The Ethernet Sandwich Module is a component of the AmbiComp (TM) project. It provides Ambient Intelligence Controller Units (AICUs) with an Ethernet interface, which allows communication with backoffice applications and across the Internet, as well as the integration of the AICU into a larger-scale AmbiComp system.

The Ethernet Sandwich Module contains a light-weight hardware abstraction layer, the so called BIOS. The BIOS provides low-level access to the Ethernet transceiver and the module's IO lines. It also interfaces to other sandwich modules in the AICU via the backplane bus.

An instance of the AmbiComp Virtual Machine (ACVM) executes transcoded Java applications. It also provides TCP/IP support - either as a native library or platform-independently in Java. According to the AmbiComp (TM) concept, the ACVM runs seamlessly across all the modules in an AICU. Thus, software developers do not need to particulary address the Ethernet Sandwich Module. They can simply use its functionality on all sandwich modules in the AICU.

AmbiComp (TM) is an ongoing research project. All information material including this web page is still priliminary. It is subject to change without prior notice. Beecon GmbH and the AmbiComp consortium assume no responsibility for the correctness of this material.