Filanet intelligent Internet service appliance

Filanet Corporation (Sunnyvale, CA) has announced a Linux-based "intelligent Internet service appliance" that aims to provide small and medium sized businesses with "big company networking capabilities," through a low cost and easily installed appliance-like device. Filanet's InterJak 100 provides the functions of a plug-and-play Internet gateway, VPN/firewall, email server, and file sharing, and includes tools for remote system monitoring and management. The device can optionally be configured, maintained, and updated remotely by service providers.

Technical specifics

In an effort to optimize the price/performance of the InterJak 100, Filanet undertook the unusual step of crafting their own custom RISC-based system-on-chip processor that integrates the functionality of an entire embedded computer into a single piece of silicon. The result, a one-chip embedded computer which Filanet dubs the "Dino", contains the following functions . . .

• 32-bit ARM 940T core processor
  
• Two 10/100 Ethernet ports
  
• Two USB host/device ports
  
• IEEE 1394 (FireWire) port
  
• PCI expansion bus
  
• DMA, Interrupt, and timing controllers
  
• Interface for SDRAM system memory and Flash storage memory
  
• 128KB internal SRAM memory
  
• Patented "crossbar switch" for high speed internal data transfers (up to 1.6 gigabyte/sec)

The InterJak 100, which is Filanet's first product to use the company's Dino system-on-chip processor, implements four external peripheral interfaces -- two USB ports, and two 10/100 Ethernet ports -- but does not currently support the Dino's IEEE-1394 (FireWire) interface (presumably FireWire will be used in future products). Initial models of the InterJak will be configured with 64MB of SDRAM system memory and 8MB of Flash storage memory; however, the system can support up to 256MB SDRAM and 32MB Flash.

Why embed Linux?

When it came time to selecting an operating system to embed within the device, the company examined a variety of embedded OS alternatives including Nucleus, VxWorks, pSOS, and QNX. James Goodwin, Finanet senior architect, explained that the development team rapidly concluded that Linux represented the best match to their requirements, for the following reasons . . .

• Relative to the commercial embedded and real-time operating system (RTOS) products that were available, Linux provided full operating system features, including the most extensive and up-to-date support for networking and communications.
  
• A small-footprint version of Linux (called uClinux) was available which supported operation on the ARM CPU without requiring a memory management unit (MMU), which their Dino system-on-chip does not have, and which met the project's fast-boot objective (under 10 seconds).
  
• Open source Linux device drivers were available that, thanks to free availability of source code, could readily be ported to the Dino system-on-chip.
  
• Linux would not add anything to the cost of the end system.

According to Goodwin, the bulk of the required software development was accomplished prior to actually receiving first prototypes of the Dino system-on-chip. Once Dino chips became available, it took the team less than three weeks to arrive at a fully working system.

Slightly ahead of their time

When designing the Dino system-on-chip processor, Filanet made the strategic decision to go exclusively with next generation peripheral expansion interfaces -- USB and IEEE-1394 (FireWire) -- rather than retaining legacy expansion ports like IDE (for disk), RS232C serial (for comm interfaces), or IEEE-1284 parallel (for printers).

A big benefit that resulted from this decision was a reduction in interface connectors. Also, it meant having the capability for plug-and-play installation and configuration of USB- and FireWire-interfaced devices such as hard drives, printers, modems, and WAN interfaces. A disadvantage, however, was that Filanet's Linux requirements in the area of USB and FireWire were running a year or so ahead of mainstream Linux (the Linux kernel will gain built-in USB support with the upcoming 2.4 release).

Consequently, Filanet found themselves needing to create some of the required USB support, including both device drivers and plug-and-play configuration functions. The resulting InterJak 100 USB support allows plug-and-play installation and support of printers, hard drives, and both LAN and WAN comm interfaces. Because of the need to incorporate the new USB and FireWire capability into uClinux, the InterJak currently contains a nonstandard implementation of uClinux. Filanet plans to "sync up" its OS with standard uClinux sources as soon as practical, according to Goodwin.

When will it be available and how much will it cost?

The InterJak 100 will be available to customers in December 2000 at a suggested list price of $595. Filanet is partnering with service providers to deliver the InterJak 100 to a broad range of small and medium businesses around the world. A leasing option will also be offered, beginning at $25 per month.