Wind River has updated its Linux-compatible ICE 2 (in-circuit emulator) to better support multicore debugging on 32- and 64-bit SoCs, it says. Additionally, the vendor's tools division has promised a Trace 2 add-on module aimed at improving “visibility” into device/software interactions.

Wind River's ICE 2 device is intended for use with the company's Workbench On-chip Debugging software, but can also be used “standalone,” Wind River says. Supported host OSes include Linux and Windows, while supported target OSes include 2.4.26 or newer Linux kernels, VxWorks, and ThreadX. Supported target architectures. A complete list, including ARM, MIPS, and PPC, may be available here.

Wind River says a single ICE 2 emulator can now support simultaneous debugging of up to 16 cores. Additionally, the emulator has gained more complete support for the on-chip debugging interfaces built into a variety of popular multicore networking chips. Highlighted chips include Cavium Octeon processors with one to 16 cores, and Freescale MPC55xx, MPC8572, MPC8640, and MPC8641D parts. Additionally, ICE 2 supports the new QorIQ parts destined to succeed Freescale's PowerQUICC network processor family, Wind River says.

Other touted new ICE 2 features include:

• “Comprehensive” hardware and memory diagnostics
• Up to 128 devices on the same scan chain
• A new LCD panel for configuration, set-up, and monitoring
• Booting from firmware downloaded to the ICE 2 via tftp (trivial file transfer protocol) from a remote host (IP address must be known)
• Extensibility via plug-in modules, such as the forthcoming Trace 2 product, apparently a software component that adds a GUI in Workbench, along with support for “external buffers”

ICE 2 features a small LCD display

Stated Raghib Hussain, CTO at Cavium, “Wind River is demonstrating leadership in the area of multicore development.”

Availability

Wind River ICE 2 is available now as a stand-alone solution or packaged with Wind River Workbench for On-Chip Debugging and API, says Wind River. Wind River Trace 2 will be available in the third quarter. Pricing was not available.

Wind River is offering free webinars for Cavium Octeon and Freescale developers to introduce them to the ICE 2 world. The Cavium event will be held Sept. 11, and the Freescale event on Sept. 18, both at noon EDT. More information on the events, and on ICE 2, may be found here.

 
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