Datalight
Encyclopedia
Datalight is a privately held
software company specializing in data management
for embedded devices
, particularly mobile phone
s. The company was founded in 1983 by Roy Sherrill, and is headquartered in Bothell, Washington
.
engineer. Datalight's initial products were two DOS
applications: the Datalight Small-C
compiler and the Datalight C-Bug debugger. A full C compiler named Datalight C was available from Datalight between 1987 and 1993; Datalight C, developed by Walter Bright
, evolved into Zortech C
and is now Digital Mars C
. Datalight C was also developed into an optimizing compiler called Datalight Optimum-C, which later became Zortech C++, the first native C++ compiler. In 1988, Datalight released C_thru_ROM, which provided embeddedable C functions and C start-up code, allowing programs developed on DOS to run as standalone applications without DOS dependence. In 1989, ROM-DOS 1.0 was released.
CardTrick was announced in 1993 to support the flash memory
being built into PCMCIA cards. CardTrick later evolved into the embedded flash memory manager
FlashFX in 1995, moving Datalight into the raw flash memory market. WinLight, a lightweight Windows 3.1
–like x86 operating system
, was offered 1998–2001. The company grew rapidly in the late 1990s, receiving the WA Fast 50 award for the fastest growing companies in Washington state in 1997 and 1998.
The first of three patents to eventually be assigned to Datalight, "Method and apparatus for allocating storage in a flash memory", was awarded in 1999, followed up with an additional FlashFX-related patent, "Method and system for managing bad areas in flash memory", in 2001. In 2003, Reliance, a reliable transactional embedded file system, was released; a related patent, "Reliable file system and method of providing the same", was awarded in 2007.
In 2006, the company had revenues of $5.2 million.
In 2009 Datalight released FlashFX Tera to support the growing size and complexity of NAND flash arrays. That same year, Reliance Nitro was released, building upon Reliance and adding a tree-based architecture to improve performance for large files (>100 MB) and large numbers of files.
Reliance has a maximum volume size of 2 TB and a maximum file size of 4 GB.
-based directory architecture facilitating faster look-ups. The maximum volume size on Reliance Nitro is 32 TB; maximum file size is constrained only by free space.
and Windows XP
; an older version of RWD supports Windows 2000
. The drivers are bundled with tools to format media and a utility to check file system integrity.
Versions:
Products using FlashFX include Arcom's PC/104
computer, Curtis-Wright's Continuum Software Architecture, Teltronic's HTT-500 handset, and MCSI's PROMDISK disk emulator.
-compatible file system aimed at consumer devices. It allows embedded systems to support SDXC, the SD Card Association
standard for extended capacity storage cards. Marketed as "independent of the target platform", XCFiles is intended to be portable to any 32-bit platform which meets certain requirements (such as supporting semaphores
and unsigned
64-bit integers
).
XCFiles is marketed in Japan as 'exFiles' by A.I. Corporation; it was released there in April 2009.
compatible operating system designed for embedded systems. It includes backward compatibility build options allowing compatibility with specific versions of MS-DOS (e.g., DOS 5.01). ROM-DOS 7.1 added support for FAT32 and long file names
. ROM-DOS includes a compact TCP/IP stack
; and SOCKETS, a network socket API
and connectivity package, is available as an optional add-on for ROM-DOS. The SDK
comes with Borland C/C++
and Turbo Assembler
.
System requirements:
Some devices which use or used ROM-DOS are the Canon PowerShot
Pro70, Advantech
's ADAM-4500, the Percon Falcon 325, several early PDAs
(Tandy Zoom
, IBM Simon
, Nokia 9000 Communicator), MCSI's PROMDISK, and Arcom's PC/104 computer. Intel's Advanced RAID Configuration Utility (ARCU) is based on ROM-DOS, and, as of 2004, all Intel server board System Resource CDs included ROM-DOS. Symbol
's FMT 3000 came with a copy of ROM-DOS.
Privately held company
A privately held company or close corporation is a business company owned either by non-governmental organizations or by a relatively small number of shareholders or company members which does not offer or trade its company stock to the general public on the stock market exchanges, but rather the...
software company specializing in data management
Data management
Data management comprises all the disciplines related to managing data as a valuable resource.- Overview :The official definition provided by DAMA International, the professional organization for those in the data management profession, is: "Data Resource Management is the development and execution...
for embedded devices
Embedded system
An embedded system is a computer system designed for specific control functions within a larger system. often with real-time computing constraints. It is embedded as part of a complete device often including hardware and mechanical parts. By contrast, a general-purpose computer, such as a personal...
, particularly mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s. The company was founded in 1983 by Roy Sherrill, and is headquartered in Bothell, Washington
Bothell, Washington
Bothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...
.
Overview and history
Datalight was founded in 1983 by Roy Sherrill, a former BoeingBoeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
engineer. Datalight's initial products were two DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
applications: the Datalight Small-C
Small-C
In computing, Small-C is both a subset of the C programming language, suitable for resource-limited microcomputers and embedded systems, and an implementation of that subset...
compiler and the Datalight C-Bug debugger. A full C compiler named Datalight C was available from Datalight between 1987 and 1993; Datalight C, developed by Walter Bright
Walter Bright
Walter Bright is a computer programmer known for being the designer of the D programming language. He was also the main developer of the first C++ compiler that translated directly to object without going via C, Zortech C++ . Before the C++ compiler, he developed the Datalight C compiler, also...
, evolved into Zortech C
Zortech
Zortech Ltd was a small British software company that marketed C and C++ compilers and associated software.The company was initially formed with the name Zorland Ltd to reflect its desire to be a direct competitor of Borland Inc...
and is now Digital Mars C
Digital Mars
Digital Mars is a small American software company owned by Walter Bright that makes C and C++ compilers for Windows and DOS. They also distribute the compilers for free on their web site....
. Datalight C was also developed into an optimizing compiler called Datalight Optimum-C, which later became Zortech C++, the first native C++ compiler. In 1988, Datalight released C_thru_ROM, which provided embeddedable C functions and C start-up code, allowing programs developed on DOS to run as standalone applications without DOS dependence. In 1989, ROM-DOS 1.0 was released.
CardTrick was announced in 1993 to support the flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
being built into PCMCIA cards. CardTrick later evolved into the embedded flash memory manager
Memory management
Memory management is the act of managing computer memory. The essential requirement of memory management is to provide ways to dynamically allocate portions of memory to programs at their request, and freeing it for reuse when no longer needed. This is critical to the computer system.Several...
FlashFX in 1995, moving Datalight into the raw flash memory market. WinLight, a lightweight Windows 3.1
Windows 3.1x
Windows 3.1x is a series of 16-bit operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers. The series began with Windows 3.1, which was first sold during March 1992 as a successor to Windows 3.0...
–like x86 operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, was offered 1998–2001. The company grew rapidly in the late 1990s, receiving the WA Fast 50 award for the fastest growing companies in Washington state in 1997 and 1998.
The first of three patents to eventually be assigned to Datalight, "Method and apparatus for allocating storage in a flash memory", was awarded in 1999, followed up with an additional FlashFX-related patent, "Method and system for managing bad areas in flash memory", in 2001. In 2003, Reliance, a reliable transactional embedded file system, was released; a related patent, "Reliable file system and method of providing the same", was awarded in 2007.
In 2006, the company had revenues of $5.2 million.
In 2009 Datalight released FlashFX Tera to support the growing size and complexity of NAND flash arrays. That same year, Reliance Nitro was released, building upon Reliance and adding a tree-based architecture to improve performance for large files (>100 MB) and large numbers of files.
Business partners
Datalight's past and present business partners include:- AMCC
- AMDAdvanced Micro DevicesAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets...
- Bsquare
- Curtis-Wright
- Data I/O
- ENEAENEA ABENEA is global information technology company with its headquarters in Kista, Sweden that provides real-time operating systems and consulting services...
- Express Logic
- ICP America
- Industrial Control Links, Inc.
- IntelIntel CorporationIntel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most...
- Logic Product Development
- MCSI
- Mentor GraphicsMentor GraphicsMentor Graphics, Inc is a US-based multinational corporation dealing in electronic design automation for electrical engineering and electronics, as of 2004, ranked third in the EDA industry it helped create...
- Micron Technology, Inc.Micron TechnologyMicron Technology, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Boise, Idaho, USA, best known for producing many forms of semiconductor devices. This includes DRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, SSD and CMOS image sensing chips. Consumers may be more familiar with its consumer brand Crucial...
- MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
- MontaVistaMontaVistaMontaVista Software is a software developer that develops embedded Linux system software, development tools, and related software. Its products are targeted at other corporations developing embedded systems such as automotive electronics, communications equipment, mobile phones, and other...
- Octagon
- RMIRMI CorporationRMI Corporation, also known as RMI, formerly known as Raza Microelectronics, Inc., is a privately held Fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Cupertino, California, which specializes in designing System-on-a-chip processors for networking and consumer media applications.- History :RMI was...
- Real Time Devices USA, Inc.
- Renesas
- STMicroelectronicsSTMicroelectronicsSTMicroelectronics is an Italian-French electronics and semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.While STMicroelectronics corporate headquarters and the headquarters for EMEA region are based in Geneva, the holding company, STMicroelectronics N.V. is registered in Amsterdam,...
- SYSGOSYSGOSYSGO AG is a German company oriented in embedded software since its founding in 1991. The company is focused on the basic software building blocks for embedded systems used in critical environments such as airplanes, medical instruments or industrial automation...
- Wind RiverWind River SystemsWind River Systems, Inc. is a company providing embedded systems, development tools for embedded systems, middleware, and other types of software. The company was founded in Berkeley, California in 1981 by Jerry Fiddler and David Wilner. On June 4, 2009, Wind River announced that Intel had bought...
- WinSystems
Reliance
First released in 2003, Reliance is an embedded file system designed for applications with high reliability requirements. Key features:- Provides immunity to file corruptionData corruptionData corruption refers to errors in computer data that occur during writing, reading, storage, transmission, or processing, which introduce unintended changes to the original data...
, including after unexpected system interruption (e.g., power loss), via atomic transaction points. - Does not need to check disk integrity at start-up, meaning a shorter boot time.
- Dynamic file system configuration for performance optimization.
- Full data-exchangeability with Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, via the Reliance Windows Driver.
Reliance has a maximum volume size of 2 TB and a maximum file size of 4 GB.
Reliance Nitro
Released in 2009, Reliance Nitro is a file system developed from Reliance; it improved on the performance of original Reliance, primarily by adding a treeTree (data structure)
In computer science, a tree is a widely-used data structure that emulates a hierarchical tree structure with a set of linked nodes.Mathematically, it is an ordered directed tree, more specifically an arborescence: an acyclic connected graph where each node has zero or more children nodes and at...
-based directory architecture facilitating faster look-ups. The maximum volume size on Reliance Nitro is 32 TB; maximum file size is constrained only by free space.
Reliance Windows Driver
Datalight provides Windows drivers for both Reliance (Reliance Windows Driver; RWD) and Reliance Nitro (Reliance Nitro Windows Driver; RNWD); they provide exchangeability between Reliance-formatted media and Microsoft Windows. Both support Windows VistaWindows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
; an older version of RWD supports Windows 2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
. The drivers are bundled with tools to format media and a utility to check file system integrity.
FlashFX
Introduced in 1995, FlashFX is a flash media manager which allows applications to access flash memory as if it were a hard drive, abstracting the complexity of flash media. FlashFX operates either NAND or NOR flash and supports numerous flash devices. It can be used with any file system.Versions:
- FlashFX Pro: Supports around 200 flash chip part numbers and flash arrays up to 2 GB. Has pre-ported versions for Windows CEWindows CEMicrosoft Windows CE is an operating system developed by Microsoft for embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinct operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows...
, VxWorksVxWorksVxWorks is a real-time operating system developed as proprietary software by Wind River Systems of Alameda, California, USA. First released in 1987, VxWorks is designed for use in embedded systems.- History :...
, Nucleus PLUSNucleus RTOSNucleus OS is a real-time operating system and toolset created by the Embedded Systems Division of Mentor Graphics for various central processing unit platforms. Nucleus OS is an embedded software solution and is in an estimated 2.11 billion devices worldwide.Development is typically done on a...
, and ThreadXThreadXThreadX, developed and marketed by Express Logic, Inc. of San Diego, California, USA, is a real-time operating system . Similar RTOSes are available from other vendors such as VxWorks, Nucleus RTOS, OSE, QNX, LynxOS, etc...
. FlashFX Pro is available for Windows MobileWindows MobileWindows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
(FlashFX Tera is not). - FlashFX Tera: Supports around 300 flash chip part numbers and flash arrays up to 2 TB. Has pre-ported versions for LinuxLinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, Windows CE, and VxWorks. FlashFX Tera supports MLCMulti-level cellIn electronics, a multi-level cell is a memory element capable of storing more than a single bit of information.MLC NAND flash is a flash memory technology using multiple levels per cell to allow more bits to be stored using the same number of transistors...
NAND flash, while FlashFX Pro does not; another improvement is Tera's error correction, which is more robust than Pro's.
Products using FlashFX include Arcom's PC/104
PC/104
PC/104 is an embedded computer standard controlled by the which defines both a form factor and computer bus. PC/104 is intended for specialized embedded computing environments where applications depend on reliable data acquisition despite an often extreme environment...
computer, Curtis-Wright's Continuum Software Architecture, Teltronic's HTT-500 handset, and MCSI's PROMDISK disk emulator.
XCFiles
XCFiles, released in June 2010, is an exFATExFAT
exFAT is a proprietary, patent-pending file system designed especially for USB flash drives. Developed by Microsoft, it is supported in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 with update KB955704, Windows Embedded CE 6.0, Windows Vista with Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows...
-compatible file system aimed at consumer devices. It allows embedded systems to support SDXC, the SD Card Association
SD Card Association
The SD Card Association develops and publishes technical standards for SD Card technology, and promotes the use of the technology. SD Cards are compact data storage devices used to store digital files, such as picture files recorded by digital cameras. The association was founded on 28 January...
standard for extended capacity storage cards. Marketed as "independent of the target platform", XCFiles is intended to be portable to any 32-bit platform which meets certain requirements (such as supporting semaphores
Semaphore (programming)
In computer science, a semaphore is a variable or abstract data type that provides a simple but useful abstraction for controlling access by multiple processes to a common resource in a parallel programming environment....
and unsigned
Signedness
In computing, signedness is a property of data types representing numbers in computer programs. A numeric variable is signed if it can represent both positive and negative numbers, and unsigned if it can only represent non-negative numbers .As signed numbers can represent negative numbers, they...
64-bit integers
Integer (computer science)
In computer science, an integer is a datum of integral data type, a data type which represents some finite subset of the mathematical integers. Integral data types may be of different sizes and may or may not be allowed to contain negative values....
).
XCFiles is marketed in Japan as 'exFiles' by A.I. Corporation; it was released there in April 2009.
ROM-DOS
ROM-DOS (sometimes called Datalight DOS) was introduced in 1989 as an MS-DOSMS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
compatible operating system designed for embedded systems. It includes backward compatibility build options allowing compatibility with specific versions of MS-DOS (e.g., DOS 5.01). ROM-DOS 7.1 added support for FAT32 and long file names
Long filename
Long filenames , are Microsoft's way of implementing filenames longer than the 8.3 filename, or short-filename, naming scheme used in Microsoft DOS in their modern FAT and NTFS filesystems. Because these filenames can be longer than an 8.3 filename, they can be more descriptive...
. ROM-DOS includes a compact TCP/IP stack
Internet protocol suite
The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...
; and SOCKETS, a network socket API
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
and connectivity package, is available as an optional add-on for ROM-DOS. The SDK
Software development kit
A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
comes with Borland C/C++
Borland C++
Borland C++ is a C and C++ programming environment for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. It was the successor to Turbo C++, and included a better debugger, the Turbo Debugger, which was written in protected mode DOS....
and Turbo Assembler
Turbo Assembler
Turbo Assembler is an assembler package developed by Borland which runs on and produces code for 16- or 32-bit x86 MS-DOS or Microsoft Windows. It can be used with Borland's high-level language compilers, such as Turbo Pascal, Turbo Basic and Turbo C. The Turbo Assembler package is bundled with...
.
System requirements:
- Intel 80186Intel 80186The 80188 is a version with an 8-bit external data bus, instead of 16-bit. This makes it less expensive to connect to peripherals. The 80188 is otherwise very similar to the 80186. It has a throughput of 1 million instructions per second....
or compatible - 10KB of RAM
- 54–72K of ROM or disk space (depending on version)
Some devices which use or used ROM-DOS are the Canon PowerShot
Canon PowerShot
The PowerShot products are a line of consumer and prosumer grade digital cameras, launched by Canon in 1996. The PowerShot line has been successful for Canon, and is one of the best-selling digital camera lines worldwide....
Pro70, Advantech
Advantech Corporation
Advantech Corporation, or Advantech Co., Ltd , is a Taiwanese company with direct operations in 18 different countries and employs over 3,417 employees. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, it is a manufacturer of industrial PC, embedded single board computers, and automation...
's ADAM-4500, the Percon Falcon 325, several early PDAs
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
(Tandy Zoom
Tandy Corporation
Tandy Corporation was a family-owned leather goods company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Tandy was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store, and acquired RadioShack in 1963. The Tandy name was dropped in May 2000, when RadioShack Corporation was made the official name.-History:Tandy began in 1919...
, IBM Simon
IBM Simon
The IBM Simon Personal Communicator was an advanced cellular telephone, created by a joint venture between IBM and BellSouth. Simon was first shown as a product concept in 1992 at COMDEX, the computer and technology trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Launched in 1993 it combined the features of...
, Nokia 9000 Communicator), MCSI's PROMDISK, and Arcom's PC/104 computer. Intel's Advanced RAID Configuration Utility (ARCU) is based on ROM-DOS, and, as of 2004, all Intel server board System Resource CDs included ROM-DOS. Symbol
Symbol Technologies
Symbol Technologies is a manufacturer and worldwide supplier of mobile data capture and delivery equipment. The company specializes in barcode scanners, mobile computers, RFID systems and Wireless LAN infrastructure. Symbol Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola, and headquartered in...
's FMT 3000 came with a copy of ROM-DOS.
Recognition
- 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Microsoft Gold PartnerMicrosoft Certified PartnerA Microsoft Certified Partner is an independent company that provides Microsoft-related products or services.Microsoft Certified partners provide Microsoft services on behalf of Microsoft worldwide spanning many fields including OEM, Education, Software providers and Technical Support.Microsoft...
- 2007 Windows Embedded Partner Excellence Award
- 2003, 2004 Washington CEO Magazine – WA State Finalist "Best Places to Work"
- 2002 EDN Magazine Top 100 Products (for FlashFX)
- 2000 One of Washington's 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies
- 2000 Washington CEO Magazine – WA State top 5 "Best Places to Work"
- 1998, 1999, 2000 Software MagazineSoftware MagazineSoftware Magazine is a software and IT magazine.-Software 500 survey:Software 500 survey can be used to gauge the value of the commercial software industry. The Software 500 survey consists of data of the top 500 software companies, as ranked by Software Magazine...
"Software 500" 500 Largest Software Companies - 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 WA State's 50 fastest growing companies "Washington Fast 50" award