Source:Micrium
February 25, 2008

Micrium Adds Failsafe Operation to uC/FS FAT and FAT-Free File System Software

Product Offers Critical PC and Flash Compatibility for Multimedia Storage Devices; Software is Vendor Independent and Can Be Used With or Without an RTOS

WESTON, Fla. – February 25, 2008 – In response to the rapid adoption of flash memory for storage applications, Micrium, a leading provider of high quality embedded software components, today announced that its uC/FS (File System) embedded software now offers failsafe operation to prevent data loss in case of power failure. Additionally, uC/FS supports the flash medium for compact, reliable and low-cost storage and provides wear-leveling to increase flash memory lifespan.

Implementation of embedded file systems with these capabilities is increasingly critical as multimedia storage devices, such as digital cameras and mp3 players, move to flash memory and significantly increase their on-board storage capacities. By adopting a file system with failsafe protections, device manufacturers can be certain that only valid data is stored in the flash in case of power loss or reset during write operations. This means the file system is not corrupted if it is interrupted while performing a save function.

To further support storage devices requiring a file system, Micrium offers two versions of its software, both with failsafe protection. The file allocation table (FAT) version supports the standard found on all PCs, allowing for data to be moved easily between embedded devices and the PC. The company also supports a proprietary embedded file systems (EFS) structure with its FAT-free version, for applications where PC compatibility is not required.

“With the advances in storage media capacity, mobility and CPU performance, an increasing number of manufacturers are incorporating the file system feature into their products,” explained Jean Labrosse, president and CEO of Micrium. “A critical differentiator for uC/FS is the fact that no RTOS is required, so any system that needs to move data from the embedded target to other computers can benefit from our fully featured software. Add to that a low memory footprint, excellent performance and competitive pricing, and uC/FS offers the most robust file system available to embedded developers.”

An additional benefit of adopting Micrium’s FAT file system structure is that it is highly complementary to the company’s uC/USB-Device Mass Storage Class and uC/USB-Host Mass Storage products. uC/FS is especially beneficial to USB devices because data can be easily moved between a device and a PC. A typical example is a digital camera connected to a PC by USB where resources are limited, but where a failsafe file system is required.

uC/FS is provided as full source code and offers a low, one-time fee and no royalties on deployed products. Full product specifications are available online at http://micrium.com/products/fs/filesystem.html, or visit Micrium in Hall 11, Booth 328 at Embedded World from February 26 to 28 in Nuremberg, Germany.

uC/FS Features

Supports FAT and FAT-Free (EFS) file system structures
Works with any RTOS, but does not require one
FAT features include: long filenames, multiple volumes, media error handling, mix of media, check disk and multiple media drivers
Flash drivers are failsafe and include multiple volumes, wear-leveling, directories, bad block management and ECC algorithms
Media drivers include: NOR Flash Driver, NAND Flash Driver (including Atmel’s DataFlash Driver), Secure Digital Driver (including High Capacity SD), Compact Flash Driver and RAM Disk
Available Windows simulation for development, including a Windows driver to allow use of the PC drives

About Micrium

Micrium provides high-quality embedded software components by way of engineer-friendly source code, unsurpassed documentation and customer support. The company's world-renowned real-time operating system, uC/OS-II, features the highest-quality source code available for today's embedded market. Micrium's products consistently shorten time-to-market throughout all product development cycles. For additional information on Micrium, please visit www.micrium.com.