Blogs » Bin Zhu (Intel)

MPSDK 1.3 adds Moblin support

Bin Zhu (Intel) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:57:40 +0000

This week we released an extension of Mobile Platform SDK 1.3 and added Moblin platform support. Moblin (www.moblin.org) is major targeting MID and Intel Atom based devices. Some people asked what's relationship between MPSDK and Moblin and its own SDK. They are different and MPSDK is not part of core stack of Moblin. MPSDK is a cross platform, cross OS tool to help users to develop any mobile awareness applications. As you can see, it provides API and runtime on Windows PC, Windows Mobile, Linux PC and now Moblin. Applications can also get benefit to invoke the consistent API and easy port to multiple platforms.
2 new packages (binary and source) are available for download from below sites
- Intel ISN http://www.intel.com/software/MPSDK
- SourceForge.org: http://sourceforge.net/projects/mpsdk

MPSDK 1.3 Open Source Goes Alive

Bin Zhu (Intel) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:20:53 +0000

Since the last release of Mobile Platform SDK open source project for Windows, here goes a new version of 1.3 to support the Linux platform, available on ISN and SourceForge. Now MPSDK 1.3 is licensed under BSD, both Windows and Linux code. This replaces the Apache 2.0 license in v1.2, in order to be better compatible with Linux GPLv2.

Comparing with MPSDK 1.2, v1.3 adds the Linux support, first with Ubuntu notebook distribution to develop mobile awareness applications. MPSDK 1.3 keeps the same common information model API of C++, .NET and Java across multiple platforms, including Windows PC, Windows Mobile and Linux PC. To simplify the use on different platforms, they are divided into 4 categories and 11 files for download.
    - Windows PC contains the SDK and PDK (Provider Development Kit) binary installers and source code package for XP and Vista.
    - Windows Mobile contains the SDK binary and source packages for Windows Pocket PC and Smartphone 03/05.
    - Linux PC contains the SDK debian installer and source package for Ubuntu 7.04 and 7.10.
    - Windows App Tools contains the runtime installer and several usful tools, Bandwidth GUI, .NET and Java Information Viewer, to run on Windows PC with the SDK API.
For more details, please refer to the download page.

MPSDK helps on Location calculation

Bin Zhu (Intel) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:26:59 +0000

Recently when looking into the location technology on mobile platform, I found that network awareness in MPSDK can also support to calculate the location of the device. Besides GPS, now more and more technologies are used to provide location info, like IP, WiFi, WiMAX, TV, etc. PlaceLab and Intel Location Technologies SDK give such a solution to fuse the multiple sources and calculate the best location.

While using WiFi or other wireless network to detect the location, user moves and may stop at a desk or in a room, then plug in a cable to connect wired. If user switches off the WiFi, we assume the device is staying in the same place with the last location by the radio, since it connects to a wired cable. If the WiFi location is still working, this wired connection can help improve the accuracy of location by judging the device is fixed.

So what will Mobile Platform SDK do in this situation? MPSDK contains the API of network adapter management and event notification when media is connected or disconnected for 802.3 link protocol, which means the wired cable is plugged in or out. It's easy for software developers to call in the API and register the event listener to detect the status of device. The multiple languages support of MPSDK will also benefit to Java based project like PlaceLab.

Mobile Platform SDK and Linux version

Bin Zhu (Intel) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:00:53 +0000

Since the MPSDK 1.2 was launched on Jul. 24 during Open Source Convention in Portland, we met some users and customers asking about Linux version. MPSDK is a multiple platform/OS based software stack, but we don't have Linux version in current release because the project was started several years ago major on PC (laptop) which was not common for user to select Linux.

Now Linux is more used in mobile device with improved usibility. Intel is also contributing to build the next generation mobile platform of UMPC and MID. Linux will be an important platform extension for MPSDK. The team will work to make it happen for MPSDK Linux version, like power, display, connectivity, bandwidth management, etc. The consistent programming interface with Windows will also simplify application development and save cost for porting.

As an open source project, any feedback or input is welcome to help us improve the features as well as usage.