Configuring and collecting trace using Trace Commander view

Trace Commander view is used to manage the trace collection data. The view is used to perform actions such as, start, stop trace on different trace generators, manual upload or trace configuration for data trace collection.

Trace Commander is based on an xml platform configuration file, which is responsible for configuring all the modules included in the target architecture. Hence, the Trace Commander tool is used to ease the task of configuring and uploading trace.

Trace Commander displays all the modules from a platform configuration file. Perform the following steps in order to collect multi core trace data using Trace Commander:

  1. Select Window > Show View > Other > Software Analysis > Trace Commander.

    The Trace Commander view is displayed.

  2. Choose the Platform configuration file, for example select Test_Configuration.xml.
    Figure 1. Platform configuration file.

    The Trace Commander view displays all trace generators and trace buffers available in the selected platform file. The colors suggest if they are available or not for collecting trace. Green means the trace generator is enabled and grey means that the trace generator is disabled.

  3. Double click on one of the Trace Generators or Trace Buffers to configure it. You can also use Config button and from the new Trace Configuration window click on Advanced Trace Generators configuration.
    Figure 2. Trace Configuration window

    Figure 3. Advanced trace configuration window

  4. Enable one of the trace buffers from Data Streams to collect trace, for example select ETF 0. Multiple ETFs can be enabled but you can collect trace from only one buffer at a time.
  5. Depending on the board configuration and initialization script used, some trace modules may not be accessible. In the case you are not completely initializing the board, make sure to uncheck the "Reset trace modules before configuration" checkbox, and only enable the trace modules you are using.
    Figure 4. Reset trace modules before configuration

  6. Once you are done with configuring click this button to Connect.

    When the session is started the button looks like this , meaning the target is configured using the selected platform file. This will be attached to the active debug session. The configuration is applied on the whole platform. Now the trace buffer and trace generators selection and configuration becomes unavailable.

    If you click again on the button the session will stop and the button will change to this again , the trace stream gets interrupted and the file gets inactive. Hence, the trace buffer and trace generators configuration becomes available.
  7. You can click the Trace Generators Group Name, for example CORE, to Start or Stop all the modules from that group. The Trace Commander view will update each trace generator state.
  8. Once your program ran enough you can click the Upload button, available on the trace buffer, to save the data trace collected. Data trace can be saved only on connection with the active debug session.
    Note: It is recommended to suspend the generator core or the target while collecting core trace, e.g. when a breakpoint is hit.
    Figure 5. Selected trace buffer and upload button

Trace data is saved in .AnalysisData folder from the application’s workspace.

The toolbar options from the Trace Commander view allows you to perform:
Parent topic: Collecting trace data