Embedded Software

Following is a list of commercial and free software for the development of embedded systems.

GNU Toolchain:

Industry standard noncommercial toolchain on Unix and Linux operating systems (and on Windows). Supports the following targets: ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, SuperH, 68k, Coldfire, x86, M32R, i960, Blackfin (DSP), H8/300, 68HC12, MSP430 and many others

Also, see our complete LIST of supported architectures by the GNU Toolchain.

ARM Ltd. Toolchain

The original commercial toolchain by ARM Ltd, England. It supports the popular cores ARM7 and ARM9 and the newer cores ARM10 and ARM11, too. The latter two cores are not supported by the GNU toolchain, yet.

  • RealView* www.arm.com/..
    Toolchain for ARM Cores and IDE on Linux and Solaris. Includes the standard ARM bootloader Angel.

IDEs

  • CrossWorks* www.rowley.co.uk
    CrossWorks by Rowley Associates, England: an IDE for Linux for the following targets: ARM, MAXQ, MSP430, AVR
  • Source-Navigator sourcenav.sourceforge.net
    IDE for the GNU toolchain. "Source-Navigator is a source code analysis tool. With it, you can edit your source code, display relationships between classes and functions and members, and display call trees. You can also build your projects, either with your own makefile, or by using Source-Navigator's build system to automatically generate a makefile."

C Libraries

  • glibc www.gnu.org/..
    "The GNU C library is primarily designed to be a portable and high performance C library. It follows all relevant standards (ISO C 99, POSIX.1c, POSIX.1j, POSIX.1d, Unix98, Single Unix Specification). It is also internationalized and has one of the most complete internationalization interfaces known."
  • uClibc www.uclibc.org
    A C library for developing embedded Linux systems. Much smaller than the GNU C library, it nearly supports all applications supported by glibc.
  • diet libc www.freshmeat.net/..
    "diet libc contains the system call wrappers and the most commonly-used functions you expect from a libc. It can be used to create small, statically-linked binaries under x86, AMD64, SPARC, SPARC64, PPC, PPC64, ARM, MIPS, MIPS64, PA-RISC, S/390, S/390x (64-bit S/390), and Alpha-Linux."
  • newlib sources.redhat.com/..
    "Newlib is a C library intended for use on embedded systems. It is a conglomeration of several library parts, all under free software licenses that m ake them easily usable on embedded products."

Debuggers

  • gdb (pdf 1.1MB) www.gnu.org/..
    GNU gdb: command line debugger with many features.
  • DDD www.gnu.org/..
    GNU DDD is a graphical front-end for command-line debuggers such as GDB, DBX, WDB, Ladebug, JDB, XDB, the Perl debugger, the bash debugger, or the Python debugger
  • Insight www.gnu.org/..
    Insight is a graphical user interface to GDB, the GNU Debugger written in Tcl/Tk by people working at Red Hat, Inc. and Cygnus Solutions.

Bootloaders / Debug Monitors

  • Angel* www.arm.com/..
    Angel Debug Monitor: a commercial bootloader by ARM Ltd.
  • Redboot ecos.sourceware.org/..
    Redboot bootloader and debug monitor by RedHat under GPL, see also www.ecoscentric.com/..
  • U-Boot uboot.sourceforge.net
    "Das U-Boot": bootloader and debug monitor under GPL
  • gdbstubs sourceforge.net/..
    gdbstubs: "A reusable gdb stub architecture for multiple processor architectures and platforms. Enables embedded systems development using GNU compiler, linker, debugger and other tools." It is no bootloader, just a debug monitor.
  • Syslinux syslinux.zytor.com
    Syslinux: a simple FAT bootloader for development
  • GRUB www.gnu.org/..
    The GRand Unified Bootloader under GPL

Networking Software

  • Networking Software www.ralfschaefer.org/..
    A list of free networking packages and services for embedded systems and servers. For you as an embedded systems expert the first 'Embedded Systems / Targets' section may be of special interest.

Embedded Operating Systems

  • eCos ecos.sourceware.org
    Extremely scalable free open source RTOS for strict hardware constraints, published under the GPL, POSIX compliant. Unique and very easy to use graphical scaling and configuring interface. See also www.ecoscentric.com
  • VxWorks* www.windriver.com
    The leading commercial RTOS (real time operating system), POSIX standards compliant, a Unix relative.

*comercial product, not free or not completely free

Please mail corrupted links to: info_at_ralf-schaefer.biz

(c) 2005, 2006, 2007 Ralf Schaefer Consulting

Software

The Insight debugger by people working at Redhat and Cygnus Solutions.

Embedded Operating Systems f.f.

  • QNX* www.qnx.com
    Commercial microkernel RTOS, a Unix system according to the POSIX standards.
  • RTLinux* www.fsmlabs.com
    Commercial RTOS, based on Linux and POSIX standards.
  • NetBSD www.netbsd.org
    Scalable free open source Unix operating system according to the POSIX standards, it has as much ports to embedded processor architectures as Linux.
  • Linux www.kernel.org
    The very popular Linux kernel, usable for embedded systems, PCs, servers and mainframes, published under the GPL. Many ports to all common embedded architectures. POSIX compliant, a Unix relative.
  • uCLinux www.uclinux.org
    "uClinux is a derivative of the Linux kernel intended for microcontrollers without MMU." POSIX compliant, a Unix relative.
  • RTAI www.rtai.org
    The Real Time Application Interface - a RTOS expansion for the Linux kernel under GPL, POSIX compliant. See also www.aero.polimi.it/..
  • FreeDOS www.freedos.org
    In the field of embedded computing DOS had never vanished. FreeDOS is a NEW project! It's NOT A UNIX relative and NOT POSIX compliant but very easy.

System Software

  • Over 3900 GNU Programs www.gnu.org
    By means of GNU Unix utilities the Linux kernel turns to a substantial operating system: the GNU/Linux
    My favourite distributions are: Mandrake Linux (now Mandriva Linux) (www.mandriva.com) and Debian Linux (www.debian.org)
  • Busybox www.busybox.net
    "BusyBox combines tiny versions of many common UNIX utilities into a single small executable. It provides replacements for most of the utilities you usually find in GNU fileutils, shellutils, etc."
  • Tinylogin tinylogin.busybox.net
    "TinyLogin is a suite of tiny Unix utilities for handling logging into, being authenticated by, changing one's password for, and otherwise maintaining users and groups on an embedded system."

Windowing Environments with build in GUI Toolkits

  • QT/Embedded* www.trolltech.com/..
    "Qt/Embedded, the embedded Linux port of Qt, is a complete and self-contained C++ GUI and platform development tool for Linux-based embedded development." It contains its own windowing system directly on top of the graphic chips framebuffer.
  • MiniGUI www.minigui.org
    "MiniGUI is a GPL'd free software project, led by Beijing Feynman Software Co., Ltd.. It aims to provide a fast, stable, lightweight, and cross-platform Graphics User Interface support system, which is especially fit for real-time embedded systems based-on Linux/uClinux, eCos, uC/OS-II, and other traditional RTOSes, such as VxWorks and ThreadX."
  • picoGUI www.picogui.org
    "PicoGUI is an Open Source project to create a new GUI architecture designed to be usable on systems ranging from embedded to desktops."

Pure Windowing Environments

  • Nano-X (Microwindows) www.nano-x.org
    "The Nano-X Window System is an Open Source project aimed at bringing the features of modern graphical windowing environments to smaller devices and platforms. Nano-X allows applications to be built and tested on the Linux desktop, as well as cross-compiled for the target device."
  • XFree86 www.xfree86.org
    "XFree86, provides a client/server interface between display hardware (the mouse, keyboard, and video displays) and the desktop environment while also providing both the windowing infrastructure and a standardized application interface (API). XFree86 is platform-independent, network-transparent and extensible."

GUI Toolkits

  • FLTK www.fltk.org
    Fast Light Toolkit: cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit for UNIX/Linux (X11), Windows, and MacOS X. It supports 3D graphics via OpenGL and its built-in GLUT emulation.

Graphics Libraries

  • OpenGL ES www.khronos.org/opengles
    "OpenGL ES is a royalty-free, cross-platform API for full-function 2D and 3D graphics on embedded systems - including handheld devices, appliances and vehicles. It is a well-defined subset of desktop OpenGL, creating a flexible and powerful low-level interface between software and graphics acceleration."