JTAG Previews Test, Debug Tools at ITC Show

JTAG Technologies will showcase its new JTAGLive products and new systems upgrades at this years’ ITC show in Anaheim.

With JTAGLive CoreCommander, engineers can now activate the OCD (On-Chip Debug) modes of a range of popular cores to affect kernel-centric testing. According to the company, CoreCommander routines are ideal for diagnosing faults on dead-kernel boards in either design debug or repair, since no on-board code is required to set memory reads and writes. Boundary-scan deficient parts can also be better utilized during production test, as CoreCommander-driven functions increase fault coverage.

Since CoreCommander is Python-based, it complements the JTAGLive Script product, allowing access to mixed-signal parts such as ADCs and DACs, and also synchronized testing to full boundary-scan devices.

CoreCommander for FPGAs is a generic solution based on VHDL code that allows engineers to bridge from the standard JTAG test and programming port (TAP) to proprietary IP cores (e.g., DDR controllers, E-net MAC, USB controllers, etc.) and harness them for test purposes.

The base of CoreCommander for FPGAs is a RTL (Register Transfer Language) coded translator block that provides access to proprietary IP cores through commonly implemented bus structures such as ‘Wishbone’, AMBA, Avalon and CoreConnect. This translator block can either be permanently or temporarily programmed into a gate “array.

JTAG Live Studio is the company’s latest comprehensive package of JTAG/boundary-scan tools that enable designers and manufacturing test engineers to develop complete test and programming applications. According to the company, the product lowers the cost of entry for test- and hardware engineers.  Alongside the traditional benefits of JTAG/boundaryscan, JTAG Live Studio gives access to newer technologies like processor-controlled test.

Python-embedded mode uses a similar structure to that featured in the JTAGLive Script product, allowing CoreCommander functions to be embedded into Python code to create re-usable test modules for specific tests.

For more information, visit JTAG Technologies.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.