Micronas which supplies innovative application-specific IC system solutions for consumer electronics, multimedia and automotive electronics has announced that Tara Systems integrated its new Embedded Wizard platform package onto Micronas' single-chip Digital TV Decoder MDE 9500.

The Embedded Wizard is a new development tool which allows very fast and easy design and implementation of intuitive graphic user interfaces (GUIs). With the new tool, Tara Systems revolutionises user guidance in consumer devices such as TVs, set-top boxes (STB) and personal video recorders (PVR).

In combination with the MDE 9500 platform, the Embedded Wizard enables TV manufacturers to develop GUIs for innovative digital TV receivers, such as hybrid IDTVs and set-top boxes, faster and more cost-effective, thus saving their precious R&D resources which can now instead be used for penetrating new markets.

MDE 9500 platform ICs are the first single-chip hybrid analog-digital TV decoders worldwide, paving the way to cost-effective integrated digital television sets (IDTV). All functions required to decode digital and analogue programmes, as well as associated mainstream interactive services are integrated.

An official release informs that this high degree of integration allows TV manufacturers to develop next generation digital TVs also capable of receiving analog programs without having to use separate video decoder and teletext processor ICs. The MDE 9500 therefore eases the transition into the age of digital TV.

The Embedded Wizard provides system manufacturers with a new degree of flexibility. For the first time, it is possible to integrate new features such as animation, fading effects and games in a very short time. Thus system manufacturers can react very quickly on new market requirements and change GUI features shortly before the start of production. These are key capabilities in the highly competitive consumer electronics environment states the release.

Germany's Tara Systems develops innovative concepts, software and tools for consumer electronic (CE) devices. Tara Systems specialises in application development, graphical user interfaces, data transmission in TV environments and multimedia applications used in TV sets, PVRs, STBS and related devices.