Beijing, May 14th – ThunderSoft has released Kanzi for MCUs, a solution based on their subsidiary Rightware’s core product and ThunderSoft’s understanding of vehicle software technology. It supports the design and development of high-performance 2D/2.5D graphics rendering on low-cost, low-power embedded microcontroller units (MCUs), which can significantly reduce human-machine interface (HMI) development costs and project time.

The intelligent cockpit has created a better user experience for automotive drivers and passengers through impressive visuals and immersive interaction. The number of screens found in a cockpit has also increased. Together, these have resulted in higher hardware and development costs and so ThunderSoft has released the Kanzi for MCUs solution.

Based on Arm Cortex-M cores, Kanzi for MCUs can be ported and customized for microcontroller unit platforms and has been successfully adapted for the Infineon Traveo II and Renesas RH850 platforms. The result is car manufacturers using the Kanzi toolchain can bring their user interface (UI) assets and existing system-on-chip capabilities to an MCU.

Kanzi for MUCs can deliver unified HMI interfaces and functionality across different vehicle models and platforms while reducing the bill of materials, improving development efficiency, lowering maintenance costs, and reducing time to market.

The solution can be applied to various cockpit scenarios, including but not limited to in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), HVAC, armrest screens, head-up displays (HUD), and smart keys.

Technical highlights:

• Efficient memory management and resource utilization: Given the limitations of the hardware, Kanzi for MCUs optimizes memory management and resource utilization during runtime using advanced algorithms and technologies, reducing unnecessary demands on the MCU.
• Rich plugins and libraries: Kanzi for MCUs is supported by an extensive range of plugins and libraries. These include advanced image, animation, and font processing libraries and multi-language plugins, meeting the requirements of various embedded systems.
• High-performance hardware acceleration: Kanzi for MCUs supports hardware acceleration, fully utilizing the MCU’s resources to improve graphics rendering performance and response speed. This enables it to handle complex graphical interfaces and animations exceptionally, providing users with a smooth and responsive experience.