For most microcontroller platforms within the industrial or automotive market segment, Generic Platform Packages are provided.
In order to support a customer specific hardware architecture (mainly driven by request of the chipset manufacturer) we have a common procedure to give a reliable statement on the costs and the time schedule. This procedure ensures also to keep the high quality standards for Embedded Wizard and the Platform Packages. This procedure is:
- At first we review the device specification. If needed an NDA will be signed first.
- After checking the specification, we get a development platform (Compiler, Debugger, HW, "Hello World"-SW example).
- As a next step we are doing some performance tests on the target.
- Based on the above steps we can estimate the effort and time schedule.
- Then a new platform package can be ported, verified and released.
In most cases the semiconductor manufacturers order the platform package and provide it for free to their customers - e.g. when the Platform Package is part of the reference software stack.
