Actel

SoftConsole v3.3 Release Notes

(updated on Feb 15, 2011)

Thank you for your interest in Microsemi's SoftConsole v3.3.

What's New

Back to top
What's New in v3.3
Support for Non-UJTAG Debugging of Core8051s
  • Support for Core8051s program download/debugging using UJTAG or general device I/Os, which opens up the possibility of using SoftConsole to develop programs for Core8051s on Axcelerator/RTAX-S devices that do not support UJTAG. UJTAG based debugging on SmartFusion, Fusion, ProASIC3, IGLOO and ProASICPLUS continues to work as before and non UJTAG debugging can also be used on these devices. The Core8051s debug sprite automatically detects whether UJTAG or non UJTAG/general I/O based debugging is being used and no manual configuration or user intervention is required.
Component Tool Updates
  • Various component tools bundled with SoftConsole have been updated as detailed below.
Fixes and Improvements
  • Various SAR (Software Action Request) feature, usability and bug issues have been fixed. See the complete release notes to view all SAR fixes.
Component Tool Versions

SoftConsole v3.3 comprises the component tool packages listed below. Components tagged with an asterisk * have been updated since SoftConsole v3.2 to take advantage of feature enhancements, bug-fixes and other improvements.

  • Eclipse Platform (and Java Runtime)
    • Eclipse IDE Galileo SR2 v3.5.2
    • Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tooling) v6.0.2
    • Oracle Java 6 Standard Edition Version 6 Update 22 (1.6.0_22-b04)*
  • CodeSourcery Sourcery G++ Lite for ARM® EABI (GNU Toolchain for ARM Processors) 2010q1-188*
    • GCC (The GNU Compiler Collection) C and C++ Compilers v4.4.1-sg++
    • GDB (The GNU Project Debugger) v7.0.50-sg++ (plus Microsemi modifications v1.2)*
    • GNU Binutils (Binary Utilities) v2.19.51-sg++
    • GNU Make v3.81
    • Newlib C standard library v1.17.0-sg++
  • 8051 Development Tools
    • SDCC Small Device C Compiler v2.6.3 (source code available on request from Microsemi)
    • CodeSourcery omf2elf (OMF to ELF converter) v1.0-7
    • GDB (The GNU Project Debugger) v6.7.50-sg++ (plus Microsemi modifications v1.1
    • GNU Binutils (Binary Utilities) v2.18.50-sg++ (plus Microsemi modifications v1.1)
    • GDB and Binutils are based on the CodeSourcery G++ Lite 2008q1-126 versions
  • Hardware target debug support tools – the following tools sit between GDB and the relevant target processor in order to facilitate hardware-based debugging by translating between GDB Remote Serial Protocol and target-processor-specific JTAG/debug commands/responses:
    • CortexTM-M1/Cortex-M3: CodeSourcery ARM Debug Sprite v1.0-8 + Microsemi v1.3.7-M3 + Flash Programming v1.2.2*
    • Core8051s: C8051 Debug Sprite v1.0-8 + Microsemi v1.6.0 + Flash Programming v1.2.2*
    • CoreMP7: FS2 In-Target System Analyzer for ARM Processor Cores v1.2.0

System Requirements

Back to top
Supported Platforms
  • Microsoft® Windows® 7 Professional (U.S. Version)
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Business (U.S. Version)
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional with SP3 (U.S. Version)
  • SoftConsole may run on other Windows XP/Vista/7 variants, but it is not tested on anything other than those listed above.

Note: Administrator privileges are required in order to install SoftConsole on Windows 7, Vista or XP.

Check the Actel Software System Requirements for more information.

Licensing

Back to top

SoftConsole software does not require a license for operation but does rely on a number of third-party software tools. The individual vendors and tool licenses are displayed in the SoftConsole End User License Agreement (EULA) that is displayed during SoftConsole installation.

Known Limitations, Issues, and Workarounds

Back to top

Read the SoftConsole v3.3 Release Notes for complete information.

Download and Install SoftConsole v3.3

Back to top

SoftConsole is available for FREE to download from the Actel website.

The SoftConsole Quick Start Guide is an excellent place to begin gaining an understanding of SoftConsole.

Download SoftConsole v3.3

Note: Administrator privileges are required in order to install SoftConsole on Windows 7, Vista, or XP.