Technology

Transforming Microcontroller Graphics: The Powerful Partnership Between Think Silicon and LVGL

2024-11-25

Author: Wei Ling

Introduction

In a game-changing move for embedded systems, Think Silicon, a pioneering company in ultra-low-power GPU technology, has teamed up with LVGL, a renowned creator of free and open-source graphics libraries. This collaboration aims to revolutionize the landscape of microcontrollers (MCUs) with high-performance, energy-efficient graphics solutions.

Performance and Efficiency Gains

The integration of LVGL’s ultra-light graphical libraries with Think Silicon’s cutting-edge NEMA™ GPU-Series promises to deliver a performance boost that could reach up to five times faster than conventional software-only rendering methods. Think Silicon’s innovative lossy compression technology takes it a step further by reducing memory usage by as much as eight times while enhancing GPU power efficiency by up to ten times compared to workloads handled solely by MCU logic.

Statements from the Companies

Ulli Mueller, Vice President of IP Management and Marketing at Think Silicon, emphasized the partnership's significance, stating, 'The synergy between our advanced GPU technology and LVGL’s creative graphics libraries unlocks unparalleled performance and energy efficiency for MCU-based GUI development.' This is particularly advantageous for designers working on power-constrained devices, such as wearables, e-bike computers, navigation systems, and industrial applications, where optimal performance and low energy consumption are vital.

LVGL CEO, Gabor Kiss-Vamosi, echoed this sentiment, highlighting that this collaboration exemplifies how teamwork can yield substantial advancements. 'By marrying LVGL's lightweight graphics solution with Think Silicon's advanced NEMA GPU-Series, developers can create sleek and responsive user interfaces that don’t sacrifice speed or efficiency,' he noted.

Availability of Optimized Libraries

Developers eager to leverage these advancements will be pleased to know that the optimized LVGL libraries for the NEMA gfx API versions v8.4.0 and v9.1.0 are now live on GitHub. This opens doors for engineers to enhance their applications with these powerful tools, ensuring that everyday technology becomes even more integrated and efficient.

Conclusion

Think Silicon, with its headquarters in Greece and a global presence, is renowned for its groundbreaking contributions to the embedded systems arena, having millions of chips in circulation that power diverse applications from consumer electronics to industrial automation. Meanwhile, LVGL continues to push the envelope in developing reliable and engaging user interfaces for a broad spectrum of hardware.

As the tech industry moves towards more seamless user experiences and energy-efficient solutions, the collaboration between Think Silicon and LVGL marks a pivotal moment that promises to set new standards for graphical performance in microcontroller applications. Get ready to witness a new era of microcontroller graphics!