Monday, April 12, 2010
Dev Kits Jump Start iPod and iPhone Add-On Designs
Cypress Semiconductor and Microchip Technology individually want to simplify the steps needed to create add-on hardware for Apple iPods and iPhones. Add-on hardware might include audio-spectrum analyzers, data loggers, portable medical instruments, drug-delivery equipment, power monitors, pH meters, and on and on. Because an iPhone provides inherent cell-phone and Internet connections, it lends itself nicely to many applications that require a regular network connection. Both Cypress and Microchip offer new development kits and software that give developers a head start with hardware and software projects.
Cypress Semiconductor
Cypress centers its development hardware and software on the company's Programmable System on a Chip (PSoC) devices. Designers can take a standard CY8CKIT-001 PSoC Platform Development Kit and add a new CY8CKIT-023 PSoC Expansion Board Kit that includes a connector for an iPhone or iPod. The new kit lets developers take advantage of the iPhone operating system (OS) and the corresponding iPhone SDK (software development kit) that provides two-way communication between applications purchased from Apple's App Store and corresponding hardware accessories you develop. The kit performs similar functions for iPods.
Microchip Technology
In late March 2010, Microchip Technology announced three development kits that let engineers quickly design new accessories for iPod and iPhone. The company's popular PIC microcontroller families provide the starting point for such designs. And the kits provide examples of the hardware and software required to create products such as digital-audio sound systems, docking stations, and new accessories that can "...leverage the infrastructure for iPod and iPhone."
The kits include:
Digital Audio Development Platform for iPod and iPhone
8-bit PIC MCU Accessory Development Platform for iPod and iPhone
16/32-bit PIC MCU Accessory Development Platform for iPod and iPhone
Microchip provides few public details about its iPhone and iPod kits and instead requests engineers communicate their interest via the applesupport@microchip.com email address to obtain more information.
For a bit more information, visit: www.microchip.com/get/T7DV. --Jon Titus
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