DSP SOLUTIONS

Development Environment Targets Embedded Software and Signal Processing

The VisualDSP++® 5.0 software-development environment is aimed at embedded software engineers developing signal-processing-intensive applications using the Analog Devices embedded processor portfolio. Coupled with Analog Devices’ In-Circuit Emulator (ICE) and EZ-KIT Lite® evaluation kits, it provides best-in-class capabilities for developing demanding real-time applications.

At the heart of VisualDSP++ is a robust and powerful C/C++ compiler that consistently delivers industry-leading performance on standard benchmarks. This ensures that even performance-demanding applications can be written in the C language, accelerating development time while maintaining a portable code base. The compiler is backed by a rich library of signal-processing routines, offering hand-coded, optimised implementations of common functions such as FFTs and FIRs. The Blackfin® and SHARC® compilers support MISRA-C:2004 for safety-critical embedded systems.

In addition, the environment provides considerable application infrastructure and middleware. This includes the VisualDSP++ Kernel (VDK), a robust, royalty-free, Real-Time Operating-System (RTOS) kernel. Requiring a small footprint, it provides features such as a fully pre-emptive scheduler (time slicing and cooperative scheduling is also supported), thread creation, semaphores, interrupt management, inter-thread messaging, events and memory management (memory pools and multiple heaps). In MultiProcessor (MP) environments, MP messaging is also provided. Configuration of these elements is done graphically, with code wizards to speed the creation of new threads and interrupt handlers.



VisualDSP++ also includes outstanding C language debugging support. Source-level stepping and breakpoints, stack unwinds, local variable and C expression support, memory and register windows all serve as a foundation upon which multiple innovative tools rest.

Supporting Windows® XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista, this latest release of VisualDSP++ can be used with Analog Devices’ Blackfin, SHARC, and TigerSHARC® Processors. Version 5.0 allows the creation of core files (ELF file format) to capture the state of target registers and assist in troubleshooting. It also includes custom-board support; a Flash programmer utility that enables the process of programming boards to be scripted or automated; and comprehensive support for checking compliance with Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA-C:2004) rules.

Available as a free upgrade to existing users of VisualDSP++, Version 5.0 can also be downloaded as a free 90-day test drive or requested as a CDRom from the Analog Devices' DSP Tools website by following the link below or by contacting your local Analog Devices sales representative/distributor.

Features

• Embedded-software development environment
• Robust, powerful compiler allows real-time software development in C
• Rich library of hand-coded signal-processing routines
• VisualDSP++ RTOS kernel
  • Pre-emptive scheduling
  • Thread creation
  • Semaphores
  • Interrupt management
  • Memory management
  • Messaging
• Source-level debugger
  • Source stepping and breakpoints
  • Stack unwinds
  • Local variable and C expression support
  • Memory and register windows
• Supports Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista
• Supports Motor Industry Software Reliability Association rule checking

For further information, or to request a copy of the free 90-day test drive of Analog Devices VisualDSP++, please click here