UEFI debugging solution supports USB 3.0 controllers

6th August 2015

Jordan Mulcare

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American Megatrends is pleased to announce support for USB 3.0 controllers in the latest release of its AMIDebug for UEFI debugging solution for Aptio V UEFI Firmware. AMIDebug for UEFI is a powerful software-based solution for debugging UEFI projects based on Aptio or the UEFI Shell, offering source-level symbolic (C and Assembler) debugging without the need for expensive JTAG hardware debug tools.

The latest AMIDebug for UEFI release, developed specifically for the company’s flagship Aptio V UEFI Firmware, adds support for USB 3.0 debug among other important features. These recently-added features signify a key development in the evolution of this debug software, since many chipsets now only support USB 3.0 (XHCI) and in many cases no longer incorporate older USB standards (EHCI) in their hardware designs, such as the Intel Atom x5-Z8300 series processors.

What remains unchanged in AMIDebug for UEFI is its ability to facilitate firmware development for AMI OEM and ODM customers in unprecedented ways thanks to its deep integration into the entire UEFI development ecosystem. AMIDebug for UEFI continues to offer standard debugging features like Break, Step, Step Over, Step Into, Step, run to cursor and set next statement, in addition to UEFI-specific debugging features like Stop at Driver Name Entry, Stop at PEIM Name Entry, Stop at CheckPoint, Stop at beginning of PEI/DXE, SMM Debugging and disassembly view. Moreover, many different firmware development viewers are supported including memory, CPU registers, PCI Bus, call stack, I/O and Indirect I/O.

“As USB 3.0 devices are now a standard, universal feature of today’s desktop, notebook, server and ultra-mobile platforms, it is essential that our AMIDebug for UEFI software tool support this protocol to debug and optimize them,” said Stefano Righi, UEFI Board Member and Vice President of Engineering, BIOS/UEFI Tools and Utilities Division, American Megatrends.

Subramonian Shankar, President and CEO, American Megatrends, commented: “By adding USB 3.0 support to AMIDebug for UEFI, we have reinforced the message to our customers that AMI is consistently focused on providing them with the most sophisticated, robust and current software debug tools on the market. Adding features like these empower our customers to streamline the platform development process and speed time to market, both key components of our corporate mission at AMI.”