Simplicity Studio simplifies the IoT application development process by providing a single software environment that allows MCU and wireless developers to easily access everything needed to complete a project, from initial planning to final product, with a single click. Simplicity Studio includes an Eclipse-based integrated development environment (IDE), graphical configuration tools, energy profiling tools, network analysis tools, demos, software examples, documentation, technical support, and a community forum. All of these integrated functions have been combined to enable IoT developers to proceed with embedded development simply and with high productivity.

Simplicity Studio automatically detects connected 8-bit or 32-bit MCUs or wireless ICs, enabling developers to prepare and operate projects within minutes. It allows for device configuration in a graphical environment and displays supported configuration options. Simplicity Studio is contextually aware development environment software that provides developers with product information relevant to their projects. Through integrated real-time energy profiling and network packet analyzer tools, developers can implement robust networks and energy-efficient wireless nodes, and optimize energy consumption to maximize battery life and size.

The ability to simultaneously perform MCU and wireless design in the same development environment saves time and effort for clients by eliminating the context switching process during embedded design. Embedded developers can use the integrated Simplicity Studio IDE for rapid application development of target applications based on EZR32 wireless MCUs, Ember ZigBee wireless SoCs, and 8/32-bit MCUs. The IDE provides enhanced useful features, such as integration of wireless embedded software frameworks, intelligent code completion, and compatibility with other additional features available in the Eclipse ecosystem.

Silicon Labs provides the Keil® PK51 build tool for 8-bit 8051 MCUs for free (saving customers $2,500). The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) build tools are included for the EFM32 Gecko MCU design, and the EZR32 design uses the IAR EWARM compiler along with Silicon Labs' wireless stack. Developers who prefer their own IDE can run Keil μVision or IAR Embedded Workbench through Simplicity Studio by setting the “Preferred IDE.”

Daniel Cooley, Vice President of the MCU and Wireless Products business unit at Silicon Labs, stated, “In the IoT era, embedded development involves increasingly complex processes and efforts, becoming even more complicated when developing connected devices with added ultra-low-power wireless communication.” He added, “When development environment tools are fragmented, it places a significant burden on embedded developers, particularly those working on IoT projects requiring MCU, wireless, and sensor components, due to the increased need for familiarization with and training in these environments.” “The new version of Simplicity Studio dramatically simplifies the design process by enabling IoT developers to work with MCUs and wireless devices simultaneously in the same integrated environment,” he said.

The Simplicity Studio development platform is available for free to developers and can be downloaded from www.silabs.com/simplicity-studio.

Simplicity Studio Platform Features

• New Feature: Simultaneous support for MCU and wireless designs

• New Feature: Support for the new EFM8 Bee 8-bit product family

• New Feature: Support for the new EZR32 wireless MCU family

• New Feature: Packet Trace Analyzer for Real-time Monitoring of Network Traffic

• Upcoming additions: Additional support for the EM35xx Ember ZigBee wireless SoC family at the end of Q1 2015

• Upcoming additions: Built-in AppBuilder tool for rapid Zigbee application development scheduled for late Q1 2015

•Eclipse-based IDE for both 8-bit and 32-bit MCUs

• Automatic configuration of connected MCUs to simplify embedded development

• Energy profiler for power consumption analysis and code optimization

• A configuration tool for quickly setting up MCUs and wireless MCUs and generating C code for pinouts, peripherals, and mode conversion.

• Connect to demos, software examples, data sheets, application notes, technical support, and community forums with a single click

• A capacitive sense profiler tool that enables developers to verify library measurement performance on the C8051F97x and C8051F99x MCU families by providing real-time results of button/slider event detection and measured counts.

• In addition to Windows® OS support, support for Mac® OS X and Linux