1997-10-20 , S/IC-728/45

Partnership enables manufacturers to design embedded devices that are managed and controlled over the Internet

Sunnyvale, Calif., Oct. 20, 1997 - Philips Semiconductors, the largest manufacturer and supplier of 80C51 microcontrollers (MCUs), and emWare, an embedded Internet software company, today announced a partnership to offer Internet connectivity using Philips'  80C51 MCUs and emWare technology. emWare develops the first device web server (which consumes only 1K of memory) specifically designed for microcontroller-based embedded devices. As a result of the partnership, designers will now be able to create embedded devices that can be connected to the Internet and controlled remotely using a standard web browser.

"Philips' 80C51 MCUs cover the globe with enabling technology for a broad range of applications and devices. The agreement with emWare not only allows us to extend the capabilities of Philips MCUs, but further demonstrates the versatility of our products," said Shlomo Waser, general manager, Philips Semiconductors' Microcontroller Product Group. "emWare's innovative technology is ideal for connecting large scale networks to embedded devices that are using 8- and 16-bit MCUs."

Customers can network emWare-embedded devices and control them via the Internet, an intranet or lightweight networks such as I²C. I²C is a simple two-wire serial bus commonly used to interconnect ICs on a broad range of consumer electronics products. The I²C is available on over 100 different IC devices supplied by more than 25 semiconductor companies.

Philips Semiconductors' family of 80C51 MCUs, including over 100 derivatives, is the market's best-selling 80C51 microcontroller. In-Stat, an independent semiconductor research firm, reported Philips' 80C51 sales of US$ 558 million in 1996, a 20% increase from 1995, and a 44% share of the 80C51 8-bit microcontroller market. Philips has extended this successful architecture into 16-bit performance with its XA product line. Now customers can preserve their software, development tools and technology investment in the 80C51 while capitalizing on the 16-bit performance requirements.

"Philips provides a complete line of 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers with a full range of functionality," said Chris Sontag, president and co-founder of emWare. "Philips and emWare working together gives manufacturers multiple protocols for building embedded devices with Internet connectivity such as I²C, CAN, RS232, RS485 and Powerline to name a few."

emWare Technology a Robust Internet Solution for Embedded Devices emWare offers a variety of benefits for microcontroller-based electronic devices:

• Reduced manufacturing costs. Because emWare technology requires minimal resources at the device-less than 1K of ROM and 30 bytes of RAM-manufacturers can inexpensively create low-cost solutions for their customers.
• Visual development environment. The emWare SDK integrates emWare technology with Symantec's Visual Café so manufacturers can create graphical user interfaces for embedded devices up to ten times faster in a visual environment than with text-based coding. Developers can do much of their programming by dragging, dropping and linking.
• Internet connectivity and networking. Using emWare's new emGateway, customers can network emWare-embedded devices and control them via the Internet, an intranet or lightweight networks such as RS485.

Pricing and Availability
The emWare Software Developers Kit will include the Philips 87C654 MCU, which has a built-in, Multi-master I²C and provides an end-to-end solution-from the browser interface at the client, to the server software at the microcontroller. The kit is integrated with Symantec's Visual Café tools. A single-user version is available for $1,250 (US) by calling emWare at (801) 256-3883. Package options can include consulting, training and technical support.

About emWare
emWare is the sole provider of embedded Internet software that runs on 8 and 16-bit microcontrollers without requiring an RTOS or a TCP/IP stack at the device. The company develops products based on open Internet standards that allow embedded device manufacturers to simplify the communications, use, management and commerce of their products. emWare was one of five companies to receive the Industry Choice Award at Internet Showcase in April 1997. The company is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information about emWare and its products, visit the company's web site at  http://www.emware.com.

About Philips Semiconductors
Philips Semiconductors, Inc., a subsidiary of Philips Electronics North America and an affiliate of Philips Electronics NV, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the ninth largest semiconductor supplier in the world. Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia, and wireless communications markets. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world and are supported by regional customer application labs. Additional information about Philips Semiconductors and its Microcontroller products can be obtained by accessing the home page at www.semiconductors.philips.com.