Oxford Semiconductor Introduces Oxide Serial Connectivity Device Customization Software
Reduces Customization Time from Weeks to Minutes
MILPITAS, Calif., Jan. 10, 2008 - Driven by customers’ need for quick and reliable product customization, Oxford Semiconductor, Inc., a semiconductor company specialized in systems interconnectivity, today launched Oxide, a new software product that significantly reduces set-up and customization time for their broad offering of serial connectivity devices. Oxide enables customization in minutes and eliminates the risk of error often associated with device customization.
Changing the dynamics of device customization, Oxide adopts a graphical user interface (GUI) to simplify the process of EEPROM file generation, INF file manipulation and device driver set-up. Historically, this has been a manual process that is both time consuming and error prone since it requires complex editing of binary or hex data or device driver source code. Oxide simplifies this process by allowing a design engineer to make product specific selections by checking boxes and using pull down menus to fill out fields, without requiring any knowledge of the underlying software. Oxide provides individual EEPROM, INF file and branding editors that enable device customization without resorting to source code editing.
“The basis of our semiconductor IP is that it is easy to use, easy to design in and it simply works, improving product design success and reducing time-to-market for our customers,” stated Adrian Braine, Marketing Manager, Connectivity Solutions at Oxford Semiconductor. “Oxide embodies these principles, allowing designers to rapidly customize the default device personality to represent their own product design requirements with no software expertise. It means customers can achieve real savings in engineering resources and development time.”
Oxide allows designers to customize features such as the device configuration, the PCI configuration space, power management modes and also allows them to add their own branding to the Windows® Device Properties page. To change the device EEPROM settings, the designer simply selects the Oxford device and the parameters that can be edited are displayed. Starting with a blank sheet or a number of provided “golden” files, it takes the designer just a few minutes to create a customized file. The tool also allows the user to read, erase and verify the contents of an attached EEPROM or dump to a file for a standalone programmer.
For INF Files and Branding it is not necessary to be a software engineer; anyone can make the required changes by simply loading a device driver package then checking boxes and entering text for the functionality required. The changes are handled automatically by Oxide, assuring consistency and accuracy and all without the need to touch source code.
Oxford Semiconductor provides a broad selection of serial connectivity silicon solutions with accompanying software device drivers covering Windows and Linux operating systems to manufacturers of add-in cards, point-of-sale, industrial automation, building automation and network management systems.
Focused on the storage and data connectivity markets, Oxford’s market leading interconnect controller portfolio includes: direct-attached (DAS) and network-attached storage (NAS) controllers; serial communication controllers for PCI Express, PCI, miniPCI, Compact Flash and PC Cards; USB host, peripheral and On-The-Go controllers; and Network connectivity controllers.
Oxide is available now, free of charge, from Oxford Semiconductor or its authorized sales representatives.
About Oxford Semiconductor
Whether transferring data from a consumer product to a storage device, backing-up and protecting data, or delivering a command from a host device to a peripheral, Oxford Semiconductor is at the very heart of data and content access, distribution and delivery. Established in 1992, the company provides a broad range of semiconductor hardware and software solutions that enable seamless device-to-device interconnectivity. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company has a design center in Abingdon, UK and sales support offices worldwide. For more information visit http://www.oxsemi.com.