Analog Devices Launches CodeFusion Studio™ 2.0 to Simplify AI-Enabled Embedded Development

• New End-to-end AI workflow support with bring-your-own-model capability, model checks and performance profiling enables rapid deployment across ADI’s full hardware portfolio.
• New Unified configuration tools, multi-core support and integrated debugging streamline development across heterogeneous systems.
• New Zephyr-based modular framework for runtime AI/ML profiling and layer-by-layer analysis enhances the open source foundation, eliminating toolchain fragmentation and reducing complexity.

Analog Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADI), a global leader in semiconductor innovation, today launched CodeFusion Studio™ 2.0, a significant upgrade to its open source embedded development platform. Designed to simplify and accelerate the development of AI-enabled embedded systems, CodeFusion Studio 2.0 introduces advanced hardware abstraction, seamless AI integration and powerful automation tools to streamline the journey from concept to deployment across ADI’s diverse processors and microcontrollers.

“The next era of embedded intelligence requires removing friction from AI development,” said Rob Oshana, Senior Vice President of the Software and Digital Platforms group, ADI. “CodeFusion Studio 2.0 transforms the developer experience by unifying fragmented AI workflows into a seamless process, empowering developers to leverage the full potential of ADI's cutting-edge products with ease so they can focus on innovating and accelerating time to market.”

Empowering Developers with End-to-End AI Workflows

CodeFusion Studio 2.0 now supports complete AI workflows, enabling developers to bring their own models and deploy them efficiently across ADI’s processors and microcontrollers—from low-power edge devices to high-performance DSPs (digital signal processors). The latest platform, based on Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, features a built-in model compatibility checker, performance profiling tools and optimization capabilities that are designed to ensure robust deployment and an accelerated time-to-market.

A new Zephyr-based modular framework enables runtime performance profiling for AI/ML workloads, offering layer-by-layer analysis and seamless integration with ADI’s heterogeneous platforms. This encapsulation of toolchains simplifies machine learning deployment and enhances system-level performance insights.

Unified Development Experience

The updated CodeFusion Studio System Planner now supports multi-core applications and expanded device compatibility, while unified configuration tools reduce complexity across ADI’s hardware ecosystem. Developers benefit from integrated debugging capabilities, including Core Dump Analysis and GDB (GNU debugger) support, making troubleshooting faster and more intuitive.

ADI Future Proofs Its Digital Roadmap

CodeFusion Studio 2.0 is the latest milestone in ADI’s open-source embedded development platform, embodying its commitment to delivering developer-first tools that simplify complexity and accelerate innovation. As ADI expands its digital roadmap, future releases will continue to push the boundaries of embedded intelligence, bringing deeper hardware-software integration, expanded runtime environments and new capabilities tailored to evolving developer needs as they experiment with physical AI.

“Companies that deliver physically aware AI solutions are poised to transform industries and create new, industry-leading opportunities. That’s why we’re creating an ecosystem that enables developers to optimize, deploy and evaluate AI models seamlessly on ADI hardware, even without physical access to a board,” said Paul Golding, Vice President of Edge AI and Robotics, ADI. “CodeFusion Studio 2.0 is just one step we’re taking to deliver Physical Intelligence to our customers, ultimately enabling them to create systems that perceive, reason and act locally—all within the constraints of real-world physics.”

Availability

CodeFusion Studio 2.0 is now available for download. Developers can access the platform, documentation and community support at https://developer.analog.com/solutions/codefusionstudio

Accenture Acquires Indian-Origin Founded TeamExpat

Accenture has strengthened its embedded software expertise with the acquisition of Teamexpat, a specialist in embedded software for complex high-tech products and systems. The acquisition was announced on May 23, 2024, and involves Teamexpat joining Accenture's digital engineering team in the Netherlands. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

This acquisition is expected to enhance Accenture's capabilities in smart, connected products, particularly for clients in the semiconductor sector and other discrete manufacturing industries.

Vinay Dasa, the founder of Teamexpat, is an Indian-origin entrepreneur who originally hails from Bengaluru, India, where he was an IT professional before moving to the Netherlands. He is an engineering graduate from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, Karnataka. About 10 years ago, he arrived in the Netherlands as an expat in search of employment opportunities. His journey led him to work for KPN in The Hague before eventually moving to Eindhoven, where he became employed by Philips.

In 2014, Vinay Dasa embarked on his entrepreneurial path by starting as a freelance IT developer and establishing TeamExpat. His vision and expertise have significantly contributed to the company's success in embedded software for complex high-tech products and systems, particularly in the semiconductor industry.

Now, as part of Accenture, Vinay Dasa looks forward to leveraging Accenture's global footprint and expertise to scale their clients' near- and off-shore embedded software development projects. His journey exemplifies the impact of Indian talent in the tech industry, bridging continents and driving innovation.

TeamExpat is headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and focuses on software development, testing, and integration for lithography systems used in the semiconductor industry. These systems are crucial for printing fine patterns on semiconductor materials, which define the performance of microchips.

The acquisition aligns with Accenture's strategy to shift from mechanical engineering to software engineering first, addressing the growing need for advanced chips and embedded systems in various high-tech industries. It also comes at a time when Europe is investing heavily in semiconductor innovation, with €43 billion of government incentives dedicated to the cause.

Vinay Dasa, CEO and founder of Teamexpat, expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities that becoming part of Accenture will bring to their clients and team, citing Accenture's global footprint and expertise as a scaling platform for embedded software development projects.

This acquisition is part of a series of moves by Accenture to bolster its embedded software, digital engineering, and smart, connected products capabilities, including previous acquisitions of international engineering services firm umlaut, German embedded software company ESR Labs, and Dutch product design and innovation agency VanBerlo. 

Teamexpat is one of the few up Indian founded companies acquired by any tech giants post covid era. Last year in October, AMD announced the acquisition of nod.ai, which too was founded by Indian origin entrepreneurs.

GM, Magna, and Wipro Join Hands To Develop B2B Automotive Software Marketplace ‘SDVerse’

General Motors (GM), Magna, and Wipro teamed up to develop a B2B sales platform for buying and selling automotive software

• SDVerse serves as a ‘matchmaking’ platform between buyers and sellers of embedded automotive software
• Focuses on matching automotive software buyers and sellers, over captive software development
• The digital platform increases transparency and reduces inefficiencies in software development and procurement
• Ampere*, FEV, Forvia, HL Mando, NXP Semiconductors, TTTech Auto, and Valeo lead a “Launch Partner” group supporting SDVerse
• Prashant Gulati has been named CEO of the new SDVerse organization effective March 5th, 2024

General Motors (GM), global automotive supplier Magna, and leading technology services and consulting company Wipro Limited, have teamed up to develop a B2B sales platform for buying and selling automotive software. The platform, called SDVerse, aims to revolutionize the automotive software sourcing and procurement process by providing a matchmaking platform for buyers and sellers of embedded automotive software.

Unlike the traditional captive software development approach, SDVerse focuses on connecting automotive software buyers and sellers through a transparent and efficient digital platform. Sellers can list their software’s features and attributes, while buyers can easily search and explore the available software products through a comprehensive catalogue.

Sales and purchases can be connected directly through the platform, offering a seamless experience for all participants. SDVerse is currently in development and expected to feature hundreds of automotive software products, and participants from across the automotive value chain are invited to join. In addition to the founding members, an exclusive “Launch Partner” group is already in place led by Ampere*, FEV, Forvia, HL Mando, NXP Semiconductors, TTTech Auto, and Valeo.

Prashant Gulati has been named CEO of SDVerse effective March 5th, 2024. Prashant has more than two decades of experience launching and leading automotive organizations and is a thought leader in software technology, maximizing the potential of emerging technologies, such as AI, in the automotive industry.

“The market for automotive software is expected to nearly double this decade, potentially outpacing the growth of software development talent pools,” said Harmeet Chauhan, Global Head Wipro Engineering Edge, Wipro Limited. “The current paradigm for software sourcing will likely not be able to overcome this growing gap without sacrificing both profitability and the auto industry’s aspirations for software defined vehicles. SDVerse addresses these pain points, offering a wide range of benefits across the industry.”

“Automotive grade software development is rapidly transforming, and we all need to ask ourselves how we get customers really unique differentiating features faster. Part of that is identifying the common underlying code that can be shared in the name of higher quality and lower costs for our end customers,” said Dan Nicholson, Vice President, Strategic Technology Initiatives, General Motors. “This first-ever software marketplace creates an independent, industry-driven one-stop-shop for embedded systems software, significantly expanding access to new innovations, helping to drive down cost, and allowing companies like GM to implement critical software more quickly.”

‪Potential key subscriber benefits of SDVerse include:‬‬‬

• Reduced cost, time, and complexity, by eliminating duplication of efforts, enabling reuse of already-developed software, and allowing higher economies of scale by bundling software orders through multiple clients.
• Higher quality of software, which has already undergone increased cycles of testing and validation. Additionally, the free-market approach improves customer vehicle quality through competition.
• Improved resource allocation, which allows OEMs and suppliers to deploy engineering resources to innovate in areas that improve and differentiate driver and passenger experiences, and minimize time spent ‘reinventing the wheel’.
• Improved revenue for sellers, through an expanded client base and opportunities to monetize existing IP.
• New approach to software sourcing, allowing companies to source software separately from hardware, and to create an attractive alternative to OEM insourcing of software development.

“Magna’s participation in SDVerse is driven by our ongoing commitment to foster collaboration and drive the automotive industry forward," said Joerg Grotendorst, Senior Vice President, Corporate R&D at Magna. "By embracing this innovative platform, we aim to create a more interconnected ecosystem that encourages OEMs, suppliers, and specialty software developers to collaborate and co-create cutting-edge solutions. SDVerse represents a transformative opportunity to revolutionize software development, sales, and sourcing processes, ultimately accelerating the industry's transition to the software-defined vehicle."

GM, Magna, and Wipro collectively designed and developed SDVerse, which will be governed collaboratively by the founding members. Global strategy consultant Roland Berger has served as the project’s strategic advisor since the program’s inception.

Konstantin Shirokinskiy, Partner, Roland Berger added, “SDVerse offers a blueprint for OEMs and suppliers to address their embedded software needs more efficiently. It frees up scarce software engineering resources required to roll out new differentiated software features, reorganizes development timelines to more quickly develop better SW-enabled vehicles, and ensures software is valued properly. Companies can streamline their operations, becoming more focused, efficient, and profitable.”

On Thursday, April 4th, leaders from GM, Magna and Wipro will participate in a livestream panel discussion to provide further depth and insights into SDVerse. To register and to learn more about SDVerse, visit SDVerse.auto.

*Ampere is the EV and Software pure player of Renault Group.

Edtech Startup Skill-Lync Partners with CORDOBA to Upskill Professionals in Automotive Embedded Software Development & AUTOSAR

The automotive industry is rapidly advancing with the development of embedded software, Edtech startup Skill-Lync has announced its partnership with CORDOBA to upskill professionals in automotive embedded software development.

This will provide the students with a unique opportunity for potential applicants to gain first-hand experience with AUTOSAR and their own MATLAB licenses. This is an extension of Skill-Lync's existing partnership with Mathworks, which will grant candidates the chance to be certified by Mathworks while they operate on their own MATLAB licenses. With these tools, candidates will be able to complete 5 industry-applicable live projects.

The program will aim to bridge the industry skill gap by providing experienced professionals with the specific skill sets that the industry demands, especially in the automotive space. With the rise of electric vehicles and advancements in automotive technology, the need for skilled embedded software engineers has increased significantly, and this program is designed to equip candidates with the necessary skills to stand out in a competitive job market.

The 22-week live program is designed for experienced professionals in the automotive industry who want to upskill in advanced embedded software development concepts such as C/C++, CAN and UDS, Multicore Microcontroller Programming, AUTOSAR, Model-Based Development using MATLAB and Simulink, and Functional Safety. It includes 6 modules where candidates will have the opportunity to work on 5 industry-relevant live projects and receive a co-branded certificate from NSDC and Skill-Lync upon completion, as well as the option to obtain an IEEE Certification.

“The success of the industry is greatly dependent on having the right professionals who are knowledgeable in the latest technologies to spur innovation and development. Skill-Lync's unique program for advanced embedded development is a step in the right direction to address the need for specialised talent, and we eagerly anticipate the effect it will have on the market," said Suryanarayanan PaneerSelvam, Co-Founder and CEO of Skill-Lync.

At the end of this program, students will receive a co-branded certificate from both NSDC and Skill-Lync, as well as become eligible for an IEEE Certification.

"Our executive embedded program is designed to act as a significant catalyst for our candidates professional journey, with a focus to help support specific industry skill requirements and supporting our learners to become the engineering leaders of tomorrow." said Rohan Kochar, Business head at Skill-Lync.

These developments come in the wake of Global Market Insights' prediction that the Automotive Operating Systems Market would experience a CAGR of over 10% by 2030. Moreover, the Asia Pacific region is projected to have the fastest-growing market for automotive software, with a CAGR of 20.4% from 2020 to 2025.

The program offers maximum flexibility for candidates, with options to choose a construct and services best suited to their needs, including job assistance, an upskilling-focused package, and individual modules. This program is a result of close collaboration with corporate hiring partners to meet the industry demand for advanced embedded skills, particularly in the automotive sector. It aims to equip candidates with the necessary skills to take up high-value roles in the embedded domain.

About SKILL-LYNC:

Skill-Lync was launched in April 2015 by Suryanarayanan P (CEO) and Sarangarajan V (CTO) to address the lack of quality and application-based learning in the Indian engineering education system. It is currently focused on providing students with two different models, available both online and offline:

• 6-12 month post-graduate courses focused on providing in-depth industry-relevant technical knowledge to students along with a strong portfolio of projects that are aimed to help them get relevant jobs
• 6-Month programs at physical Skill-Centers, where the students are provided with access to hands-on practical experience with relevant hardware and software from the experts