REALTIME ANALYZER AIDS HARDWARE/SOFTWARE INTEGRATION.

After software has been coded and assembled and hardware circuits have been formulated, designers of microprocessor based systems enter a complex phase of prototype development - software/hardware integration. Program flow must be monitored and tested, software and hardware must be exercised and verified for correct interaction, and, finally, the integrated prototype system must be evaluated while executing in realtime. Throughout these integration steps, a Real-Time Prototype Analyzer can prove to be an invaluable aid. Used during the hardware/software integration phase, the unit identifies design problems. The prototype system is built around microprocessor, an asynchronous communications interface adapter, and several buffers. All system firmware is contained in 1k of read only memory, with 2k of random access memory set aside for stack storage and workspace.