CodeScape 4.0 for SuperH Series Now Available for Embedded Developers
10/7/2002 - CodeScape, the embedded tools arm of Imagination Technologies, announced that Version 4.0 of CodeScape®, the widely respected development toolset for SuperH microprocessors, is now available.
The complete development cycle, from hardware testing to firmware and application development, benefits from a range of new features and enhancements. CodeScape, increasingly preferred for application development in fields such as car information systems and networking appliances, now features:
- Source-control integration for team projects.
- Built-in C++ class browser for rapid navigation of large Object Oriented programs.
- New IDE with advanced project management that automatically handles dependencies to avoid the need for hand-writing complicated "make" files. To further streamline development external tools such as compilers and linkers can be configured using comprehensive dialog boxes so there's no need to edit complicated command lines.
- Peripheral region that presents a hierarchical view of all the memory mapped registers of peripheral devices (including those on the processor itself) and interprets the meanings of individual bit fields.
- A script region that uses CodeScape's Scripting Extension Library to provide endless scope for customisation. User developed scripts can access CodeScape's SH debug functionality, as well as Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) style controls, user input and a complete range of graphics commands. This allows the addition of new debug, monitoring and control functionality to CodeScape and possible applications include viewing of media data such as waveforms or bitmaps, configuration and mode control, and simulating product user interfaces even before the prototype stage.
- CodeScape's multi-core debugging, already capable of debugging a heterogonous mixture of processors simultaneously, has been expanded to make it OS-aware and so enable application level debug of tasks, even if different processors are using different operating systems.
CodeScape 4.0 is an advanced embedded development tool that brings the class of high-level features usually only found in desktop and workstation toolsets to the embedded space without compromising low-level hardware and chip debug functionality. Among the many features of CodeScape are advanced code profiling and processor simulation tools, allowing easy measurement and tuning of application performance, without instrumentation, enabling developers to create a superior end product.
The CodeScape development environment includes software tools and hardware interfaces to fully exploit the on-chip debug capabilities of each supported processor. CodeScape supports multiple targets and processors and closely integrates with tools from Hitachi, GNU, Metrowerks, and others to ensure full use of the debug information they generate. Processors supported by CodeScape include over 20 different SH devices across the SH-2, SH-2e, SH-DSP, SH-3, SH3-DSP, and SH-4 families.
The supplied Development Interface, DASH, provides complete low-level debug support, such as ROM-less boot, and high performance communications channels with the target. The DASH is fully networkable and uses H-UDI (JTAG) to communicate with the target at up to 1.5Mbytes/s and via Ethernet with the host at up to 1Mbyte/s.
Ian Oliver, VP of Development, CodeScape says: "Part of our fundamental design for CodeScape debugger has always been to provide a high-level application development and optimisation toolset but to also deeply support chip-level development so that it's ideal for hardware engineers and firmware developers. With CodeScape 4 we've greatly expanded the functionality at the high-level, with features like the new IDE and the Operating System support, but we have by no means forgotten where much of the effort of embedded development goes. At every stage of embedded development CodeScape 4.0 provides rich functionality to streamline delivery of reliable and efficient products."
About SuperH
SuperH, Inc., was established as an independent company in 2001 to develop processor cores for the open market. The high-performance, low-cost power efficient SH-4 core is targeted at the next generation digital consumer, automotive and telecommunications applications. Earlier this year SuperH released the SH-5-100 series core expanding the portfolio of licensable IP offered by SuperH, Inc. In the future, SuperH, Inc. will develop all subsequent SuperH cores to the open market, including the development of the SH-6 and SH-7 cores. The SuperH family of high-performance 32-bit and 64-bit RISC-based processor cores is ideally suited for applications that require a highly integrated system-on-chip solution that includes a powerful embedded processing engine and can run a wide variety of application software on industry-standard operating systems and middleware. SuperH processors are used in many fields including digital consumer products such as set-top boxes, digital cameras and games platforms; factory automation systems; and car information systems.
About Hitachi Europe
Hitachi Europe Ltd., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd.Japan. It has operations throughout EMEA (Europe, Middle-East, Africa) that provide sales, marketing, technical support and research and development. Hitachi's semiconductor and display products are key components in the fields of smart cards, communications, automotive, consumer, industrial, displays and system LSI. They include the SuperHTM RISC microprocessors, the H8 microcontroller family, smart card controllers, TFT displays, memories (Flash and SRAM), transistors and diodes, and network products.
About Hitachi
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2001(ended March 31, 2002) consolidated sales totalled 7,994 billion yen ($60.1 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services.
About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc is an international IP licensing company that develops, licenses and supplies market-leading 2D/3D graphics, digital video, digital signal processing, audio and speech technologies for the consumer entertainment and PC markets. It supplies both licensable IP (Intellectual Property) and advanced development tools to leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies worldwide. Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG).
SuperHTM is a trademark of Hitachi Ltd.
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