Green Hills Software Announces SuperTrace Probe for Real-Time Software and Hardware Debugging.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2003

New Hardware Provides Unprecedented Speed and

Trace Depth for Processors with Embedded Trace Ports

Green Hills Software Inc., the technology leader in real-time operating systems and embedded software development tools, today announced a hardware trace probe that brings one gigabyte, high-speed software trace collection to processors with embedded trace ports. The Green Hills SuperTrace Probe combines the highest speed trace engine available with the largest trace memory to give developers the broadest possible window into embedded software execution.

The SuperTrace Probe provides both a means of controlling the processor's trace logic and a channel for capturing trace data while the processor is running. In addition to the trace features, the new probe also includes all the run-control features of the original Green Hills Probe.

Compatible with the PowerPC 405, PowerPC 440, ARM7 Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM), ARM9 ETM (multi-core and single-core), and ARM10 ETM, the SuperTrace Probe is capable of expanding to handle ColdFire processor families as well as Nexus-compatible devices. Additionally, the new probe works with all ETM modes -- including double-rate -- at clock speeds beyond 300 MHz.

The new probe features a one gigabyte trace buffer that can capture several hundred million processor cycles of execution and data trace. This is in contrast to a typical trace probe, which uses only a few megabytes of trace buffer to hold data, giving developers a narrow window into code execution and forcing them to apply complex trigger conditions to the processor's trace logic in order to limit data collection.

"A limited trace buffer means developers have to guess where a bug is when trying to catch it on trace," said David Kleidermacher, vice president of engineering at Green Hills. The SuperTrace Probe's huge trace memory allows developers to capture data first and then examine it to track down problems. This significantly reduces the time it takes to find and fix bugs -- including bugs that show no visible symptoms."

To help developers efficiently locate information in its large data buffer, the SuperTrace Probe works closely with Green Hills' MULTI integrated development environment (IDE). Trace data is uploaded from the SuperTrace Probe to MULTI's host system through a USB or 10/100 Ethernet connection. Navigation of the trace data using MULTI's trace GUI allows developers to:

-- Create graphical state transition diagrams and search for

specific events in the trace log

-- Create bookmarks to remember important locations in the data

-- Emphasize functions and variables within the trace window

through color coding, or hide unwanted functions and variables

to make the information easier to scan

-- Automatically map hardware addresses to virtual memory showing

what process or thread each trace log entry represents

Processors with trace provide an incremental upload feature for the trace buffer that allows developers to examine trace data and debug their program immediately while the trace buffer uploads in the background.

Triggers and trace conditions are configured and set from MULTI, allowing developers to correlate their trace settings to source code. Complicated trigger conditions can be graphically configured with state transition diagrams. To assist developers with code optimization, MULTI can calculate execution statistics such as the memory locations most read and written, the number of branches executed, the number of branches taken, and, if available on the target CPU, the number of cycles executed per instruction, function, task and address space.

Pricing & Availability

The first production release of the Green Hills SuperTrace Probe will support ARM 7, 9 and 10 processor designs with ETM ports as well as PowerPC 405 and 440 families. Initial production units of the SuperTrace Probe are scheduled to ship in October 2003 and have a list price of $9,900.

About Green Hills Software

Founded in 1982, Green Hills Software Inc. is the technology leader for real-time operating systems and software development tools for 32- and 64-bit embedded systems. The royalty-free INTEGRITY RTOS, compilers, MULTI and AdaMULTI Integrated Development Environments and Green Hills Probe product line offer a complete development solution that addresses embedded systems from the lowest cost consumer products to the most safety-critical aircraft flight systems. Green Hills Software is headquartered in Santa Barbara, Calif., with European headquarters in the United Kingdom.

Green Hills Software, the Green Hills logo, MULTI and INTEGRITY are registered trademarks. SuperTrace Probe and AdaMULTI are trademarks of Green Hills Software Inc. All other trademarks (registered or otherwise) are the property of their respective companies. Brand or product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.

North American Sales Contact: Green Hills Software Inc., 30 West Sola Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], Web site: www.ghs.com, E-mail: [e-mail].

International Sales Contact: Green Hills Software Ltd., Dolphin House, St. Peter Street, Winchester Hampshire SO23 8BW, United Kingdom, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail].