Ampro And TimeSys Speed Next-Generation MIPS-based Products Using Embedded Linux

EMBEDDED SYSTEMS CONFERENCE -- Ampro Computers, Inc., the inventor and leading supplier of CPU modules and single board computers for non-backplane embedded systems, today announced the immediate availability of a certified, production-quality TimeSys(TM) Linux(R) software development kit (SDK) for its MIPS32(TM)- based EnCore(TM) M3 module. Through a broad agreement, Ampro and TimeSys are delivering and supporting a complete, certified Linux operating system and development environment to accelerate the deployment of next-generation OEM devices based on Ampro CPU modules and single board computers. See details at www.ampro.com/linux.

"Ampro offers system OEMs flexible production-ready EnCore CPU modules with a full-featured ready-to-run TimeSys Linux SDK," said Joanne Williams, president and CEO of Ampro Computers. "With complete driver support for on-board I/O, OEMs choosing MIPS and Linux now have a faster way to get their innovative products to market."

"OEMs can significantly reduce development time and cost with our joint hardware and software platform for embedded devices utilizing AMD's Alchemy(TM) Solutions family of MIPS-based(TM) processors," said TimeSys CEO Larry Weidman. "Coupling a complete Linux development environment with the flexibility of Ampro's EnCore modules provides design engineers with a high-performance open source solution that they can begin using to develop applications right out of the box."

"Fostering a community of embedded suppliers is important to the market success of the AMD Alchemy Solutions family of high-performance MIPS(R) technology-based processors," said Phil Pompa, vice president of marketing, Personal Connectivity Solutions Group, AMD. "With Ampro's EnCore M3 module bundled together with a certified TimeSys Linux SDK, a broad base of OEMs in industrial control, medical, transportation, and interactive terminal markets have immediate access to a proven Linux solution utilizing our high-performance, low-power processors."

The EnCore M3 is an embedded processor module featuring the AMD Alchemy Solutions Au1500(TM) processor with a 32-bit 66MHz PCI bus interface, dual 10/100BaseT Ethernet ports, EIDE, serial, parallel, and USB ports, and EJTAG connection for debugging. To speed initial development, the EnCore M3 comes in a QuickStart Kit with RAM and reference baseboard with standardized connectors for easy peripheral connection. Each QuickStart Kit also comes with a certified TimeSys Linux SDK, providing a complete package with OS, device drivers, GNU development tools, Windows (Cygwin(TM)) and Linux workstation development environments, a Root File System (RFS) with applications, utilities, and libraries, and a certified Bootloader. In addition, the QuickStart Kit includes evaluation copies of TimeSys Performance Modules to easily add the advanced real-time and reservations capabilities of TimeSys Linux/Real-Time, TimeSys Linux/CPU and/or TimeSys Linux/NET.

Additionally, TimeSys provides all the Linux tools needed for OEMs to create new value, such as TimeStorm(TM), a Windows-hosted IDE with cross-platform capabilities; TimeTrace(R), a Windows-hosted target platform for event tracing, timing analysis and visualization tool; and TimeWiz(R), a Windows-hosted real-time analysis and simulation tool. These tools integrate seamlessly with the TimeSys Linux SDK for the EnCore M3 module and are available from TimeSys (www.timesys.com).

Ampro's EnCore M3 QuickStart Kit sells for $995 and is available immediately from Ampro.

About Ampro Computers, Inc.

Ampro Computers, Inc. is the leading global provider of modular embedded computing solutions for OEM applications. Ampro's mission is to provide time saving solutions for embedded systems designers that accelerate the product deployment process. Ampro pioneered the embedded PC industry creating the popular PC/104 and EBX standards. The new EnCore family enables designers to obtain all the benefits of an off-the-shelf CPU solution while maintaining the flexibility of a full custom design. In addition to EnCore, Ampro offers three product lines; PC/104-compatible CoreModule CPUs and MiniModule expansion products, and EBX form factor Little Board single-board computers (SBC). Ampro was awarded Electronique magazine's "Electron d'Or 2002" for subsystems for the EnCore M2 product. For more information about Ampro Computers, please visit www.ampro.com.

About TimeSys Corporation

TimeSys is a pioneer and leader in Embedded Linux and Java development technologies. Its products allow design engineers to leverage the power, flexibility and reliability of a new class of development tools for advanced embedded systems for a variety of markets and applications, covering the complete performance range from non-real-time to deterministic hard real-time, using both open-source and proprietary technologies. TimeSys is considered the top choice by systems architects for developing more robust, less expensive, single API Linux solutions for embedded systems. TimeSys was the first to create a reservation technology that guarantees system response, even in overloaded systems. TimeSys solutions offer completely predictable and fast response time performance. For more information about TimeSys, please visit www.timesys.com, send e-mail to info@timesys.com or call 1-888-432-TIME.