Multicore Debug System
Through this Multicore Debug System (MDS), TASKING solves the dilemma of developers designing next-generation communications and network technology using multiple processors or integrating multiple IP cores who have been unable to debug or simulate the interactive behavior of such multiprocessor applications. Using software logic that mediates between the debuggers for each processor, the MDS synchronizes the debuggers' behavior in order to accurately reflect how the processors interact with each other, while providing a platform that facilitates complete simulation of the multicore behavior—a feat unachievable until now. This breakthrough technology has only been possible thanks to TASKING's adherence to open-interface standards and its commitment to the vendor-independent support.
To initiate an environment where multiple debugger clients can communicate with multiple targets, TASKING extends the generic interface used by TASKING's CrossView Pro debugger to enable target systems to interact with both proprietary and open-standard platforms. Within this open framework, the object-oriented nature of TASKING's MDS creates an environment in which discrete microprocessors and processing cores are all treated as "processing units." The configurable debug topology defines how the processing units interact with each other, orchestrating the relational dynamic of the multicore system that tracks how the messaging and logic is passed between the various cores.
Using run-control logic, TASKING manages the synchronous operation of multiple executing elements in the target environment, enabling the attached debuggers and targets to behave independently or as a unit, as well as paving the way for a simulated environment that mirrors the independent and coordinated behavior of the processing units. With this level of sophisticated control, for the first time developers can rigorously test and debug the multiprocessor solutions underlying many of the next-generation communications designs.
Because the MDS brings together mature, single-core debugging solutions, developers can exploit the advanced debugging capabilities of TASKING's CrossView Pro debugger with each processor working independently or in conjunction with the other processors in the core. To pinpoint specific problem areas, developers can monitor memory use, display register values, and trace program performance of each processor or of the system as a whole. Breakpoints can be set that allow other processors to continue executing, so that developers can drill down into the complex interactive behavior of a SoC solution. With these debug capabilities, TASKING rounds out the resources needed to address the complexities of next-generation embedded communications design.
TASKING Inc., 333 Elm Street, Dedham, MA 02026-4530. Tel: 781-320-9400; Fax: 781-320-9212.