Date:24th May 2012

TI's ULP Advisor code analysis software tool integrated with IAR Embedded Workbench

IAR Systems has announced that its embedded development tool suite IAR Embedded Workbench for MSP430 integrates the new ULP Advisor code analysis software tool from Texas Instruments (TI).

TI's ULP Advisor software is a power-optimization teaching tool. It provides a static code analyzer that flags software code and offers tips and tricks to help developers understand where they can improve their code line-by-line to minimize power consumption and achieve ultra-low-power performance.

The tool works by checking the code for violations against a set of rules for ultra-low-power design. It flags and itemizes each rule violation, and by clicking each message the developer can find the code block that can potentially consume a noticeable amount of power. A suggestion is then given on how to improve the code to optimize power consumption.

The IAR Embedded Workbench integration enables the user to control TI's ULP Advisor software from within the IAR Embedded Workbench IDE. The chosen rules are checked at each build, and the output is shown in the build log. The new tool is supported by a vast wiki where developers can find information specific to each ultra-low-power rule, including for example background details, why the rule is important, and what the tool is evaluating to result in a code remark.

IAR Systems is the only independent tools vendor to be able to offer this integration. The customers can be benefited from the hands-on teaching features of TI's ULP Advisor software.

Evaluation editions are available for download at www.iar.com/ew430

Author: Srinivasa Reddy N