RT-RK (Serbian Cyrillic: РТ-РК) is a Serbian R&D company and national research institute that develops software and hardware for real time embedded systems, focusing on automotive, consumer electronics, and infotainment systems. It is headquartered in Novi Sad, Serbia and has offices in Belgrade, Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Osijek (Croatia).

RT-RK
Native name
РТ-РК
Company typeLLC
IndustryAutomotive, Consumer electronics, Infotainment
Founded1991; 33 years ago (1991) (Founded)
7 April 2005; 19 years ago (2005-04-07) (Current form)
Headquarters
Narodnog fronta 23a, Novi Sad
,
Serbia
Key people
Nikola Teslić (CEO)
Milenko Berić (CFO)
ProductsHome audio, OBLO home automation/Internet of Things, TV software, Testing of Set-Top Box and multimedia devices
ServicesEmbedded software, Automotive software, TV software, DSP software, Product development/small scale production, FPGA rapid prototyping, UI/UX design
RevenueIncrease 30.23 million (2017)[1]
Increase €2.61 million (2017)[1]
Total assetsIncrease €11.92 million (2017)[2]
Total equityIncrease €10.56 million (2017)[2]
Number of employees
579 (2017)
Websitewww.rt-rk.com

The company was founded in 1991 and currently employs more than 600 engineers. It operates under the umbrella of TTTech Group.[3]

History

edit

In 1991, a small group of professors and assistants working at the University of Novi Sad Faculty of Technical Sciences, Chair for Computer Engineering, launched their first projects for telephony and digital signalling protocols (SSNo7, ISDN on DSS1 D channel). Their interest for business further evolved to automation processes in the Serbian oil industry, where they were involved in projects for gas pipeline management. In 1991, they started a company named FTN-IRAM-RT.[4] With close cooperation of the FTN-IRAM-RT with The University of Novi Sad attracted Micronas, a German company, to launch MicronasNIT within the same environment and with the same management. Having become a Micronas’ subsidiary, MicronasNIT entered the era of expansion in DSP, FPGA and Digital TV technology. IIn 2005, MicronasNIT received the 'Exporter of the Year' award in the SME category from the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA).[5]

New technologies, customer service, and world-wide market access brought new customers, emerging the need for a new business model to render the services. The new circumstances gave rise to foundation of a new company, RT-RK. In April 2009, RT-RK bought MicronasNIT, becoming the largest Serbian company for embedded system design.

The Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia accredited RT-RK Computer Based Systems LLC as a National Research and Development Institute.[6] In their explanation, the Advisory Committee stated that the scientific programs of RT-RK contribute to the development of new products and devices, introduce new and improve existing technological processes, systems and services, and perform transfer of knowledge and technology. The company employs scientific researchers, offers programs for young developers, and has facilities, equipment, and other resources necessary to implement its programs.

Operations

edit

Automotive

edit

RT-RK is engaged on real time applications involving the major SoCs of the industry such as those of Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Renesas, NVIDIA and Infineon.

It carries out system software development, AUTOSAR porting and customization, projects complying with ASPICE processes and functional safety, UI/UX development, reference hardware design, and technology transfer to Tier1/OEM. RT-RK is specialized in relevant operating systems and industry standards, such as Linux, ISO26262, Ethernet, FlexRay, MOST, HTML5, GENIVI.

These are the services the company is offering:

  • Software and operating systems for ECU, based on AUTOSAR and functional safety standard ISO26262
  • Software for driver assistance
  • HMI development for Head Units, Instrument Cluster and Head-up Displays
  • Development of In-Vehicle Infotainment systems (IVI) – including reception of TV signal and services
  • Integration, customization, and development services (platform selection, OS, complex device drivers, communication, ECU abstraction, services, microcontroller abstraction, AUTOSAR RTE, and application software components)

Products:

  • Automotive machine vision Middleware enables cross platform execution of ADAS algorithms utilizing various inputs, outputs and multiple processing cores.
  • Automotive machine vision ALPHA reference board based on System On Chip of Texas Instruments. The board is intended for car manufacturers (OEMs), automotive design houses (Tier1/2/3) for rapid prototyping, TI automotive customers, and algorithm developers for demo purposes.[7]

Digital TV software

edit

The company’s journey in Digital TV began in 2001 with a joint venture with Micronas to develop software for their TVs. With time, it transformed from an extended workbench approach towards a system supplier becoming a full Micronas subsidiary to deliver software for Digital TV, and take over significant support responsibility towards Micronas' customers. When Micronas closed down their consumer business unit, it left RT-RK fully independent and continuing with TV software development.

RT-RK was the first company to announce successful porting of the big-endian version of the Android™ operating system for the MIPS® architecture facilitating SoC manufacturers to use Android, targeting the market of Digital TVs (DTV), Set-Top Boxes (STB) and for applications in the digital home.[8]

Zoran Corporation singled out RT-RK for porting Android onto their System on Chip (SOC), joining forces in development of multimedia applications and services for connected TV.[9]

In 2011, RT-RK became a shareholder of iWedia, a Swiss-based company and operates as system integrator on Set-Top Box and TV software products based on their DVB middleware.

In 2012, RT-RK announced cooperation with General Satellite on their Set-Top Box GS-8305 deployed on the network of Tricolor TV,[10] which was developed by RT-RK. Mass production of the box in their factory in Kaliningrad has been tested by the RT-RK’s BBT Set-Top Box testing products.

Its Android background was helpful to integrate IPTV and broadcast TV (DVB/ATSC) functionalities inside TV and STB devices powered by the Android operating system called ANDROID4TV, made Google conclude an agreement with the company to provide integration services to Google partners wishing to deploy Google TV in their products.[11]

Android Set-Top Box deployments continue with Swisscom IPTV STB,[12] and Bouygues Telecom Bbox Miami hybrid box with Google Mobile Services (Google Play Store, Google Music, Chrome, YouTube, Google Play Movies) certified by Google.[13]

In September 2014, the company made ANDROID4TV software framework open source facilitating TV operators worldwide with the benefits of leveraging of Android openness, flexibility, and developers' community.[14]

iWedia has many projects, including SAT>IP server[15] and Linux-based H.264 Set-Top Box based on STMicroelectronics’ Liege chipset,[16] both boxes being produced by RT-RK.

RT-RK continues operations providing services to other players in the Digital TV world, some of them being: SmarDTV,[17] Vidmind,[18] and Wyplay.[19]

Home automation

edit
 
OBLO home automation by RT-RK

OBLO enables home automation, including:

  • Centralized automation via the control hub and the cloud
  • Automation apps (mobile, web), to control home from any place, any time
  • Connectivity among home devices like Zigbee, Z-Wave and Wi-Fi.
  • Set of ready-made devices to automate lighting and energy consumption
  • Blueprints for adding “smarts” to devices

OBLO is scalable and allows the selection and customization of components to make an automated home.[citation needed]

OBLO Off-the-shelf components OBLO White-label product
  • Resell of existing hardware
    • Home gateway
    • Automation devices
      • Plug, socket
      • Dimmers (switch, microdimmer)
      • Scene controller
  • Licensing OBLO software
    • Home gateway software
    • Applications (web, mobile)
    • Stratus IoT cloud
  • Maintenance and service agreements
  • OEM hardware
    • Home gateway
      • As standalone device
      • Integrated within STB or TV
    • Proprietary plus 3rd party devices
  • Software components
    • Home gateway software
    • Applications (web, mobile)
    • Stratus IoT cloud
  • Custom development
    • Powerline, SAT>IP, BT, NFC, etc.
  • Integration, customization, maintenance and service agreements

BBT (Black Box Testing)

edit
 
RT-AV100 for Set-Top Box testing by RT-RK BBT

The line of RT-RK products codenamed BBT provides testing equipment and services to Set-Top Box and multimedia devices development and production.

Service/product Customer
  • Software platforms for automatized and manual testing
  • Specialized hardware components for testing
  • End-to-end test management system
  • Test suites for functional, stress, and performance tests
  • Precertification test suites
  • Service of manual testing
  • Service of automatized testing
  • Testing and certification consulting services
  • IC vendors
  • Software module vendors and system integrators
  • OEMs and ODMs
  • Telecom operators
  • Diagnostic and repair facilities

RT-RK supports the Digital TV product life cycle, from marketing through to development, production and qualification, superseding human testing labor of 600 man/days monthly, for the largest European and the third-largest OEM in the world Vestel. [citation needed]

As announced by the HbbTV Association, an initiative for providing an open standard for the delivery of broadcast and broadband services through connected TVs and set-top boxes, RT-RK is a supplier of majority test cases included in the HbbTV 2.0 test suite, in addition to all the applicable ones from the HbbTV 1/1.5 test suite and other sources.[20] In addition, RT-RK supplies additional tests to cover the differences between HbbTV 2.0 and HbbTV 2.0.1, mostly required for the migration of Italy and the UK to HbbTV.[21]

Near Shore Development Centre (NSDC)

edit

RT-RK is a strategic partner and Near Shore Development Centre (NSDC) of Cirrus Logic,[22] Imagination Technologies, Wyplay, Zenterio, and Vestel in the consumer electronics industry. In May 2015, TTTech, a technology leader in robust networked safety controls and partner of Audi, announced a strategic partnership with RT-RK in the field of automotive electronics and industrial applications, by acquiring 35% of the company’s share capital.[23]

Locations

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "БИЛАНС УСПЕХА (2017) - RT-RK". apr.gov.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b "БИЛАНС СТАЊА (2017) - RT-RK". apr.gov.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  3. ^ "About Us". RT-RK.
  4. ^ "About Us". RT-RK. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  5. ^ EXPORTER OF THE YEAR AWARD. SIEPA. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  6. ^ "Serbian Ministry Accredits RT-RK Computer Based Systems LLC as National Research and Development Institute - Jacksonville Legal Notice". 2011-05-02. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  7. ^ TI expands ADAS and autonomous vehicle portfolio with new development board and broadened ecosystem. Texas Instruments. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  8. ^ RT-RK Delivers IP Solution for Android Devices – Porting Android on DTVs and STBs. Bloomberg. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  9. ^ Zoran Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2011 Results. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  10. ^ iWedia set-top box solution enters mass production with General Satellite. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  11. ^ iWedia selected by Google as Software integrator for Google TV. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  12. ^ Swisscom Android IPTV set-top operated by iWedia software. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  13. ^ iWedia software for Bouygues Telecom Android TV STB. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  14. ^ iWedia makes ANDROID4TV Software Framework open source. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  15. ^ iWedia to unveil full range of SAT>IP products at IBC 2013. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  16. ^ iWedia provides Linux-based H.264 STB software for ST's Liege chipsets. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  17. ^ RT-RK provides design services to SmarDTV for high end Media Gateway platform. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  18. ^ RT-RK to boost DVB-T/T2 performance of Vidmind OTT/DTT STB. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  19. ^ RT-RK joins the Frog by Wyplay program. Digital TV News. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  20. ^ Deliveries Completed for Official HbbTV 2.0 Receiver Test Suite. HbbTV.org. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  21. ^ Contract extended for HbbTV 2.0.1 test suites. Broadband TV News. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  22. ^ Cirrus Logic Selects RT-RK as Preferred Third Party Audio DSP Service Provider. Cirrus Logic. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  23. ^ Audi partner TTTech acquires 35% of RT-RK; automotive electronics. Green Car Congress. Retrieved 2015-05-08.