www.analog.com/processors/tools

VisualDSP++ Development

and Debugging Environment

Overview

VisualDSP++® 5.0 is a state-of-the-art software development environment targeting the

Analog Devices embedded processor portfolio. With the embedded software engineer and

signal processing-intensive applications specifically in mind, VisualDSP++, coupled with

Analog Devices in-circuit emulator (ICE) and EZ-KIT Lite® evaluation products, provides best-

in-class capabilities for developing demanding real-time applications.

consistently delivers industry-leading performance on standard benchmarks, ensuring

that all but the most performance-demanding applications can be written entirely in the

C language, accelerating development time while maintaining a portable code base. The

compiler is backed by a rich library of signal-processing routines, allowing easy access

to hand-coded, optimized implementations of FFTs, FIRs, etc. The Blackfin and SHARC

compilers support MISRA-C:2004 for safety-critical embedded systems (www.misra-c.com).

The ANSI-C compiler is also augmented with popular language extensions and

enhancements to make it more amiable to existing code bases. Examples include

GNU GCC extensions, ETSI fractional libraries, and multiple heap support.

Features

scripting engine

• Multiple processor (MP) support

• Background telemetry channel (BTC)

support with data streaming capability

• Statistical profiling

• Graphical plotting capabilities

• Cache visualization

• Execution pipeline viewer

• Compiled simulation

Efficient Application

• TCP/IP and USB support for Blackfin

• Processor configuration/start-up code

wizard for Blackfin Processors

• VisualDSP++ kernel (VDK) with

multiprocessor messaging capability

• System services and device driver

support for Blackfin Processors

• File system support for Blackfin

pragma that allow the programmer to better exploit the compiler

while maintaining C language neutrality. Just as important, the

compiler has the ability to feed back advisory information to the

programmer, offering further improvements to a code sequence should

the programmer be able to make certain guarantees about it. This

information is displayed seamlessly in the VisualDSP++ main editor

window. This “lifts the veil” off the “black box” that compilers are often,

and accurately, accused of being.

Backing the compiler is a powerful assembler and linker technology.

Analog Devices’ processors are noted for their intuitive algebraic

(MP) aware, allowing for the creation of cross-linked, multiexecutable

applications in a single pass. Other powerful capabilities of the linker

include dead code and data elimination, code and data overlays, section

spilling (i.e., automatic overflow from internal to external memory), and

automatic short-to-long call expansion.

Leverage Proven Application Infrastructure

VisualDSP++ goes beyond robust code generation tools, providing

considerable application infrastructure and middleware out of the box

to speed application development. The VisualDSP++ kernel (VDK) is a

robust, royalty-free, real-time operating system (RTOS) kernel. It provides

wizards to speed the creation of new threads and interrupt handlers.

VDK has been available for multiple releases of VisualDSP++ and is now

a key component of products shipping from a number of high volume

vendors. Several commercial RTOSs are also available from select Analog

Devices third parties.

Blackfin Processors can take advantage of the system service library

(SSL), which provides consistent, easy C language access to Blackfin

features such as the interrupt manager, direct memory access (DMA),

and power management units. Clock frequency and voltage can be

changed easily at run time through a set of simple APIs. Interrupt

with an RTOS.

drive, supplied SD card, and USB flash.

As embedded applications become increasingly part of the connected

world, the ability to rapidly add reliable Ethernet or USB connectivity

to an application can often make or break a development schedule.

For Blackfin Processors, VisualDSP++ includes a tuned port of the

open source LwIP TCP/IP stack. An example application showcasing

an embedded Web server is among the highlights of this support. For

Blackfin Processors and SHARC Processors, USB 2.0 device connectivity

is provided. Bulk and asynchronous transfer modes are supported out

of the box, with USB-IF logo certified embedded and host applications

Wrapping all of these powerful tools and libraries together is the

VisualDSP++ state-of-the-art integrated development and debugging

stack and heap placement, power management, clock speed, cache

setup, and more.

Debug and Tune Your Application with Ease

The ability to develop a high performance application is often gated

by the visibility into your running system that your debugger provides.

VisualDSP++ excels in this regard, with best-in-class debugging and

inspection support. Robust fundamental C language source debugging

(source-level stepping and breakpoints, stack unwinds, local variable

and C expression support, memory and register windows) serves as a

foundation upon which multiple innovative and unique tools rest.

Devices’ own silicon designers for validation. A second simulator is

available to Blackfin Processor users—a high speed functional simulator.

Using proprietary just-in-time (JIT) technology, the simulators have the

ability to simulate millions of cycles per second on the most modest of

host PCs. Effectively, this means that what used to be an overnight run is

now a 10-minute coffee break, and what was once

a coffee break is now a near-instantaneous simulation.

As many of the most performance-demanding applications process a

signal of some sort, comprehensive memory plotting is a cornerstone

of VisualDSP++ debugger support. VisualDSP++ provides multiple

hensive pictorial history of kernel events and CPU loading. Thread

changes, posted and pended semaphores, and other kernel events are

captured in this display.

For Blackfin Processors and SHARC Processors, inspection, or even

application stimulation, from the debugger at run time is possible

through the use of the processor’s background telemetry channel (BTC).

BTC allows for an arbitrary number of communication channels to be

established between the host debugger and the application. Channels

may go in either direction, so BTC can be used to read and write data as

the processor runs. Scalar values or entire arrays may be serviced by a

spending the majority of its time is quickly assembled. This tool can be

used to easily inspect an application for unexpected hotspots (suggesting

the need to move a key routine from external to internal memory, for

example). Simulator targets provide a completely linear profiling view. For

Blackfin Processors, traditional instrumented profiling is also available.

Printed in the U.S.A. PH02330-5-10/07(J) www.analog.com/processors/tools

Getting Help and Staying Up to Date

Analog Devices is aware that best-in-class customer support

is ultimately in the interests of both customers and Analog

Devices in the long run. Analog Devices is committed to best-

in-class customer support for VisualDSP++.

VisualDSP++ includes a comprehensive, indexed, searchable

online help system. In addition to information concerning

VisualDSP++, manuals for Analog Devices processors,

application notes, and more are included in the help system.

you own your software.

Major and minor upgrades to VisualDSP++ are also free and

are released through the Analog Devices website.

The Collaborative

The VisualDSP++ environment enables independent third-party

companies to add value using Analog Devices’ published

set of application programming interfaces (APIs). The

developers. The Collaborative’s product offerings—real-time

operating systems, emulators, high level language compilers,

CD from the Analog Devices DSP Tools website at

www.analog.com/processors/tools/testdrive or contact

your local Analog Devices sales representative/distributor.

Analog Devices Tools Product Line

Analog Devices’ CROSSCORE® development tools product

line provides easier and more robust methods for engineers

to develop and optimize systems by shortening product

development cycles for faster time to market. The CROSSCORE

components include the VisualDSP++ software development

environment, EZ-KIT Lite evaluation systems, EZ-Extender