The Ultimate Simplicity Studio Quickstart Guide | Symmetry Blog
About Anuja Upale
1. What Software Development Kit (SDK) support does Silicon Labs provide for their wireless products?
Silicon Labs’ Simplicity Studio core development environment was designed to provide support for the Silicon Labs IoT portfolio. Simplicity Studio is a free Eclipse-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that includes a collection of value-add tools. Developers can use Simplicity Studio to develop, debug, and analyze their Bluetooth and other Silicon Labs SDK applications. Its main purpose is to reduce development time so that you can focus your time on your application, instead of researching Bluetooth specifications and hardware reference manuals.
2. What tools and features are provided by Simplicity Studio?
Silicon Labs’ Simplicity Studio provides access to:
- SDK resources
- Software and hardware configuration tools
- A feature-rich Eclipse and GNU toolchain-based IDE
- Compilers and debuggers
- Advanced, value-add tools for network analysis
- Code-correlated energy profiling
- Demos and example code
- Product documentation
3. Which products are supported in Simplicity Studio?
Simplicity Studio supports Silicon Labs’ EFM32, EFM8, and 8051 MCUs; Wireless Geckos and MCUs; Zigbee SoCs; and Wireless Modules.
4. Are there any fees involved in using Simplicity Studio?
Simplicity Studio is offered free-of-charge to developers building products with the Silicon Labs portfolio.
5. Do I need to create an account to access Simplicity Studio?
Following the download of the Simplicity Studio software, you are prompted to log in or create an account. Although you have the option to skip this step, you must be logged in to access protected content.
6. How can I connect devices to Simplicity Studio?
Begin by connecting your Wireless Starter Kit (WSTK) to your PC using a USB cable. Next, launch Simplicity Studio. The software will then search for connected devices. If it is a supported device, it will be added to the ‘Debug Adapters’ window, and any relevant additional resources will be automatically uploaded.
Note: For best performance in Simplicity Studio, be sure that the power switch on your WSTK is set to Advanced Energy Monitoring (AEM).
7. Can I use Simplicity Studio without the device being connected?
You can select a device by adding a part to the ‘My Products’ window. Examples and documentation can also be found by searching for the device or kit.
8. How can I access documentation and other resources in Simplicity Studio?
Selecting the device from the list will update all of the options in the Overview, Example Projects & Demos, Documentation, and Compatible Tools tabs of the launcher. The Documentation tab lists information about the stack and hardware. You can search the required document through the Search tab. You can see example code in the Example Projects & Demos tab and tools in the Compatible Tools tab.
9. Where can I download Simplicity Studio and other resources?
Interested in integrating Silicon Labs products into your design? Browse Silicon Labs products available at Symmetry Electronics.