The new mbed Component Database hosts reusable libraries for different hardware, middleware and IoT services that you can use with ARM Microcontrollers. These components can be used as building blocks for quickly developing prototypes and products.

Components and the associated libraries, examples and documentation are created and added to the database by mbed developers, component manufacturers and service providers. The goal is to create a database of rock-solid code and resources for many components that can be used with ARM microcontrollers.

The component database can be found at http://mbed.org/components/.

Helping developers

The main benefit of the the Component Database for end users is to provide a reference point for the best available driver library for any supported hardware component.

If a component is in the component database, it should mean that:

1) The component has a library or hello world program available, which also has been tested to work to the degree indicated

2) Any updates or improvements to the software library will also be found in the same place

3) Discussion and questions relating to the component can happen on the component's entry in the database

4) All relevant documentation on the component is collated and linked to from the database entry

If you have created a library for a component, all mbed users are welcome to create an entry for the component, or add the library to an existing entry.

Helping component manufacturers and library developers

The component database is the place for mbed developers to find purchasing information, support links and product datasheets relating to a component.

If you are a component manufacturer, having a component supported in the database is a great way to ensure customers can confidently buy the component knowing that the minimum of time will be needed to integrate it into their design.

Maintaining an mbed library for component(s) can boost the visibility of a manufacturer within the mbed community. Developers then know that they can potentially talk to actual engineers at the manufacturer if needed, which increases the confidence the developer will have in integrating products. <anufacturers may also link to paid support options and contacts to help establish commercial relationships.

What it is, and what it isn't

The Component Database is a public database of components, libraries, and associated documentation. The entries in the database are maintained by component manufacturers and the mbed community.

It is the place to put schematics, pinout diagrams, datasheets, guides, and any other information which is useful to users of the component.

It is not an exhaustive list of all possible variations of a component. Nor is it intended to index 'passive' components such as switches, resistors, antennas, etc. As a guide, a component should only be in the component database if it requires a software library to operate. For example, octopart.com lists over 8 million discrete components. By contrast, the mbed component database is expected to cover more in the region of the low hundreds of components. It includes online services as well as hardware components.

It is not a marketplace for software. Every component can only have one library associated with it. It is up to the community to maintain that single library to be the best possible library serving the needs of the majority of people. This is intended to control fragmentation of libraries into several forks, each of which serve the needs of only a subset of users. We will shortly be adding features to help make this process easier, and welcome feedback in this area.

Adding a component

Anyone can add a component to the database, and edit existing components. Components are not 'owned' by individuals, instead the community is responsible for maintaining the database. A component however is linked to libraries which are owned by an individual, which is then in effect the official maintainer of the library for that component.

To add a component, simply navigate to the category you think the component should be in, and click the 'Add Component' button.

The future

The cookbook wiki will remain freely editable by any mbed developer. However we expect and encourage component support pages to migrate to the component database, providing that the library and documentation are tested, working, and suitable for inclusion in the database. If you migrate a component to the database, you may edit the cookbook page, pointing visitors to it's new home.

We hope the component database will grow to be useful and an important part of the mbed developer website. As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, they are very welcome.