Once heralded as the ideal core for low-power mobile devices, the ARM core has transformed itself as the perfect MCU for a myriad of industrial and consumer-based applications, as reflected in this Special “MCU Edition” of IQ Magazine. The movement toward 32-bit MCUs is best summed up by Hayden Povey in his article 32-Bit Microcontrollers in an 8 Bit World. He states: “The global microcontroller marketplace is expected to grow from approximately 9 billion units in 2007 to over 15 billion units in 2010, with 32-bit devices growing at nearly 3x the rate of traditional 8-Bit.” He also states that “32-bit devices are now widely available below $2, and simplified programming models enable those who once regarded 32-bit MCUs as out of range are now reconsidering their design roadmaps.”

For designers already adopting the MCUs in their next applications, Power Consumption and System Performance Testing Using Hardware and Software Floating Point Math, and Next Generation Smart Control Panels Take User Interfaces to a New Level , are full of in-depth design information.

Other articles in this section such as Cortex-M3: Initiating the Consolidation of the MCU Market, and Connecting the Automotive and Consumer Worlds offer a more “High Level” dissertation on the impact of the new families of ARM MCUs. ARM Cores are still the prevalent processor in mobile devices, and the article Mobile Internet Devices: Transforming Communication in Revolutionary Ways, addresses the evolution and revolution of MID, Mobile Internet Devices.

Speaking of high-level, our cover illustrates the article in this issue’s Consumer Lifestyles on corporate jets equipped with new cutting edge multimedia systems for in-flight entertainment (see Aonix Takes Off with Port to EABI in Corporate Jets). Thanks to the availability of Aonix’s PERC Ultra Virtual Machine designed with a Freescale iMX31 processor running Mobilinux from Montavista, the skies are even friendlier. For those of us forced to be grounded over the Spring, the article Magellan puts Live Information in Reach of Drivers allows you to search for points of interest directly from the display, without taking your eyes off the road.

As usual, our Technology In-depth section contains absorbing articles on design issues such as Integrating, Testing and Debugging ‘Old’ C Code with ‘New’ UML-Generated Sources, and Real-Time Trace: Serial Wire Viewer. Because power is still an issue in embedded control applications, peruse Powerwise Power Management Solutions in Embedded Systems. Accelerating Time-to-Market with ARM RealView SoC Designer and Carbon Model Studio, and Open Verification Methodology: Fulfilling the Promise of SystemVerilog round out the Design Strategies section.

Once you’ve finished reading this issue, flip it over and start from the back. This issue is combined with the Spring 2008 MCU Resource Guide, containing dozens of pages of devices and tools that support the ARM7, ARM9E, and Cortex Family of MCUs from ARM.