Mentor Graphics Corporation has been focused on embedded systems development for some time. It has announced a new program composed of the Mentor® Embedded professional services and products specifically for hardware companies. The Mentor Embedded Hardware Enablement Program provides a spectrum of comprehensive services and training for embedded Android, Linux®, open source tools (GNU, GCC, Eclipse), user interface (UI) creation, and vertical markets, including in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), smart energy and retail applications.

As embedded systems are becoming increasingly complex, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are placing ever-growing demands on their hardware vendors to deliver better software development tools and considerably more runtime content. Due to the large volume of sophisticated open source platform software expected by OEMs, hardware vendors can increase design wins and accelerate products to market by creating an efficient eco-system of embedded tools, middleware, operating systems (including real-time operating systems, Android and Linux) and services. The Mentor Embedded Hardware Enablement Program enables hardware vendors to create an efficient software ecosystem by providing common tools and embedded Linux and Android reference platforms in both free and commercially supported formats, based on customer preferences. The Mentor Embedded product and services offerings include support for platform development on bare metal, RTOS, and open source operating systems, GNU toolchain services, and embedded UIs.

The announcement was responsible for a significant jump in Mentor's stock price at the opening. The stock gained almost 3% and is still claiming at this writing.

The company is leveraging previous embedded software development successes with major silicon vendors such as C2 Microsystems, Freescale Semiconductor, IBM, NetLogic Microsystems, and Texas Instruments. The Embedded Hardware Enablement Program includes:

• Android offerings that comprise the creation, optimization, and maintenance of full-featured Android environments. This includes the creation and maintenance of a public repository and fostering an OEM community around that repository. Android training is also offered to help reduce the time to volume.

• Linux commercial platform creation for hardware targets, board support package (BSP) creation, optimization, open source community management, platform maintenance, support, training, engineering services, and maintenance. Mentor is the only major open source player that supports the powerful combination of a no cost Linux version that is fully compatible with their commercial version of Linux.

• Complete open source toolchain offerings, such as GNU, GCC, Eclipse, and low-level virtual machine (LLVM), to develop code for hardware architecture, such as porting, custom and commercial software development kits (SDKs), optimized performance libraries, advanced analysis tools, and JTAG probes for devices.

• User interface product and design services to jumpstart OEM customers' development efforts to deliver dynamic 2D, 2.5D and 3D graphics, animation, and special effects for customized products that can be created very fast.

• Vertical Platform Services delivering a range of firmware, OS, middleware, application and UI development for existing hardware to support specific vertical market requirements

The full range of Mentor Embedded products and services for hardware vendors is available today. For more information visit the website at http://go.mentor.com/mehep.