TASKING XA Tool Suite Integrates MISRA C to Promote Robust Coding

Tool suite provides seamless path for 8051-to-XA migration

Dedham, MA, March 21, 2001 — TASKING, The Embedded Communications Company, today announced TASKING XA Tool Suite, V4.0, with enhanced easy/expert configuration modes that simplify the learning curve for novice developers, while offering low-level control for the more experienced. Designed specifically for the Philips 16-bit XA microcontroller, TASKING's compiler offers fine-tuned support for all XA derivatives, including recently released variants for IC, telecom, industrial control, flash, CAN and smart cards. The Tool Suite, complete with upgraded EDE, optimizing C/C++/EC++ compilers, and CrossView Pro ROM monitor debugger and simulator, delivers advanced debugging capabilities to ensure developers can directly verify target applications and graphically detect errors. With these resources, developers are well-equipped to design the complex embedded communications commonly targeted for the XA.

With the increased focus on connectivity, embedded applications must deliver a higher standard of reliability as well as much greater functionality. To address this need, TASKING has integrated MISRA C, a system of strict code checking that helps prevent the use of error-prone C constructs. By selecting the appropriate rules for their project, developers can configure the compiler to identify and enforce more stringent coding that boosts the quality and robustness of the embedded application. For developers upgrading an 8051 design to offer increased functionality and connectivity, TASKING provides seamless migration of 8051 applications. For XA applications needing Internet connectivity, TASKING offers two solutions: EMIT technology from emWare or TCP/IP solutions from CMX.

"TASKING's focus on embedded communications serves as a strong complement to Philips' XA architecture, particularly since many XA derivatives target the communications space," noted Geoff Lees, Marketing Director for Philips Semiconductors' Microcontroller Business Line. "TASKING providesnot just an upgraded 8051 tool suitebut a solid, XA-specific integrated development environment and compiler that supports our latest derivatives and third-party tools as well as incorporating new functionality, such as Internet connectivity and MISRA C. We are pleased that TASKING applies the experience it gains with its large installed base to the XA Tool Suite."

"Thanks to our strong relationship with Philips, we have again provided a tool suite with second-to-none functionality for XA developers," said Harm-Andr Verhoef, TASKING's Product Marketing Manager for 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers. "The XA microcontroller, with its extended 16-bit architecture, delivers superior control and communications all in one package as well as offering a natural migration path for 8051 developers implementing more sophisticated connectivity. We have gone out of our way to meet the needs of these developers, which will ensure that TASKING maintains its position as the number one supplier of XA programming tools."

To improve developer efficiency and reduce time to market, TASKING's new integrated development environment offers enhanced graphical features as well as improved project management. Through advanced graphical browsing, developers can immediately overview the application's cross references as well as easily navigate through application variables and functions. Advanced coding assistance displays function parameters as you type, and code templates easily insert frequently occurring lines of code, greatly improving developer efficiency. Project spaces group multiple projects in one view to provide improved project management capabilities better able to handle increasingly large and complex applications. With all of these tools accessed through a common Windows interface, TASKING improves developer efficiency, easing application design and speeding the development process.

Improvements to TASKING's CrossView Pro debugger extend these time-to-market gains, achieving quick error detection and reducing debugging time. Through programmable data analysis, TASKING's CrossView Pro debugger turns large sets of data into meaningful visual diagrams according to default or user-defined specifications. Developers can quickly detect errors in the application without reviewing or post-processing large files of raw data. Using File System Simulation, developers can make standard ANSI C system calls from the XA to the host PC, to more quickly track application execution. With these debug capabilities, TASKING rounds out the resources needed to complete a rapid edit-compile-debug process on a complex embedded communications application.

Availability:

The TASKING XA Tool Suite, V4.0, is available now on Windows, Linux and Unix platforms. XA Tool Suite customers with an active maintenance contract may upgrade to this release free of charge. A multimedia tutorial quickly familiarizes beginners with TASKING's EDE and CrossView Pro debugger. A demo version of the Tool Suite is available from www.tasking.com/XA or on CD-ROM from any of the TASKING offices or distributors. Release notes and manual files can be downloaded from the technical support area at www.tasking.com/support/XA.

About TASKING

TASKING, The Embedded Communications Company, brings together the software technology needed to compete in the embedded communications era. TASKING's award-winning integrated development environment, compiler, debugger, embedded Internet and RTOS offerings support a wide range of DSPs and 8-, 16- and 32-bit microprocessors and microcontrollers for all areas of embedded communications. TASKING, founded in 1974, is a privately held company with headquarters in Dedham, Massachusetts, and engineering, sales and support offices in the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK. TASKING's 100,000 licensed users include the world's leading telecom, datacom, wireless and peripheral manufacturers. More information about TASKING can be found at www.tasking.com and www.embeddedcommunications.com.

TASKING, the TASKING logo, and The Embedded Communications Company are trademarks of TASKING. All other trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.