Chopper Case Study

Case StudyEmbedded

Intel® Chopper

Intel Built a… What?By now you've seen the Intel® Chopper, or at least heard about it. You may even be wondering why Intel

would build a motorcycle. The thought may have crossed your mind: how is it that the same technology

that drives your PC can have anything to do with driving a vehicle? What on earth was Intel thinking?

“The most powerful and technologically advanced bike we've ever made.”

—PAUL TEUTUL SR., ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPERS*

Before we explain why, we think it's important that you know a little more about it. When you break down

the components and look inside the digital dashboard, you may find all the answers you need.

The Story Behind theIntel® ChopperBeyond PCs and Servers – Intel celebrates 30 years of innovation and leadership in embedded technology

Case Summary

Case Study The Story Behind the Intel® Chopper

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In fact, a computer-driven motorcycle is so

unique that the idea required support from

several technology companies, including a

few members of the Intel® Communications

Alliance. Integration of the computing and

technology components was done by Roper

Mobile Technology*. Infotainment software

was provided by StreetDeck*. And Kontron*

built the single-board computer that powers

the Roper SwitchBack* PC that runs the

bike's computing systems.

Intel came up with the idea and provided

the embedded technology that powers so

many of the bike's computerized features.

But the design and construction was all OCC.

Take a look at what the Intel Chopper

is all about:

All-Digital Dashboard with Touch-Screen

Control: The all-digital dashboard replaces

traditional dials. All mechanical and

entertainment functions are displayed

here, including speed and tachometer,

turn signals, rear-view mirror, audio and

video dials, etc.

Built-in PC: The all-digital dashboard is

also a detachable, ultra-mobile PC (UMPC)

that functions just like a laptop. Use it to

surf the web, do email, write and review

reports, prepare spreadsheets, and so forth.

No Mirrors: Who needs mirrors? The rear-

mounted USB camera offers a constant

view of the area behind the bike which

is displayed on one corner of the digital

dashboard.

Fingerprint-Powered Security: Who

needs keys? The bike's starter is controlled by

fingerprint recognition software – effective

security for both the bike and the UMPC.

Audio, Video, GPS and more: Enjoy touch-

screen control of a wide selection of audio

and video tools, including GPS navigation.

All of these programs are integrated with

the chopper's audio and video system for a

multimedia experience.

Wireless: With Bluetooth* wireless tech-

nology, the chopper's infotainment features

can be wired into the driver's headset. Wi-Fi

technology enables web-surfing whenever

the bike is parked in range of a hotspot, or

whenever the UMPC is detached and used

within range of a wireless network.

Electronically Controlled Hydraulic

Kickstand: The driver of the Intel Chopper

can raise and lower the kickstand with a

simple touch to the digital dashboard. Good

thing, because this is one “beefy bike.”

About the Intel® ChopperThis Intel-themed, fully operational concept bike is both a mechanical powerhouseand marvel of embedded technology. It was designed and built by the renownedcustom motorcycle company Orange County Choppers (OCC). “It’s different fromany other themed motorcycle we've ever done in that we were able to use Intel'sproduct to help control and operate the bike. We've never quite done anything likeit before,” says Paul Teutul Jr. of Orange County Choppers.

Ever since then, Intel has been advancing the use

of embedded technology with innovative silicon and

platform designs that power today's automobiles,

airplanes, ATMs, information kiosks, telecommunications

infrastructure, network storage systems, and factory

and medical equipment. It's a success story that has

much to do with Intel's unwavering commitment to

extended life cycle support for its embedded chips

of 5-7 years or more.

The Intel Chopper was developed to commemorate

these 30 years of embedded technology leadership

and innovation. It's “the most powerful and techno-

logically advanced bike we've ever made,” says

Orange County Choppers' Paul Teutul Sr., “to showcase

the many ways the world benefits from Intel embedded

technology. In fact, we were amazed to discover how

much Intel technology we have in our own shop.

Beyond the Intel-powered PCs and servers, we have

Intel processors embedded in many of the machines

and devices that help us with every bike build.”

Rear-View Cam

Voltage Meter

Battery Voltage Gauges

SpeedometerTachometer

StreetDeckInfotainment

Web Browser

The Story Behind the Intel® Chopper Case Study

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Celebrating 30 Years of Embedded InnovationPerhaps the most surprising thing about the Intel chopper isn't the fact thatIntel built a motorcycle at all, but the fact that Intel has been igniting innovationin the embedded technology industry for more than 30 years now. You knowIntel as the leading silicon, technology and platform supplier to the PC andserver industry. But did you know that Intel has a much longer history ofadvancing embedded technology? In fact, Intel introduced the embedded8048 microcontroller in 1976, before the advent of the personal computer.It was the first device to integrate a processor, memory, peripherals and I/O.

Ignition

Turn Indicators

Finger Print ID

Kickstand Control

What is EmbeddedTechnology?

From traffic lights to an

engine's fuel-injection

system, microcontrollers

have simplified the mundane

tasks of everyday life. Built

into ATM's, self-service gas

pumps and supermarket

checkout machines,

embedded computing now

surrounds us in a more

powerful and connected

way than ever before.

Roper Switchback* Interface


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Reliability and Durability: Unlike their desktop

counterparts, embedded computing systems must

last for 5-7 years or more. They often run 24x7

without interruption and must suffer through misuse.

What's more, slow, inefficient or inoperable systems

are not tolerated. And because embedded systems

are often subject to temperature fluctuations, dirt,

moisture, shock and vibration, they must be

extremely durable.

Seamless Connectivity: The connection between

the embedded system and the enterprise is not only

necessary, it must be continuous, automatic and

transparent. Access must be available anywhere:

wired or wireless, fixed or mobile.

Secure: The proliferation of devices connected to

the enterprise creates a security problem. Enormous

amounts of customer and business data are

deployed and collected on these systems. This data

must be captured, relayed, stored and protected.

Scalability: Embedded systems are complex and

expensive and connect to infrastructure that is also

highly sophisticated. While the performance demands may

increase quickly, the systems themselves cannot be

replaced frequently. Customers need solutions that

are scalable to keep costs down and performance up.

Ever-Smaller Form Factors: The ability to deploy

embedded solutions in new venues requires systems

in ever-smaller form factors. Not only must these

devices be reliable and secure, they must also operate

on very low power, often without fans, in very tight

enclosures.

Increasingly High Performance: Security, reliability,

scalability, connectivity – all of these requirements

translate into ever-increasing performance demands

at the core. Processors must not only be faster, but

must also be capable of handling ever-more sophisti-

cated calculations, contain greater memory and

short-term cache, and support multiple applications

and functions simultaneously.

Intel embedded technology and products are igniting

innovation and leading the industry in all of these

areas. From ultra-low voltage designs that suit very

compact enclosures to the highest performing, multi-

core processors, developers can choose from a variety

of platforms to meet ever-changing form factors and

industry demands.

Implications for the Future ofEmbedded TechnologyIn looking at embedded technology through the eyes of the Intel chopper, it'sclear that we're driving in new and uncharted territory. New levels of integrationand sophistication are not only possible, they are quite necessary. This meansthat developers must find ways to make sure their systems perform reliablyunder a variety of conditions for a long period of time, yet are scalable,intelligent, interactive, and intuitive. In fact, the implications for the future of embedded system designs are quite complex and include:

Intel’s new custom bikefrom Orange CountyChoppers has a built-incomputer system thatincludes a fingerprintreader from ZvetcoBiometrics.*

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As you ponder that amazing number – and the raw

performance potential of an 80-core processor –

consider how Intel's shift to multi-core architecture is

changing the performance strategy for embedded

systems. This new architecture drastically changes

the way developers take advantage of performance.

Application code must be rewritten to take maximum

advantage of parallelism, starting with four cores and

expanding to the future with the potential of 80

cores, or more.

Igniting InnovationYou're not alone in wondering how to take advantage

of that kind of performance. Intel's own engineering

and management teams pondered these questions:

• What kinds of systems and applications are possible

with multi-core performance?

• How does this power alter the landscape for

embedded computing?

• What does this performance leap mean for our

industry?

These are challenging questions, especially in our

world where the form factor still dictates so much,

where innovation has to make things more user

friendly, not less. And let's not forget the requirements

for connectivity, mobility, durability under stress,

and scalability.

The idea for the Intel Chopper was born out of these

questions. After all, a motorcycle is highly mobile;

is exposed to highly rugged operating conditions

such as shock, vibration, dirt, water and temperature

extremes; does not require technical expertise to

drive; and has basically been untouched by the

embedded technology industry. In short: the chopper

offered a one-of-a-kind venue to blend machine and

computer into a single device, thereby demonstrating

the potential power and scope of today's embedded

computing technology.

Raw PerformanceIn fact, Intel is way ahead of other silicon vendors in addressing the performancechallenge with multi-core processing platforms that deliver higher levels of rawpower without increasing the voltage requirements for embedded systems. Intelwas the first to bring out dual-core and quad-core processors for the embeddedmarket segment. But that's only the beginning. In the future, Intel expects todeliver processors with as many as 80 cores.



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More broadly, embedded Intel architecture is delivering

the reliable, scalable performance and extended life

cycle support demanded by the industry. Roper's

President Justin Dyster notes that embedded Intel

architecture is an ideal fit for rugged designs, where

durability is vital. “From experience we know that

the Intel® Architecture will hold up under extreme

operating conditions,” he says. “Intel also has the

optimum performance density at ultra-low voltage

right now, which is also really important in the

UMPC segment.”

The Road AheadFor more than 30 years, Intel has been driving

innovation in embedded computing. From the first

single-purpose microcontrollers to today's high-

performance, multi-core platforms, Intel has been

a constant force behind the integration between

embedded and enterprise computing.

The advent of multi-core computing will radically

alter the landscape for embedded designs. While Intel

engineers design the architecture that will power the

future of the embedded industry, what are you doing

to change the game?

Even More ValueAll of the chopper's features show how embedded Intel architecture serves a broad array of industries and applications through embedded innovation.With I/O and protocol support for Wi-Fi and Internet connectivity, embeddedIntel technology is serving the needs of the communications marketplace.Infotainment applications are made possible with strong graphics support integrated into the processing architecture. Of course, Intel still supports thecontrol functions that are vital to factory automation, as seen in the hydraulickickstand. And advanced security applications like fingerprint recognition software require a strong platform that includes cache, memory, I/O and speed – all to address a primary concern in all market segments.

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Our admiration goes first to the Teutul family and

Orange County Choppers for turning the vision into

a motorcycle – their motorcycle. We also wish to

thank the engine developer, Greg Nelson of Nelson

Engineering,* for designing a quad engine that delivers

raw power like never before. So too we wish to thank

Jeff Clegg, an OCC fantasy bike winner who lent us

his chopper for testing.

But even more importantly, Intel wants to recognize

the strength of its developer ecosystem that made

it possible to integrate embedded technology with

a mechanical masterpiece. Known as the Intel®

Communications Alliance, this ecosystem enables

a ready supply of components and solutions all

optimized for Intel architecture. This allows faster

time from idea to finished concept for a broad

array of solutions. The Intel Communications

Alliance members that supplied components or

contributed to the build of the Intel Chopper are:

Roper Mobile TechnologyAs a leader in the development of innovative

ultra-mobile computing systems, especially

rugged, embedded designs, Roper was integral

to the delivery of the Intel Chopper. Roper engineers

did all of the technical integration between the

SwitchBack-PC and the bike's mechanical systems.

“We couldn't have done it without them,” says Steve

Reed, Director of Industry Marketing for the Intel

Embedded and Communications Group.

KontronThe Roper SwitchBack PC that comprises the bike's

all-digital dashboard and computing system is based

on an ultra-compact Kontron CPU module featuring

an ultra-low voltage Intel processor. Because Kontron

is a leading member of the Intel Communications

Alliance, they were able to quickly deliver a prototype

CPU module outfitted with Intel's latest processors

to help Roper accelerate the development cycle

for their SwitchBack PC. This ongoing relationship

enables Roper to quickly and continually upgrade

their SwitchBack PC platform each time Intel

delivers new performance capabilities.

StreetDeckThe chopper's infotainment system is powered by

StreetDeck software, which is the current leader in

the development of information and entertainment

applications specifically for use in motor vehicles.

The StreetDeck application was selected by Roper

because it is the most comprehensive and robust

solution available. The fact that StreetDeck is a

member of the Intel Communications Alliance

also ensured that the software was Intel ready.

The HeroesTaking the Intel Chopper from idea to reality wasan incredibly collaborative effort between somevery unlikely bedfellows.


INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH INTEL PRODUCTS. NO LICENSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANYINTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IS GRANTED BY THIS DOCUMENT. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN INTEL’S TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE FOR SUCH PRODUCTS, INTELASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, AND INTEL DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, RELATING TO SALE AND/OR USE OF INTEL PRODUCTSINCLUDING LIABILITY OR WARRANTIES RELATING TO FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY PATENT, COPYRIGHTOR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT. Intel products are not intended for use in medical, life saving, or life sustaining applications. Intel may make changes tospecifications and product descriptions at any time, without notice.

Information regarding third party products is provided solely for educational purposes. Intel is not responsible for the performance or support of third party productsand does not make any representations or warranties whatsoever regarding quality, reliability, functionality, or compatibility of these devices or products.

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Copyright © 2008 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intel, the Intel logo, Leap ahead, and the Intel Leap ahead logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United Statesand other countries.

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www.intel.com/go/embedded

For more information:http://ignite.intel.com

www.switchbackpc.com

www.kontron.com

www.streetdeck.com

www.orangecountychoppers.com

www.intel.com/go/ica

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