Differences

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--- microcontrollers:microcontroller_development_notes [2012/01/11 22:38] – mithat
+++ microcontrollers:microcontroller_development_notes [2012/01/15 13:19] – mithat
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 The software tools installed on the host system (i.e., the //host toolchain//) that you'll use to prepare programs for a target system may include:
   * an assembler
-  * a compiler
-  * a linker
-  * a simulator
-  * a debugger
   * tools to prepare binary code for loading onto the target
   * a programmer
+  * a compiler (optional)
+  * a linker (optional)
+  * a simulator (optional)
+  * a debugger (optional)
-A compiler and linker will be required if you want to write your code in a high-level language. A simulator is useful for testing your code on the host system. A debugger can be used in conjunction with a simulator or with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-circuit_emulator|In-Circuit Emulation]]. A programmer is used to load the binary code onto the target processor and is discussed more completely in a later section.
+A compiler and linker will be required if you want to write your code in a high-level language. A simulator is useful for testing your code on the host system. A debugger can be used in conjunction with a simulator or with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-circuit_emulator|In-Circuit Emulation]].
+A programmer is used to load the binary code onto the target processor and is discussed more completely in a later section. A programmer isn't actually required if the target microcontroller has pre-installed on it a [[#bootloaders|bootloader]].
 ==== Language selection ====
@@ Line 33: / Line 35: @@
   * The target microcontroller must be supported by the selected h/w programmer.
-  * The selected h/w programmer must be supported by an available interface on the development system (serial bus or USB typically).
+  * The selected h/w programmer must be supported by an available interface on the development system (e.g, serial bus or USB).
   * The selected h/w programmer must be supported by a s/w programmer available for the development system OS.
   * The selected s/w programmer must also support the target microcontroller.
@@ Line 42: / Line 44: @@
 Do not confuse ISP with ICE ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-circuit_emulator|In-Circuit Emulation]]). ISP concerns itself with programming the target; ICE with debugging.
+==== Bootloaders ====
+FIXME
 ===== Other stuff =====
@@ Line 49: / Line 55: @@
 ==== Simulation ====
-It's often useful to run your microcontroller code in an environment on the host that simulates the target system. Doing so lets you verify and/or debug code without making a round-trip target programming trip. If you do not have the needed hardware to perform ICE ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-circuit_emulator|In-Circuit Emulation]]), then simulation is the only way to use a debugger with your code.
+It's often useful to run your microcontroller code in an environment on the host that simulates the target system. The software tool that provides a simulated target environment is called a **simulator**. Simulators let you verify and/or debug code without making a round-trip target programming trip. If you do not have the needed hardware to perform ICE ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-circuit_emulator|In-Circuit Emulation]]), then simulation may be the only way to use a debugger with your code.
 FIXME: Simulation vs. emulation.
 ==== Debugging ====
-A debugger is a software tool that you can attach to a computing process and use to pause program flow and inspect and in many cases adjust the program's state.
+A debugger is a software tool that you can attach to a computing process and use to pause program flow and inspect and in many cases adjust the program's and/or processor's state.
-You can attach a debugger to a microcontroller in one of a few ways:
+You can attach a debugger to a microcontroller process in one of a few ways:
   * Run it on a simulator on the host and attach a debugger to the simulated process.
-  * Run it on an emulator on the host that connects to the target's socket with special hardware and use a debugger on the host.
+  * Run it on a "virtual processor" on the host that connects to the target's socket with special hardware---and use a debugger on the host.
   * Run it on a special version of the target processor that makes the processor state information available to the host in a special h/w interface.
   * Run it on a stock version of the target processor that that makes the processor state information available to the host in a standard JTAG interface.
-The last three above are all referred to as ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-circuit_emulator|In-Circuit Emulation]]) (ICE)---even though only one of them actually involve emulation.
+The last three above are all referred to as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-circuit_emulator|In-Circuit Emulation]] (ICE)---even though only one of them actually involve emulation.
-==== Bootloaders ====
-FIXME