First commercial version of the GRAPE Embedded System Development tool announced.

April 30, 2002 Netanya, Israel – Embedded system development tool specialist, D. S. GRAPE Ltd, announces the
first commercial release of the GRAPE Graphical-programming tool for 8-bit embedded systems.
 
What is GRAPE Software?
GRAPE is an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use graphical programming tool that will enable hardware and /or software
engineers to design, simulate and implement software applications for 8-bin microcontrollers in a wide range of
industries, thereby reducing the time to market of new products.
 
A beta version was released in October 2001and today we release the first commercial version of the software, which
includes many additions enhancements and bug fixes to the beta release.
 
GRAPE is a full development system featuring:
 

• Shortened software development time.
• Full graphical development system that includes a graphical editor, compiler and target machine code generator.
• Graphical simulator that enables debugging the software in the graphical diagram level.
• Expandable library of predefined modules.
• Code generator for: Motorola HC08, PIC-16Cxxx, PIC-16Fxxx, and 8051 derivatives.

Why do you need GRAPE?
Programmers using the GRAPE tool need only draw a block diagram of their application on the graphical interface,
and the software compiles it directly to the target microcontroller's machine code. The resultant code is a fully
optimized machine code for the specific microcontroller.
 
How much does it cost?
GRAPE uses an innovative Internet based billing system.
The customer pays per project according to the number of modules (subroutines) used in his project.
Payment is done only at the final code generation stage using the GRAPE Internet server.
In order to make the pricing compatible with small companies as well as large ones, we have come up with the
following two pricing methods:
 
First – Enables paying according to number of modules in project.
Price per module is 39 US$.
Second – Enables companies, which have several large projects purchase a yearly license for unlimited use.
Price per yearly license is: 5000 US$.

 
Are there any competitors to GRAPE?
It is known that there are already several Graphical Editors in the market.
If so, you probably ask yourself why do we need another one? And the answer is simple – GRAPE is not just a
graphical editor, it holds in it a complete programming package, which includes, apart from the editor, a compiler, a
linker, a code generator and a simulator.
This means a very important thing - by combining all the above components, there is actually no need of the graphical
editor to comply with an "outside" compiler, since it already exists within, thus saving cost.
 
Co-Founder and CEO of D. S. Grape, Ori Idan, commented: "This new tool integrates the entire software production
process under one convenient framework. We expect that GRAPE will enable hardware engineers and software
developers to easily and efficiently generate microcontroller applications."
 
Co-Founder Joseph Simony, developer of the Grape concept, added: "The architecture of Grape has been designed
to enable the building of applications by simply cutting and pasting of previously developed modules, resulting in even
further time savings in the software production process."
 
D. S. Grape is currently seeking to appoint distributors for the product in all major markets.
 
Patents on Grape are pending.
 

About D. S. Grape Ltd.
D. S. Grape Ltd. was founded in November 2000, and is based in Netanya, Israel.
GRAPE stands for: GRAphical Programming environment for Embedded systems.
 

Company Information:

D. S. Grape Ltd.
POB 8027 Sapir Ind. Area
Netanya 42101
ISRAEL
Phone: +972-9-8659630, Fax: 972-9-8851090
 Email: info@grapesys.com
Web site: http://www.grapesys.com