Why do hardware SDKs need cross-compilation?

Code is written on a desktop computer but runs on another processor architecture, so the toolchain compiles for the target, not for the host.

Does a hardware SDK include the device drivers?

Usually it includes or references them, together with a board support package or device description for the specific hardware.

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Layers of a hardware SDK

Which layers does a hardware SDK provide between application code and a device?

By knowledge.aitechdoc.world

Reviewed September 29, 2026

Review log and changes

The short answer

A hardware SDK stacks several layers: a toolchain that compiles and links code for the target processor, low-level drivers and a board or device description, a hardware abstraction layer that hides register details, optional operating system or runtime support, and high-level libraries or standard APIs for applications. Debugging and flashing tools connect the developer's computer to the physical device.

For: Embedded developers and technical writers documenting devices

Key points

Toolchain: compiler, linker and libraries for the target processor, often via cross-compilation.
Drivers and device description: code and data that know the registers and peripherals.
Hardware abstraction layer: a stable interface above the device-specific details.
Runtime or operating system: scheduling, memory and, where needed, real-time behavior.
Tools: debuggers, debug probes, emulators and flashing utilities.

The context

From registers to applications

At the bottom are the device and its firmware. Device drivers talk to registers and peripherals of a microcontroller or processor. A hardware abstraction layer puts an abstraction over them so that application code does not change with every chip revision.

Above sit a runtime — sometimes a real-time operating system — and libraries or standard APIs, for example for graphics, parallel computing or extended reality.

The toolchain

A compiler toolchain builds code for the target, which is usually a different architecture than the developer's computer. The application binary interface fixes how compiled parts fit together. Debugging happens on the device through a probe or in an emulator.

A hardware SDK makes a device programmable; it does not make a function safe. Safety functions follow their own standards and evidence.

See the encyclopedia article Hardware SDKs.

Questions readers ask next

Why do hardware SDKs need cross-compilation?: Code is written on a desktop computer but runs on another processor architecture, so the toolchain compiles for the target, not for the host.
Does a hardware SDK include the device drivers?: Usually it includes or references them, together with a board support package or device description for the specific hardware.

Sources

Android NDK — Android Developers
OpenXR — Khronos Group
Devicetree specification — devicetree.org

Review log and changes

Every context card is checked against its sources before it is published, and again whenever it changes; the date under the byline is the last review. Corrections (something was wrong) and additions (something was missing) are logged below with date and time (Berlin time). Typos, formatting and link fixes are not listed.

Reviewed September 29, 2026

No corrections or additions since publication.

Glossary terms on this card

Device driver
In computing, a device driver is software that allows an operating system or runtime to control a hardware device, such as a network interface, fieldbus card, I/O module or camera, by translating generic requests into device-specific operations and handling interrupts from the device.
Firmware
In computing, firmware is software stored in non-volatile memory of a hardware device that provides its basic control, startup and operating functions, such as the operating software of a PLC, drive, sensor, network switch or communication module, and that is typically updated as a whole image.
Microcontroller (MCU)
In embedded electronics, a microcontroller (MCU) is a single integrated circuit that combines a processor core, program and data memory and peripherals such as timers, analog-to-digital converters and serial interfaces, and runs the firmware that controls a device.
Real-time operating system (RTOS)
In embedded computing, a real-time operating system (RTOS) is an operating system designed to execute tasks within bounded, predictable time, typically offering priority-based preemptive scheduling, fast interrupt handling and deterministic synchronization.
Compiler
In software engineering, a compiler is a program that translates source code written in a programming language into another form, usually machine code, bytecode or an intermediate representation, before the program is executed. PLC engineering tools contain compilers that translate IEC 61131-3 languages into code for the target controller.
Debugging
In software engineering and PLC programming, debugging is the systematic process of finding and removing the causes of faulty program behavior, using tools such as online monitoring, breakpoints, watch tables, traces and simulation.
Abstraction
In software engineering, abstraction is the practice of representing a component by its essential behavior and interface while hiding implementation details that callers do not need. In automation software, abstraction lets application logic address a valve, drive or axis without knowing how the underlying hardware or fieldbus is accessed.
Application binary interface (ABI)
In software engineering, an application binary interface (ABI) is the low-level interface between compiled program modules, or between a program and the operating system, that defines data layout, calling conventions, register use and binary formats. Two binaries can only work together without recompilation if they follow the same ABI.
Embedded software
In computing, embedded software is software that runs on a dedicated computer system built into a device, such as a sensor, drive, controller or machine, to perform specific functions, typically with constraints on memory, processing power, timing and power consumption.