Chapter 2 Program Development Flow
16 Program Development Flow
Source code debugger
The software developed on a workstation or personal computer must be checked using a hardware
environment similar to that used by the final product.
Nearly all of this series microcomputers will ultimately be incorporated within end products.
Therefore, program debugging must also be performed under the same conditions as the end product.
This is why a source code debugger and in-circuit emulator are provided.
The probe of the in-circuit emulator can operate in place of the microcomputer by connecting it
through the microcomputer socket in the product.
The source code debugger is a program for controlling the in-circuit emulator's hardware. The
debugger downloads the application developed on a workstation or personal computer to the emulator's
memory to create an environment in which the application runs as if it were in the microcomputer's
ROM. It can start program execution as the address of any source statement, and can temporarily stop
execution. Also, when execution is stopped, the source code debugger can display values of internal
registers and memory and can be used to verify desired operation of programs by changing those
values. It also enables more detailed operation checks with step operation, whereby execution proceeds
one instruction at a time.
Using this development environment, the developer can prove programs in the same state as when
finally incorporated into the microprocessor.