STMicroelectronics adds STM32Cube convenience to TouchGFX
Features have been added to the TouchGFX software framework for STM32 microcontrollers to streamline the creation of interfaces for domestic appliances, home automation, industrial controls, medical devices, and wearables.
The latest version released by STMicroelectronics introduces TouchGFX Generator, which is designed to make setting up a project and configuring related peripherals easier than ever, claims the company. This plug in to the STM32CubeMX initialisation tool generates a custom project based on the latest STM32Cube firmware and the user’s selected graphic settings and integrated development environment (IDE). STM32CubeIDE and leading third-party IDEs are supported.
TouchGFX Generator is the main tool for developing the TouchGFX hardware abstraction layer (TouchGFXHAL) that connects the TouchGFX application with the microcontroller. TouchGFX Generator reduces reliance on the user’s understanding of the TFT display and enables a wider variety of developers to create sophisticated STM32 graphics, assures ST Microelectronics.
TouchGFX Designer, the PC-based environment for creating, managing, and building graphic applications, adds enhancements that ease navigation, adjustment of settings and code-version control. Project-configuration changes made in STM32CubeMX automatically update TouchGFX Designer graphical settings.
Enhancements to the TouchGFX engine that runs on the embedded STM32 microcontroller include improved texture-mapping performance and shorten rendering time by up to 60 per cent, reports the company. This also enables enhanced animations with scaling and rotating objects. Support for glyph substitution (GSUB) tables as used with Hindi fonts simplifies displaying advanced typography.
TouchGFX allows high-quality user interfaces to be created ranging from simple applications to those requiring high pixel resolution and colour depth. Developers using a custom STM32-based board can use STM32CubeMX with TouchGFX Generator to generate the project for a preferred IDE/compiler by configuring the TouchGFX software framework and the hardware features of the selected microcontroller, ST Microelectronics advises.
Developers can use STM32 display kits, which are supported out-of-the-box, for prototyping. They can start working in TouchGFX Designer with a new or pre-built demo application, and generate the complete project aided by a full board support package (BSP) including STM32Cube software and drivers for external components.
STM32 users can download TouchGFX free of charge from the company website
