JTAG-based embedded Debugger for Intel x86 Systems

01 April 2011 – A new embedded debugger from ASSET InterTech is the first in-system JTAG-based debugger for Intel x86 platforms. Based on ASSET’s ScanWorks platform for embedded instruments, the debugger implements hardware-based run control in system firmware. Once the debugger has been installed, systems can be debugged remotely from anywhere and at anytime with no external JTAG emulator hardware.

Referred to as the ScanWorks embedded diagnostics solution, the debugger firmware operates out of an x86-based circuit board’s service processor, which is sometimes referred to as the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) and may be implemented in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) on the board. The ScanWorks embedded diagnostics solution is able to access the Intel x86 processor through its debug port to diagnose faults and failures in the system. Some of the typical debugger functions provided by ScanWorks embedded diagnostics include reading and writing to all x86 registers, to memory, and to I/O interfaces; setting and retrieving breakpoints; and single-stepping through code.

Because ScanWorks embedded diagnostics is deployed as intellectual property (IP) within working systems, it can perform powerful debugging routines in the lab or in the field, anywhere, anytime, and on an unlimited number of systems where it has been embedded. This functionality is invaluable for troubleshooting problems with the system’s device drivers, BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), operating system kernel, and catastrophic or intermittent hardware or software failures that might cause system crashes or hangs.

“Being able to debug the root cause of intermittent system failures in the field is a critical capability for high-availability systems,” said Alan Sguigna, vice president of sales and marketing for ASSET. “ScanWorks embedded diagnostics is able to identify the causes of problems that often seem impossible to debug, such as the dreaded ‘blue screen’ system crash or a kernel panic.”

One of the early adopters of ScanWorks embedded diagnostics was Cray Inc., which is integrating it into next-generation, high-availability supercomputers to ensure a high level of system reliability.

The ScanWorks embedded diagnostics solution is available now. Pricing is customized based upon platform and BMC configurations. In addition to solutions for new designs targeting the Intel microarchitecture codenamed Sandy Bridge, ASSET’s ScanWorks supports a number of other Intel platforms.