1.媒体来源:
TechCrunch
2.完整新闻标题:
Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service
(微软为了新的物联网平台打造了属于自己的客制Linux核心）
3.完整新闻内文:
At a small press event in San Francisco,
Microsoft today announced the launch of a secure end-to-end IoT product
that focuses on microcontroller-based devices —
the kind of devices that use tiny and relatively low-powered microcontrollers
for basic control or connectivity features.
Typically, these kinds of devices,
which could be anything from a toy to a household gadget or an industrial application,
don’t often get updated and hence, security often suffers.
今天在旧金山一个小小的新闻活动中
微软宣布将发表一个以微控制器为主、
着重于安全性的终端物联网产品
这些相对低功耗的微处理器主要的公用为提供基础的网络服务
大致来说，这种产品的存在从玩具、家电、到工业用途都有可能
他们通常很少获得软件更新、也因此常常安全性堪虑
At the core of Azure Sphere is a new class of certified MCUs.
As Microsoft president and chief legal officer Brad Smith stressed in today’s
announcement, Microsoft will license these new Azure Sphere chips for free,
in hopes to jump-start the Azure Sphere ecosystem.
Azure Sphere的最核心部份，是一种新时代、受认证保障的微控制器
软总裁与法务长 Brad Smith一再于今日的发表会中强调：
微软会以免费的方式授权Azure Sphere芯片，目的是为了快速拓展它的生态系
Because it’s hard to secure a device you can’t update or get telemetry from,
it’s no surprise that these devices will feature built-in connectivity.
And with that connectivity, these devices can also connect to
the Azure Sphere Security Service in the cloud.
若没有办法升级或设法远端遥控的话，根本没办法好好保护这类的装置
所以Azure Sphere会有内建的连线能力使其连上位于云端的安全服务
Now, you probably assume that these devices will run Windows, but you’re wrong.
For the first time ever, Microsoft is launching a custom Linux kernel and
distribution: the Azure Sphere OS.
It’s an update to the kind of real-time operating systems that today’s MCUs often use.
说到现在，你大概会觉得这些装置上面跑的是Windows吧？
但你错了，微软准备发表他们客制化的Linux发行版与系统核心：
Azure Sphere OS
它将会是比现行微控制器上面跑的实时作业系统们更进化的存在
Why use Linux? “With Azure Sphere, Microsoft is addressing an entirely new class
of IoT devices, the MCU,” Rob Lefferts, Microsoft’s partner director for Windows enterprise
and security told me at the event.”
“Windows IoT runs on microprocessor units (MPUs) which have at least 100x the power of the MCU.
The Microsoft-secured Linux kernel used in the Azure Sphere IoT OS is shared under an OSS license
so that silicon partners can rapidly enable new silicon innovations.
And those partners are also very comfortable with taking an open-source releases
and integrating that with their products.”
为什么要用Linux呢？
在这次的活动中，微软的 企业与安全合作总监 Rob Lefferts如此对我说道：
“Microsoft将以Azure Sphere作为敲门砖，去面向这间公司物联网的全新领域：微控制器。
而以往物联网版本Windows运行的微处理器，运算能力至少都是微控制器的一百倍。
Azure Sphere物联网系统所用的、由微软安全强化过的Linux核心将会以开放原始码的授权协议释出。
这样合作的半导体厂商将能发展新的创新。
而这些厂商也对于将开源程式整合进他们的产品感到安心与舒适。”
To get the process started, MediaTek is producing the first set of these new MCUs.
These are low-powered, single-core ARM-A7 systems that run at 500MHz and include WiFi connectivity
as well as a number of other I/O options.
让一切步上轨道的是，
联发科技将会制造这样的第一批微控制器——
低功耗、单核心时脉500MHz的ARM-A7，并包含WiFi的连网能力与丰富的输出入周边选择。
As far as the open ecosystem goes, Smith also stressed that the devices can be used with services
that run on any other cloud, no matter whether that’s AWS or the Alibaba Cloud.
Smith也再三强调：
只要开源生态系能运作良好，这些装置将能运行于任何的云平台上，
无论那是亚马逊还是阿里巴巴的云服务。
Interestingly, Amazon’s AWS unit announced a somewhat similar project at its re:Invent
conference last year. It’s probably no surprise that these large cloud providers are interested
in MCUs, given that while the devices themselves are not bound to any cloud,
the only way to get the full value out of them is in combination with cloud services,
whether that’s for authenticating new devices,
updating operating systems or managing the software that runs on them.
有趣的是，亚马逊的AWS部门去年也在他们的re:Invent活动中发表了相似的计画
其实这些大型云端服务的公司会对微控制器有兴趣也不是很令人诧异的事情
毕竟要让那些散落在各地的装置发挥价值
不外乎就是要让它们连上网络，不管是为了进行认证、升级系统、还是管理上面跑的软件
4.完整新闻连结 (或短网址):
https://tinyurl.com/y9gjwf26
5.备注:
文中提到的发哥的新闻稿在这边：
https://tinyurl.com/yctxtec3
其实IThome也有一篇在讲这件事情的新闻：
https://www.ithome.com.tw/news/122492
但是还是想直接拿外电来谈
其实我是很不喜欢原文区别Microprocessor跟Microcontroller Unit的方式
MCU是个很广的名词
管你MIPS、ARM，还是PIC、ATmel
在我眼里看起来本质上都一样
运算能力看用途当然不尽相同
但剖开来还不都是processor，有instruction set、有memory操作
话说回来我是很好奇到底Microsoft的Linux kernel patch打了什么
希望不要到时候diff一下
发现跟mainline只差个不到5000 LoC之类的，那我应该会觉得很想笑