Emulators

Emulators of one sort or another are the tool of choice for many engineers. They can be used at all stages of development – with ICE starting the development of software before the hardware is available, through to speeding up hardware debugging, to the all-important integration stage. They are particularly useful when developing high level C code.

Chip Assisted Emulators......  BDM & JTAG DEbuggers

Freescale have pioneered the inclusion on the chip of sophisticated debug aids with their background debug (BDM) and SDI capabilities. JTAG is an increasingly popular way of linking to on chip debug facilities for high end processors such as ARM, ColdFire and PPC. These interfaces can also be used for cost effective flash programming in development and production.

Abatron

Ethernet interfaced for high throughput these BDM & JTAG units support debugging and flash programming for 68HC12, 68HC16, CPU32, M-CORE, ColdFire, MIPS32/64, Power PC  4xx/5xx/6xx/7xx/74xx/8xx/82xx, MGT5100, MPC5200, ARM 7 9 & 11 and XScale.

P & E

Supply low cost BDM debuggers with parallel, USB and Ethernet interfaces for Freescale 68HC08, HCS08, HCRS08, HC12, HCS12, HCS12X, HC16, CPU32, Coldfire and Power PC 500, and 800 series as well as a JTAG interface to the PPC 55xx and the ARM based MAC71xx,72xx. They also supply supporting debugging and flash programming software.  Their Cyclone range of units can be interfaced by Ethernet, USB and Serial ports as well as being loaded with multiple memory images and disconnected from the computer to act as standalone flash programmers. When used in production programming multiple Cyclones can be run from a single PC.

Embest ARM Debuggers

A relatively low cost solution to ARM development Embest provide JTAG interfaces (including a USB and Ethernet model), a development environment which includes a debugger and integrated GCC compiler - ready to work out of the box and a Flash Programmer. Also available are a range of ARM development boards that include many of the most common ARM cores.

iSYSTEM BDM & JTAG

These range from relatively simple BDM interfaces to units that include a full JTAG hosted Trace. Interfaces are available for HC(S)12(X), HC16, 683xx, ColdFire, M-CORE, XC16x, PPC, MSP430, CR16,  ARC, ARM 7, 9, Cortex & XScale.

Universal Emulators

For those with the budget an ICE provides full diagnostics in real time including trace so when it comes to reducing development time an ICE is hard to beat.

iSYSTEM

Overview of their extensive product range.

iSYSTEM 16+ bit emulators

Are available for 186/8, 196, 251, HC(S)12(X), 68000, CPU32, 166, C816, TMS470, CR16 & V850.

iSYSTEM 8 bit emulators

For 8051, C500,  Z80, Z180, 8085, 6809, HC05, HC(S)08, HC11, 78K, COP8, ST7

Software Emulation

Using a clever combination of hardware and software tools the appearance of an ICE can be created at significantly lower costs:

See our section on ROM Monitors / Debuggers.

Socket Converters

The bane of every emulator manufacturers life is the annoying variety of IC form factors - I suppose a 132 pin 0.1" DIP is out of the question!  If you are looking for an adapter or converter for that unusual IC chances are Emulation Technology will have one.