The latest concept in development kits

MBED

Microcontrollers are getting cheaper, more powerful and more flexible, but there remains a barrier to a host of new applications; someone has to build the first prototype. There is no reason why it has to be so hard, but without the right tools, it really is. So mbed has tackled this by being a tool for the sole purpose of developing prototypes. We haven't had to dumb down the technology; it's all built on industry standard stuff. We've just done a lot of the groundwork for you, and made the trade-offs and choices appropriate for the task, so you don't have to. With the right tools for the job, you'll be more adventurous, inventive and productive. But best of all, you'll love building things with microcontrollers again. We built it for ourselves really! Here are some of the key components which make up mbed.

mbed Microcontroller

The mbed Microcontroller is made for prototyping, and comes in a 40-pin 0.1" pitch DIP form-factor so it's ideal for experimenting on breadboard, stripboard and PCBs. It supports lots of interfaces, so you can connect it to all sorts input and output circuits and modules. And downloading programs is as simple as using a USB Flash Drive. Plug it in, drop on your program binary, and you're up and running!

mbed Compiler

The mbed Compiler lets you write programs in C++, and then compile and download them to run on the mbed Microcontroller. It's all online, so you don't need to be a sys-admin to start. Infact, you don't have to install or setup anything to get running with mbed. Your workspace is also in the cloud, so you can login from anywhere and carry on where you left off. And because it is a web app, we don't care if you work on Windows, Mac or Linux. Or all three. See www.mbed.org to register and gain access once you have an MBED connected.

mbed Library

The mbed Library gives you an API-driven approach to coding for the mbed Microcontroller.We've done all the hard work of implementing drivers, so you don't have to. It is liberating to fire up an interface, knowing it'll just work! You code using meaningful abstract objects and API calls, so you don't need to learn the microcontroller hardware details to get going. And there is even a "Hello World!" example for every peripheral, just to get you started before you know it. For more on the libraries, see the Handbook (http://mbed.org/handbook).

Is MBed for me?

The mbed is now available to order, but before you do, check it is for you!

What MBed is good for

mbed is designed for quick experimentation and iteration, where the focus is trying something out rather than optimising a solution. And that means it is good for anyone from professional embedded engineers to people with expertise outside embedded exploring it for the first time. Think of it as a pencil and paper, compared to a CAD program (the professional tools). If you think it is for you, you can go ahead and order one!

MBED and RS EDP

The MBED controller is now compatible with RS EDP via the EDP Adapter Module. Take your prototype designs to the next level with production ready HW modules and SW Drivers for Analog, Digital I/O, Comms and Motor control. See www.rswww.com/edp for more details

MBED dev kit & reviews on DesignSpark

Aaron Berk's MBED & EDP Rover blog series:

1. Introduction

2. Chassis

3. Quadrature encoders

4. PID velocity control

5. Inertial measurement unit

Donatien's RFID tracking with MBED & EDP blog series:

1. Introduction

2. Using an RWD module to read Mifare cards IDs

3. Logging data on a MySQL server

4. Putting it all together