68300

A friend is gearing up for a '376 project.  I've provided him with some
'332 hardware, a prebuilt gcc toolchain (from the rtems project), and some
basic config/startup code to get his feet wet while the '376 hardware makes
it to the proto stage.  I'm not sure what to recommend for debugging.  

Need source level debugging, preferably from elf format files generated by
a recent version of gcc.  Needs to run under XP.  Being able to use either
a P&E parallel port wiggler (I have at least one spare) or a Macraigor
OCDemon parallel port bdm debugger (I have several floating around) would
be ideal.  Cost is somewhat of an issue--a few hundred is doable, but more
than a thousand bucks is probably a stretch.

Some that we've considered:
	OCD Commander: runs with the wigglers, free, runs under windows.  Doesn't
do source level debugging.  I kind of like the bare metal feel, so this is
probably a good one to use to bring up new hardware, where you may not have
working writeable memory on CSBOOT.  No source level debug is a killer for
app development, however.

	GDB: I've not had luck getting gdb under windows to talk to a OCDemon.
Now that I've found my genuine P&E box, maybe it will work?  Price is
right, source level, and it should run under windows.  My biggest
(personal) gripe with gdb is that it's so primitive looking, with the
scrolling command line interface.  My buddy might not mind so much,
however.  (Insight always seemed rather clunky, but I was debugging ARM
over a serial link.  Is Eclipse workable for embedded dev yet?)

	Singlestep: I use it at work, so I'm very accustomed to it.  I've never
had much luck using it in more bare metal situations (such as running from
onchip ram only, or with blank flash on CSBOOT), but for general app dev
I'm pretty happy with it.  Plays nice under windows with the OCDemon and
P&E boxes.  It's not in the acceptable price range (yet), and I'm not a fan
of the subscription support policy.

	Ashware: my friend has purchased it, but I think it's going to be
returned.  It seems very 'opaque'--I can't tell what it's doing; is it
running a config script, downloading code, hung, or running?  I'll be nice
and not say any more.

	Vision(something):  I've got an old EST box somewhere at work, and I think
I've still got an install copy of the software.  I've not run it enough to
know how capable it is, and I have no idea what it costs these days.  WRS
owns it now, so I'm sure it's not cheap...  ;-)

What else is worth looking into?  What should he avoid?


thanks,
newell

I use the '376. Great processor.
As for debugger, I use the visionClick/visionProbe setup. I have used 
the Metrowerks and evaluated SingleStep.
I generally use the Diabdata compiler. But I use the Metrowerks as 
well. Even when I use the Metrowerks compiler, I still use the 
visionClick debugger.
I think the visionClick is the best debugger I've ever found! BUT and 
its a BIG BUT. I purchase my visionClick just before WindRiver bought 
EST. And WindRiver has screwed it up! I run version 7.2 or close to 
that. I think WindRiver's first release was somewhere around 7.5 and 
not a user friendly. WindRiver supports visionClick/visionProbe for the 
PowerPC, but there is not much action around the 683xx family.
As for "bare metal" situations, the visionClick is the best. It has 
some hardware tests built in, memory tests, memory write tests, memory 
read ...
for very simple programs, you could get by without external RAM or ROM.
Pity that WindRiver messed up a very good thing.
If you can get a visionProbe and visionClick 7.2 (or about) license, 
then he'd be in business.

I would be interested in how you set up the gcc toolchain. In 
particular if you know how to set it up on a Mac OS X.

And for our Good friend Charlie, is there going to be a lead free or 
RoHS compliant version of the 68332 and 68376 available? And do you get 
to goto the Embedded Systems conferences? I really would have like to 
see you there. And I would have liked to have seen Mayer or Anderson 
there to kick some butt. The Freescale representatives didn't seem to 
be interested in talking to anyone but themselves. If I sound ticked, I 
am ... still.

P.S. I hope the 683xx family is  like the 8051, and lives forever.

Tim Flynn
On 22-Nov-04, at 10:44 PM, Scott Newell wrote:

> A friend is gearing up for a '376 project.� I've provided him with some
>  '332 hardware, a prebuilt gcc toolchain (from the rtems project), and 
> some
>  basic config/startup code to get his feet wet while the '376 hardware 
> makes
>  it to the proto stage.� I'm not sure what to recommend for debugging.�
>
>  Need source level debugging, preferably from elf format files 
> generated by
>  a recent version of gcc.� Needs to run under XP.� Being able to use 
> either
>  a P&E parallel port wiggler (I have at least one spare) or a Macraigor
>  OCDemon parallel port bdm debugger (I have several floating around) 
> would
>  be ideal.� Cost is somewhat of an issue--a few hundred is doable, but 
> more
>  than a thousand bucks is probably a stretch.
>
>  Some that we've considered:
>  ����� OCD Commander: runs with the wigglers, free, runs under 
> windows.� Doesn't
>  do source level debugging.� I kind of like the bare metal feel, so 
> this is
>  probably a good one to use to bring up new hardware, where you may 
> not have
>  working writeable memory on CSBOOT.� No source level debug is a 
> killer for
>  app development, however.
>
>  ����� GDB: I've not had luck getting gdb under windows to talk to a 
> OCDemon.
>  Now that I've found my genuine P&E box, maybe it will work?� Price is
>  right, source level, and it should run under windows.� My biggest
>  (personal) gripe with gdb is that it's so primitive looking, with the
>  scrolling command line interface.� My buddy might not mind so much,
>  however.� (Insight always seemed rather clunky, but I was debugging 
> ARM
>  over a serial link.� Is Eclipse workable for embedded dev yet?)
>
>  ����� Singlestep: I use it at work, so I'm very accustomed to it.� 
> I've never
>  had much luck using it in more bare metal situations (such as running 
> from
>  onchip ram only, or with blank flash on CSBOOT), but for general app 
> dev
>  I'm pretty happy with it.� Plays nice under windows with the OCDemon 
> and
>  P&E boxes.� It's not in the acceptable price range (yet), and I'm not 
> a fan
>  of the subscription support policy.
>
>  ����� Ashware: my friend has purchased it, but I think it's going to 
> be
>  returned.� It seems very 'opaque'--I can't tell what it's doing; is it
>  running a config script, downloading code, hung, or running?� I'll be 
> nice
>  and not say any more.
>
>  ����� Vision(something):� I've got an old EST box somewhere at work, 
> and I think
>  I've still got an install copy of the software.� I've not run it 
> enough to
>  know how capable it is, and I have no idea what it costs these days.� 
> WRS
>  owns it now, so I'm sure it's not cheap...� ;-)
>
>  What else is worth looking into?� What should he avoid?
>
>
>  thanks,
>  newell
>
>
>
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