Microcontrollers: Development Support System: Debugging Tools

The EVA86000 is a development tool providing new trend-setting functionality that can be said to be the most advanced in the industry.

An EVA86000 system consists of a personal computer (either an IBM PC/AT, a DOS/V machine, an NEC PC-98 or compatible model) as the host computer, a source line debugger that is capable of real-time debugging and that achieves high-speed operation by using an expansion board in the PC for direct connection to the evaluation board, and an evaluation board for the corresponding microcontroller chip.
The debugger is a Windows application that supports the PCI bus and the PCMCIA interface through the use of an interface box.

Ease of use has been significantly improved in conjunction with mouse support, pull-down menus, and window functions.

Since the RAM data, source code, and trace data displayed in display windows can be quickly scrolled with the mouse or cursor keys, this system implements truly paperless debugging in which all debugging operations can be performed on the screen.

This system places great importance on the real-time debugging required in embedded microcontroller application development, and allows debugging in the actually operating state of the microcontroller. It provides RAM mapping functions, trace functions, and waveform display functions to make true real-time debugging possible.

An integrated development environment (IDE) has been newly released to improve the efficiency of assembly, linking, and related operations.

In addition to project management, the IDE also links a wide range of tools, such as the SU (optional setup program) that is now a Windows application and CGR (a font creation program).

The EVA86000 also integrates an extensive set of high-level functions, including a rich set of hardware and software break functions, command learning functions, data saving functions, and subprocess functions, and thus is a development tool that combines a superlative user interface at the PC level with realtime debugging capabilities.

As such, it can radically improve the quality of embedded microcontroller software development.