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Who’s using T-Engine/ T-Kernel?

In this article, we look at some of the products that are based on the T-Engine/ T-Kernel specifications. Also, we list out middleware and software that is available for development based on the T-Engine/ T-Kernel. It must be noted that the TRON Association/ T-Engine Forum do not require developers using any of the specifications to explicitly disclose a list of products that are based on any of the specifications. This makes it very difficult to have a specific list of products that are based on the T-Engine or other TRON specifications. The material for this article has been collected from a number of websites, walks through TRON Show and press releases.

If you can read Japanese, there is a booklet that’s been published to the TRON Association website that lists some of the known designs [PDF, 18MB] based on the specifications from TRON Association and T-Engine Forum. A number of items here have been collected from this list. If you can read Japanese, you can also look at the list on the Japanese section on the T-Engine Forum’s website where they list some of the products based on the T-Engine standards.


Navigation System (Denso & Fujitsu-Ten)

One of the most commonly cited examples of T-Engine/ T-Kernel usage is the upcoming car navigation system from Fujitsu-Ten and Denso. Numbered the AVN7406HD, it is based on the eTKernel Extended from eSol. The press release (in Japanese) about this is at http://www.esol.co.jp/company/press/emb_press061130.html.


CRAFTSYSTEM

NEC Toshiba Space Systems Ltd has a couple of systems that are based on the T-Engine. The CRAFTSYSTEM is a multi-protocol analyzer based on the T-Engine and there is also another board that includes the MIL-STD-1553B bus.


Ubiquitous Communicator

The Ubiquitous Communicator and its derivatives (including the UC-Phone) are based on the T-Engine and are used for a number of applications in ubiquitous computing. Specifically, the Ubiquitous Communicator is being used in a number of feasibility studies involving ubiquitous computing and is deployed to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo!


Development Kits

Of course, there are a plenty of development kits based on the T-Engine and μT-Engine standards. In addition, PMC has TEABoard and the μTEABoard (ARM-based T-Engine appliances) that are targeted for use in training applications. There is also a T-Engine and μT-Engine from a company in China. Core Japan also has a T-Engine appliance that interfaces with the Felica card.


T-Engine Appliances

In terms of T-Engine appliances, the TEAPanel (a panel computer) and the TEAcube are popular products which are based on the T-Engine specifications. In addition, the SpaceCube has space-specific peripherals in a TEACube-like shell and is being considered for use by JAXA (the Japanese space agency). Interestingly, some of the Panel PCs displayed on NEC’s page on the Microsoft Windows CE website are T-Engine appliances!


Miscellaneous Middleware

Middleware for the T-Engine includes the Kasago TCP/IP stack (for IPv6), PMC T-Shell (for GUI), Hitachi Entier (database), SVG middleware from KDDI, Oracle Lite database from Oracle, Empresent from HCL and JBlend from Aplix (JVM), NAND and NOR saver for flash memories, and so on. In addition, most ITRON middleware could be ported to the T-Engine without too much trouble.


Operating Systems

Of course, the T-Kernel source code is available from the T-Engine Forum. However, full operating system stacks are available from PMC (as part of the T-Engine kits) and from eSol (number of variants : compact, standard, extended and POSIX). Also, there are variants and other versions from Fujitsu and different CPU vendors.