IEEE Spectrum: Little Linuxes; Embedded devices are Linux’s next big win

“Linux is poised to storm the once-closed world of embedded
applications. The open source operating system made its first big
impact as a file and Web server, and is currently making headway in
the enterprise market. Its next victory will be not on the desktop,
but in devices ranging from vending machines to Internet
appliances.”

“Short time to market” is the core reason why original-equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) are demanding Linux-based solutions, explained
Chris Gill, vice president of business development and marketing of
ZF Linux Devices. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., the company makes an
x86 PC system on a chip (SOC) for embedded applications. “Cost is
another factor–Linux is free,” he continued, “and you can tailor
it to your needs. That has historically been extremely difficult to
do with Windows [CE].”

“Embedded Linux has already had a number of design wins. The
most visible to date is the TiVo set-top box, which allows
viewers to pause live television and automatically record programs
on any channel. “People are using [embedded Linux for
applications] from weather monitoring to controlling vibration
damping on the International Space Station,” said Pitt. More
prosaic applications exhibited at Linux World included vending
machines, in-car MP3 music players, personal digital assistants,
and Internet appliances. Demand is growing, said Wilkinson,
especially in Asia. Gill agrees, saying he has seen demand
“skyrocket.” Still, he warns that proprietary vendors are fighting
back, and the latest release of Microsoft’s embedded Windows CE is
much improved. But for now, the best things for the upstart Linux
operating system appear to be coming in small packages.”

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