Lectronix integrates Tilcon's Graphic Technology in its AFrame Automotive Reference Platform
Dear Sir, on behalf of the graphics' design specialist Tilcon Software we send you the following press release. It describes a technological project of both companies. Details are mentioned in the release. Should you have any questions, or should you wish pictures, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be happy if the news was suitable for your reports. Regards, Beate Lorenzoni ************************************** Agentur Lorenzoni GmbH, Public Relations Wilhelmstr. 17, D-80801 München ph. +49(0)89/386659-0, fax: -29 www.lorenzoni.de; beate@lorenzoni.de ***************************************** Tilcon Makes Product Differentiation easy - at the Advantage of Automotive OEMs and Tier1-Integrators Lectronix integrates Tilcon's Graphic Technology in its Automotive Reference Platform AFrame Ottawa/Munich, March 2006 - Tilcon Software increases the heart-beat of automotive engineers: The Navion R5000 Hardware of Lectronix running under QNX shows the bandwith of the Tilcon solution for automotive use: It offers "Three at Once" to leaf through - the display of a rear camera, of a radio and a board computer (i.e. a navigation system including a map). The Navion R5000 integrates the separate systems for radio, camera and board computer in one single box. It is based on the automotive reference platform AFrame of Lectronix, which consists of Lectronix's own hardware based on a Freescale MPC5200 processor, QNX Neutrino and the Tilcon Interface Development Suite (IDS). The graphics technology IDS makes quick and easy changes and modifications/re-brands of the user interface possible - at a fraction of costs and time compared to traditional code-based GUI solutions. Thus the Tilcon IDS enables automotive OEM's and integrators to focus on high value user interface enginee ring, rather than low value code generation, integration and debugging. One of the big challenges for Automotive system integrators is the integration of more than 20 different technologies (i.e. speech, navigation, MP3, satellite radio, bluetooth, CAN, video, instrument cluster) into a single device. The additional development effort (and costs) associated with leveraging this integration (product navigation and its user interface) represents the true value to the OEM and eventual end customer. The true differentiator and ultimate revenue goal is the ability to deploy various brands and/or trim models in least amount of time and development cost. As a precondition for this fast adaptation to various brands and products is the separation of the GUI (OEM Branding Layer) from the core technologies. With the Tilcon IDS (Interface Development Suite) as part of the AFrame this product differentiation is easy. Its client-server architecture integrates perfectly with the architecture of AFrame. The Tilcon IDS enables the design and animation of HMIs without any code being produced or any technical knowledge of embedded programming being necessary. As no graphics library is linked to the embedded application, the embedded developer no longer has to worry about graphics. Instead, the objects are defined by the graphics designer, who specifies their names and sets their parameters - without any embedded expertise. The screen layout or user interface can easily be designed by selecting objects from a large library or by assigning customer-specific characteristics. Graphic images can be allocated to objects at a mouse click, and their parameters can be configured with checkboxes. Each object is given a symbolic name, to which the binary graphics engine EVE (Embedded Vector Engine ; part of IDS) relates. It knows immediately how the object is to be drawn, by combining the drawing instructions saved in the window (twd) file with the dynamic parameters of the embedded application. It draws all objects faultlessly on real-time operating systems (Linux, QNX, VxWorks, WinCE, WinXP embedded), even using IP stacks (Wind®NET), databases (Birdstep RDM, Encirq 3e) or UML tools. "Tilcon's unique architecture allows our customers to easily re-brand the AFrame's graphical user interfaces at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional code based GUI solutions. This is a key business differentiator for Lectronix and our customers", says Frank Pellitta, VP Sales and Marketing of Lectronix. Lectronix's flagship product, the AFrame applications framework and development suite, provides a consistent means for integrating entertainment, multimedia, navigation and board computer technologies into a single device. The AFrame framework is based upon a client-server model, where core functionality is implemented in middleware servers that encapsulate and isolate the integrated technology. This modular "building block" approach allows AFrame to easily support a range of integrated in-car systems ranging from entertainment and multimedia to vehicle information, management, and communications. # # # About Lectronix, Inc. (www.lectronix.biz) Lectronix is a Tier 2 supplier of automotive integrated electronics technology, software and product design services. Founded in 2001, Lectronix maintains offices in Lansing, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, Michigan. About Tilcon Software, Ltd. (www.tilcon.com) Tilcon Software, based in Ottawa/Canada, has been developing exceptional graphic software for consumers and developers since 1987. The Tilcon IDS is a multiplatform GUI development environment. Designed to meet the specialized needs of embedded HMI developers, Tilcon's products are tailored for market segments such as automotive, medical instrumentation, vehicle electronics, consumer devices and industrial machinery. Based in Ottawa, Canada, Tilcon has enabled device manufacturers to quickly deliver sophisticated, customized graphic displays and instrument clusters that perform within the constraints of real time and embedded environments. Customers include leading companies i.e. Denso, COMET, Gambro Renal, Ericsson, GE Transportation, Philips Medical, Nissei, Scott Lab and Raytheon. Editorial Contacts: Tilcon Software, Ltd., Dornach/München, Franz-Josef Maintz Ph +49 (0)89 / 944 90 157, eMail: franz@tilcon.com Agentur Lorenzoni GmbH, Public Relations, Beate Lorenzoni, Ph +49 (0)89 / 386659-0, eMail: beate@lorenzoni.de, www.lorenzoni.de