Embedded developers offered access to comprehensive tools and new markets

Microchip has announced the MPLAB Harmony Ecosystem Program for the developers of embedded middleware and operating systems who are seeking to unlock the business potential of Microchip's 32-bit PIC32 MCU customer base. Ecosystem partners also gain early and easy access to the complete and current set of MPLAB Harmony tools. MPLAB Harmony is the industry's most comprehensive 32-bit microcontroller firmware development framework, which integrates licensing, resale and support of Microchip and third-party middleware, drivers, libraries and real-time operating systems. This new Ecosystem Program builds on that framework by offering an open and structured method to become certified as Harmony Compatible', using the embedded-control industry's only set of test harnesses, checklists and reference validation points. By accessing this broader, code-compatible ecosystem when creating complimentary value-added software, developers can reduce risks and overall costs, accelerate time to market, and grow their businesses by gaining opportunities to market to thousands of PIC32 MPLAB Harmony users. As today's applications become increasingly sophisticated, embedded developers need to rapidly bring complex solutions to market. Microchip's MPLAB Harmony framework for its PIC32 MCUs can reduce the development time of a typical project by a minimum of 20-35 percent, by providing a single integrated, abstracted and flexible source of tested, debugged and interoperable code. Additionally, MPLAB Harmony provides a modular architecture that enables the efficient integration of multiple drivers, middleware and libraries, while offering an RTOS-independent environment. Not only does this pre-verification and integration speed development, it also increases reuse. On the hardware side, the MPLAB Harmony framework makes it even easier to port code, thereby simplifying migration among all of Microchip's 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers, enabling a highly profitable, multi-tiered end-equipment offering with minimal code redevelopment. Middleware and Operating System developers who take advantage of Microchip's Ecosystem Development Program will be better able to offer customers solutions that leverage MPLAB Harmony's efficiency and reliability advantages. The MPLAB Harmony Integrated Software Framework is also supported by Microchip's free MPLAB Harmony Configurator and MPLAB XC32 Compiler v1.40, all of which operate within Microchip's MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE), and all of which are available now for free download. MPLAB Harmony and PIC32 MCUs are also supported by a comprehensive set of low-cost development boards. MPLAB Harmony is available now, and the basic framework is free. Once downloaded, there is a modular menu of free and premium software options. The expanding list of offerings includes RTOSs, with FreeRTOS from Real Time Engineers Ltd. and OPENRTOS from Wittenstein High Integrity Systems; a TCP/IP stack from InterNiche Technologies; an Embedded SSL/TLS Library from wolfSSL; and IoT enablement from PubNub, among many other software offerings from vendors such as Micrium, SEGGER and Express Logic, says the company.