Micronas and Tara Systems Dramatically Increase Productivity of User Interface Development for Consumer Electronics Devices (0321)
Premiere on occasion of IFA 2003 in Berlin: Micronas And Tara Systems integrate Embedded Wizard Platform Package on MDE 9500 Single-Chip IDTV and STB Decoders
Freiburg/Munich, Germany - August 21, 2003- Micronas, a leading supplier of innovative application-specific IC system solutions for consumer electronics, multimedia and automotive electronics, today announced that Tara Systems integrated its new Embedded Wizard platform package onto Micronas' single-chip Digital TV Decoder MDE 9500. The Embedded Wizard, a new development tool, allows the very fast and easy design and the implementation of intuitive graphic user interfaces (GUIs). With the new tool, Tara Systems revolutionizes user guidance in consumer devices such as TVs, set-top boxes (STB) and personal video recorders (PVR).
In combination with the MDE 9500 platform, the Embedded Wizard enables TV manufacturers to develop GUIs for innovative digital TV receivers, such as hybrid IDTVs and set-top boxes, faster and more cost-effective, thus saving their precious R&D resources which can now instead be used for penetrating new markets. MDE 9500 platform ICs are the first single-chip hybrid analog-digital TV decoders worldwide, paving the way to cost-effective integrated digital television sets (IDTV). All functions required to decode digital and analog programs, as well as associated mainstream interactive services, are integrated. This high degree of integration allows TV manufacturers to develop next generation digital TVs also capable of receiving analog programs without having to use separate video decoder and teletext processor ICs. The MDE 9500 therefore eases the transition into the age of digital TV.
"Micronas is known for its long experience in the consumer electronics markets and for its history of continuous innovation. The MDE 9500 platform is a very good example for system-oriented design and opens the way to cost-effective integrated digital television receivers, with a special focus on minimizing initial R&D for OEMs and ODMs", said Alexander Wass, managing director of Tara Systems.
The Embedded Wizard provides system manufacturers with a new degree of flexibility: For the first time, it is possible to integrate new features such as animation, fading effects and games in a very short time. Thus, system manufacturers can react very quickly on new market requirements and change GUI features shortly before the start of production - key capabilities in the highly competitive consumer electronics environment.
With its object-oriented programming approach, Embedded Wizard enables the re-use of once developed GUIs. Further enhancing flexibility, Tara Systems will support different platforms: It will even be possible to develop GUIs independently from their respective target applications, and to port them to different device classes.
Furthermore, Embedded Wizard increases the productivity of system manufacturers because it simplifies the way programmers can integrate new functions into the GUI.
"Tara Systems has contributed heavily to innovation in the consumer electronics industry over the past decade, by providing leading embedded systems applications and development tools. With the Embedded Wizard, they offer a unique tool to players in the highly competitive field of consumer electronics, enabling them to develop graphical user interfaces similar to the PC world", said Peter Rost, marketing director digital TV with Micronas. "We are proud that Tara Systems selected the MDE 9500 as the most suitable platform to launch their revolutionary Embedded Wizard tool at IFA 2003 in Berlin."
Embedded Wizard allows to develop, to test and to present GUI prototypes on the PC thanks to the easy to use "Chora" programming language. Hence, new GUIs can be developed and tested on the PC without the need for the device target platform actually being connected, which further contributes to fast time-to-market.
Embedded Wizard and the MDE 95xx platform package are available from Tara Systems now.
About Tara Systems
TARA Systems, based in Munich, was incorporated 1990 with the vision to develop innovative concepts, software and tools for consumer electronic (CE) devices. TARA Systems is specialized in application development, graphical user interfaces, data transmission in TV environments and multimedia applications used in TV sets, Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), Set Top Boxes and related devices. Further information is available at www.tara-systems.de.