Multicore microprocessors arrived on the market simply because it was not possible to go any further with single core devices; the only way to get more processing power was to use more cores. Now, the multicore approach is finding favour amongst embedded system developers.
It's an approach that makes sense, allowing different tasks to run on different cores can lead to more efficiency, not only for the microcontroller, but also for the process being controlled. But there is a problem; how do software developers partition their code in order to get that efficiency? There are few, if any, suitable tools available and there are instances of companies selecting multicore mcus, only to run all the code on one core because they couldn't deal with the partitioning problems.
But a radical solution has been developed; radical in the fact that it not only allows developers to write new code with partitioning in mind and to reformat legacy code for multicore, but also because the approach is being offered as a service using the 'cloud' – in this case, Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud.
The approach is also refreshing; a change from expensive packages and high maintenance and support charges. If you want to access this software, unlimited access for one person will cost – at least for the moment – €85 a month. And using the computing power of the cloud means you don't need a host of high powered computers on site; unlike some eda packages.
It's not the first time that the electronics industry has been offered Software as a Service, but it may represent the start of a wider move to the approach as everyone looks to keep control over their costs. Perhaps it's appropriate for some of the larger software providers to take a closer look at how they offer their products.
