Silicon Labs has released a major update of its award-winning Simplicity Studio software development tools. The new Simplicity Studio release represents a significant redesign of the software infrastructure, making the tools faster to download and easier to install and use. A more intuitive user interface improves the overall developer experience. As the industry’s most comprehensive software tool set for Internet of Things (IoT) connected device applications, Simplicity Studio is the only embedded development environment that broadly supports 8- and 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), multiprotocol and multiband wireless SoCs, and fixed-function devices.

 

Simplicity Studio simplifies the IoT development process with one-click access to everything developers need to complete their projects using an integrated development environment (IDE) based on Eclipse 4.5. Simplicity Studio includes a powerful suite of tools for energy profiling, configuration and wireless network analysis, as well as demos, software examples, complete documentation, technical support and community forums. These integrated tools and features combine to make embedded development simple and productive for IoT developers of all skill levels. Simplicity Studio provides built-in intelligence to automatically detect the connected 8-bit or 32-bit MCU or wireless SoC, graphically configure the device, and show supported configuration options to help developers get their projects underway in minutes.

The latest Simplicity Studio update is based on in-depth market research, developer workshops and stakeholder interviews with designers who create IoT products. The primary goal of the update was to make Simplicity Studio more flexible, efficient and easier to use. The underlying software infrastructure of Simplicity Studio now provides custom-tailored installation options, enabling developers to download specific tools for the Silicon Labs product portfolio they are using. This flexibility helps to streamline the download process without the overhead of the full Simplicity Studio suite installation.

Silicon Labs has enhanced Simplicity Studio to provide more intuitive content and document navigation. Developers can now engage Simplicity Studio from a device or solution perspective. A developer can click on a pre-defined solution, such as a wearable device, and Simplicity Studio will automatically set its context to the key components comprising the solution, such as an EFM32 MCU, a Bluetooth module and an optical sensor. By eliminating the inefficiencies of context switching and jumping from tool to tool, Simplicity Studio eases the development effort and preserves the designer’s investment in learning a comprehensive tool suite.