Cloud-based system development tool dynamically creates IoT software
Claimed to be the only online, cloud-based IoT system design platform, Quick-Connect Studio accelerates the design cycle by enabling customers to build rapid prototypes and develop production-level software before designing hardware, said Renesas Electronics.
It enables users to graphically build hardware and software to quickly validate prototypes and accelerate product development. It has been introduced because the present development cycle is cumbersome, said Renesas. Engineers are required to research and define the project, collect device information and requirements, layout hardware, develop software, test, and iterate until the product is ready to release to market. These steps are typically done sequentially, and each step takes a significant amount of time. Often the software development phase consumes the most engineering power and ultimately becomes the biggest bottleneck, reasoned Renesas.
Quick-Connect Studio allows engineers to perform hardware and software development simultaneously and therefore build software immediately and with the ability to quickly reconfigure and test product ideas. This yields dramatic time savings, said Renesas, and reduces risk as engineers can validate designs before committing to hardware layout.
The development tool allows engineers to graphically drag and drop device and subsystem blocks on the cloud. After placing each block, users can generate, compile, and build software automatically. This is a major shift towards the no-code paradigm of development, said the company.
Users can rapidly build a full solution in the cloud and deploy to hardware in under 10 minutes. There is very little upfront learning or investment needed. The cloud compute power provides fast compilation and the GUI reduces the learning curve and promotes project reuse, Renesas added.
The Quick-Connect Studio is built on the Quick-Connect IoT platform of standardised hardware featuring established interfaces such as PMOD, Arduino and Mikroe. Engineers can use standard connectors to mix and match microcontrollers and microprocessors, sensors and connectivity boards seamlessly. Renesas also announced that future plans including extending the development tool to different partners, including cloud providers, service integrators, and the open-source community.
Quick-Connect Studio automatically generates system projects that can be downloaded and imported into Renesas’ e2 studio either as a pre-built binary or full-source code project, enabling users to leverage the full Renesas tool chain.
Quick-Connect Studio is available today and supported by various Quick-Connect IoT development boards with more to be added continuously, said Renesas.
Quick-Connect Studio will be demonstrated at Embedded World in Nuremberg, Germany (14 to 16 March) at the Renesas stand in Hall1-234.
