Think Silicon and LVGL Accelerate Graphics Libraries for Microcontrollers

ATHENS, Greece and BUDAPEST, Hungary, Nov. 27, 2024 -- Think Silicon, the leading provider of ultra-low-power GPU IP for embedded systems, and LVGL, a free and open-source embedded graphics library, are collaborating to develop high-performance, low-power graphics libraries for microcontrollers (MCUs). The joint effort optimizes LVGL’s ultra-light graphics libraries for Think Silicon’s NEMA™ GPU-Series to enhance performance and significantly reduce power consumption of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) on MCUs.

Software developers need access to advanced graphics libraries to deliver the compact and power-efficient GUIs required by modern microcontroller applications. Think Silicon’s NEMA gfx-api software development kit can accelerate LVGL’s graphics library by up to 5x compared to software-only rendering. In addition, Think Silicon’s proprietary lossy compression technology enables up to 8x less memory usage, while delivering up to 10x better GPU power efficiency when compared to running the same workload on the MCU logic.

“The synergy between Think Silicon’s cutting-edge GPU technology and LVGL’s innovative graphics libraries offers unprecedented performance and energy efficiency in MCU-based GUI development,” said Ulli Mueller, Vice President, IP Management and Marketing, Think Silicon. “Our combined solution is ideal for designers of power-constrained devices including wearables, e-bike computers, navigation systems, instrument clusters, industrial products, medical applications and more.”

“Teaming up with Think Silicon is a great example of how collaboration can lead to big achievements,” said Gabor Kiss-Vamosi, CEO, LVGL. “Our goal is to make it easier for developers to build sleek, responsive interfaces without compromising on performance or power efficiency. By combining the LVGL lightweight open-source graphics library with Think Silicon’s advanced NEMA GPU-Series, system developers can deliver faster, more energy-efficient solutions for microcontrollers, which are an essential part of everyday technology.”

The accelerated LVGL libraries on NEMA gfx API versions v8.4.0 and v9.1.0 optimized for the NEMA | pico VG 1000 GPU-Series, are now available on GitHub at https://github.com/lvgl/lvgl. For further details about the collaboration and the new optimized graphics libraries, please visit www.think-silicon.com and www.lvgl.io/.

About Think Silicon, an Applied Materials Company

Think Silicon Single Member P.C., an Applied Materials company, is the leading provider of ultra-low-power 2D/3D GPU and display processors for MCU-based microprocessor cores in embedded systems. The flagship NEMA™ GPU IP can be found in millions of chips that drive displays in resource-constrained devices and serve a variety of applications, from wearables and infotainment to micro mobility and AIoT. Launched as the industry’s first RISC-V GPGPU, NEOX™ is revolutionizing graphics and AI for wearables and IoT devices in a single IP. Think Silicon’s headquarters and development center are based in Greece, with sales and technical support offices in North America, Europe and Taiwan.

About LVGL

LVGL is the company behind the LVGL embedded GUI library. With the support of the community, we maintain and develop the library, and we also help our customers with various types of services. These services include creating engaging graphics designs with our in-house designers, implementing UIs based on LVGL’s or our customers’ designs, and consulting to improve a system’s concept and drivers to make the most out of the hardware. We help our customers create fast, reliable, and eye-catching UIs to impress users of their products.