Design of versatile real time DSP target debugger/monitor systems

The design of reliable DSP systems includes both hardware and software design. The design of DSP software can be rather complicated, due to the high complexity of the DSP architecture, Therefore, a debugging tool that can work in real time and at the target DSP hardware is compulsory. The design of versatile real time debugging tools was initiated years ago when such tools were not commercially available. During the years a number of Debugger/Monitor (D/M) systems have been designed for three generations of DSP's from Texas Instruments: TMS320C-1x/2x/2xx/5x. These generic and versatile D/M systems consist of a software part in an EPROM and an interface circuit for an RS232 serial communication with e.g. a PC with DSP software development tools. A DSP system including D/M will be a complete standalone development system with all the essential debugger functions such as breakpoints, single step, trace, display and modification of memory registers and I/O, plotter routines, disassembler etc. The latest systems are very easy to use, and D/M versions for multiprocessor DSP systems are available.