Date: 25/02/2009

IAR's new IDE debugs ARM Cortex -M3 processor

IAR Systems has released a new version 5.30 of IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM technology, its integrated development environment (IDE) for building and debugging embedded systems applications. This latest version introduces new debug capabilities for ARM Cortex-M3 processors that were previously only available in dedicated devices and expensive debug probes. The added feature of Version 5.30 is, it supports source code compliance checking to the MISRA C:2004 standard, for high integrity applications such as automotive as well as support for the ARM Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard (CMSIS).

Display and analysis of Cortex-M3 processor SWV/SWO data is simplified in this new version. For example, a statistical function profiler based on the Cortex-M3 processor PC sampler makes it easy to find hot spots and CPU intensive functions in an application, and a disassembly window, featuring an instruction trace count, gives simplified code coverage functionality. A new Data Log window logs accesses to up to four different memory locations or areas, and includes time information. In addition, an Interrupt Log window now logs entrances and exits to and from interrupts, including time information. A time scale for each interrupt source is displayed in a Graph window.

The compiler optimizer has been tuned to generate best code size for Cortex-M3 code. The linker can also now compress initialized data to minimize demands on Flash memory: the compressed data will be automatically uncompressed when moved from Flash to RAM by the startup code.

Over 1,400 example projects are now included in the product installation. These cover evaluation boards from Actel, Analog Devices, Aiji Systems, Atmel, Cirrus Logic, Freescale Semiconductor, LogicPD, Luminary, Micronas, Nohau, OKI, Olimex, Pasat, NXP Semiconductor, Phytec, ST Microelectronics, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, and IAR Systems.

"IAR Embedded Workbench has made a significant contribution to the success of the Cortex-M3 processor and now the debugger supports the features of the CoreSight technology," said Reinhard Keil, Director of microcontroller tools, ARM. "IAR Systems support for the CMSIS initiative is important for its success and I am excited to see that CMSIS layer is included in the new release. This is a major step towards standardization in the software industry since it enables sharing of software components."

Embedded system developers can download the evaluation version of IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM Cortex-M3 processor at www.iar.com/downloads