(Click here for a larger view of the MID shown in the thumbnail)

InsydeH2O is touted as a production-ready implementation of Intel's UEFI. According to the UEFI-compliant firmware replaces old 16-bit BIOS technology with code that runs in 32-bit flat mode, and is written in C using an extensible driver model.

UEFI was derived from the Intel-created EFI (extensible firmware interface) standard, which in 2005 was renamed to "Unified EFI" and placed under the jurisdiction the UEFI Forum. It consists of data tables with platform-related information, plus boot and runtime service calls that are available to the operating system and its loader.

According to Insyde, InsydeH20 supports XScale, IA-32, and IA-64 with a single code base. Despite this, InsydeH2O's compatibility support module still provides all necessary backwards compatibility, including the run-time BIOS interface, support for option ROMs, and USB legacy features.

InsydeDIY is described as an alternative firmware product aimed at makers of embedded devices that do not require a complete BIOS implementation, and who want to develop a platform-specific set of initialization and boot code themselves. It provides a "lightweight and easy-to-implement set of firmware components," Insyde said.

The Insyde UEFI firmware products are said to support systems running various versions of Windows and Linux, among other OSes.

About Menlow

Intel's Menlow platform is a 2008 revision of its silicon platform for UMPCs and MIDs, using a processor code-named Silverthorne and a chipset called Poulsbo. It will reportedly offer average power consumption of under 4 watts, for much better battery life than previous UMPCs.

The thumbnail above shows a Menlow-based MID reference design being offered to third-parties by the Finnish company EB. First demonstrated last June at Computex Taipei, the design is being licensed to OEMs and other customers.

In a statement, Insyde executive VP Jonathan Joseph said, "We are pleased to be working closely with Intel's Ultra Mobility Group and are intent on playing an integral role in the advancement of the UMPC and MID markets."

Availability

The Insyde firmware products, apparently shipping now, require a one-time license per CPU/chipset platform, with no subsequent royalties.

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