smx now available for ColdFire, ARM & PPC

smx is available for a wide range of CPUs.  Features common to all versions of smx are detailed in the main smxbrochure. 

Processors Supported

• smxPPC  available for all PPC variants

• smxARM

• smxColdFire

smxPPC uses the PIT interrupt as the time base in the 400 family (401 and 403). 
smxPPC uses the DEC interrupt as the time base in the 500, 600, and 800 families (505, 509, 601, 602, 603, 604, 821, & 860). smx functions, smx scheduler, and your application can be optimised for a specific processor by setting one compiler directive.

Development Tools Supported

• Diab Data C/C++ Compiler
• Metaware High C/C++ Compiler
• Freescale CodeWarrior
• IAR and ARM for ARM
• SDS SingleStep Simulator/Debugger with point and click smx awareness
• SDS SingleStep Target Monitor

Development System Requirements

• Windows 3.1, Win 95/98, or NT

smxPPC Development Kit Contents

• Pre-made EABI-compliant ELF/DWARF smxPPC libraries
• Source code platform for easy start
• User's Guide, Reference Manual, and smxPPC Quick Start Manual
• Site development license
• Royalty-free license for one developed product

Easy Upgrade From x86 Processors

smx  Variants share the same code base with smx86. Therefore it is easy to migrate between them and smx86, particularly x86 flat mode.

Register Optimisation

The smxPPC Freescale CodeWarrior and Diab Data compiler allows a variable to be allocated to a specific register. This specific register can be used for anything the user wishes. This can increase execution speed considerably when a variable is used frequently. The compiler will never allocate the specific register to anything else. This also saves time during an interrupt service routine or task switch because fewer registers need to be saved to the stack.

Note: Some of the Diab C library functions are not compatible with this option. Also, Metaware C/C++ is not compatible with this option.

Stack Flexibility

Stack-pool stacks are supported by smxPPC. These are fixed-size stacks that are given to tasks and then returned to the pool when tasks stop, so other tasks can use them.

smxPPC not only supports stack-pool stacks, but also it permits allocating heap stacks. Stacks may be allocated from the heap for tasks requiring stacks larger or smaller than the fixed-size stack-pool stacks.

Floating Point State Saving

smx makes it easy for tasks using floating point to save and restore the floating point registers when they are suspended and resumed. Also these registers are saved only for tasks that use floating point. This way, tasks not using floating point are not burdened with the extra overhead.

Debugger Support

smxPPC supports symbolic debugging for any debugger or emulator that can read the ELF/DWARF or COFF file format.

smxAware takes symbolic debugging a step further by enabling the SDS (Software Development Systems) SingleStep debugger to be smxAware. When the interface is enabled, SingleStep is aware of all tasks and smx objects running in the system. Whenever the target program stops (e.g. when it hits a breakpoint), SingleStep determines which task is running and displays the current location in that task in the source window. The main status bar also displays the name of the current task.

With smxAware you can:

• Set task-specific breakpoints. The breakpoint will be triggered only if it is hit while the specified task is running.
• Display information about kernel specific objects such as tasks, semaphores, exchanges, events, heaps, stacks etc. with the Kernel Objects dialog box under the Data menu.
• Display task specific variables in the Watch and Read windows.
• Display custom user application objects.