T-Engine Forum Secretariat

For the purpose of developing the central components for embedded devices in a ubiquitous computing environment, the T-Engine standards promotion group, together with the participation of 22 domestic and overseas companies, established the T-Engine Forum on June 24, 2002.

T-Engine aims to standardize mainly the CPU board, together with its real-time operating system (T-Kernel), security architecture (eTRON), and middleware that comprise the parts for developing application software.

A ubiquitous computing environment is a user-friendly, safe and secure system in which everything is embedded with a computer and connected to a network. This concept was first brought forward by the TRON Project leader, Prof. Ken Sakamura of the University of Tokyo and presented to the world in the early days of 1980s. He also urged research laboratories and universities in Europe and America to actively carry out research and development based on this concept.

In a ubiquitous computing environment, in order to fully control an actual device, high real-time performance, as well as a connection to the network and a security mechanism to prevent attacks such as tappings, falsifications, and crackings are indispensable.

One of the key features of T-Engine is that it is embedded with the eTRON chip, a special chip that comes with encryption functionality to ensure security when transferring data across low security open networks, such as wireless networks and the Internet.

In order to accomodate the wide range of devices required to build a ubiquitous computing environmnet in the future, the following four subsets, T-Engine (Standard T-Engine), mT-Engine (micro T-Engine), pT-Engine (pico T-Engine) and nT-Engine (nano T-Engine), are being standardized.

• Standard T-Engine
  A platform for portable information devices such as mobile phones and electronic books with comparatively advanced user interface features.
• mT-Engine
  A platform for home electronic appliances or instrumentation equiment with comparatively few user interface features.
• nT-Engine
  A platform for small devices such as lighting equipment, switches, and sensors etc.
• pT-Engine
  A platform for one-touch computers with a wireless connection that can be attached to non-active things.

The Standard T-Engine and mT-Engine will be standardized in 2002. The T-Engine products conforming to the standards will be released from July 2002 onward.

T-Engine is a hardware product focused mainly on a CPU, with development environment included. Various middleware compatible with T-Engine will be simultaneously released on the T-Engine Database, this will allow the system developers to refer to it, and by combining a number of application middleware for specific purposes, to shorten the product development cycle and improve efficiency.

By using T-Engine, objects such as information appliances and home electronic appliances with networking capabilities, next-generation mobile phones, PDAs, instrumentation systems, plant controllers, advanced security systems, as well as other computerized objects such as electronic money, electronic tickets, electronic medical treatment equipment, intelligent houses, cities, etc., are all attainable and together, they form the system infrastructure of the new ubiquitous computing networking environment.

T-engine, however, does not limit itself to just one kind of CPU, users are able to choose from a wide range of CPUs to suit their desired purposes. Currently, it is scheduled to cover mainly the chips for embedded use, such as SH Series, M32 Series, MIPS and ARM.

At the time of inauguration, the participation of 22 companies have been confirmed. Among these are domestic semiconductor manufacturers, foreign companies in Britain and Finland, as well as others related to the application side of T-Engine. Prof. Ken Sakamura of the University of Tokyo is to be appointed as Chairman of this forum.

The main activities of T-Engine Forum are to encourage participation from a wide range of enterprises which develop the T-Engine products, middleware products, or use T-Engine development platform to develop application products, as well as acting as the promotion body for constructing a ubiquitous computing environment.

The names T-Engine Forum Corporate Members (as of June 24, in alphabetical order, * represents managing company)

		Applix Corporation * 	eSOL, Co., Ltd. *	FUJITSU LIMITED *	Hitachi, Ltd. *	MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION *	NEC Corporaton *	NTT DoCoMo, Inc. *	Personal Media Corporation *	TOSHIBA CORPORATION *	Yokogawa Digital Computer Corporation *	Yokosuka Telecom Research Park Co., Ltd. *	Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. 	DigiOn, Inc. 	Grape Systems Inc.	KYOCERA ELCO CORPORATION 	NTT DATA CORPORATION 	Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.	PIN CHANGE Co., Ltd.	Picsel Technologies Ltd.	Solid Information Technology Corp.	YAMAHA CORPORATION 	YAZAKI CORPORATION T-Engine Forumhttp://www.t-engine.org/Office: (inside the YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory)The 28th Kowa Biru,2-20-1 Nishigotanda,Shinagawa Ward,Tokyo 131-0031JapanTel: 	 03-5437-2270Fax: 	 03-5437-2271Email:	 office@t-engine.org