NXP Semiconductors has expanded its partnership with Microsoft to bring Microsoft’s Azure RTOS real-time operating system (RTOS) to a broader range of processing solutions from its EdgeVerse portfolio. The collaborative efforts will give NXP’s developer community that use MCUXpresso software and tools access to the capabilities of the Azure RTOS platform. This includes fully integrated middleware and tools for file management, graphical user interface, security, networking, and wired or wireless connectivity.
As a provider of secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, NXP serves companies in the automotive, industrial, Internet of Things, mobile and communication infrastructure markets. With more than 60 years’ experience, the firm has approximately 29,000 employees throughout more than 30 countries. Azure RTOS support is currently available for many of NXP’s low-power, secure 32-bit LPC and i.MX RT crossover microcontrollers (MCUs).
With this announcement, NXP says it intends to broaden its partnership and enable Azure RTOS from within its MCUXpresso software development kit (SDK), which will further expand support across its broader MCU portfolio. Such integration, the company reports, is intended to simplify nearly every step of the development cycle, from choosing the right processor to developing and deploying secure, intelligent edge devices, building secure local-area networks and connecting to the cloud.
NXP and Microsoft hope that this collaboration will reduce production costs for developers and help them bring new industrial and IoT edge applications to market faster. “We are pleased to extend our collaboration with NXP, a leading provider of MCUs and a pioneer in the crossover MCU space, to make Azure RTOS available to customers on their MCUXpresso SDK,” said Sam George, Microsoft’s corporate VP for Azure IoT, in a prepared statement. “As a result of this collaboration, developers can seamlessly connect devices to the Azure cloud and quickly build and deliver innovative new intelligent edge solutions to customers.”
“The rapid adoption of edge processing has changed the landscape of operating systems for MCUs,” added Joe Yu, NXP’s VP and general manager of microcontrollers, in the prepared statement. “The industrial and IoT edge of today requires embedded software that is anchored by small footprint RTOS, combined with comprehensive middleware stacks, which Azure RTOS provides. We’re happy to complement the breadth of our MCUs with Azure RTOS for our customers to unlock the limitless possibilities of the intelligent edge and secure connected world.”