Cross-Platform Embedded GUI — 9+ Supported MCU and MPU Families

Cross-platform embedded GUI from Sparklet means the same widget codebase, the same Flint design files, and the same application logic deploy across 9 hardware families — with only the HAL layer changed. Renesas RH850, NXP i.MX RT1170, STM32H7, Infineon TRAVEO T2G, Rockchip RK3506G2, and more. One royalty-free licence, zero per-unit fees.

Get Free Evaluation Contact Sales

What Is a Cross-Platform Embedded GUI Library?

A cross-platform embedded GUI library is a software framework that allows developers to build a graphical user interface once and deploy it on multiple hardware targets without rewriting the UI logic. Sparklet achieves this through a 7-layer architecture where the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) encapsulates all hardware-specific code — display drivers, GPU commands, touch input, and DMA calls — while the widget layer, rendering engine, and application logic remain unchanged across platforms.

This matters in real projects because silicon availability changes, product families span multiple performance tiers, and customers frequently ask for ports to new hardware years after the initial launch. Sparklet lets your team make that change at the HAL layer only, leaving every screen, animation, and state machine intact.

Supported platforms include MCUs from Renesas, NXP, STMicroelectronics, Nuvoton, and Infineon, plus MPUs from NXP and Rockchip, and PC simulators on Windows x86 and Linux SDL2 for development and testing. Total: 9 hardware platform families, covering automotive, industrial, consumer electronics, medical, and wearable applications.

Supported Hardware Families

MCU Platforms

Five Microcontroller Families — from Automotive to IoT

Sparklet targets five MCU families with dedicated HAL implementations that expose each chip's hardware accelerator:

  • Renesas RH850 (D1M1A) — Automotive cluster MCU with D/AVE2D 2D GPU. Production-deployed on digital instrument clusters. AUTOSAR-compatible, MISRA C source.
  • Renesas RA8D1 / RA6M3 — RA8D1: Cortex-M85 at 480 MHz with Mali-Limav GPU (60 fps, 720p). RA6M3: Cortex-M4 for industrial and IoT panels with software renderer.
  • NXP i.MX RT1170 — Dual Cortex-M7/M4 at 1 GHz with PXP 2D accelerator and 2 MB on-chip SRAM. Dual display output. FreeRTOS and Zephyr supported.
  • STM32 (F4, H7, U5) — DMA2D Chrom-ART for hardware blending and fill. LTDC display controller. Widest developer community. Royalty-free alternative to TouchGFX.
  • Nuvoton Gerda-ZWEI — Integrated display controller with cost-effective BOM for home appliances and consumer industrial panels.
  • Infineon TRAVEO T2G — Cortex-R5/M7 automotive-grade MCU, ISO 26262 ASIL-B/D capable, 2D graphics engine for HMI body controllers.

MPU Platforms

Two Linux-Capable Application Processors

For applications requiring embedded Linux, Android, or full 3D OpenGL ES rendering, Sparklet scales to MPU platforms. The same Flint-generated C code compiles and runs on MPUs — only the HAL is swapped.

  • NXP i.MX 8 / 8M — Cortex-A + Cortex-M co-processor architecture with Mali GPU (OpenGL ES 2.0), hardware video decode, and multi-display output. Used for automotive IVI, ADAS camera overlay, and premium HMI with 3D graphics. Supports CarPlay and Android Auto screen mirroring.
  • Rockchip RK3506G2 — Power-efficient MPU for embedded Linux displays: smart home controllers, retail terminals, and industrial touch panels where Linux is required but BOM cost must stay low.

Both MPU targets support Sparklet's 3D widget and OpenGL ES pipeline. The Yocto Linux build environment is the standard integration path. Framebuffer (DRM/KMS) and OpenGL ES 2.0 backends are both available.

RTOS & OS Support

OS-Agnostic by Design — Bare Metal to Linux

Sparklet runs as a single dedicated task or as the main bare-metal loop. All supported operating environments:

  • Bare metal — No OS overhead. Sparklet polls or runs from a timer ISR.
  • FreeRTOS — Most common RTOS integration. Sparklet runs as one task; all API calls originate from that task.
  • Azure RTOS (ThreadX) — Full integration. Used on STM32 and Renesas RA platforms.
  • Zephyr — NXP and STM32 targets.
  • QNX / ITRON — Automotive and hard real-time applications.
  • Embedded Linux — Framebuffer or DRM/KMS backends on i.MX 8 and Rockchip.
  • Android (AOSP) — Native layer integration on MPU platforms.

For full RTOS integration details, see the RTOS support page.

Sparklet Platform Support Overview

PlatformVendorTypeMin RAMGPU / AcceleratorRTOS Support
Renesas RH850 D1M1ARenesasMCU16 KBD/AVE2D 2D GPUBare metal, AUTOSAR
Renesas RA8D1RenesasMCU16 KBMali-Limav GPUFreeRTOS, Azure RTOS
Renesas RA6M3RenesasMCU16 KB2D HW assistFreeRTOS, Azure RTOS
NXP i.MX RT1170NXPMCU16 KBPXP 2D acceleratorFreeRTOS, Zephyr
NXP i.MX 8NXPMPU32 KBMali GPU (OpenGL ES)Embedded Linux, Android
STM32 F4 / H7 / U5STMicroMCU16 KBDMA2D Chrom-ARTFreeRTOS, Azure RTOS
Nuvoton Gerda-ZWEINuvotonMCU16 KBIntegrated display ctrlFreeRTOS, bare metal
Infineon TRAVEO T2GInfineonMCU16 KB2D graphics engineAUTOSAR, FreeRTOS
Rockchip RK3506G2RockchipMPU32 KBSW + 2DEmbedded Linux

Platform-Agnostic Code — HAL Isolation Explained

Sparklet's Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) is the boundary between portable UI code and hardware-specific implementation. The HAL exposes a fixed set of function signatures — draw pixel, blit region, fill rectangle, wait for vsync, read touch point — and each platform provides its own implementation of those functions using the chip's native drivers and accelerator APIs.

What Never Changes Across Platforms

Above the HAL, every component is hardware-independent: all 36+ widgets, the rendering pipeline, the state machine executor, Flint-generated screen code, fonts, images, and animation keyframes. When moving from one supported platform to another, the porting scope is typically under 500 lines of C code — exclusively in the HAL directory.

Porting to Unlisted Hardware

For custom or unlisted hardware, Embien provides platform porting services covering BSP bring-up, HAL implementation, display driver optimisation, and touch integration. Most engagements complete in 2–4 weeks depending on hardware complexity. See the performance benchmarks page for RAM footprint, FPS, and Flash usage figures per platform.

Simulator-First Development

Sparklet ships with two PC simulators that support the full widget catalogue, state machine execution, multi-language fonts, and animation playback. Development teams routinely complete 80% of UI work on the Windows x86 simulator or Linux SDL2 simulator before first hardware boot — removing the compile-flash-test bottleneck from the UI development cycle.

Why Platform Portability Matters

Four reasons embedded teams choose a cross-platform GUI framework over hardware-locked alternatives.
Single Codebase

One Codebase, Nine Targets

The same Flint-generated C screen files compile on all 9 supported platforms. No conditional compilation blocks, no platform-specific widget code.

HAL Swap

HAL Swap Under 500 Lines

Changing target hardware requires modifying only the HAL layer — under 500 lines of C for most certified platform moves. Every widget, screen, and animation stays untouched.

Royalty Free

Royalty-Free on All Platforms

One developer seat licence covers all 9 platforms. Ship on Renesas one year and NXP the next — no new licence, no per-unit fees, zero royalties at any production volume.

Hardware Acceleration

Native GPU Integration

Each platform HAL is tuned to the chip's native accelerator: D/AVE2D on RH850, Mali on RA8D1, PXP on i.MX RT, DMA2D on STM32. No generic fallback, no wasted cycles.

Frequently Asked Questions — Sparklet Platform Support

Sparklet supports Renesas RH850, RA8D1, and RA6M3; NXP i.MX RT1170 and i.MX 8; STM32 (F4, H7, U5); Nuvoton Gerda-ZWEI; and Infineon TRAVEO T2G as MCU/MPU targets. Windows x86 and Linux SDL2 simulators are also included for development.

Evaluate Sparklet on Your Target Hardware

Download the Sparklet evaluation binary and Flint UI Designer, then build and run on your evaluation kit. Evaluation packages are available for all 9 supported platforms. Embien's engineering team provides free technical assistance during evaluation.

Get Free Evaluation