Microsoft .NET Micro Framework to Be Available on Analog Devices’ Blackfin

Today at Tech•Ed 2007, Microsoft Corp. and Analog Devices Inc. announced that they are further expanding options for embedded developers through the porting of the Microsoft® .NET Micro Framework to Analog Devices’ Blackfin processors. Developers of resource-constrained portable devices offering multimedia and other specialty applications will for the first time be able to use Microsoft’s field-proven productivity tools, .NET and Visual Studio®, with the Blackfin processor, speeding the design of small-footprint, low-power embedded systems.

“The .NET Micro Framework was created from the ground up as a .NET solution for small embedded devices from industrial sensors and instrumentation to home automation systems and healthcare monitors,” said Colin Miller, product unit manager of the .NET Micro Framework at Microsoft. “The addition of Analog Devices’ Blackfin to the .NET Micro Framework fold will make high-performance, low-power digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities accessible to developers, using the world-class development tools of Visual Studio.”

In addition to being fully integrated with Visual Studio, the .NET Micro Framework software development kit (SDK) comes equipped with an extensible emulator to simulate targeted hardware capabilities. The framework enables device developers to connect diverse hardware solutions to virtually any peripheral device through industry-standard communication connections and custom-managed drivers.

Analog Devices Supports .NET Micro Framework

Analog Devices’ Blackfin processors combine high performance, power efficiency and system integration to enable highly optimized embedded designs without compromise. With power consumption as low as 0.16 mW/MHz (at 250 MHz) and performance up to 600 MHz, applications can add greater signal-processing performance without sacrificing battery life.

“We are pleased that Blackfin will be the first DSP in Microsoft’s .NET Micro Framework sphere,” said Jerry McGuire, vice president of the General Purpose DSP Group at Analog Devices. “Developers will be able to work with Microsoft development tools to implement feature-rich products on Blackfin, with the power efficiency, performance level and system cost that is right for compact embedded applications. For example, one of the exciting possibilities is using Windows® SideShow™ to display information on mobile PCs and portable electronic devices such as media players, even when those devices are in sleep mode.”

Analog Devices also plans to complement the Microsoft .NET Micro Framework SDK with additional development tools for Blackfin developers. The company will announce details as the tools become available.

The Blackfin family offers the functionality of both a 16-bit DSP and a 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) in a unified architecture that handles control-oriented tasks as well as real-time processing of multimedia data flows. System integration includes integrated peripheral options such as high-speed USB On-The-Go (OTG). Blackfin Lockbox Secure Technology, a combination of hardware and software mechanisms, lets developers implement security measures to protect code as well as content. More information about Blackfin is available at http://www.analog.com/processors/blackfin/index.html

About .NET Micro Framework

The .NET Micro Framework expands Microsoft’s embedded offerings into a new market of devices that are based on low-cost 32 bit-processors and are constrained in terms of memory, battery power or other resources. By providing powerful, modern programming paradigms to this arena, the .NET Micro Framework is aimed at accelerating the innovation of small, connected devices. More information can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/netmf

About Analog Devices

Innovation, performance, and excellence are the cultural pillars on which Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI) has built one of the longest standing, highest growth companies within the technology sector. Acknowledged industry-wide as the world leader in data conversion and signal conditioning technology, Analog Devices serves over 60,000 customers, representing virtually all types of electronic equipment. Celebrating 40 years as a leading global manufacturer of high-performance integrated circuits used in analog and digital signal processing applications, Analog Devices is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, with design and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Analog Devices’ common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “ADI” and is included in the S&P 500 Index.