What is mbed?
mbed is a development ecosystem created by ARM for building Internet‑of‑Things (IoT) devices. It includes a lightweight operating system (mbed OS), a cloud‑based IDE, libraries, and online services that help developers write, test, and deploy code on ARM Cortex‑M microcontrollers.
Let's break it down
- Hardware: Works with ARM Cortex‑M based boards (e.g., NXP, ST, Nordic).
- mbed OS: A real‑time operating system that provides networking, security, and power‑management features.
- IDE: An online code editor (mbed Studio) that compiles code in the cloud, so you don’t need a local toolchain.
- Libraries: Ready‑made modules for Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, TLS, etc.
- Cloud services: Device management, data storage, and OTA (over‑the‑air) updates.
Why does it matter?
mbed removes many of the low‑level hassles of embedded programming. With built‑in networking stacks, security protocols, and a unified API, developers can focus on the application logic instead of writing drivers from scratch. This speeds up prototyping, reduces bugs, and shortens time‑to‑market for smart products.
Where is it used?
- Wearable health trackers
- Smart home devices (lights, thermostats, locks)
- Industrial sensors and gateways
- Automotive telematics modules
- Agricultural monitoring stations
- Any product that needs a small, low‑power ARM MCU with connectivity.
Good things about it
- Free, open‑source OS with regular updates.
- Large community and extensive documentation.
- Cross‑platform: same code runs on many ARM boards.
- Built‑in security (TLS, secure boot, hardware crypto).
- Cloud IDE eliminates complex local setup.
- OTA update support makes field upgrades easy.
Not-so-good things
- Tied to ARM Cortex‑M; not suitable for non‑ARM MCUs.
- Some advanced cloud services require a paid subscription.
- Reliance on internet for compilation can be slow for large projects.
- Learning curve for the mbed API if you come from bare‑metal programming.
- Debugging can be less straightforward compared to traditional IDEs.