Embedded Wizard
Encyclopedia
Embedded Wizard is a graphical user interface tool
developed and distributed by TARA Systems GmbH for creating graphical user interface (GUI) applications mainly for embedded systems. It provides a WYSIWYG
front-end for editing graphics, effects and logic of the user interface and generates ANSI C
code for a particular target hardware. Embedded Wizard is independent of a specific graphics hardware or color format and supports object oriented programming.
Embedded Wizard is mainly used to develop GUI applications for consumer electronics
products, such as TV sets, Set-Top Boxes, DVD
and Blu-ray players, as well as products in the area of industrial automation, household appliances, the automotive industry
, vending machines and related products equipped with a graphics display with or without touch screen. A free trial version of the tool is available at the Embedded Wizard website http://download.tara-systems.de/emwi.
, Germany
. It was intended as successor of previous GUI tools from TARA Systems GmbH, like M2-Builder. In contrast to former tools, Embedded Wizard enabled platform independent development, introduced an own programming language, called Chora and was designed to support object oriented programming. Since the first version, the tool has been extended with new features like an integrated debugger
or support for effects and animations with a 3D perception, so-called lightweight 3D.
Embedded Wizard was designed and developed by Paul Banach and Manfred Schweyer.
IDE
for creating and prototyping the user interface application and a hardware abstraction layer, called platform packages, which are available for various embedded chipsets, operating systems and color formats, and are distributed by TARA Systems GmbH, semiconductor manufacturers and distribution partners. A platform package to run GUI applications on a Microsoft Windows
System is included in every Embedded Wizard license.
Each platform package contains a dedicated code generator and resource converter for bitmaps and true type fonts, which are adapted to a specific chipset, and - if available - operating system.
which implement a certain part of the design and/or functionality. The class library of Embedded Wizard, called Mosaic, is part of every project and provides the basic functionality for visual objects, for focus handling, layouting, event handling and more.
To create a graphical user interface, Embedded Wizard provides basic functions like rectangles, gradients, lines, (multiline) text boxes, import of bitmaps and true type fonts, but also GUI widgets like menus, scrollbars, buttons and sliders. Besides the visual objects, developers can create methods, properties, variables and enums to implement a certain behaviour, using Embedded Wizards own programming language Chora. Embedded Wizard follows the approach of visual programming. All logical elements, like methods, properties or variables are represented in the IDE as visual bricks. This enables developers for example to assign a variable as parameter for a method by drag-and-drop.
The members of the class library can be flexibly extended by developers according to their needs. Naturally, this flexibility requires a profound understanding of the class library's structure and philosophy, and thus a considerable initial training with the tool. However, several tutorials and documentations are available, which provide step-by-step examples for various aspects of the UI development.
Embedded Wizard supports rapid prototyping and testing of the user interface. A debugger for the Chora code is integrated as well. During code generation, the Chora code is transformed into ANSI C code for a specific chipset, using the appropriate platform package. The generated C code needs to be compiled and linked with the runtime environment (RTE) and graphics engine (GE) of the platform package.
Platform Packages are available for around 30 different chipsets (as of 2010). Several semiconductor manufacturers have announced to bundle certain chipsets with either a full version or an evaluation license of the tool, e.g. Fujitsu for the Jade micro controller and Micronas for the MDE 9500 microcontroller, which was meanwhile sold to Trident Microsystems Europe and will not be continued.
In 2010 TARA Systems GmbH announced the development of a generic platform package, which can be adapted to a specific chipset by the developer itself. A complete list of all supported chipsets and operating systems is found on http://www.embedded-wizard.de.
User interface builder
A graphical user interface builder , also known as GUI designer, is a software development tool that simplifies the creation of GUIs by allowing the designer to arrange widgets using a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG editor...
developed and distributed by TARA Systems GmbH for creating graphical user interface (GUI) applications mainly for embedded systems. It provides a WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get. The term is used in computing to describe a system in which content displayed onscreen during editing appears in a form closely corresponding to its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product...
front-end for editing graphics, effects and logic of the user interface and generates ANSI C
ANSI C
ANSI C refers to the family of successive standards published by the American National Standards Institute for the C programming language. Software developers writing in C are encouraged to conform to the standards, as doing so aids portability between compilers.-History and outlook:The first...
code for a particular target hardware. Embedded Wizard is independent of a specific graphics hardware or color format and supports object oriented programming.
Embedded Wizard is mainly used to develop GUI applications for consumer electronics
Consumer electronics
Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the broadcast receiver...
products, such as TV sets, Set-Top Boxes, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray players, as well as products in the area of industrial automation, household appliances, the automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, vending machines and related products equipped with a graphics display with or without touch screen. A free trial version of the tool is available at the Embedded Wizard website http://download.tara-systems.de/emwi.
History
The first version of Embedded Wizard was released in 2003 by TARA Systems GmbH, an embedded software development house located in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was intended as successor of previous GUI tools from TARA Systems GmbH, like M2-Builder. In contrast to former tools, Embedded Wizard enabled platform independent development, introduced an own programming language, called Chora and was designed to support object oriented programming. Since the first version, the tool has been extended with new features like an integrated debugger
Debugger
A debugger or debugging tool is a computer program that is used to test and debug other programs . The code to be examined might alternatively be running on an instruction set simulator , a technique that allows great power in its ability to halt when specific conditions are encountered but which...
or support for effects and animations with a 3D perception, so-called lightweight 3D.
Embedded Wizard was designed and developed by Paul Banach and Manfred Schweyer.
Architecture
Embedded Wizard consists of a WYSIWYGWYSIWYG
WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get. The term is used in computing to describe a system in which content displayed onscreen during editing appears in a form closely corresponding to its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product...
IDE
Integrated development environment
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
for creating and prototyping the user interface application and a hardware abstraction layer, called platform packages, which are available for various embedded chipsets, operating systems and color formats, and are distributed by TARA Systems GmbH, semiconductor manufacturers and distribution partners. A platform package to run GUI applications on a Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
System is included in every Embedded Wizard license.
Each platform package contains a dedicated code generator and resource converter for bitmaps and true type fonts, which are adapted to a specific chipset, and - if available - operating system.
Workflow
Following the approach of object oriented programming, each Embedded Wizard project consists of classesClass (computer science)
In object-oriented programming, a class is a construct that is used as a blueprint to create instances of itself – referred to as class instances, class objects, instance objects or simply objects. A class defines constituent members which enable these class instances to have state and behavior...
which implement a certain part of the design and/or functionality. The class library of Embedded Wizard, called Mosaic, is part of every project and provides the basic functionality for visual objects, for focus handling, layouting, event handling and more.
To create a graphical user interface, Embedded Wizard provides basic functions like rectangles, gradients, lines, (multiline) text boxes, import of bitmaps and true type fonts, but also GUI widgets like menus, scrollbars, buttons and sliders. Besides the visual objects, developers can create methods, properties, variables and enums to implement a certain behaviour, using Embedded Wizards own programming language Chora. Embedded Wizard follows the approach of visual programming. All logical elements, like methods, properties or variables are represented in the IDE as visual bricks. This enables developers for example to assign a variable as parameter for a method by drag-and-drop.
The members of the class library can be flexibly extended by developers according to their needs. Naturally, this flexibility requires a profound understanding of the class library's structure and philosophy, and thus a considerable initial training with the tool. However, several tutorials and documentations are available, which provide step-by-step examples for various aspects of the UI development.
Embedded Wizard supports rapid prototyping and testing of the user interface. A debugger for the Chora code is integrated as well. During code generation, the Chora code is transformed into ANSI C code for a specific chipset, using the appropriate platform package. The generated C code needs to be compiled and linked with the runtime environment (RTE) and graphics engine (GE) of the platform package.
Availability
The tool is distributed by TARA Systems GmbH as per-developer license. A royalty fee for each device, equipped with an Embedded Wizard application, is not charged.Platform Packages are available for around 30 different chipsets (as of 2010). Several semiconductor manufacturers have announced to bundle certain chipsets with either a full version or an evaluation license of the tool, e.g. Fujitsu for the Jade micro controller and Micronas for the MDE 9500 microcontroller, which was meanwhile sold to Trident Microsystems Europe and will not be continued.
In 2010 TARA Systems GmbH announced the development of a generic platform package, which can be adapted to a specific chipset by the developer itself. A complete list of all supported chipsets and operating systems is found on http://www.embedded-wizard.de.