Embedded Software Development Tools and Processes

1
Embedded Software Development Tools and
Processes

• Hardware Software
• Hardware Host development system
• Software Compilers, simulators etc.
• Target systems
• PC or similar with I/O cards
• PC or similar with custom I/O
• COTS(Commercial of the Shelf) boards
• Custom designed boards, interfaces etc

2
Software Development

• Native Compiler Host and Target same uP
• Cross Compiler Host develops code for a
  different target uP
• Process
• Edit source files code versioning systems
• compile to relocateable object code (.obj files)
• link locate link obj files with library code
  to produce absolute object code file.
• convert object code to Intel hex format or other
  formats for programming memory device
• Program target

3
Programming Target system

• Most programs stored in Flash memory
• On-Chip flash in-circuit serial programming
• External memory devices Separate programmer
  device required
• External programmer parallel and gang
  programmers

4
Testing Debugging

• Simulator limited usage
• Monitor program linked with application
  program,
• In- circuit emulator less used nowadays
• Logic analyzer more a hardware tool
• JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) emulation and
  debugging used for microcontrollers and SOC's
  (system on chip) where uP is not directly
  accessable.

5
Testing Debugging features

• Run program
• Step single instruction or single HLL statement
• Trace execution
• Monitor uP registers and memory contents
• Disassemble machine code to assembly language
• Watch variables (i.e. memory contents)
• Breakpoints stop execution
• Advance breakpoints conditional
• Code coverage and performance analysis
• Execute in realtime and capture information.