Analog Devices, one of the biggest embedded chip makers, has launched CodeFusion Studio 2.0, an upgrade for its open source embedded chip development platform.
Designed to simplify and accelerate the development of AI-enabled embedded systems, CodeFusion Studio 2.0 introduces advanced hardware abstraction, seamless AI integration and powerful automation tools to streamline the journey from concept to deployment across ADI’s diverse processors and microcontrollers.
Embedded chips are those used in a wide range of appliances in automotive systems, industrial control, audio/video processing, telecommunications and medical devices. Analog Devices reported revenue of more than $9 billion in FY24 and it has 24,000 people.
“The next era of embedded intelligence requires removing friction from AI development,”
said Rob Oshana, senior vice president of the software and digital platforms group at Analog Devices, in a statement. “CodeFusion Studio 2.0 transforms the developer experience by unifying fragmented AI workflows into a seamless process, empowering developers to leverage the full potential of ADI’s cutting-edge products with ease so they can focus on innovating and accelerating time to market.”
Empowering developers with end-to-end AI workflows
CodeFusion Studio 2.0 now supports complete AI workflows, enabling developers to bring
their own models and deploy them efficiently across ADI’s processors and microcontrollers—from low-power edge devices to high-performance DSPs (digital signal processors).
The latest platform, based on Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, features a built-in model compatibility checker, performance profiling tools and optimization capabilities that are designed to ensure robust deployment and an accelerated time-to-market.
A new Zephyr-based modular framework enables runtime performance profiling for AI/ML
workloads, offering layer-by-layer analysis and seamless integration with ADI’s heterogeneous platforms. This encapsulation of toolchains simplifies machine learning
deployment and enhances system-level performance insights.
Unified development experience
The updated CodeFusion Studio System Planner now supports multi-core applications and
expanded device compatibility, while unified configuration tools reduce complexity across
ADI’s hardware ecosystem. Developers benefit from integrated debugging capabilities,
including Core Dump Analysis and GDB (GNU debugger) support, making troubleshooting
faster and more intuitive.
A future proof digital road map
CodeFusion Studio 2.0 is the latest milestone in ADI’s open-source embedded
development platform, embodying its commitment to delivering developer-first tools that
simplify complexity and accelerate innovation. As ADI expands its digital roadmap, future
releases will continue to push the boundaries of embedded intelligence, bringing deeper
hardware-software integration, expanded runtime environments and new capabilities
tailored to evolving developer needs as they experiment with physical AI.
“Companies that deliver physically aware AI solutions are poised to transform industries
and create new, industry-leading opportunities. That’s why we’re creating an ecosystem
that enables developers to optimize, deploy and evaluate AI models seamlessly on ADI
hardware, even without physical access to a board,” said Paul Golding, vice president of
edge AI and robotics at Analog Devices, in a statement. “CodeFusion Studio 2.0 is just one step we’re taking to deliver Physical Intelligence to our customers, ultimately enabling them to create systems that perceive, reason and act locally—all within the constraints of real-world physics.”
CodeFusion Studio 2.0 is now available for download. The original CodeFusion debuted in October 2024. At the time, it introduced a modern VS code-based environment alongside the company’s developer portal and Analog Devices’ trusted edge security. It was aimed at accelerating the intelligent edge, said Jason Griffin, managing director of software and AI strategy at Analog Devices, said in a press briefing.
“Now we’re thrilled to announce CodeFusion Studio 2.0 launching this November. It’s a major leap forward in our developer-first journey,” Griffin said. ” It brings an open, extensible architecture, deeper integration across ADI’s embedded ecosystem and ongoing innovation focused on simplicity, performance and speed.”
He added, “With CodeFusion Studio 2.0, we’re making multicore edge AI simple, scalable and accessible. Whether you’re a data scientist or an embedded developer, the new AI workflow makes it easy to build, analyze and deploy models across any ADI processor.”
The new platform is aimed at fighting fragmentation in the workplace, and everything now lives in a single, unified workspace.
“You can configure build and debug every core from one environment with shared memory maps, peripheral management and consistent build dependencies,” Griffin said. “The result has streamlined workflow that minimizes context switching and maximizes focus, so developers spend less time on setup and more time on system design and optimization.”
Asked how AI has affected version 2.0, Griffin said the new version is focusing on end-to-end AI development and a unified tool chain.
“It’s doubling down on AI,” he said. “It’s really about having a real good end-to-end AI flow. So we’re giving the developers the ability to bring their own model. They can import and deploy that. They can start a project leveraging the model from directly within the GUI. There’s also CLI support for converting models into deployable embedded code, so all directly within the tool itself.”