Mentor Graphics Brings Seamless Software Trace, Debug, and Performance Analysis to Embedded Systems

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Mentor Graphics Brings Seamless Software Trace, Debug, and Performance Analysis to Embedded Systems Development

WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mentor Graphics Corporation (NAS: MENT) today announced its newest version of the Mentor® Embedded Sourcery™ CodeBench embedded software development tool, integrated with the award-winning Sourcery Analyzer tool and Ashling Vitra-XD trace probe. Embedded developers now have the ability to more fully understand and optimize software functionality and performance by continuously observing their entire embedded system including hardware, firmware, operating system, and application layers.

"Our latest version of Sourcery CodeBench gives developers powerful insight into their embedded software," said Mark Mitchell, general manager of open source tools, Mentor Graphics Embedded Software Division. "Along with the Ashling Vitra-XD trace probe, developers now have the necessary software analysis and high-speed, extended software trace and debugging capabilities to design systems that meet the performance and functional needs of today's multi-core embedded systems."


Sourcery CodeBench and Sourcery Analyzer Features

Key features in the new release of Sourcery CodeBench include:

  • Updated support for the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) version 4.7.3 and EGLIBC 2.17

  • Debugger improvements resulting in faster single stepping

  • Automatic breakpoint synchronization between the GNU debugger (GDB) console and breakpoints view

  • Compilation caching to accelerate repeated builds

  • Support for working with Git source code repositories within Sourcery CodeBench

  • Improved support for Segger J-Link and STMicroelectronics ST-Link debug probes

Sourcery CodeBench Professional now includes these core features of Sourcery Analyzer:

  • Analysis Agent Library: 15 different agents that automate data collection, analysis, and visualization of kernel and application software on Linux platforms

  • Automated data collection from Linux targets via the Linux Trace Toolkit (LTTng)

  • Kernel and userspace software tracing framework

  • Event import via text files from any source

New features in this release of Sourcery Analyzer include:

  • Windows development host support

  • Improved support for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data from applications that use multiple processes or forks

  • Increased trace collection performance by reducing data collection requirements overhead on Linux systems

The new release of Sourcery CodeBench also offers new device support libraries for ARM Cortex-M4 core devices, improved support for ARM fixed-point units, and board support for Texas Instruments Stellaris LM4F120, STMicroelectronics STM32 F4 series, and Mentor Graphics® CDD926 Virtual Target used with the Mentor Embedded Sourcery Probe Virtual.

Non-intrusive Real-time Trace with the Ashling Vitra-XD Probe

When used with Sourcery CodeBench, the Ashling Vitra-XD probe provides long-duration, non-intrusive, real-time trace of instruction execution and data access. The Ashling Vitra-XD has the industry's largest on-device trace buffer with a 500GB hard drive plus a 2GiB memory buffer, allowing users to record instruction execution and data access for an extended period of time and to capture events leading up to software problems, at faster capture rates. The ability to collect long-duration, real-time trace data is most important for applications which cannot tolerate the interruptions typically induced by typical probes which must slow data collection and quickly fill small trace buffers. Traditional techniques such as breakpoint debugging can disrupt the operation of advanced or complex systems in ways that can be avoided by using the Ashling Vitra-XD trace probe.

"The combination of the Ashling Vitra-XD trace probe and Sourcery CodeBench provides an unprecedented level of trace, inspection, and debugging capabilities for real-time, trace-based debugging," said John Murphy, managing director of Ashling Microsystems, Ltd. "The Vitra-XD delivers fast trace capture rates of up to 12.8 gigabits per second—almost 50% faster than traditional probes—and the capacity to non-intrusively capture hours of trace data for more accurate system debug and analysis results."

Sourcery CodeBench Product Availability

Sourcery CodeBench is available starting at $399 USD (Personal edition) per seat, and at $3,000 USD (Professional edition), which includes the core collection of Sourcery Analyzer capabilities listed above.

Vitra-XD Product Availability

Vitra-XD is supported by Sourcery CodeBench (Professional edition) and is available for purchase from Mentor Graphics, at $15,000 USD per seat.

To learn more about this new release of the Sourcery CodeBench product, please attend an upcoming webinar, "Improve Your Embedded Software Insight and New Capabilities in the Latest Release of Sourcery CodeBench."

About Mentor Embedded

The Mentor Graphics Embedded Software Division enables embedded development for a variety of applications including Automotive, Industrial, Smart Energy, Medical Devices, and Consumer Electronics. Embedded developers can create systems with the latest processors and micro-controllers with commercially supported and customizable Linux-based solutions including the industry-leading Sourcery CodeBench and Mentor Embedded Linux products. For real-time control systems, developers can take advantage of the small-foot-print and low-power-capable Nucleus® RTOS. For more information, visit www.mentor.com/embedded.

About Ashling Microsystems

Ashling Microsystems Ltd., an SFO Technologies company, has over 25 years' experience in Embedded Development. Ashling is a world leader in Embedded Development Tools and Embedded Engineering Services with a reputation for quality, reliability and outstanding customer support. Visit the website: http://www.ashling.com/.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation (NAS: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $1,090 million. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.

(Mentor Graphics, Mentor, Nucleus are registered trademarks and Sourcery is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.)



Mentor Graphics
Larry Toda, 503-685-1664
larry_toda@mentor.com
or
Sonia Harrison, 503-685-1165
sonia_harrison@mentor.com

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