Start tracing with TASKING Compact Emulation Adapters

October 23, 2023

In the realm of embedded systems development, having access to program and data trace is crucial. It's the key to gaining deep insights into your microcontroller's activities during development and testing. However, not all target devices come equipped with trace capabilities, which is where TASKING Emulation Adapters come into play.

When is an Emulation Adapter needed?

Before we dive into the specifics of Compact Emulation Adapters, let us clarify when you might need an Emulation Adapter in the first place. Emulation Adapters are essential when you are working with a target device that lacks program and data trace capabilities. It makes tracing possible on devices:

without the trace pins,
devices that only feature limited trace capabilities or
trace signals are not exposed.

These adapters act as a bridge between your development environment and the microcontroller, enabling real-time tracing and debugging without disrupting the real-time application behavior.

How does an Emulation Adapter work?

At its core, an Emulation Adapters serves as a drop-in replacement for the original microcontroller on your board. It mimics the functionality of the production silicon but adds the essential debug and tracing capabilities you need for effective development and testing. To accommodate different microcontroller packages, you will use an appropriate conversion board.

For instance, the Infineon TC377TE Emulation Adapter is compatible with TC32x, TC33x, TC36x, and TC37x packaged devices, making it a versatile choice for a range of applications. Simply select the conversion board that matches your target microcontroller, and you are ready to go.

See the video introduction to Emulation Adapters.

Why go compact?

TASKING Compact Emulation Adapters offer a significant advantage when space is limited, or signal integrity is crucial.

tasking compact emulation adapters bluebox — A visual comparison between a standard emulation adapter and the compact version

Space restrictions

In many applications, there's limited space available for adding additional hardware. Compact Emulation Adapters are designed with a minimal vertical footprint, ensuring that they will not consume valuable real estate on board. This compactness makes them ideal for projects with tight spatial constraints.

Signal integrity

Signal integrity is paramount in high-speed data transfer applications. For example, the Infineon TC399XE Compact Emulation Adapter enables using Gigabit Ethernet. Compact adapters are engineered to maintain signal integrity, ensuring that your data transmission remains robust and reliable.

Compact Emulation Adapters options

Currently, we support the following Compact Emulation Adapters:

Infineon TC397XE supporting TC397Xx, TC387QP TC3E7Qx MCUs
Infineon TC377TE supporting TC397Xx, TC387QP, TC3E7Qx MCUs
Infineon TC399XE supporting TC389QP, TC399XX, TC399XP MCUs

All Infineon Compact Emulation Adapters support the following debug and trace interfaces:

DAP
AGBT

For more details refer to Hardware User Manuals.

Conclusion

In summary, TASKING Compact Emulation Adapters provide a streamlined solution for scenarios where space constraints and signal integrity are crucial considerations.