About the CrossWorks Graphics Library

The CrossWorks Graphics Library is a standard API that runs on a collection of popular microprocessors and evaluation boards. It is a way for Rowley Associates to deliver examples, from simple to complex, for those boards.

In particular, the Graphics Library requires the CrossWorks Tasking Library for operation. Because the Graphics Library, and facilities built on top of it, use interrupts and background processing, we made the decision to use the CrossWorks Tasking Library as a foundation stone for the Platform Library. We have not abstracted the Graphics Library to use a generic RTOS as this adds more complexity to the design.

Why use the Graphics Library?

Standardizing on the Graphics Library provised a certain amount of portability for you applications. Rather than using vendor-supplied libraries that get you running quickly on their silicon, you can invest some time learning the Graphics Library and use that knowledge across different architectures. You are, however, committing to use CrossWorks, CTL, and the Graphics Library for the long term.

What the Graphics Library isn't

The Graphics Library it is not a general-purpose API supporting every feature offered by common devices, nor does it cater for all devices within a family. The Graphics Library is tested on the microprocessors and evaluation boards that Rowley Associates deliver examples for. Certainly, you can use it with little or no modification on boards that have other processors in the families we support, but you will need to customize the Graphics Library implementation yourself.

What the Graphics Library runs on

The Graphics Library runs on the following microprocessor families:

The range of boards and microprocessors that run the Graphics Library continues to expand. Please check the CrossWorks web site for the latest information.