April 15, 2014 - Silicon Labs, a global leader in high-performance analog-intensive mixed-signal IC solutions, announced the launch of a new 32-bit hardware and firmware development kit designed to accelerate Apple's MFi (Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad) accessory development. Silicon Labs' MFI-SIM3U1XX-DK is a development kit utilizing an ARM® Cortex®-M3-based SiM3U microcontroller (MCU) that supports all digital Lightning Connector and protocol stack functionality. The new development kit targets a wide range of accessories for iOS devices including entertainment accessories, device-powered dongles, game controllers, and docking stations.

Today, iOS accessory manufacturers are rapidly transitioning from 30-pin connector-based product architectures to the Lightning Connector standard. The Lightning Connector standard provides an advanced fully digital connector and redesigned protocol stack. Silicon Labs designed the MFI-SIM3U1XX-DK kit as a turnkey solution that simplifies developers' Lightning-based accessory development projects, accelerates time-to-market, and easily meets MFi program requirements.

Silicon Labs' 32-bit development kit provides accessory developers with an excellent, cost-effective, and comprehensive solution. The kit includes a hardware development board, firmware libraries and sample iOS app, containing everything developers need to immediately develop Lightning Connector-based accessories. The kit supports accessory-style communication between iOS devices and development boards. By simplifying the development process, customers seeking to obtain MFi licensing through the new 32-bit kit can focus on what matters most—the accessory application itself.

Through the MFI-SIM3U1XX-DK kit, developers can reduce cost, complexity, and power consumption of accessories designed for iOS devices. The SiM3U MCU features fully specified analog peripherals, integrated capacitive touch sense controller, internal 5V regulator, and crystal-free USB operation. These characteristics eliminate the need for discrete crystal oscillators and reduce BOM (bill of materials) cost, component count, and board space. The SiM3U MCU's superior power efficiency provides significant advantages for device-powered accessory applications. The SiM3U MCU delivers ultra-low power consumption with analog operation down to 1.8V, achieving 33% lower active current and 5-100 times lower standby current compared to competing products, and low-current USB idle mode ensures reliable performance for device-powered accessories.

Geir Førre, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Microcontroller Products at Silicon Labs, stated, "Today's iOS accessory developers want a simple, efficient, and ready-to-use experience through hardware and firmware development kits. We designed the new 32-bit development kit to accelerate iOS accessory development, support high-performance Lightning Connectors, and reduce system cost and energy consumption."