MDK v6 released

Today, embedded, IoT, and ML at the edge applications run on Arm. The Cortex-M processor family is undoubtedly the de-facto industry standard with more than 10,000 different microcontrollers from over 45 silicon vendors available today.

Since many years, Arm provides the Keil Microcontroller Development Kit (Keil MDK). It is the most comprehensive software development solution for Arm Cortex-M-based embedded, IoT, and edge ML applications. Today, Arm is releasing Keil MDK Version 6, optimized for the entire Arm Cortex-M and Ethos-U processor portfolio.

MDK v6 addresses new software challenges as IoT endpoint devices get smarter with more complex workloads such as ML models. MDK v6 integrates therefore with MLOps workflows and supports Arm Virtual Hardware for validation in DevOps systems.

Keil MDK Version 6 adds a lot of new capabilities that help developers to be more efficient:

• Keil Studio provides a new development platform for Cortex-M-based microcontrollers based on Microsoft's Visual Studio Code editor. It fully supports the new CMSIS workflows that offer reproducible builds by allowing software and tools versions to be pinned. It contains an integrated debugger and includes components to create, build, and test embedded applications on Windows, Linux, and macOS host computers. Visual Studio Code integrates with Git version control and offers a rich set of third-party extensions. This makes Keil Studio a flexible and extensible development platform for any embedded IoT or ML project.
• The keil.arm.com web site lets developers search for boards, devices, software packs, and thousands of code examples. Keil Studio is also available as a zero-installation browser-based application that connects to locally attached targets for simple run/stop debugging.
• The MDK-Middleware is now free-to-use. This proven middleware has been part of professional MDK editions for years. Arm is opening it up to all MDK users to support a wide range of applications. For example, the Synchronous Data Streaming Framework (SDS) uses the File System component to save recorded sensor data for later playback in MLOps systems.
• The CMSIS-Toolbox enables CMSIS-Pack-based development flows and is a critical element of Keil MDK Version 6. It is available in Keil Studio, but also in the µVision IDE that has been the de-facto standard in embedded development for many years. The CMSIS-Pack framework enables projects that can use multiple toolchains (for example Arm Compiler 6, GCC, and LLVM). The pack system gives access to reusable software components including various RTOS kernels, device drivers, and middleware from many vendors.
• The Arm Virtual Hardware Fixed Virtual Platform (AVH) simulation models enable test automation of software workloads. The integration into Keil MDK supports test case development and verification on desktop systems. Combining desktop and cloud-based workflows allows developers to embrace CI/CD, DevOps, and MLOps core concepts and a software first development approach.
• Adding FuSa RTS and the FuSa C library to MDK-Professional, developers can create applications for functional safety systems with greater confidence. The pre-certified software libraries with comprehensive documentation and hands-on material help you to achieve your goal in less time.
• The new user-based licensing (UBL) makes licensing easier and allows usage on any host computer with your user credentials.

The CMSIS-Pack system enables easy product lifecycle management offering excellent support from the first lines of code written up to completion and maintenance.

Together with our ecosystem partners, we're addressing the challenge of growing software complexity and empowering software developers with unified workflows that work across a range of toolchains and standardized software components. With Arm, you have a choice between different toolchains, software components, and IDEs which makes our processors the best fit for your next application. Keil MDK Version 6 is one of the choices you have to building the future of IoT on Arm.

We have already run two webinars that explain the new features and benefits of MDK v6:

• MDK v6 Introduction
• MDK v6 Technical Deep-Dive
  

The next webinar will show how to use CMSIS-Toolbox and MDK v6 in CI/CD workflows:

• 6 June 2024, 8 am BST: Using CMSIS-Toolbox and Keil MDK v6 in CI/CD Workflows (EMEAI/APAC)
• 6 June 2024, 8 am PDT: Using CMSIS-Toolbox and Keil MDK v6 in CI/CD Workflows (US/EMEAI)