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by jason mcdonald, senior editor | read other blog posts

Sometimes you need a little help. Embedded systems design can be complex, and sometimes it's important to reach out to third party tools vendors, board vendors, or others who partner with semiconductor manufacturers like Intel, Freescale, or ARM. Other times, it's the design itself that is the challenge - hence the need to locate embedded systems consultants. This month we explore the best ways to locate embedded vendors (companies) as well as embedded companies or consultants.

contents of this post:

1. Embedded Microcontrollers / Microprocessor Vendor Guides
2. Embedded Software Vendors / Companies
3. Embedded Systems Design Consultants / Design Companies
4. feedback - read it
5. feedback - give it

Embedded Microcontrollers / Microprocessor Vendor Guides

Embedded systems designs often begin with the chosen microcontroller or microprocessor. Long before the Internet, the dominant player such as Motorola (which has since become Freescale), Intel, and others had third party catalogs showcasing their chips and tools. Remember, the Motorola Toolbox?

Nowadays, all of the major semiconductor companies boast catalogs on the Web. But before you start at the semi's sites, try these two primary guides by EDN -

• EDN's Microprocessor Directory
• EDN's DSP Directory

Those two guides identify, pretty much all of the revelent embedded MCU/ MPU's as well as DSPs.

Beyond that, don't miss the EE Catalog site, replete with many online catalogs chip by chip. Almost all of the major MCU / MPU embedded manufacturers also sport 'Partner Programs,' wherein you can search not only by chip architecture but by supporting hardware, software, tools, or even consultants. Check out -

• Freescale Tools Catalog
• ARM Connected Community
• Microchip Partners Program
• Analog Devices, Connected Community

By starting with the chosen embedded microprocessor / microcontroller, you can usually surf to the vendor website and therein find their 'partner program' of supporting hardware, software, and services.

Embedded Software Vendors / Companies

Parallel to the chip world lies the world of embedded systems software. Companies like Microsoft and Wind River have long competed against the chip companies as a design starting point. No company has done more, or at least spent more, to convince you to start your next embedded systems design from a software perspective, first, than Microsoft. So if software is your fancy, start your vendor / company search at the Windows Embedded Partner online catalog.

Competitor Wind River, now an Intel Company, still sports a robust partner program, here , and includes embedded software consultants. Don't forget that just because a company is listed in the Microsoft, or Wind River catalog that they might support other hardware or software! So you can use these catalogs as gateways to suppliers, especially consultants, who may be quite hardware or software 'agnostic.'

Especially in the RTOS marketplace almost every vendor has a list on their website of supporting hardware or software. So start at QNX, Micrium, Express Logic, Green Hills, or whereever, and keep your mouse out for their partner catalog. It's a great way to start with software and end up with expert help!

Embedded Systems Design Consultants / Design Companies

Especially with today's tough economy, more and more companies are looking to 'outsource' their embedded systems design. But how do you find an expert embedded systems consultant? In many cases, you can start at the hardware or software catalogs listed above, and browse for design services.

So one path is to start with a desired microprocessor/microcontroller and drill down to supporting embedded consultants. Similarly, you might start at Microsoft's catalog and drill down to consultants who are familiar with the Microsoft embedded systems platforms. And, again, many are much more platform agnostic on their own than they may appear in these proprietary catalogs.

Don't miss the IEEE-USA Consultants Database , which is a great directory of consultants, worldwide, who participate in the IEEE organization. And don't forget basic Google searches such as 'Embedded Systems Consultant' or more focused, 'ARM Consultant,' 'PowerQuicc Consultant,' or 'FPGA Design Service Company.' Google can be your best friend if you start with a keyword and build upon that for a search for 'vendor,' 'consultant,' or 'company.'

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Express Logic develops, markets and supports the ThreadX® real-time operating system (RTOS), NetX™TCP/IP networking stack, USBX™ USB stack, FileX® embedded file system, and PEGX™ GUI toolkit for embedded applications. ThreadX is a royalty-free, full source code, small-footprint, low-overhead RTOS that is extremely easy to learn and use. ThreadX is one of the most widely deployed RTOS products in the world, with over 1.25 billion products based on ThreadX.