Product category:
Design and Development Software
News Release from: IAR Systems | Subject: Flash Breakpoints
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 22 February 2008
Algorithm eases embedded Flash debug
Flash Breakpoints overcome the limitations inherent in debugging ARM microcontrollers in Flash memory.
IAR Systems now offers Flash Breakpoints from Segger Microcontroller as an option on the IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM There is a strong market for ARM7- and ARM9-based microcontrollers with embedded Flash, and IAR Systems and Segger share a mission to provide the best tools for all these customers
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 16 May 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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The most important parameters of a debug session are arguably the breakpoints, which are used to halt program execution at a predetermined location.
The ARM7/9 architecture provides only two so-called hardware breakpoints, and this is a severe limitation if debugging is performed in embedded Flash memory.
One hardware breakpoint is often reserved for debugger functionality, leaving only a single breakpoint available to the programmer.
However even an HLL instruction step over an IF construct requires two available breakpoints in Flash.
With Flash Breakpoints (FlashBP) this limitation no longer exists.
The high-performance algorithm used in the implementation of FlashBPs ensures that delays are hardly noticeable compared with debugging in RAM.
FlashBPs are available for most of the popular ARM7/9 embedded Flash microcontrollers.
"The complete integration of Flash Breakpoints into IAR Embedded Workbench simplifies debugging in Flash", says Mats Ullstrom, Product Director of IAR Systems.
"We are confident that many of our customers will wish to shorten their development time by requesting this option".
"The real value of Flash Breakpoints becomes evident right away when target memory migrates from RAM to Flash", says Rolf Segger, Managing Director of Segger.
"To begin with, you would use several breakpoints for a program that still fits in the much smaller RAM, but without Flash Breakpoints you would then be restricted to just two breakpoints and a much larger, more complex program".
Flash Breakpoints will be available in Q2 2008. Request a free brochure from IAR Systems ...
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