Integration of the LDRA tool suite and IAR Microcontroller Tool Chains



Solutions Overview

IAR Embedded Workbench provides a range of capabilities, including full ANSI C compliance, support for embedded C++ as well as host controlled I/O facilities that are otherwise not provided by the native tool chains for PIC18, AVR, AVR32 and MSP430. LDRA leverages these capabilities to add static analysis, code coverage to MC/DC and requirement traceability in these resource constrained environments.

IAR Embedded Workbench IDE

The LDRA tool suite fully hooks into the PIC tool chains and allows for compilation, linking and programming and execution in these environments. LDRA Testbed has the capability to read IAR project files and use these project files to speed static analysis efforts by reading include paths, macros and other settings. In addition, LDRA Testbed and LDRA TBrun can use these project files to compile, control IAR's simulation and device programming environments, execute on target and extract the results. This allows users to perform system and unit tests using the already available IAR infrastructure to provide a head start to developers.

The LDRA tool suite integration allows for these microcontrollers to be used in DO-178B and analogous medical and industrial qualification environments. As medical standards have recently pushed medical device vendors to produce test output results to conform to MC/DC certification criteria, these capabilities are increasingly important. As these capabilities are also available in hosted as well as microprocessor based devices, this allows enterprises to standardize on LDRA and IAR as a common set of tools that developers can use to support a variety of devices and target environments.

Selecting the IAR products using the LDRA tool suite

LDRA's partnership with IAR has allowed LDRA and IAR to provide seamless solutions to customers test automation needs. For example, the recently completed MSP430 integration takes advantage of IAR's JTAG I/O capabilities as well as cspybat command line integration tools. IAR's full featured hardware simulator is also fully supported by LDRA Testbed and TBrun and allows developers to test identical instrumented executables and test harnesses on a target and simulator environment. This can greatly speed developers time to market.

Press Release

LDRA has integrated the LDRA tool suite with IAR Embedded Workbench for the PIC18, AVR, AVR32 and MSP430 microcontrollers. Thanks to IAR providing full ANSI C compliance, support for embedded C++ and host-controlled I/O facilities, LDRA can implement all features of the LDRA tool suite, equipping these small-footprint controllers for DO-178B and other rigorous certification standards. For more information please visit: http://www.ldra.com/nologindownload.asp?id=336

Integration Feature

LDRA has a comprehensive set of embedded software development tools that facilitate and enhance the capabilities provided by IAR Embedded Workbench and allow you to create devices that can be used in safety- and mission-critical applications as well as increase quality and reliability by enforcing software development practices and processes.

This article explores the strengths of combining the LDRA tool suite with IAR Embedded Workbench from the point of view of three specific engineers-the safety certification engineer, the hardware engineer and the project manager. For more information please visit: http://www.iar.com/en/About/Partners/