XMOS launches USB-specific starter kit

The xCORE sliceKIT is a design starter kit based on the xCORE-USB device family of deterministic, low latency, multicore microcontrollers. XMOS says it enables designers to address a range of demanding applications, including high performance peripherals, audiophile and consumer audio products, sound bars, multi-channel USB audio interfaces, USB speakers and protocol conversion and bridging. "The xCORE-USB family of multicore microcontrollers provides the flexibility, low latency and determinacy required by designers developing USB enabled applications," said Paul Neil, vp of product management at XMOS. "It is vital that developers have an easy route to market, and sliceKIT provides just that, letting you tailor your solution with the exact mix of interfaces and digital processes you need, for a superior USB application." Development using the xCORE-USB sliceKIT takes place within the xTIMEcomposer Studio integrated design environment, and uses xSOFTip soft peripherals. XMOS says this allows developers to employ a unified design flow based on C/C++. The complete suite of free design tools includes an Eclipse-based integrated design environment, an LLVM compiler, debugger, the xSOFTip configuration tool xSOFTip Explorer, a cycle-accurate simulator with waveform view, static timing analyser and xSCOPE high speed in-circuit instrument.