Mentor Graphics Extends Inflexion Platform User Interface

The API delivers a new approach for rapid creation of dynamic user interfaces for electronic devices. Consequently, manufacturers can now deliver the most visually appealing and easy-to-use electronic device UI screens demanded by today's consumers, while also being able to reuse and update them easily.

"Makers of electronic devices are facing a difficult challenge of differentiating the user interface of their device while making it flexible and exciting," said Neil Henderson, general manager for the Embedded Systems Division of Mentor Graphics. "The Inflexion Platform UI gives them the capability to exceed their customer's expectation by providing a powerful engine to create menus and applications. Inflexion Platform UI's new portal technology opens new opportunities for electronic device makers to deliver compelling interfaces never before available without extensive code modifications."

Electronic device manufacturers are under increasing pressure to customize their products for their customers, differentiate them from their competition, make them more usable and reduce time to market. The ability to create and modify a device's user interface plays a crucial part in meeting these challenges. With the new API, the Inflexion Platform allows developers to supply and dynamically update advanced "theme-able" visuals throughout the device's UI.

Conventional embedded UI solutions require a device's software stack to be modified whenever the interface needs to be changed, and this increases risk and introduces delays. The Inflexion Platform UI avoids this problem by automating all of the common UI logic required by a typical electronic device. It provides a customizable and extensible menu system and application engine that can be used on any device with a graphical display. Flexible and reusable extensible markup language (XML) templates allow developers to automate many key interactive behaviors, including hierarchical browsing, detailed views and scrolling, without any coding - Mentor Graphics.