MediaTek Labs has released the MediaTek LinkIt Assist 2502 development platform designed for advanced developers looking for a professional environment in which to design and prototype software and hardware for consumer-ready wearables and IoT devices.
The LinkIt Assist 2502 consists of four components: a Software Development Kit (SDK) plug-in for the Eclipse IDE, C-based application programming interface (API), a Hardware Development Kit (HDK), and a module-based hardware reference design to help simplify component integration.
The LinkIt Assist 2502 SDK offers features such as enhanced graphics, image decoder, vector fonts, and LCD and touchscreen support. Additionally, developers will benefit from features such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) support for web services authentication, Smart Connection API for Wi-Fi configuration, a notification library for iOS and Android, and over-the-air application and firmware update capability. The SDK provides an Eclipse IDE plug-in that provides for features to create new projects, open example code, build executables and edit resource files. In addition, the SDK includes tools to update development board firmware and install developed software.
The LinkIt Assist HDK is designed to build commercial-ready prototypes and delivers a complete package in the form of the LinkIt Assist 2502 development board from Seeed Studio and LinkIt Assist 2502 modules from AcSiP. The new module-based approach provides access to MediaTek chipset technology and simplifies final hardware design for developers.
The development board comes with three modules based on MediaTek chipsets, including the MT2502 (Aster) SoC (for GSM/GPRS and Bluetooth 2.1/4.0) and its energy-efficient MT5931 Wi-Fi and MT3332 GNSS (GPS/GLONASS/Beidou) companion chipsets, giving developers a broad range of features in a single board. The development board also comes equipped with a swappable 240x240 16-bit color touch LCD.
MediaTek Labs was launched in September 2014 and provides developers, makers and service providers with SDKs, HDKs and documentation, as well as technical and business support. The first developer offering for wearables and IoT was the MediaTek LinkIt ONE platform.
The new MediaTek LinkIt Assist 2502 SDK is available for download from MediaTek Labs now. The HDK and modules will ship in the second quarter of 2015.