TASKING TriCore Tool Suite Improves Development Efficiency, Enabling Developers to Produce a More Effective, Error-Free C Code

First Tool Suite to Support Infineon's 32-bit TriCore Processor

Dedham, Mass. — February 14, 2000 — TASKING, a leading developer of integrated software tools for embedded systems, today announced the release of TriCore Tool Suite, V1.1, which addresses the safety and reliability concerns of the automotive industry. With the implementation of MISRA C, the TASKING TriCore compiler guides programmers of safety-related systems in developing code that is more consistent, coherent and with less chance of errors — all characteristics required by the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) for safety-related applications. As the first tool suite designed for Infineon Technologies' 32-bit TriCore MCU-DSP architecture, the tool suite includes TASKING's Embedded Development Environment, optimized C and C++/EC++ compilers and CrossView Pro Debugger with instruction-set simulator, ROM monitor and On-Chip-Debug-Support (OCDS) execution environment to speed the debugging process. With these enhancements in hand, automotive developers are well equipped to meet the stringent requirements of the automotive industry.

Recognizing the absolute necessity of reliability to the automotive industry, TASKING defined MISRA C based on the MISRA's Guidelines for the Use of the C Language in Vehicle-Based Software along with other guidelines. The compiler, providing enhanced error checking and strictly enforced best-practice programming rules, constitutes a new benchmark in the programming of safety-related C applications.

To improve developer efficiency, TASKING enhanced the CrossView Pro debugger with OCDS execution environments and an improved graphical interface that mirrors the desktop window and dialog model. Through the OCDS interface, developers gain direct access to the TriCore's on-chip debugging instrument and full control of the chip's run-time behavior, registers and memory. New graphical features, such as BubbleSpy Technology, save debugging time by enabling programmers to view values immediately by positioning their mouse over the source window. Enhanced register windows let developers group registers into meaningful sets, such as general purpose, floating point or UART, and display critical registers. Memory windows highlight memory locations where the content has changed. Through this easy visual feedback, developers are able to quickly identify errors and remove performance bottlenecks. Features like programmable graphical data analysis provide easy-to-follow visual diagrams for large and complex data sets, making it quicker and easier for developers to detect and analyze errors in the input signal.

"The enhanced CrossView Pro debugger and the new OCDS debugger execution environment will really help customers get through the debugging cycle faster," affirms Stephan Paternotte, TASKING Product Marketing Manager. "These improvements together with the integrated MISRA C enhanced error checking provide developers with the resources they need to produce more robust code faster."

Availability
The complete TriCore Tool Suite is available now on Windows 95/98/NT and Sun Solaris. Existing TriCore customers with a maintenance contract may upgrade to this release free of charge. A demo version of TriCore Tool Suite is available from the products area of TASKING's web site www.tasking.com/products/tricore, while the release notes and readme files can be downloaded from the technical support area www.tasking.com/support/tricore.

About TASKING
TASKING manufactures and markets integrated software development tools for the embedded systems industry, supporting a wide range of 8-, 16-, 32-bit and DSP devices. The company's integrated development environment, compiler, debugger, embedded Internet and RTOS offerings, coupled with their global support and services, are the most comprehensive available. TASKING's knowledge of embedded systems results from the merger of three companies (BSO, Intermetrics Microsystems and TASKING), each with over 20 years of experience. BSO began the company's long history of innovation, pioneering the concept of cross development in 1974. Headquartered in Dedham, MA, TASKING has offices worldwide, located in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK. For more information about TASKING, visit their web site at www.tasking.com.

TASKING, the TASKING logo and BubbleSpy are trademarks of TASKING. All other trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.