Fast debugging with plug-and-play J-Trace for ARM Cortex-M3 and IAR Embedded Workbench

Embedded World 2009—March 3, 2009—IAR Systems demonstrated one of the first dedicated high speed hardware trace probe for ARM Cortex-M3 cores at Embedded World, Nuremberg. The tool, which is plug-and-play compatible with IAR Embedded Workbench integrated development environment, accelerates debugging because development can be carried out directly on the target hardware.

IAR J-Trace is easy to use and connects to the PC host running Windows via a USB port, through which it is powered. It also works as a standard JTAG debug probe through a separate JTAG port.

IAR J-Trace combines an embedded trace macrocell (ETM) with an embedded in circuit emulator (ICE) macrocell to deliver all the real-time debug functions of a traditional emulator. It has a 4MB buffer memory. No special hardware is required to substitute for the real microprocessor functions in order to make them visible.

Other features include full integration with the C-SPY debugger, J-TAG speed up to 20MHz and trace speed up to 200MHz.

IAR Systems product manager, Anders Lundgren, said, “The new generation of ETM/Trace interfaces provides a new level of efficiency and functionality. These devices differ from conventional JTAG probes because they also offer a real-time trace interface with a buffer memory. Most importantly, they are much more affordable than earlier solutions.”

IAR J-Trace for ARM Cortex-M3 comes in a compact housing and will be available at the end of March.

12-03-2009