The T Factor

The T Factor
An idea that germinated in the collective imagination of 22 Japanese technologists, the T-Engine is all set to rewrite the technology behind embedded systems.

Imagine a little device that can connect all the gadgets at your home in such a manner that your washing machine could take instructions from your mobile phone. Well, the T-Engine could do just that. A ubiquitous computing platform, the T-Engine is a standardised, open, real-time computing system and development environment that aids the creation of networks between embedded computers in everyday objects. Its greatest strength lies in the fact that it can effortlessly connect networks to each other.

Created by the TRON project that was originally set up to develop engine controllers in automobiles and mobile phones, the T-Engine is the brainchild of one of the world’s most famous computer architects, Ken Sakamura.

Different engines and applications
T-Engines are of various types. The Micro T-Engine, which can communicate with appliances like your toaster or microwave oven; the Standard T-Engine, which can be used for smart phones and other portable communication gizmos; the coin-sized Nano T-Engine that is useful for small home electronic appliances; and the Pico T-Engine, which adds the power of communicability to tiny electronic components like sensors, switches and so on. The operating system that runs this little genius is called iTRON.

What makes the T-Engine special are its standardised hardware, a real-time operating system, a debugging monitor, and format specifications that ensure smooth distribution of middleware. Besides, the whole package is on eTRON (the project’s network security platform), ensuring strong network security Microsoft MCTS Training.

The T-Engine also offers infinite possibilities in terms of applications. T-Engines intrinsically support RFID chips, bar codes, smart tags and other security and placement devices – another reason why they can be of great use in a number of consumer applications. The best-known application of the T-Engine is for automobile optimising functions. For instance, Toyota has built the Toyota Dream House PAPI, which is, literally, a houseful of T-Engine boards. In an emergency, the Toyota Prius hybrid automobile can actually provide electricity to this Dream House.

A number of everyday uses for the T-Engine have also been developed, especially in Japan. In cities like Kobe and Tsuwano, hundreds of electronic tags have been embedded (literally) in pavement stones and street benches to help tourists, visitors, and even handicapped people find their way around the city. This tagging of large areas of a city could also serve as the first step to robotisation, as these tags can serve as ‘guides’ to robots Microsoft MCITP Certification.

Apart from everyday applications, T-Engines can also be used as a single point of control for high-performance embedded systems. For instance, the T-Engine’s LCD can serve as a maintenance console for a number of different high-performance computing devices, often serving as a multi-functional package of devices. Software components can thus be portable as well as easily distributed, with the T–Engine connectivity.