Swell Software is shipping a new “Pro” version of its “PEG” graphical user interface (GUI) development kit. PEG Pro adds support for greater color depths and multiple layers, enabling use in sophisticated GUIs for automotive, consumer electronics, and medical imaging devices, the company said.

Like the original PEG, PEG+, and LinuxPEG offerings, Swell Softare's PEG (portable embedded GUI) Pro comprises a graphical development tool that lets programmers assemble user interfaces by dragging and dropping interface elements. Interfaces can then be tested on Windows or X11, prior to availability of embedded hardware/firmware. Supported X11 environments include Linux, BSD, LynxOS, and Solaris.

PEG Pro also includes runtime libraries that can be built using a wide variety of compilers, on a wide variety of architectures, for a wide variety of embedded RTOSes. PEG Pro GUI runtimes have a minimum code footprint of 150KB, and a typical footprint of 200KB. They need only 8KB of stack, and 32KB of dynamic memory, Swell claimed.

Compared to earlier PEG products, PEG Pro adds support for high color depths and advanced graphics features, including:

• Alpha channel support at both 65K and 24-bit color depths
• Multiple graphics layers
• Skinnable/themeable at runtime
• “Virtual vertical lists”
• “True” anti-aliased font support
• Alpha-blended (transparent) windows

John Petrucci, senior software engineer at Eastman Kodak's Health Group, stated, “PEG software offers an intuitive and robust set of tools that allows for the development of full color UIs on the latest screens and displays.”

According to Swell Software general manager Ken Maxwell, “Differentiation in the highly competitive embedded device market starts with the ability to deliver a rich and highly-intuitive user interface. We're excited about the opportunity to be part of the next wave of hi-touch interactive devices.”

Availability

PEG Pro is available immediately for a wide range of RTOSes, including embedded Linux, Swell Software said. The company will demonstrate the product at the Embedded Systems Conference next week in San Jose, Calif.

 
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