Embedded firmware development framework provides internal and third-party support, licensing and resale
MPLAB Harmony currently includes pre-verified third-party offerings from Express Logic, FreeRTOS, InterNiche, WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems, SEGGER and wolfSSL, with many more on the way. The result is that developers can greatly simplify their PIC32 MCU code development process by reducing common integration bugs, accelerating time to market. Support and licensing for all the modules, including the third party RTOS’, is available directly from Microchip.
With the growing complexity of embedded systems, industry studies have shown that software development accounts for 60% of the average design cycle. At the same time, designers are using a variety of software with untested compatibility and multiple sources of purchasing and support. This causes increased verification and debug time after the design is completed, which can cost 10-30 times more than defects found during the design phase.
The MPLAB Harmony framework reduces development time and costs by providing a single integrated, abstracted and flexible source for Microchip-tested, debugged and interoperable code. In addition, Harmony provides a modular architecture that enables the efficient integration of multiple drivers, middleware and libraries, while offering an RTOS-independent environment. Not only does this pre-verification and integration speed development, it also increases reuse. On the hardware side, the Harmony framework makes it even easier to port code and migrate among all of Microchip’s 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers. Also, by using this single source for in-house and third-party code (both free and premium) that is supported by Microchip, designers can greatly increase their reaction times to their ever-changing end-market requirements.
“MPLAB Harmony provides a new software development approach that is unmatched in the embedded industry,” said Rod Drake, director of Microchip’s MCU32 Division. “No one else provides a single, comprehensive firmware development framework where designers can download and find support for such a broad range of pre-tested, interoperable software.”
“Deeply-embedded applications demand a high level of integration between the RTOS and IDE," said William Lamie, President & CEO of Express Logic. "Our advanced ThreadX Real-Time Operating System, integrated within the MPLAB Harmony framework, is designed to ease the development of high-performance applications that take advantage of the latest advancements in 32-bit PIC32 microcontroller technology.”
“As a Microchip PIC32 ecosystem partner, SEGGER is excited about MPLAB Harmony’s progressive approach to flexible software development," said Ivo Geilenbruegge, Managing Director at SEGGER Microcontroller Systems. "SEGGER will be adding this framework support for our RTOS (embOS) and middleware, including emWin, the industry-leading embedded graphics package.”
MPLAB Harmony is available today, and the basic framework is free. The first release provides initial support for the new PIC32MZ family, as well as the PIC32MX families. Full support for all PIC32 families is planned for the next version release, which is expected in March 2014. Once downloaded, there is a modular menu of free and premium software options that are also available today. The expanding list of initial offerings includes FreeRTOS from Real Time Engineers Ltd. and OPENRTOS from Wittenstein High Integrity Systems; a TCP/IP stack from InterNiche Technologies; and a CyaSSL Embedded SSL Library from wolfSSL, among many others.
Microchip’s MPLAB Harmony Online Design Center provides designers with a portal where they can easily download the framework and get started with their development. Additionally, the site offers many resources to users of the Harmony framework.
www.microchip.com/get/V2PJ
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
