Specifications

30 www.xilinx.com Embedded System Tools Guide (EDK 6.2i)

1-800-255-7778 UG111 (v1.4) January 30, 2004

Chapter 1: Embedded System Tools Architecture

Software Application Creation and Verification

The software application is the code that runs on the hardware and software platforms.

The source code for the application is written in a high level language such as C or C++, or

in assembly language. XPS provides a source editor for creating these files, but any other

text editor may be used here. Once the source files are created, they are compiled and

linked to generate executable files in the ELF (Executable and Link Format) format. GNU

compiler tools (see Chapter 11, “GNU Compiler Tools” for more information) for PowerPC

and MicroBlaze are used by default but other compiler tools that support the specific

processors used in the hardware platform may be used as well. XMD and the GNU

debugger (GDB) are used together to debug the software application. XMD provides an

instruction set simulator, and optionally connects to a working hardware platform to allow

GDB to run the user application. This entire process is depicted in Figure 1-5. See Chapter

13, “Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD)” for more information on XMD and Chapter

12, “GNU Debugger” for more information on GDB.

Figure 1-4: Software Platform

X9881

SW Spec Ed.

SW Plat. Gen

MSS File

MSS, MHS,

lib/*.c, lib/*.h

macs, XPS MSS Editor

libgen

libc.a, libXil.a

XPS

Figure 1-5: Software Application Creation and Verification

X9882

SW Source Ed.

SW Compilers

.c and .h files

libc.a, libXil.a

macs, XPS Source Editor

SW Debuggers

.c and .h files

.elf file

Mb-gdb, ppc-gdb

Mb-gcc, ppc-gcc

.elf file

XMD

XPS