PSoC 3-based development platform for iPhone and iPod accessories

April 07, 2010 // Julien Happich

Cypress Semiconductor introduced a new development platform for Apple iPhone and iPod accessories based on its PSoC 3 architecture. Designers can use the CY8CKIT-023 PSoC expansion board kit as a plug-in board to Cypress's CY8CKIT-001 PSoC platform development kit to streamline design of innovative mobile accessories using the flexible PSoC programmable system-on-chip architecture.

The new kit leverages the iPhone OS operating system of Apple's iPhone and iPod products and the corresponding iPhone SDK (Software Development Kit) to provide a two-way communication interface between apps from Apple's App Store and corresponding accessories.

The PSoC-based development platform enables highly-integrated modular design of functions such as capacitive touch-sensing, LCD segment drive and much more for traditional iPhone and iPod accessories such as audio docks and speakers, chargers and automotive products.

The platform also opens up a new realm of accessories that can leverage the 480x320 touchscreen display and many other features of the iPhone and iPod touch for a myriad of markets and applications, including health and wellness, point-of-sale, RFID and diagnostics, and instrumentation tools. Details on the new kit are available at www.cypress.com/go/cy8ckit-023, and for more information on the Made for iPod program, visit http://developer.apple.com/ipod.

When used in conjunction with the PSoC development kit, the PSoC expansion board kit for iPhone & iPod accessories offers support for Cypress's recently announced PSoC 3 and PSoC 5 product families, as well as the PSoC 1 family. PSoC 3 and PSoC 5 devices extend the programmable analog and digital embedded design platform, delivering unmatched time-to-market, integration and flexibility across 8-, 16-, and 32-bit applications.

The platform is powered by the PSoC Creator integrated development environment, which introduces a unique schematic-based design methodology along with fully tested, pre-packaged analog and digital peripherals easily customizable through user-intuitive wizards and APIs to meet specific design requirements.

The PSoC 1 family delivers similar ease-of-use and flexibility with a cost-optimized core, and is supported by the PSoC Designer software tool. The kit showcases the capabilities for developers to record to and play from an iPhone or iPod with a microphone input and speaker output on the plug-in board, while simultaneously highlighting PSoC's capabilities to power CapSense capacitive touch-sensing buttons and sliders for playback control as well as drive an LCD to display metadata from multimedia.

The kit also comes with an iPhone app and a PSoC project example to demonstrate communication between iPhone apps and accessories. Additionally, Cypress plans to release a full assortment of other plug-in boards that each interface to a variety of electronic sensors and actuators and perform various application functions such as audio processing, Controller Area Network (CAN), high precision analog sensors, QVGA graphics and more.

The CY8CKIT-001 PSoC Development Kit contains a main PSoC development board and processor module boards for the different architectures. It also includes a MiniProg3 debug and evaluation device, prototyping cable kit, a USB cable, a 12V AC power adapter, and both PSoC Creator and PSoC Designer software. Sample projects are also provided.

More information about the kit at www.cypress.com/go/psoc

More information about PSoC products at www.cypress.com/psoc

Visit Cypress at www.cypress.com

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