soft PPP - embedded PPP TCP/IP stack for AVR controllers

We develop a PPP-TCP/IP stack for AVR controllers, e.g. for the i-easy to replace the current hardware-based stack. The new stack will be designed for compatibility with the current i-easy library and is intended to include full stack functionality in its final extent.

Compared to a hardware solution producing a software stack has several advantages:

• It is possible to optimize hardware costs, such that e.g. the i-easy would be more attractive at high quantities.

• New hardware options - a seamless integration in standard AVR MCU applications is guaranteed.

• The stack is expandable on a modular basis. You can either use a basic setup for minimal resource consumption, or a complex and powerfull application basis with all the effects in hardware-needs.

softPPP starts from a basic framework stack, where the desired properties are appended and revised. The full softPPP release is expected for November and will have its focus on PPP. Some reference projects are using the stack, e.g. the TCP/IP branch was implemented on the VR3 pocket ethernet in 2001 (an ethernet add-on for the MIPS-based VR3 Linux PDA).

The aim for i-easy applications is to make our customers' ports of current applications to the new stack a minimal efford. The current i-easy design will be substituted by a design using the softPPP stack on a second AVR controller in late November.

softPPP will implement all necessary low-level functions (protocoll, buffering etc.) that are currently in use via the S-760X. The i-easy library and its extensions (e.g. an extension for GPRS applications) are working on the first AVR MCU of the i-easy and implement the high-lewel commands like dial-up, ftp, e-mail etc. The current i-easy libray will be preserved. And the revised hardware interface will be compatible.

softPPP will be available on its own, too. In the first stages softPPP will to be sold on AVR MCUs, where the price depends on the stack-update-option (6 months / 1 year / ...). Please note that the AVR MCUs do not offer any comptible packages, so a hardware redesign will be necessary for applications moving from S760X to softPPP.
There is going to be an evaluation platform for the softPPP stack (a microboard, which holds the stack MCU, plus an evaluation board environment).
At further stages there will be an explicid licensing model.

Suggestions and bug-reports are welcome at softppp@embedded-inet.com or in the stack forum.

For more information please contact products@embedded-inet.com.