Nam Young-kwan, Manager, Mentor Graphics Embedded Business Division

Q. As the industrial IoT market expands, requirements for IoT multi-platforms are also increasing. What is the industrial background that has driven these requirements?

In Industry 4.0, products must include a variety of elements, and as communication technologies advance, connectivity between products is added. As connectivity expands, there is a trend toward transitioning from centrally managed systems to decentralized management systems.

From a business perspective, what were once considered separate processes—manufacturing and logistics—now need to be integrated and managed in a unified manner. This necessitates more robust technology integration, such as connecting systems to the cloud or leveraging big data. Satisfying diverse requirements inevitably incurs significant costs, necessitating technologies that can reduce costs.

On the technical side, many open-source solutions are being adopted. Internally, we're integrating stable and secure technologies into open-source systems, and we're grappling with how to implement a stable system. This has led to a need for solutions that can meet these requirements.

Q. So, what are the elements needed to support IoT multi-platform requirements?

To build a multi-platform system, hardware performance must be supported to a certain degree. Many SoC vendors are already developing and releasing hardware chips that support multi-core solutions. Mentor Graphics also has secured performance in embedded CPUs and SoCs.

Compared to hardware, software technologies are not well-developed. Recognizing this, Mentor Embedded began developing a multi-core solution capable of universally supporting diverse hardware configurations. To support a solution, you have to consider whether to run operating systems such as Linux or Nucleus simultaneously, whether to ensure smooth communication between systems after booting, and whether it is efficient to install which OS on which core. We provide support to solve these concerns.

Q. What differentiates Mentor Graphics' heterogeneous multicore technology?

Mentor's heterogeneous multi-core solutions have a significant strategic role in embedded systems. We support both commercial Linux and Mentor Linux, and we support the application of multi-core solutions to them. There are various multi-core solutions, among which is the multi-core framework. The framework is the most fundamental tool for defining how software will be deployed on SoC chips and how software will communicate with each other.

Additionally, it supports Nucleus as a secure OS utilizing ARM Trust Zone technology, as well as hypervisor support. From a customer perspective, this provides options tailored to various stages and requirements. Mentor possesses the technology to provide turnkey solutions for each OS and integrated solutions.

Q. Does having an integrated solution differentiate you from competing products?

Customers face the hassle of having to separately transfer technology from each vendor or install each product separately. To address these issues, we offer an integrated solution. I think this is what makes a mentor different.

Ensure reliability with periodic security updates and OS-specific certifications.

Q. I understand that Mentor Graphics is investing heavily in embedded device software development to support security infrastructure for industrial applications. Could you share any specific technical elements?

Secure OS is supported to support hypervisors and ARM Trust Zones, and Nucleus also supports operating systems compliant with the IEC61508 industrial certification standard. Furthermore, it has received Level 1 and 2 certification from Achilles Communication Certification, a security certification body. Each OS receives certifications required by each industry, ensuring reliability.

We also provide regular security updates for all software provided by Mentor, including embedded Linux and Nucleus. Where existing solutions lack in terms of intrusion prevention and firewall collaboration, we provide third-party support, making them readily available.

Q. Last year, Yocto 2.0 was updated and expanded to include new security enhancements and additional industry protocols. What was the market response?

As industrial protocols expanded, there was resistance or concern in the industry about using existing open source. In this area, there have been efforts by Mentor to provide CANOpen, PTP (Precision Time Protocol), 6LoWPAN, XMPP, MQTT, etc. at a commercial level, and they have received a lot of attention as they provide protocols that can be used for industrial internet.

Q. Are there any new features being added this year?

This year marks the most significant strategic shift. We plan to offer cloud solutions integrated with Microsoft's Azure Device SDK and Gateway SDK. We're also preparing consulting services to leverage the cloud for specialized device features not available through the SDK.

Meanwhile , Nam Young-kwan, Manager of Mentor Graphics , will present this topic in more detail at the Industrial IoT Innovation Day seminar ( http://www.e4ds.com/seminar ) . Go to seminar registration -> http://wwwe4ds.com/seminar