EMBEDDED WORLD, NUREMBERG, Germany – March 2, 2010 – Altium has released its TASKING VX-toolset for ARM® Cortex®-M Series that adds support for the Cortex-M0 alongside existing support for Cortex-M1 and Cortex-M3 processors.
The new release is aimed at both ARM Powered® device developers and Altium Designer users.
It's based on Altium’s Viper C compiler technology and a new debugger, integrated in the popular Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Like Altium’s other Viper- based compilers, the new TASKING VX-toolset brings together optimized code, a very small footprint and very fast execution.
The new toolset builds on the success of the TASKING ARM compiler that is included in the STM32-PerformanceStick made by Hitex, regarded as the industry’s best enabler for developing code for a Cortex-M3 core at very low cost.
“This new TASKING VX-toolset recognizes the growing importance and benefits of the Eclipse environment to developers,” says Harm-Andre Verhoef, Product Manager for TASKING, Altium. “By integrating our debugger and compiler within the Eclipse IDE and creating a single development dashboard, we address the needs of many of our customers for a standardized design platform, and significantly shorten the learning time needed to be productive with the tools.”
Control over software reliability and maintainability is always important. Safer applications rely on both. This new TASKING VX-toolset is the first embedded ARM compiler with static code analysis against the CERT C secure coding standard. (CERT C is defined by the Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT), founded by the US government.) Static code analysis can be applied early in the software development process, or on incomplete and incorrect code bases, to identify unsafe code without needing subsequent test-cases.
This new release supports source code debugging on hardware through a third-party JTAG link, specifically J-LINK from embedded software company SEGGER. The supported J-Link variants are the J-Link ARM, J-Link ARM Pro and J-Trace Cortex-M3. "We are very pleased with Altium's support and recognition for our industry-leading family of JTAG emulators," said Rolf Segger, Managing Director of SEGGER. "The combination of our J-Link and Altium's Eclipse integrated debugger is a unique offering to our mutual customers."
The TASKING VX-toolset for ARM technology also features MISRA C code checking, profiling through code instrumentation and run-time error checking capabilities. Altium estimates that programmers can now develop extremely robust code in significantly less time than previously possible.
Highlights of Altium’s TASKING VX-toolset for ARM include:
- ISO C++ compiler, scalable to EC++
- C compiler, ISO C'99 compliant, with integrated CERT C and MISRA C 2004 enhanced code checking
- ARM Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard (CMSIS) compliant
- Assembler with macro-preprocessor, linker/locator
- Enhanced map file viewer, integrated in the Eclipse IDE
- C and C++ libraries, run-time libraries, floating-point libraries
- Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) and debugger with two execution environments:
- Simulator
- On-Chip debugging over JTAG using Segger's J-Link interfaces
- Royalty-free RTOS and TCP/IP stack
Pricing and availability
The TASKING VX-toolset for ARM Cortex-M processors release v3.1 is a complete, integrated embedded software development toolset consisting of an Eclipse based IDE, C/C++ compiler, assembler, linker / locator, simulator and on-hardware debugger and will be available mid-March, 2010. The RTOS & TCP/IP stack will be available later this year.
The product is available for PC/Windows, PC/Linux and SUN/Solaris platforms. Prices start at €995 for the C compiler and simulator debugger package supporting Cortex-M0, M1 and M3.
For further product information or to download a 15-day trial version of the TASKING VX- toolset for ARM, visit http://www.tasking.com/ARM.
ENDS
Contacts:
Alan Smith Altium Limited
+61 2 8622 8109
alan.smith@altium.com
Gabriele Amelunxen
PRismaPR
+49 8106 247 233
info@prismapr.com
Monika Cunnington
PRismaPR (UK)
+44-1462 640 779
monika@prismapr.com
About Altium
Altium Limited (ASX:ALU) creates electronics design software based on the belief that anyone who wants to create electronic products that make a difference should be able to do so. Altium’s unified electronics design environment links all aspects of electronics product design in a single application that is priced to be as affordable as possible. This helps electronics designers break down barriers to innovation, harness the latest devices and technologies, manage their projects across broad design "ecosystems" and create connected, intelligent designs.
Founded in 1985, Altium has headquarters in Sydney, and operates worldwide. For more information, visit www.altium.com.
Altium, Altium Designer and LiveDesign, and their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Altium Limited, or its subsidiaries. All other registered or unregistered trademarks mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners, and no trademark rights to the same are claimed.
