Lvgl – Lightweight HMIs for Embedded Linux

With our Ezpire building block for Lvgl You get a lean, high-performance GUI stack for embedded Linux on PHYTEC hardware. On the phyBOARD-Pollux (i.MX 8M Plus), we provide you with a pre-configured LVGL demo image and the corresponding Yocto blocks, so you can start developing your own HMI right away.

What is LVGL?

LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) LVGL is an open-source graphics library specifically designed for resource-constrained embedded systems. It offers over 30 ready-made widgets (buttons, sliders, charts, keyboards, etc.), a flexible layout system, and animation and theme support, all while remaining extremely memory-efficient. Unlike traditional, heavyweight GUI frameworks, LVGL relies on a software-based renderer, which adapts well to MCUs and SoCs without a powerful GPU, but also enables smooth UIs on high-performance platforms like the i.MX 8M Plus.

Why LVGL is interesting for embedded Linux HMIs

  • Resource efficient: LVGL was originally designed for MCUs and therefore runs very efficiently – an advantage even if you are using a Linux-based SoC.

  • Flexible architecture: The render backend can be adapted to different hardware (framebuffer, DRM/KMS, Wayland), so your LVGL application is not tied to a specific platform.

  • A good starting point for optimization: Based on the demo, you can later use GPU acceleration (e.g., via VGLite/PXP on other platforms) or double buffering, similar to how it is described in performance guides from other manufacturers.

Our service: LVGL out-of-the-box

We have prepared LVGL for PHYTEC hardware so that you can get started right away:

  • Demo example for phyBOARD-Pollux: A special LVGL image for the i.MX 8M Plus that you can use as a template for your project.

  • Yocto Meta-Layer: To match the image, we have released the Yocto Meta-Layer on Gihub - ideal as a template for your own Yocto projects.

  • Reference application: CMake-based LVGL demo, pre-configured for Wayland on Linux (wl_shell), including fullscreen window, input handling and LVGL widget demo.

  • How-to resources: Supplementary documentation and how-to videos for setup, customization, and performance tuning.

Recommended Hardware

For LVGL, we recommend the following evaluation platform: phyBOARD‑Pollux (i.MX 8M Plus)We have already done complete preliminary work for this, including a special LVGL demo BSP ("LVGL Framework Demo BSP"). 

We're happy to help you get your LVGL application running on any other PHYTEC platform. Please contact our FAEs for assistance.

Would you like to learn more about LVGL on PHYTEC hardware?
Schedule a free consultation with our experts. We look forward to hearing from you.

Expert-Podolszki@2x.jpg

Martin Podolszki
Head of FAE

Links & Resources / Getting Started

Get up to speed quickly with the demo image, Yocto layer, and reference code.

LVGL Framework Demo BSP (phyBOARD‑Pollux) – Special demo image for LVGL in the “Special Linux Releases” section of the Pollux product page.
GitHub LVGL Demo for Pollux – Complete resources for the LVGL Demo Image.
GitHub Yocto Layer – Yocto Meta-Layer with recipes for LVGL demo and image.
How-To: LVGL on phyCORE‑i.MX 8M Plus (Video) – Step-by-step video series on setting up and customizing the LVGL demo.
LVGL Official Documentation – Complete reference to widgets, themes and architecture.