UDE for Aurix MCUs

UDE 4.7 from PLS enables the control of up to six Tricore cores from a single user interface. Support for Infineon’s Aurix TC3xx multi-core MCU family gives access to 12 CAN FD channels.

By introducing version 4.7 of its Universal Debug Engine (UDE) at this year’s Electronica trade show in Munich (hall A6, booth A16), PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systeme presents a debug, test, and system analysis tool that supports the internal debug functionalities of Infineon’s Aurix TC3xx multi-core micro-controller family. The multi-core SoCs of the second Aurix generation were specifically designed for electric and/or autonomous vehicles. Among other features, they offer a 300 % increase in processing power compared to current high-end automotive micro-controllers. For use as host controllers in gateway and telematics applications, the devices support a Gigabit Ethernet interface, up to 12 CAN FD channels according to ISO 11898-1, and a maximum of 24 LIN channels.

To let designers utilize this complexity and performance in practical applications, UDE 4.7 as a multi-core debugger enables controlling all Tricore processor cores from one single user interface. Depending on individual requirements, the cores can be controlled together, in groups or individually by traditional run-mode debugging, i.e. using breakpoints or single-stepping. In this mode, UDE enables all cores to be started and stopped almost synchronously using the devices’ on-chip debug logic. Debugging complex applications is further simplified by multi-core breakpoints that can be used in shared code. A multi-core breakpoint works all the time, regardless of which core is processing the code. Individually configurable views within UDE 4.7 additionally provide a better overview of multi-core applications.

For system-level analyses and to ensure functional safety, UDE 4.7 additionally provides trace-based tools leveraging the Aurix TC3xx family’s multi-core debug system (MCDS). MCDS is exclusively available in the so-called emulation devices (ED) of the TC39xx family. For instance, these tools can be used to trace code execution for post-mortem analyses or to provide profiling information for run-time optimizations. In addition, UDE 4.7 provides the necessary code coverage to prove adequate test coverage.

Tight coupling of third-party test tools to the UDE and comprehensive scripting are enabled by the high-performance automation interface of UDE 4.7, which is based on Microsoft’s Common Object Model (COM). UDE is also independent of any proprietary scripting languages.

Communication with Aurix TC3xx micro-controllers is based on the two Universal Access Devices (UAD2pro and UAD3+). Suitable adapters are available for the JTAG interface and Infineon’s proprietary DAP interface, with optional galvanic isolation for challenging environmental conditions. While UAD2 pro exclusively uses the on-chip trace memory for MCDS tracing, large amounts of trace data can be read from the chip at up to 22,5 Gbit/s using the UAD3+‘s Aurora interface for storage within the UAD3+ and subsequent processing and analysis by UDE 4.7. Up to 4 GiB of memory are available within UAD3+ for this purpose. The company shows its product at the Electronica 2016 fair in Munich, Germany.

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