BoxView debugger-digital signal processor target software debugging tool

BoxView
High Level Language Debugger

The BoxView debugger is shipped with the following JTAG/OnCe emulators: SB-USB2-DSP, SB-USB, and USB-EMU. In addition, BoxServer connectivity software is included to support multiple targets, multiple users, and/or remote TCP/IP access for your debugging sessions.


Versions
BoxView-SB	Target is Freescale digital signal processors
BoxView-L56K	Debugger for LINK-56K emulator
BoxView-USB	Target is the Freescale DSP within the AUDIO4-USB, and the DTI-56362-USB. Interface is via their USB port
BoxView-EVM	Target is Freescale DSP56xxxEVM, Interface is via their OnCE, JTAG, SCI, or HOST (HI08) ports
BoxView-ST	Target is ST Microelectronics ST18950 digital signal processor. Our Box View-ST can operate in three modes to be compatible with DSPlug, emulator, and simulator
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Introduction

Our BoxView software is a digital signal processor target software debugging tool.

The process of debugging software code requires knowing and understanding how the code is performing.

For debugging purposes, our BoxView product provides a visual representation of the software execution that is taking place.

To produce this visual representation there are means of gathering what is to be presented. This is a process of discovery and presentation. There are software means and hardware means to accomplish this.

The software means require the DSP to examine and monitor itself with the use of monitor software. The hardware means use hardware circuit facilities that are implement as circuitry built on the chip for this purpose.

The information thus obtained is used by our BoxView debug software to create a visual representation of what is taking place within the target. From knowing what is taking place, the user/developer can make informed decisions about code operation and the results it produces.

Description

Our BoxView debug software is a means of obtaining and displaying information about software operation on target digital signal processors.

Obtaining information is done with monitor software, running on the target, or with the on-chip emulation facilities of the target.

The on-chip emulation facilities of the target are accessed via its OnCE interface or its JTAG interface.

The monitor software on the target is accessed via the HOST (HI08) port, or the SCI port capabilities of the target Freescale digital signal processor.

Our BoxView debug software supports multiple source file formats. It will do source level debugging for both the Freescale (COFF - .cld) and Tasking (IEEE-695 - .abs) file formats. Target resources can be displayed in different numeric formats, or displayed as graphic plots.

Beyond its capability of working with one target DSP, and one developer, it can be used with multiple targets and developers, both locally and remotely.

Our BoxView utilizes the same user interface regardless of the emulator configuration. For the LINK-56K emulator and DSP56xxxEVMs, BoxView supports single DSP access. For the SB-56K emulator it is possible to control two OnCE interfaces (DSP56000 family) or multiple JTAG interfaces (devices from the DSP56300, DSP56600 and DSP56800 families) over a single scan-chain connection.

Our BoxView software will utilize some of the hardware facilities in our emulator to obtain benchmark-timing results from software code execution by the target.

For benchmarking purposes, our emulators provide a means of measuring execution time of the target DSP software code. The 56-bit built-in counter is driven by an 8 MHz clock, which provides 125 ns code execution time resolution. The 56-bit counter is started when the target exits debug mode, and stopped when the -DE (debug event) signal is received.

Our BoxView software utilizes our SB-56K emulators to gain access to the on-chip debug facilities which are accessible through the OnCE interface, or the JTAG interface, of the target digital signal processor.

When going beyond a single user and a single target, our BoxView software works through our BoxServer software to implement multi user and/or multi target development. The connecting of remote users is done over a TCP/IP network.

The BoxView debugger is installed on systems running Windows. Communication to the DSP target is provided via a portable interface created as a Win32 DLL. For custom PC based cards, the BoxView debugger can communicate via the supplied Windows 32-bit DLL.

A typical development environment consists of our BoxView debug software running on a host, the host connected to our emulator, and our emulator connected to the target. And for multi DSP targets, our BoxServer software is used in addition.

Features

Functionality
BoxView debug software controls, gathers, organizes and presents information, by interacting with the target digital signal processor.
This is accomplished by using either monitor software or on-chip hardware circuitry.
The visual user interface is the same for all of our emulator configurations.
Target resources can be displayed in different numeric formats, or displayed as graphic plots.
Multiple selected target devices can be controlled synchronously.

Each instance of a target device requires is own instance of our BoxView software
Commands can be exchanged between multiple BoxView instances
Source level debugging for the Freescale (COFF - .cld) and Tasking (IEEE-695 - .abs) file formats.
Hardware timing for benchmarking software execution.
Installed directly on the customer's hardware.

Additional Information

Packaged with a CD and a 84-page manual

Code window

Code window features mixed mode display and instant watch

Symbols selection dialog

Graphical display

Graphical display in logarithmic mode and optional cursor

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