Designers are incorporating graphical user interfaces, or GUIs, into more electronic devices to enhance the user experience by providing intuitive and visually appealing interactions with today’s modern applications. To support embedded developers with their designs, Microchip Technology announced Microchip Graphics Suite (MGS) – an easy-to-learn, comprehensive solution that simplifies the process of incorporating GUIs, animations and images into a touchscreen display.

Developing a GUI can be a complex and lengthy process, requiring significant time and resources to debug and integrate code from various tools. MGS is designed to easily integrate with Microchip’s 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) and microprocessors (MPUs) and supports multiple development platforms, including MPLAB Harmony v3 and Linux environments. This comprehensive solution to build a GUI interface aims to help designers improve reusability across projects and simplify design complexities.

MGS offers compositional tools, including a simulator for hardware-free prototyping. By leveraging the MPLAB® Code Configurator (MCC), the simulator builds the MCC-generated C code in either web or native mode. In web mode, the tool creates an HTML file that can run on most web browsers with simulated touch interactivity. In native mode, the simulator enables debugging of the GUI on Windows desktop computers. These features enable accurate display and functionality demonstrations that are independent of hardware availability.

MGS provides an intuitive WYSIWYG interface with a modern design – enabling users to directly see and manipulate the final output – reducing errors and increasing efficiency. To make GUIs more accessible, MGS is versatile and can support a wide range of devices of varying performance. They can range from resource-constrained devices with significantly lower memory and system performance requirements to high-performance devices supporting tablet-sized touchscreens with high-fidelity video playback.

This solution is optimal for developers who want superior graphical performance without costly hardware upgrades. Additionally, MGS supports a wide range of displays from monochrome OLEDs to 1080p 16.7M colour TFTs including MIPI® DSI®, LVDS, RGB, SPI and HDMI® interfaces along with touchscreens with 2D/3D gestures.

This comprehensive solution simplifies the integration of a GUI from design phase to implementation across a wide range of applications. MGS is highly compatible with the company’s broad portfolio of PIC32 MCUs, SAM MPUs and maXTouch® touchscreen controllers. Additionally, Microchip can provide other key components including memory, power management and c