The first cloud-based system development tool supports rapid prototyping

     Renesas Electronics announced new features and further coverage for Quick Connect Studio, its cloud-based embedded systems design platform. The platform allows users to graphically co-optimize hardware and software to validate prototypes and quickly accelerate product development.

     The platform enables engineers to graphically drag and drop devices and design modules on the cloud to build their solutions. After each block is placed, the user can automatically generate, compile, and build the basic software, which is a major shift to the no-code development paradigm. This makes building production-grade software as easy as putting the building blocks together. There is little up-front learning or investment. Cloud computing capabilities provide fast compilation, intuitive GUI reduces the learning curve. The platform automatically generates system software that can be iteratively tested on hardware.

     The company continues to expand the platform, offering a growing number of devices from Renesas Electronics and partners that users can use to build their prototype systems. Quick Connect Studio now supports all Renesas RA MCU boards and multiple Renesas wireless modules and sensors. In addition, devices from partners such as Osram, TDK and Arducam have been added to further expand the range of applications and designs supported. Quick Connect Studio helps users build more than 350 systems using Renesas MCUS and splitboards. Renesas Electronics is working with more suppliers and partners to automate the addition of their complementary equipment, thus providing customers with a broad portfolio of support equipment to build their system designs.

     Renesas Electronics now introduces real-time code customization and remote debugging for Quick Connect Studio users. The automatically generated code can be customized in real time in the browser application. Using a remote board farm, code can be dynamically tested on target hardware to verify operations before buying or building a physical board and setting up a test system. This capability greatly speeds up the process of building proof-of-concept and prototype system solutions by working on both the software and hardware components of a system design.

     Renesas currently offers multi-zone security infrastructure deployments around the world for a unified user experience, the fastest response and lower latency. This supports automatic scaling to accommodate multiple concurrent users accessing the platform anytime, anywhere.

     DK Singh, Vice President of Digital at Renesas Electronics, said: "Quick Connect Studio is a transformative product for the industry. "For the first time, engineers can now work on both hardware and software development. Our goal is to remove all preparatory work from the system development process. This is a fundamental shift that allows designers to focus their resources and energy on their core innovations, build software immediately, and be able to quickly reconfigure and test product ideas."

     Sahil Choudhary, Director of Marketing at TDK, said: "Renesas Electronics is helping customers accelerate their proof-of-concept and production processes with Quick Connect Studio. Once integrated into this platform, customers can seamlessly integrate our MEMS 6-axis motion sensors with any Renesas RA MCU, generating producible code in minutes without having to delve into complex technical details."

     Fast Connect Studio is part of Renesas Fast Connect, a standardized hardware platform with industry-established interfaces such as PMOD, Arduino and MIKROE. With standard connectors, engineers can seamlessly mix and match MCUS, MPUs, sensors, and connection boards. In the future, users will be able to scale from the company to different partners, such as major cloud providers, service integrators, and open source community leaders.