Macraigor has joined Eclipse.org, and is offering free plugin-based GNU toolchains that support its low-cost JTAG probes. The “Macraigor Eclipse + GNU Tools Suite” includes ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, and x86 toolchains, sample programs for popular boards, and an optional, tested Eclipse 3.2.1 IDE for Windows… hosts.

(Click for larger view of Macraigor's Eclipse + GNU Tools Suite)

Macraigor's Eclipse suite supports its USB2Sprite (left) and USB2demon (right) debug tools

The Macraigor suite includes “GNU Toolkit v2.05” toolchains comprised of binutils, gcc, gdb, and gdbtui. The toolchains are available pre-built, as Eclipse plugins, for:

• ARM7T/ARM9T/ARM11/Xscale/iMX31/NetSilicon
• PowerPC
• MIPS32-4Kc/4Ke/Alchemy/MIPS64-5kc/TX49
• i386

The Suite relies on a version of the Eclipse C/C++ editor that was modified by Zylin to support cross-debugging using the gdb debugger.

The Suite includes an “OCDRemote” application said to act as a translator for GDB debugging commands. When invoked using Eclipse's external program facility, it establishes a connection to the target processor via JTAG or BDM, and then opens a TCP/IP port and waits for gdb to make a connection, Macraigor says.

Other Macraigor tools said to support operation using Eclipse's External Tools menu include:

• usbDemon Finder — Finds connected Macraigor USB devices, and lets users program license codes for additional Macraigor software tools into a Macraigor USB JTAG device
• Scan Chain Analyzer — Determines if the JTAG Scan chain is working, what devices are on the JTAG scan chain, and what order are they in
• OCD Commander — An assembly language-level debugger with a built-in assembler/disassember, s19/elf/hex image loader, and macro file parser.

Macraigor says its GNU toolchain plugins and external programs should work with any version of Eclipse. However, the company offers a tested Eclipse 3.2.1 IDE for Windows hosts for developers having difficulty getting cross-platform environments configured.

Chief Engineer Craig Haller stated, “By incorporating [our] free GNU development and debugging toolset into Eclipse, we are making it possible for embedded systems engineers to use the tools they are familiar with.”

Additionally, Macraigor has joined the Eclipse Foundation at the “Plug-in Provider” level, it has announced.

Availability

Macraigor is now distributing the Macraigor Eclipse + GNU Tools Suite for a variety of architectures (see above).

 
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