Digi International Partners with Timesys to Provide Embedded Linux Solutions for Products Designed with Digi’s ConnectCore(TM) Wi-i.MX51 System-on-Module

PITTSBURGH, April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Timesys Corporation (http://www.timesys.com), provider of  the LinuxLink commercial software development framework and unparalleled technical support for building custom embedded Linux®-based products, announced the company has been selected by Digi International (Nasdaq: DGII) as the preferred commercial Linux solutions provider for Digi’s new ConnectCore™ Wi-i.MX51 wireless System-on-Module (SOM).

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The new design from Digi is based on the powerful Freescale™ i.MX51 processor which offers a high-performance ARM® Cortex-A8® core. The combination of the powerful SoC processor and Digi included peripherals, including pre-certified 802.11abgn WiFi support, makes the ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 a very attractive Linux solution for markets such as medical, consumer electronics and networking, where LinuxLink has already been adopted.

“The Cortex-A8 has been rapidly gaining popularity in various embedded designs where Linux is the operating system of choice,” said Maciej Halasz, Director of Product Management at Timesys. “We are very pleased to team up with Digi International to provide our joint customers with the ability to create high-quality Linux solutions using the latest Digi ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 JumpStart Kit.” Customers selecting Digi’s SOM and creating their custom hardware designs can leverage the ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 LinuxLink subscription to quickly adapt Linux and design/develop their product specific middleware and value-add applications. LinuxLink for the ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 is already being used by a number of early customers developing commercial products, including Triteq.

LinuxLink customers can start with the recent Linux kernel which supports many of the device drivers present on the Digi ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 reference design, including Ethernet, LCD, Touchscreen, VGA, USB and more. The complete list of drivers, Linux packages/middleware and other utilities can be found by visiting the Timesys Digi ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 Development Center, located at https://linuxlink.timesys.com/dev_center/wi-imx51.

“With a LinuxLink subscription, our customers can quickly develop products, benefiting from the latest open source code and access to a knowledgeable and responsive support team,” said Steve Ericson, Vice President of Product Management at Digi International. “We have partnered with Timesys to provide our customers with access to such open source frameworks as rich user interfaces, media playback, networking utilities and more. LinuxLink provides rich Linux component selection for all markets that we target, including medical, consumer electronics and smart networking devices.”

When compared to rolling your own Linux, LinuxLink offers many benefits, with the first and foremost being support, as well as the use of award-winning online and desktop-hosted build tools (called Factory), access to hundreds of packages and verified middleware, and access to various utilities that support Linux system and application development.

Timesys Factory automated build tools enable highly customized Linux designs on custom hardware by allowing developers to integrate third-party packages, custom applications and proprietary software.  

Application developers benefit from LinuxLink development tools which include the Eclipse-based TimeStorm IDE and commonly used debugging tools — including the integration of a number of JTAG debuggers commonly used. The application development tools are integrated with the Factory assembled development environment. This integration makes it easy to use new APIs and ensures that development and runtime environments are in sync. When needed, LinuxLink customers have immediate access to a vast suite of documentation and tutorials as well as support from Timesys’ expert engineers.

In addition to the LinuxLink subscription, Timesys also offers professional services to customers requiring access to highly experienced Linux system developers to work on specific projects in partnership with their in-house engineers.

For a limited time, developers can obtain free trial access to LinuxLink, to quickly configure, build and evaluate embedded Linux on the Digi ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 reference kit by registering at https://linuxlink.timesys.com/register/factory. Developers should enter promotion code PRDIGI51 when completing the form.

Additional information about LinuxLink subscriptions for Digi’s ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51 Development Kit can be found at https://linuxlink.timesys.com/dev_center/wi-imx51.

About Timesys

Timesys is the provider of LinuxLink, a high-productivity software development framework for embedded Linux applications. The LinuxLink framework includes the Linux kernel, cross-toolchain, application development IDE, an award-winning build system called Factory, a vast library of middleware packages, software stacks and libraries, documentation and expert technical support. LinuxLink enables development teams to consistently build and maintain a custom, open source embedded Linux platform through regularly updated Linux sources, proven middleware packages, and a scriptable GNU-based build environment. LinuxLink reduces the time, resources, risk and cost associated with building a product based on open source Linux. For more information, visit http://www.timesys.com.

About Digi International

Digi International is making wireless M2M easy by developing reliable products and solutions to connect and securely manage local or remote electronic devices over the network or via the Web. Digi offers the highest levels of performance, flexibility and quality, and markets its products through a global network of distributors and resellers, systems integrators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). For more information, visit Digi's Web site at www.digi.com, or call 877-912-3444.

Editors’ Notes:

Timesys is a registered trademark of Timesys Corporation.

ARM is a registered trademark and ARM Cortex is a trademark of ARM Limited.

Digi is a registered trademark and ConnectCore is a trademark of Digi International.

Eclipse is a trademark of Eclipse Foundation, Inc.

Freescale is a trademark of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States and other countries.

All other company and product names mentioned are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Timesys Corporation