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IAR Embedded Workbench for RL78 5.20

Introduction to analyzing your application’s timeline

In this section:

See also:

Briefly about analyzing the timeline

C-SPY can provide information for various aspects of your application, collected when the application is running. This can help you to analyze the application’s behavior.

You can view the timeline information in different representations:

  • As different graphs that correlate with the running application in relation to a shared time axis. The graphs appear either in the Timeline window or the Sampled graphs window, depending on the source of the data,

  • As detailed logs

  • As summaries of the logs.

Depending on the capabilities of your hardware, the debug probe, and the C-SPY driver you are using, timeline information can be provided for:

Call stack

Can be represented in the Timeline window, as a graph that displays the sequence of function calls and returns collected by the trace system. You get timing information between the function invocations.

Note that there is also a related Call Stack window and a Function Trace window, see Call Stack window and Function Trace window, respectively.

Data logging

Based on data logs collected by the trace system for up to four different variables or address ranges, specified by means of Data Log breakpoints. Choose to display the data logs:

  • In the Timeline window, as a graph of how the values change over time.

  • In the Data Log window and the Data Log Summary window.

Data sampling

Based on samples for up to four different variables. Choose to display the data logs:

  • In the Sampled Graphs window, as a graph of how the values change over time.

  • In the Data Sample window.

Data sampling gives an indication of the data value over a length of time. Because it is a sampled value, data sampling is best suited for slow-changing data.

Event logging

Based on event logs produced from Smart Analog data collection. Choose to display the event logs:

  • In the Timeline window, as a graph of the timing of the events.

  • In the Event Log window and the Event Log Summary window.

Event logging requires a hardware debugger driver that supports the feature, and a Renesas MCU with Smart Analog support.

Interrupt logging

Based on interrupt logs collected by the trace system. Choose to display the interrupt logs:

  • In the Timeline window, as a graph of the interrupt events during the execution of your application.

  • In the Interrupt Log window and the Interrupt Log Summary window.

Interrupt logging can, for example, help you locate which interrupts you can fine-tune to make your application more efficient.

For more information, see Interrupts.

Power logging

Based on logged power measurement samples generated by the debug probe or associated hardware. Choose to display the power logs:

  • In the Timeline window, as a graph of the power measurement samples.

  • In the Power Log window.

Power logs can be useful for finding peaks in the power consumption and by double-clicking on a value you can see the corresponding source code. The precision depends on the frequency of the samples, but there is a good chance that you find the source code sequence that caused the peak.

For more information, see Power debugging.

Requirements for timeline support

Depending on the capabilities of the hardware, the debug probe, and the C-SPY driver you are using, trace-based timeline information is supported for:

Target system

Call Stack

Data logging

Data sampling

Interrupt logging

Power logging

Smart Analog event logging*

C-SPY simulator

Yes

Yes

—

Yes

—

—

E1, E2, E2 Lite, E2 On-Board, E20, EZ-CUBE2

—

—

Yes

—

Yes, E2

If supported by the device

EZ-CUBE, TK, COM Port

—

—

Yes

—

—

—

Table 22. Supported graphs in the Timeline window  


* This feature collects and displays Smart Analog data, which is supported by some Renesas MCUs.

For more information about requirements related to trace data, see Requirements for using trace.