MicroEJ, a provider of solutions for Embedded and IoT applications, has open-sourced its JavaScript framework for embedded development named MICROEJ Kifaru. This move aligns with the company’s commitment to democratize embedded development for a wide range of skilled application developers.
Specializing in software containers for edge and embedded devices, MicroEJ supports various standards and languages (such as C, Java, and Domain-Specific Languages), aiming to extend embedded systems development to the mobile and cloud communities. The addition of JavaScript support to the MICROEJ Virtual Execution Environment (VEE) enhances accessibility, making it one of the most widely available execution environments in the embedded industry.
Fred Rivard, CEO of MicroEJ, expressed pride in sharing this boost of innovative creativity with customers, enabling them to tap into over 60% of the global software developer community. The company’s roadmap includes plans to support other popular languages like Kotlin and Python in the near future.
Key features introduced by MICROEJ Kifaru for smart device manufacturers include:
1. **Safe software container:** The framework targets the MicroEJ software container, allowing developers to write applications in multiple languages securely managed by the VEE.
2. **No learning curve:** Leveraging JavaScript’s popularity and accessibility, Kifaru facilitates a quick and straightforward onboarding process. It also supports rapid iteration for swift prototype development.
3. **Large ecosystem:** The JavaScript framework enables engineering teams to benefit from a vast ecosystem of tools, frameworks, and libraries, reducing development efforts and costs.
4. **Software modules reuse:** MICROEJ ensures portability of software modules across various RTOS/OS and hardware platforms. JavaScript modules created with Kifaru can run seamlessly on different electronics without modifications.
5. **Reliability:** MicroEJ provides application sandboxing, ensuring isolation between software applications for device robustness. Code validation and real-time execution checking contribute to reliable embedded and IoT devices.
MicroEJ is already trusted by over 120 companies worldwide in diverse industries such as smart home, wearables, healthcare, industrial automation, retail, telecommunications, smart cities, building automation, and transportation.