The Intel® Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform provides a full internet experience in a pocket-sized form factor. Combining Moblin-based operating systems with the Intel® Atom™ processor, MIDs are able to run applications that have been built for the x86 architecture, reducing the cost of porting applications to this platform, while significantly expanding integration potential with existing infrastructures. While the features of the devices that are and will be on the market will vary widely, all MIDs have several features in common (some more obvious than others): a low-power Intel® Atom™ processor, a highly variable set of input mechanisms, a touch screen display, multiple radios and network connectivity options, limited battery and storage capacity, and in many cases an onboard GPS. These hardware devices have been exposed to software developers by way of the Platform Awareness Service, a lightweight, read-only, D-Bus initiated platform information provider. Since the final software stack for each device is determined mainly by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Service Providers (SPs), this service may not be pre-installed on Intel® MIDs. Therefore this series of whitepapers has been written in an effort to simplify access to this information on platforms that do not have this service installed.

Many of today’s traditional web applications are built with a client server architecture where all the processing is done on the server, and the client is only used to display static content. All interaction with the application must be sent as a request to the server, and then a response is formatted and sent back to the client where is it simply rendered in the browser window. In this interaction, the client is somewhat analogous to a terminal. Very little of its resources are being used to contribute to the experience the user is getting.

Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) represent the next evolution in the traditional web application model. RIAs employ the power of the client to augment the experience by utilizing the processing power that was previously mostly ignored. RIAs are web applications that have the many of the features of traditional desktop applications, as they introduce another layer of processing on the client that handle richer features such as rendering, state management, and storage.

The functionality of a RIA is only limited by the capabilities of the client. Instead of designing for the lowest common denominator, RIA’s have the opportunity to scale their features and interfaces to match what the client can handle. Awareness of the client’s capabilities therefore becomes critical when determining how to scale an application’s features, or how to present the user interface. The information exposed by the Platform Awareness Service can be used by RIA designers to effectively scale their applications to the next level.

Whitepapers have been authored introducing developers to each key area previously mentioned:

• Utilizing Processor Performance in Rich Internet Applications discusses the exposure of processor capabilities to developers.
• Determining Input Devices in Linux discusses input mechanisms.
• Obtaining Display Information on Mobile Internet Devices covers device displays.
• Detecting Network Connectivity Using D-Bus, network connectivity.
• Developing Power Aware Applications Using D-Bus, enables application awareness of device power states.
• How to Obtain Storage Information in Linux addresses storage capacity.
• Last but not least, How to Obtain Location Information in Linux covers integration of location-based information into your applications utilizing the GPS.

A quick API reference is available in: Platform Awareness Service: D-Bus Interface Definition. Finally, the Platform Monitor sample application has been included in the package, clearly demonstrating syntax and usage of the Platform Awareness Service API. Full documentation for this tool is available in the: Platform Monitor User’s Guide.

As always, feedback is greatly appreciated and will aid development of upcoming releases. Feel free to submit a comment to the Intel® Software Network, or alternatively send an e-mail to either jeremy dot saldate at intel dot com or clayne dot robison at intel dot com. Happy coding!

API Reference

• Information about how to use the Platform Awareness Service DBus Interface.

Sample Applications

• Platform Monitor
• Platform Monitor User Guide

Source Code

• Platform Awareness Service CVS Tree Snapshot (Inludes Platform Monitor) (4.5MB)
• Platform Awareness Service Midinux Source RPM (1.4MB)
• Platform Awareness Service Midinux Source RPM (Debug) (1.4MB)
• Platform Awareness Service Midinux Source RPM (No GPS) (1.4MB)
• Platform Monitor Source RPM (2MB)

Downloads

• Platform Awareness Service RPM Installer (1MB)
• Platform Awareness Service RPM Installer (Debug) (1MB)
• Platform Awareness Service RPM Installer (No GPS) (1MB)
• Platform Awareness Service Debian Installer (1MB)
• Platform Awareness Service Debian Installer (Debug) (1MB)
• Platform Awareness Service Debian Installer (No GPS) (1MB)
• Platform Monitor RPM Installer (2MB)

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