Light and Versatile Graphics Library (LVGL) is steadily making inroads in the graphics realm by efficiently facilitating graphical user interface (GUI) designs in small, resource-constrained, and battery-powered devices such as wearables, e-bikes, navigation systems, instrument clusters, medical gadgets, and more.
Graphics IP suppliers are increasingly partnering with LVGL to optimize GPU performance and expand graphic processing capabilities for a wide range of embedded applications. But who’s LVGL? It’s the company behind the free and open-source graphics library for embedded systems; it helps developers create GUIs for microcontroller units (MCUs), microprocessor units (MPUs), and display processors.
LVGL, written in C, allows embedded developers to create modern and visually appealing user interfaces in embedded applications (Figure 1). It works with various processors and operating systems and enables developers to keep code size and memory usage to a minimum. It can be used with any RTOS and bare-metal setup and quickly adapts to unique project needs.
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| Figure 1. | LVGL has no external dependencies, which makes its porting incredibly simple. |
What IP suppliers do is integrate their GPU solutions into LVGL’s graphics ecosystem; so, developers can build sleek, responsive interfaces without compromising on performance or power efficiency. The integration of LVGL into GPUs is transforming the embedded UI landscape in resource-constrained devices like MCUs.
Design case studies
Take the case of Think Silicon, a supplier of ultra-low-power GPU IPs for embedded systems and an Applied Materials company. It’s teaming up with LVGL to develop high-performance, low-power graphics libraries for MCUs. As a result, the software development kit for its NEMA GPUs will be able to accelerate LVGL’s graphics library by up to 5x compared to software-only rendering (Figure 2).
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| Figure 2. | Think Silicon has combined LVGL’s lightweight open-source graphics library with its NEMA GPU-Series. |
VeriSilicon, a Shanghai, China-based supplier of embedded GPUs, has also partnered with LVGL to facilitate seamless integration of 2D, 2.5D, and 3D content in embedded applications. In conjunction with LVGL’s graphics library, VeriSilicon aims to advance 3D rendering capabilities in the GUI designs.
Actions Technology, a Zhuhai, China-based firm developing chips for AIoT applications, has incorporated VeriSilicon’s GPU into its smartwatch system-on-chip (SoC) design (Figure 3). Tim Zhang, GM of Actions Technology’s Wearable and Sensing Business Unit, acknowledges the importance of LVGL’s graphics technology contribution in delivering rich 3D graphics in its smartwatch SoC.
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| Figure 3. | Actions Technology has incorporated VeriSilicon’s LVGL-enabled GPU in its smartwatch SoC. |
Embedded GPUs are now serving a wide range of applications, from wearables and infotainment to micro-mobility and AIoT. Here, the integration of LVGL in GPUs enables users to create visually appealing UIs across a wide variety of hardware platforms.
