industry news
Subscribe Now

PLS’ Universal Debug Engine supports all functions of Freescale’s latest Qorivva automotive SoCs

Irvine / Lauta (Germany), September 4, 2014 – In parallel to Freescale’s presentation of its latest Qorivva derivates, PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme now provides system developers with its Universal Debug Engine (UDE) for the multicore System-on-Chips (SoCs) MPC5746M, MPC5777M, MPC5748G, MPC5746C, MPC77xK and MPC574xP. PLS is one of the first tool suppliers to offer development tools specifically optimized for the features and functions of these multicore SoCs.

Several already prepared configurations of the UDE ensure an uncomplicated first connection as well as a fast and reliable programming of the flash memory which is integrated in various sizes on the Qorivva devices. With help of the UDE’s multicore/multiprogram loader, the relevant program codes and the corresponding debug information can be assigned to individual cores in a flexible way. In addition, the heterogeneous structure of the SoCs — that, besides the main cores, depending on the type, can contain further programmable units such as a Generic Timer Module (GTM) or a Hardware Security Module (HSM) — is optimally supported. By core-specific grouping of debugger windows (optionally with automatic fade in and fade out depending on the active core as well as different coloring) UDE-users are provided with an optimal overview of their complete multicore system in just one single consistent user interface.

Control of the diverse cores by the debugger is carried out via the so-called multi-run control function, which enables an almost synchronous start and stop of the various cores by making use of debug logic integrated on the respective chip. In addition, debugging is simplified by the multicore breakpoints newly implemented in the UDE. With their help, in shared code a simultaneously acting breakpoint for all cores can be very easily set. Data breakpoints allow the recognition of read and/or write accesses to a variable. A certain expected value can even be optionally taken into account.

In the optimization of the UDE, particular attention was also given to efficient support of all possible trace variants. While data transfer takes place via a conventional parallel port with the types MPC5746C, MPC5748G and MPC574xP, a serial high-speed interface that is based on the Aurora protocol is available for the MPC5746M, MPC577xK, MPC5777M and MPC574xP devices. This offers type-dependent four or two lanes each with 1.25 Gbps data transfer rate, which are processed without limitations by the Aurora trace pod of the Universal Access Device (UAD) 3+. Furthermore, for parallel trace, users can make use of a pod with up to 32-bit recording width.

The various device-specific optimizations of the UDE are particularly valuable, among others, with the Qorivva derivates MPC5746M and MPC5777M that were specifically designed for motor controls. With these SoCs, Freescale also integrated a few KByte trace memory on the production chip. This trace memory, together with a Signal Processing Unit (SPU) also integrated on the chip, is ideally suited for troubleshooting. The SPU, which can usually only be laboriously programmed at register level, can be very easily configured for various measurement tasks with the Universal Emulation Configurator (UEC), which is optionally available to the UDE from PLS. Besides control of the trace recording, the underlying state machine model also allows the definition of complex breakpoints with sequencer logic.

PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme GmbH

PLS Programierbare Logik & Systeme GmbH, based in Lauta, Germany, was founded in 1990. With its innovative modular test and development tools, the company has demonstrated for over two decades its position as an international technology leader in the field of debuggers, emulators and trace solutions for 16-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers. The software architecture of the Universal Debug Engine (UDE) guarantees optimal conditions for debugging SoC-based systems. For example, by means of the intelligent use of modern on-chip debugging and on-chip trace units, valuable functions such as profiling and code coverage are available for the system optimization. Furthermore, the associated Universal Access Device (UAD2/UAD3+) product family, with transfer rates of up to 3.5 MBytes/s and a wide range of interfaces, offers entirely new dimensions for fast and flexible access to multicore systems. Important architectures such as TriCore, Power Architecture, XC2000/XE166, ARM, Cortex, SH-2A, XScale and C166/ST10 as well as simulation platforms of different vendors are supported. For further information about the company, please visit www.pls mc.com.

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
Mar 27, 2024
The current state of PCB design is in the middle of a trifecta; there's an evolution, a revolution, and an exodus. There are better tools and material changes, there's the addition of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), but at the same time, people are leavi...
Mar 26, 2024
Learn how GPU acceleration impacts digital chip design implementation, expanding beyond chip simulation to fulfill compute demands of the RTL-to-GDSII process.The post Can GPUs Accelerate Digital Design Implementation? appeared first on Chip Design....
Mar 21, 2024
The awesome thing about these machines is that you are limited only by your imagination, and I've got a GREAT imagination....

featured video

We are Altera. We are for the innovators.

Sponsored by Intel

Today we embark on an exciting journey as we transition to Altera, an Intel Company. In a world of endless opportunities and challenges, we are here to provide the flexibility needed by our ecosystem of customers and partners to pioneer and accelerate innovation. As we leap into the future, we are committed to providing easy-to-design and deploy leadership programmable solutions to innovators to unlock extraordinary possibilities for everyone on the planet.

To learn more about Altera visit: http://intel.com/altera

featured chalk talk

What are the Differences Between an Integrated ADC and a Standalone ADC?
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Microchip
Many designs today require some form of analog to digital conversion but how you implement an ADC into your design can make a big difference when it comes to accuracy and precision. In this episode of Chalk Talk, Iman Chalabi from Microchip and Amelia Dalton investigate the benefits of both integrated ADC solutions and standalone ADCs. They discuss the roles that internal switching noise, process technology, and design complexity play when choosing the right ADC solution for your next design.
Apr 17, 2023
38,801 views