Turbo is a mobile phone accessory - simple add-on containing microcontroller (MCU) ATmega128 produced by Atmel and (optional) memory card - DataFlash (tm) (serial flash memory in MMC format) produced also by Atmel.
Turbo is a middleman between ME (phone) and SIM
Connected to the mobile equipment (ME) and SIM Turbo interferes ME<->SIM communication giving user access to SIM Toolkit (STK) applications developed independently on mobile operators and equipment vendors.
Turbo with memory card - top side
Compared to other application platforms available (WAP, Java, Symbian to name some) SIM Toolkit is the most widespread technology (all phones since december 1999), probably the most used (due the popularity of GSM banking) and for sure the least hyped way to bring applications to the end user.
SIM Toolkit gives developers access to low level mobile equipment functionality, current development of Turbo has been focused mainly on SMS handling.
Turbo is unique in the possibility to enhance functionality of the existing SIMs owned by the mobile users, e.g. giving them more space for SMS, contacts or network subscription emulation.
- SMS archive, many messages on removable memory cards
- crypted messages for private communication
- hidden SMS not visible on the phone
- SMS client-server browsing
- secrets - encrypted store for passwords, PINs, etc.
- documents reader
- contacts - user database (more phone numbers, addresses, emails, notes,...)
- location application, location triggers and logs
- scientific calculator
- theasurus
- interactive fiction and logic games
- memory card browser
- PKI applications (example implementing eliptic curves)
- timer applications
- SIM emulation, fake SIM
- Note:
- Many of the mentioned applications are available as free, open source examples provided by BLADOX.
- measurement, various sensors (thermo, water, alarms, etc.) can be easily connected
- control and regulation, e.g. lights, heating connected to hardware ports
- platform for 3rd party devices - GPS, wireless
Turbo bottom side, card edge connector
On the software side Turbo consists of operating system (kernel) developed by BLADOX, applications (BLADOX or 3rd party) and development tools (the free, open source GNU Tool Chain).
- Atmel AVR ATmega 128 MCU, excelent documentation and open source support
- the core (without memory card) is compatible with both 3 and 5V mobile equipment, memory card with 3V MEs only
- MMC connector for optional DataFlash memory card - simple serial flash memory with no royalties, no DRM, full data sheets available
- hardware ports (AD, parallel) and interfaces (I2C) available on the mainboard for developers
- low power consumption
- open, open, open but not open source (yet) multithreaded OS
- relocable application format, built-in application linker
- miniature application memory footprint (hello world 98 bytes long)
- RAM and EEPROM memory management
- API for SIM Toolkit commands
- API for GSM commands - almost full SIM emulation (full emulation in future)
- API for SMS handling, SMS server with access rights
- strong focus on security - 128bit twofish cypher (AES candidate), pseudorandom number generator using mobile network for seeding
- protected flash memory in bootloader area
- file system optimized for small files (SMS size)
- file system encryption
- application upload by serial cable (if neccessary AT commands supported by ME)
- action (=event) driven application concept
- support for internationalization
- idle task operation
- boot loader with upgradable firmware
- unique and open way of SIM Toolkit application development and deployment independent on mobile operators and equipment vendors
- C and assembler (C++ future possibility)
- excellent free software development GNU tools - GCC and binutils http://www.fsf.org
- libc based on the excellent open source AVR Libc http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/avr-libc/
- many AVR projects, libraries and code available on the Internet
Copyright © 2004 BLADOX
| Turbo version 1.0
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