedded system companies and end users of embedded solutions. These advantages include lower development costs, lower market product costs, shorter market time, faster product evolution, proven high-quality solutions, diversity of solutions, and long-term product availability., at the same time, it reduces the uncertainty of supply and demand changes. Each advantage of using open-source software is attractive to developers with rich resources. They can focus on existing code and add their own creativity to achieve a faster innovation cycle. The open source code that is available now also has a short link, for example, the Code record and sorting of the open source content of the entire embedded project may be delayed, the update progress of the new version needs to be maintained, the potential authorization and Copyright Terms and conditions exist, and the security feasibility and repair and mitigate these problems.

The well-structured open-source software application process (ossap) enables organizations to take advantage of open-source software in controllable and manageable modes. The steps included in ossap include establishing policies, pre-approval of software packages, establishing existing code, and basic guidelines for code scanning from commercial suppliers and outsourcing groups. Regularly scans the project code collection, enters the project library, or discovers and manages the software in real time when the developer is developing. This ensures that the open source software content in the project can be known or understood at any time, the Construction Time Scanning ensures that the products that are finally pushed to the market meet the Open Source policies adopted.

Reference: avoiding enemies and making friends using embedded opensource software

Open source software has become an entrenched component of embeddedsystems within the last decade. marc Andreessen, cofounder ofnetscape and the key investor in LinkedIn, recently announced that "software is eating the world ". there are more instances ofEmbedded
Software in the world today than any other type ofsoftware combined. it is at the heart of transportation, safety, health care, food, agriculture, defense, entertainment andtherefore ally every sector of industry that one way oranother touches our everyday
Lives.

Complexity of software design within the embedded space hasincreased exponentially. in a way it has mirrored and followed theway gate complexity in integrated devices has doubled every 18 months in the last forty years. the growth in Code complexity hasoverlapped
The change in business dynamics of our interconnectedglobal market. Demands for shortening product development times, increasing functionality in products and variable cing development costshas led to an increase in outsourcing, contracting, and code-reuse.Open
Source Software, the ultimate manifestation of Code-reuse, hasbecome a key enabler of today's competitive embedded market.

From the first GNU in 1983 to invasion of the whole it stack by2011, open source has penetrated every facet of softwaredevelopment. such desirable attributes as faster time to market, lower development cost, better security, peer-reviewed quality, variety,
Zero licensing cost and multiple sources from mostlyreputable suppliers are some of the reasons where open source hasbecome the software of choice for over 40% of embedded projects (download select findings: embedded engineering survey [PDF file] From VDC research ).

Open source has conquered embedded devices

Better known examples of Open Source Software targeted for embeddedapplications include Android, embedded Linux and other open sourcereal Time Operating Systems (RTOs), QT User Interface (UI) used inphones and PDAs, refrigerators and industrial control systems,
Androughly 100,000 other projects that cover everything fromcommunications stacks, Web browsing, user interfaces, remotemanagement, embedded databases, audio and video codecs and evenvirtual machines (as in Java Virtual Machine ). more than 40% of thertos Solutions
For embedded environment are open source, and apartfrom Android, they include the heavyweights from vendors such asmontavista, QNX and mentor.

Open source adoption must be managed

The advantages of open source software can only be realized if itsadoption is managed. Open Source Software invariable comes available that are represented in their associated licenses, copyrights, security vulnerability notices and export controlclassifications.
Failure to understand and respect retry has repercussions that are similar to those due tow.comings in product quality. embedded devices such as values are distributed in volume, and any impairment in quality, or in meeting Licensing
Obligations, can be very costly in thefield.

Project-level or organizational schemas ies usually frame theacceptable terms and obligations. although some may find itdifficult to admit, today's resourceful developers do not writecode from scratch. they know where to get code and enhance it withtheir own
Creativity. It is both and impractical to be aware of, and manage, code obligations as theycreate software under tight schedules. Schedule, organizationsare deploying practices that allow managed adoption open source inprojects,
Shortening development intervals and elastic cing developmentcosts.

A survey of more than hundred technology organizations, from fail to small technology firms of less than 50 people hasidentified the best practices used in Embedded industry forleveraging and managing open source software. Establishing licensesponies,
Adopting package pre-approval processes, creating abaseline of the existing inventory of software, regular softwareanalysis in real-time and at build-time, before the final productis shipped to the market, are some of the steps deployed by theembedded industry.

Open source software has become entrenched in the embedded devicemarket, offering a range of advantages to developers and managementin embedded system has ISES and to the end users of users. These advantages include lower development co,
Lowercost products in the market, shorter time to market, faster category, peer-reviewed quality solutions, and variety ofsolutions and sources that ensure long term product viability with0000ced limit around supply disruption. Limit of adoption
Ofopen source software is participant ly attractive to libraries, where they can concentrate on applying their creativityto existing code, resulting in a faster innovation cycles. pitfallsof readily available open source code include lapses in good
Recordkeeping in order to know the open source content of an embeddedproject, keeping track of the newer versions, potential licensingand copyright obligations, and knodge DGE of known between and the patched to mitigate these impairments.

A structured open source software adoption process (ossap) allowsorganizations to take advantage of open source software in acontrolled and managed fashion. The steps involved in ossap accept a policy, software package pre-approval, establishinga
Baseline of existing code and scanning code acquired from?cial suppliers or outsourcers. Regular scanning of standards in a project, complemented with real-time identificationand management of software as it is checked into the projectlibrary or
It is developed on a developer workstation, ensuresthat at any time the Open Source Software content within a projectis known and understood. build-Time Scanning ensures that the finalartifact that is shipped to market satisfies the open sourcepolicies adopted
By the Organization.

Source: Electronic Design