Mentor Graphics empowers 32-bit MCU development

USA: Mentor Graphics Corp. announced the Nucleus SmartFit product, a cost-effective, binary version of the Nucleus RTOS (real time operating system) optimized to fit the limited internal memory of 32-bit MCUs.

The Nucleus SmartFit product also includes Sourcery CodeBench development tools and provides developers with broad connectivity and power consumption options for developing products based on 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs).

“32-bit MCUs provide an ideal hardware platform for devices that connect themselves to the Internet, such as those in machine-to-machine (M2M) applications or the Internet of Things,” said Scot Morrison, GM of runtime solutions, Mentor Graphics Embedded Software Division. “Nucleus SmartFit is a value-based development platform targeted particularly to developers migrating from bare metal to an RTOS environment where embedded devices require intelligence, connectivity, and low-power functionality.”

Included in the Nucleus RTOS is the Power Management Framework with which developers can maximize battery life in power-efficient applications. In addition to Sourcery CodeBench development tools, the Nucleus SmartFit platform can be configured to include I/O and bus support, file systems, networking IPv4/IPv6, wireless, and USB functionality. The Nucleus SmartFit product is suited for medical and personal healthcare, smart grid, industrial sensors, and white goods products.

“Freescale welcomes the introduction of the Nucleus SmartFit RTOS development bundle supporting our scalable, high-performance 32-bit Kinetis MCUs,” said Michael O’Donnell, director, Software Ecosystem Alliances. “The small-footprint, connectivity and power optimization capabilities of Nucleus SmartFit will allow embedded developers to create innovative applications where low-power, memory, and feature scalability are critical.”

“Nucleus SmartFit lets developers take advantage of the connectivity and processing power of TI’s Stellaris ARM Cortex-M4F MCUs,” said Matt Muse, GM of Stellaris Cortex-M MCUs, Texas Instruments (TI). “With an optimized memory footprint, middleware connectivity for USB, TCP/IP and Wi-Fi, and integrated development tools, Nucleus SmartFit is a great option for developers transitioning to 32-bit Stellaris MCUs.”

The Nucleus SmartFit product is priced starting at $3,995 and will be available for purchase online. With the tailored board support packages (BSPs) included, product developers can focus on developing features versus writing complex I/O and device support. Devices supported by the Nucleus SmartFit product include Freescale Kinetis, and Texas Instruments’ Stellaris.