Altium Limited, a global leader in Smart System Design Automation, 3D PCB design (Altium Designer) and embedded software development (TASKING) announces its Software Platform, delivering ultra rapid prototyping and development for ARM Cortex­M based microcontrollers, at an unparalleled attractive cost level. The Software Platform ­ which Altium will be showcasing at the ARM TechCon Conference ­ includes a comprehensive range of middleware functionalities, such as an RTOS, CAN, USB, TCP/IP, I2C, HTTP(S), file systems, graphical user interface, and touch panel control. 

Building an application with the new Software Platform is both simple and fast. Through a few mouse clicks within the Eclipse based IDE, the developer can put the middleware framework of an application together. After selecting the desired middleware options and the Cortex­M based microcontroller for the project, the Software Platform generates the code that delivers the required functionality. All that is left for the developer is the design of the application software, which then is easily integrated with the generated code. 

The Software Platform is not only straightforward to use, but it also enables the developer to switch the Cortex­M microcontroller easily, both within the family of a particular semiconductor vendor as well as across vendors. The Software Builder takes care of collecting the middleware functionalities and the low­level drivers for the microcontroller, after which the code framework is generated and then compiled with the application code. 

The Software Builder is seamlessly integrated into the TASKING VX­toolset, which includes a C/C++ compiler, debugger and an Eclipse based IDE. The complete offering is very competitively priced, with all Software Platform functionalities, including the software development tools made available at the cost of a traditional development toolset. 

“Altium is making a huge step forward in delivering a comprehensive ARM Cortex­M development suite” says Harm­Andre Verhoef, TASKING Product Manager at Altium. “The ARM developer significantly saves on cost of development tools and middleware functionalities, and also on development time. Putting an embedded application together is a breeze through our single vendor middleware offering, with guaranteed compatibility with our compiler.”

Altium will show the new Software Platform with its TASKING C compiler suite for Cortex­M at the ARM TechCon Conference in Santa Clara, October 29 to 31, at booth # 522. It will be made available to the market through the upcoming release of the TASKING VX­toolset for ARM later this year and it will be delivered with the Premium Edition bundle license. The first release of the Software Builder provides support for the STMicroelectronics STM32 series. Pricing starts at USD 1,795 for the TASKING VX­toolset Standard Edition and USD 2,995 for the Premium Edition. Existing customers with a maintenance contract will get the update for free.