PLX introduces Oxide 3.0 software development kit

The Oxide 3.0 software application enables engineers to customise PLX serial connectivity devices in minutes instead of hours or days, according to the company.

The graphical user interface (GUI) and step-through workflow provide simple point-and-click feature selections, as well as text-box entry for fast, error-free device and driver customisation without resorting to complicated code editing.

Features of the Oxide SDK include the automatic-update design base, which alerts engineers to all new documentation and software revisions, thus ensuring that designers always have the proper tools on their local workstation, including data books, application notes and device drivers.

The Oxide branding and installer creation tools allow custom configuration of the PLX device drivers and the ability to create custom installers (for example, setup.exe) via step-through windows, thus avoiding complicated source-code editing.

This customisation includes adding logos, graphics and text; these are intended to personalise the product to the designer's brand.

Oxide's EEPROM programming utility and INF file editing tool allow the user to avoid editing at low level, which is time consuming and error prone, according to PLX.

Richard Wawrzyniak, senior market analyst for Semico Research, said: 'As system complexity continues to increase - driven by higher levels of integration and complexity on today's system-on-a-chip silicon - the data communications side of the system also has become equally important.

'The approach of aiding the solution designer with powerful software tools to allow rapid and comprehensive configuration of the silicon is essential if market windows are to be met to keep time to market within the necessary boundaries.

'The Oxide 3.0 SDK from PLX Technology provides the necessary tools to system designers that allow them to hit their market windows and time-to-market targets,' he added.

Oxide 3.0 has been developed to support the entire PLX serial bridge family of products, including the new OXPCIe200 PCI Express-to-USB host controller bridge.

Other PLX serial connectivity solutions supported by Oxide include interfaces with PCI Express, UART, PCI, Parallel Bus and Local Bus.

These products are standards-compliant and high-performance solutions with certified device drivers for a range of operating systems.