Trace debug support aired at ARM TechCon

ARM’s ETMv4 is part of CoreSight technology which supports debug and trace processes on complex multi-core systems-on-a-chip (SoC). AppliedMicro’s X-Gene is a scalable, fully integrated multicore SoC with enterprise-class ARM cores.

“Effective and efficient trace capabilities are critical in 64-bit system development because the firmware and software code base becomes very complex and quite extensive,” said Larry Osborn, ASSET product manager for software debug and trace tools. “ARM’s ETMv4 can provide software engineers with all of the trace data they need and SourcePoint gives them visibility into that data to rapidly analyse any problem areas in code execution. We are very excited about supporting X-Gene developers. They are working on some of the most advanced cloud-based enterprise server systems.”

SourcePoint includes a range of powerful analytical trace tools that support ARM’s ETMv4, such as cycle-accurate time stamps per instruction, a graphical call chart view, function profiling, extensive search features and others. To serve a wide range of development needs, two ASSET run-control probes support the SourcePoint ARM debugger.

The LC-500Se and LX-1000e access ARM code executing on X-Gene processors via the chip’s JTAG port and apply many of the device’s internal resources to debug code. The LX-1000e Trace Port Analyser includes the added capability over the LC-500Se of storing collected trace data, which can amount to many seconds of code execution.