Debugging for Success and Accelerated Platform Bring-Up

Debugging can prove a substantial challenge, even for experienced engineers. In this video, Soflen Shih, a technical consulting engineer at Intel, discusses the benefits of Intel System Studio and how its built-in functionality can make the debugging process much easier.

Intel System Studio contains libraries, performance analyzers, and compilers as well as profiling and debugging tools. The combination of these elements provides a complete developer solution to assist with platform bring-up, power optimization, thermal tuning, and system performance profiling.

An effective debugger functions across three distinct layers. The target connection assistant (TCA) at the top layer assists in the configuration of the target platform. The middle layer taps three unique tools which connect to the target device as set by the TCA’s configuration. On the bottom layer, the connection engine which communicates with the Intel platform through the Direct Connection Interface or JTAG.

Three tools within Intel System Studio empower the middle layer:

  • System Debug supports users with source-level debugging on UEFI* or Linux* kernel code. It also offers users the ability to control the CPU with breakpoints to assist in the source-level debugging process.
  • System Trace gathers trace log information for ME and BIOS. It also captures architectural event trace (AET) messages including system events, system management interrupt, or I/O details. System trace works in tandem with Intel® Trace Hub.
  • Intel Debug Extensions for WinDbg*, building upon the capabilities of Microsoft’s WinDbg tool, assists in identifying challenges like hang issues specific to Windows drivers and frameworks.
  • Connecting a host machine and the targeting platform requires a physical connector or “probe.” Intel System Studio also supports several probe options depending on the needs of the end-user.

Through all these features and more, Intel System Studio offers its users many tools for successful debugging, facilitating and accelerating system bring-up in the process.

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