Qt Introduces Smartphone-like Experiences on Microcontrollers

The Qt Company which oversees the development of the free and open-source widget toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces known as Qt, has just launched a new Qt for MCUs (MicroController Unit).

Qt for MCUs is a Graphics Toolkit for the Creation of Smartphone-like Experiences on Microcontrollers which can be explored with connected vehicle, wearable, smart home, industrial and the medical sectors.

According to the company, the new Qt for MCUs enables companies to create fluid user interfaces (UIs) on cost-effective microcontrollers. “In order to meet and exceed [today’s device] expectations, application developers and device creators must be able to deliver an enhanced and intuitive user experience on par with today’s smartphones.”

To achieve a fluid graphical UI application running on microcontrollers, Qt for MCUs leverages Qt’s popular QML technology and developer-designer tooling to allow a fast, iterative way of developing Qt applications with the frontend defined in declarative QML and business logic implemented in C/C++.

Some of the key benefits delivered by Qt for MCUs are as follows;

• Reuse your existing skillsets for microcontrollers.
• Reduce maintenance cost by using the same technology across multiple devices – from high-end to mass market.
• Reduce hardware costs by moving to microcontrollers without compromising on graphics performance.
• Upgrade to a modern, cross-platform graphical toolkit from your legacy solution.

“While Qt is extensively used by organizations and developers in embedded systems, there has been a growing appetite amongst our customers to be able to scale down to lower-end hardware,” said Petteri Holländer, SVP of Product Management, The Qt Company.

“With the introduction of Qt for MCUs, customers can now use Qt for almost any software project they’re working on, regardless of target – with the added convenience of using just one technology framework and toolset. This means that both existing and new Qt customers can pursue the many business growth opportunities offered by connected devices – across a wide and diverse range of industries.”