BSQUARE Speeds Set-top Box Development With Upgraded Software Development Kit

Business Wire, Nov 7, 2000

Business Editors, Technology Writers

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2000

In alliance with Microsoft and National Semiconductor, BSQUARE

provides targeted software and technologies to power tomorrow's

interactive television experience

BSQUARE Corporation (Nasdaq:BSQR), a world leader in providing products and services for the development and deployment of intelligent computing devices, is bringing true interactive television even closer to the living with a new software product to help customers develop and deploy advanced digital set-top boxes faster than ever before.

BSQUARE's newly upgraded Set-top Box Software Development Kit (SDK) seamlessly integrates with Microsoft's MSTV and National Semiconductor's (NYSE:NSM) hardware reference platform to provide a complete foundation for set-top box development.

The BSQUARE Set-top Box SDK, Version 1.1, will provide the software and technologies required by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), application developers, and network operators to shorten development cycles and provide a leading edge digital set-top box solution to the fast growing interactive digital TV market. BSQUARE's upgraded Set-top Box SDK is based on the Microsoft TV platform and the National Geode(TM) SP1SC10 STB hardware reference platform.

The BSQUARE Set-top Box SDK will be demonstrated in the National Semiconductor booth L3005 at Comdex in Las Vegas next week.

"Digital set-top boxes are among the first internet appliances to exploit the rapid growth and adoption of broadband services in the home. Services such as video-on-demand, streaming media, interactive TV shows and `T-commerce' will accelerate and will be available to an increasing base of consumers," said Paul Budak, Business Unit Director of BSQUARE's Set-top Box Group. "Our latest development kit will help set-top box OEMs, Multiple service operators and content developers deliver these advanced digital services to the consumer market in record time."

"BSQUARE is a long-standing, excellent partner and we're proud to be working with them to empower the set-top box market," said Paul McCormick, Set-top box Marketing Manager of National Semiconductor. "Their new set-top box SDK is an integral companion to our Geode SP1SC10 STB reference platform and Microsoft's MSTV. Together with our partners, we're helping customers to quickly develop advanced set-top box products for interactive TV entertainment."

According to International Data Corporation, interactive-capable NetTV deployments will increase from 10.1 million units in 1999 to more than 72.3 million units deployed worldwide by the end of 2004.

BSQUARE Software Enables Fast Set-top Box Deployment BSQUARE's new Set-top Box SDK includes all of the system level components needed to integrate Microsoft TV Client to the National STB hardware reference platform for complete set-top box development. The production-quality device drivers are tailored to the on-chip (SC 1200) and on-board capabilities of the Geode SP1SC10 reference platform, and include:

-- National Geode SC1200 integrated processor

-- MPEG2 A/V decoder (Sigma Designs RealMagic EM 8400)

-- 2D graphics with MMX support

-- Video processor with NTSC/PAL/SECAM encoder

-- SmartCard interface (Philips TDA 8006)

-- AC97 codec

-- Dolby Digital 5.1 channel audio support

-- Analog TV tuner

-- 10/100 Ethernet port (National DP83815 "Macphyter)

-- USB keyboard and mouse

-- IR support for keyboard and remote control

-- Onboard Super I/O

-- UltraDMA/33 IDE driver for HD and DVD-ROM

-- I2C and PCI bus support

-- M-SYSTEMS DiskOnChip support

Sample applications:

-- Instant messaging integrated into MSTV browser

-- CD Audio player

In addition to the platform specific drivers, this kit includes the BSQUARE loader and add-on drivers such as DVB-S support for Broadlogic 2030. All components have been tested and verified using BSQUARE's CEValidator(TM) Platform Tester quality assurance tool.

Insignia Java VM integration

BSQUARE has struck a strategic relationship with Insignia to be the exclusive provider and integrator of its Jeode(TM) Embedded Virtual Machine(TM) (EVM(TM)). The Jeode platform provides the fastest, most reliable Java VM for implementing Java applications in embedded devices and Internet appliances. Set-top box OEMs and network operators that are interested in building Java applications or need Java support should contact BSQUARE for more information regarding EVM integration.

Price and Availability

The Set-top Box SDK will be available in two versions. The Binary Version includes non-customizable binary code and will be made available free of charge for evaluation purposes only. This allows set-top box OEMs, network operators and application developers to quickly and easily evaluate this set-top box platform. For completely customized adaptations, the Source Version of the Set-top Box SDK provides source-code for the most complete development environment available. The Source Kit will be offered at $19,995. The BSQUARE STB SDK 1.1 will be available in the fourth quarter of this year.