Xlinkers unite! You have nothing to lose but your RTL. Xlinkers are the new breed of developers which are using the software designed silicon (SDS) multi-core chips of XMOS Semiconductor.

XMOS has launched a community website www.xlinkers.org to provide a platform for users to discuss their experiences and share knowledge about XMOS technology and products.

"One of our main goals is to create a repository for open source code for use in XMOS devices", says XMOS' Tom Hunt, "we believe that hardware can be distributed in open source in the same way as software, allowing designers to quickly build their applications based on existing code. Similarly with open source software, we anticipate that quality will be improved by community collaboration and discussion."

The source database currently includes a diverse range of code including encryption functions, Ethernet MACs, industrial applications and robotics. Some members have started collaborative projects online, with a running commentary on their lessons learned using XMOS design tools and some XMOS employees have blogs on xlinkers to share their perspectives and insights.

Initially moderated by XMOS staff, XMOS anticipates that customers and the community will take over responsibility for setting standards and policies for the website.

Find more at www.xlinkers.org 

Please note: Electronics Weekly is about to launch an Open Source Engineering blog, primarily featuring Linux and GNU