Microtec Research Supports the PowerPC Processor With Its Full Line of Software Development Products; Includes New Optimizations And Support For Latest Advances In C++ Technology For Embedded Development.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 1995--Microtec Research Inc. (Nasdaq:MTEC), a leading supplier of software development tools and operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. for embedded applications, today announced availability of its Spectra Advanced Developer's Kit that supports RISC RISC in full Reduced Instruction Set Computing Computer architecture that uses a limited number of instructions. RISC became popular in microprocessors in the 1980s. optimization technology and the latest advances in C++ object-oriented programming object-oriented programming, a modular approach to computer program (software) design. Each module, or object, combines data and procedures (sequences of instructions) that act on the data; in traditional, or procedural, programming the data are separated from the for the PowerPC microprocessor. Support includes the advanced C/C C/C Center to Center C/C Combustion Chamber C/C Command/Control C/C Crew Chief C/C cabin cruiser (US DoD) C/C chief complaint (medical) C/C Channel-to-Channel C/C Communication and Collaboration ++ compiler package, XRAY for Spectra debugger with simulator, the XRAY MasterWorks productivity tools, the complete Spectra software backplane (programming, tool) Software BackPlane - A CASE framework from Atherton. and tools, and the well-known VRTXsa real-time kernel and run-time library (operating system, programming, library) run-time library - A file containing routines which are linked with a program at run time rather than at compile-time. The advantage of such dynamic linking is that only one copy of the library needs to be stored, rather than a copy being . This tightly integrated kit allows users to utilize Microtec's embedded extensions for C and C++, and includes Microtec's advanced C++ compiler with full support for C++ applications using templates, virtual and in-line functions. These new features drastically improve productivity and reduce code size. The C++ compiler incorporates high-speed RISC optimization technology licensed from Apogee Software making it one of the fastest compilers available for embedded development. "There is a large base of 68000 developers who are already using our tools," said Tony Barbagallo, director of product marketing for Microtec Research. "Many of these developers will migrate to the PowerPC processor. We are pleased to offer these developers a familiar tool set, full integration with our high-performance VRTXsa kernel, portability of code, and the latest advances in C++ technology resulting in faster compile and link times, and reduced code size." "Motorola is extremely excited about Microtec's introduction of the Spectra Advanced Developer's Kit for the PowerPC family of microprocessors," said Fred Stotz, tools program manager for Motorola's High Performance Embedded Systems Embedded systems Computer systems that cannot be programmed by the user because they are preprogrammed for a specific task and are buried within the equipment they serve. Division. "This toolkit for the PowerPC is a continuation of Microtec's long-time support and commitment to Motorola's overall product portfolio and provides our mutual customers with a comprehensive set of integrated development tools." Early access versions of the Spectra Advanced Developer's Kit for PowerPC-based applications will be available fourth quarter, 1995, with initial support for the 603 PowerPC variant and MVME MVME Muzzle Velocity Measuring Equipment MVME Motorola Versa Module Eurocard 1603 board. The kit includes: -- The VRTX/OS real-time operating system (operating system) Real-Time Operating System - (RTOS) Any operating system where interrupts are guaranteed to be handled within a certain specified maximum time, thereby making it suitable for control of hardware in embedded systems and other time-critical applications. , which contains VRTSsa, a high-performance, leading, real-time kernel and STREAMS-based networking for excellent portability and real-time response. VRTXsa is based on a leading-edge microkernel (1) The part of an operating system that is specialized for the hardware it is running in. The other components of the OS interact with the microkernel in a message-based relationship and do not have to be rewritten when the OS is ported to a new platform. technology, the Nanokernel. The Nanokernel is preemptible and offers high-speed, deterministic response to time-critical system calls contributing to safety and predictability of embedded software Instructions that permanently reside in a ROM or flash memory chip. Embedded software may be immediately available to the CPU or, for faster execution, may be transferred to RAM first and then executed. designs based on VRTXsa. The Spectra Advanced Developer's Kit also includes an Object-Oriented Run-Time Library (OORTL). OORTL allows the programmer to take advantage of the advanced C++ features, even when working with kernel objects such as tasks, queues, and semaphores, resulting in simpler and more consistent interfaces, shorter learning periods, and more readable application code. -- ANSI C and C++ compilers, which assist in the development of efficient, portable and easy-to-maintain programs for microprocessor-based systems. The compilers generate assembly language code that is further processed by the Microtec Research assembler and linker. The output of the linker is an absolute object module that can be downloaded to the target system, a debugger, a PROM programmer or an in-circuit emulator. The C++ compiler is an advanced, optimizing compiler which supports reentrant re·en·trant also re-en·trant adj. Reentering; pointing inward. n. A reentrant angle or part. Adj. 1. reentrant - (of angles) pointing inward; "a polygon with re-entrant angles" re-entrant programs and incorporates new C++ language features such as templates, in-line functions, and direct compilation to assembly language eliminating Cfront processing solutions. -- XRAY for Spectra debugger, which is an industry-standard debugger for source-level debugging of optimized code. It provides full multitasking multitasking Mode of computer operation in which the computer works on multiple tasks at the same time. A task is a computer program (or part of a program) that can be run as a separate entity. support and bridges the gap between conventional source-level debuggers and kernel debuggers. It supports the analysis and debug To correct a problem in hardware or software. Debugging software means locating the errors in the source code (the program logic). Debugging hardware means finding errors in the circuit design (logical circuits) or in the physical interconnections of the circuits. of C/C++ programs and provides the ability to set breakpoints on a per-task basis, display kernel resources such as tasks and message queues, and stop execution on system events. It has been further enhanced to support the sophisticated debugging of C++ applications, which use templates, virtual and in-line functions. XRAY for Spectra supports multi-scope debugging, which enables the programmer to simultaneously view program behavior at the object, procedural, source, multi-tasking, machine and real-time class levels. -- XRAY MasterWorks productivity tools were designed specifically for embedded software applications. They include: XRAY Make, a graphical build tool; XRAY Source Code Management Interface; a graphical interface to source code manager, and an open interface to popular Unix editors. -- Spectra is an open cross-development backplane that represents the first application of a client-server architecture to real-time and embedded software development. It permits company-wide standardization by supporting development for a wide range of environments and its open interfaces increase extensibility and facilitate the preservation of existing code. The Spectra Advanced Developer's Kit for PowerPC-based applications is available initially on a SPARCstation with a starting price of $14,795.00 with no per-project restrictions. The advanced C++ language features will be demonstrated at the Embedded Systems Conference, September 1995. Microtec Research Inc. (Nasdaq:MTEC), a leading supplier of software products for the development of embedded systems, offers a broad, integrated product line and an extensive support network. The company is committed to open systems and provides a line of high-performance C/C++ cross compilers, assemblers, source-level XRAY Debugger, and the well-known VRTX/OS operating system. These products speed software development and streamline hardware integration for thousands of demanding embedded applications. Further, with the XRAY MasterWorks integrated C/C++ development environment and the Spectra backplane, developers have access to versatile software products that speed the edit-compile-debug cycle and improve host-target connectivity. Microtec Research has its headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. and maintains offices in London, Munich, Osaka, Paris, Stockholm, Seoul, Tokyo, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, San Diego, Nashua, and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of with distributors worldwide. -0- Note to Editors: Microtec, Nanokernel, Spectra, VRTX An earlier real time operating system for embedded systems from Mentor Graphics, Wilsonville, OR (www.mentor.com). VRTX was the progenitor of the VxWorks OS from Wind River and was superseded by Nucleus OS. VRTX - Virtual Real-Time Executive. , XRAY and XRAY MasterWorks are registered trademarks of Microtec Research Inc. VRTXsa is a trademark of Microtec Research. Other product names are the property of their respective owners. CONTACT: Microtec Research Inc. Deborah Chalmers, 408/980-1300 (media contact) Ken Lonchar, 408/980-1300 (investment contact) |
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