nios ii dynamic code analysis

JOSC · ‎03-16-2022

Dear fellow nios ii developers,

due to a functional-safety-related project, we are required to use dynamic code analysis in the development of the safety-related software (C-code). So far, i have come accross the LDRA tool which seems to offer a good native support of the nios ii softcores (as far as someone can judge from a website ...) . Does anybody have any experience with this tool? I am also very open to alternative suggestions.

Best regards,

JOSC

ShengN_Intel · ‎03-17-2022

Hi JOSC,

Don't have much experience on that tool. You may search for some resources from LDRA website here https://resources.ldra.com/course/intel-quartus-nios-ii-eds/

May also check on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq_BMr_O0l0 for more informations

Best regards,

Sheng

JOSC · ‎03-22-2022

Hi Sheng,

thanks for the suggestion. LDRA offers a trial version, so we should be able to evaluate this tool with the nios 2 eds. Lets see how this plays out.

Still, it would be interesting what tools generally could be used for this job. Interestingly, the gcc compiler offers the ability to profile code-coverage (i think by using the -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage flags) together with the gcov tool. This tool is also included in the nios2-eds (nios2-elf-gcov and nios2-elf-gcov-tool). As the necessary .gcda files are created on the target system (i.e. the embedded nios 2 system), this approach does not work out-of-the-box. Is there some way those files can be stored in some kind of embedded file-system (maybe on the connected EPCQ-flash), and then be transferred after the program is run on the target system?

Best regards,

JOSC

ShengN_Intel · ‎03-23-2022

Hi JOSC,

I search for some LDRA Tool alternatives but seems like only LDRA supported Intel Nios II Embedded the best.

After going through this manual https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-11.2.0/gcc.pdf, I don't see there is any way to store those .gcda data files in the embedded file-system you mentioned above.

Hopefully answering your questions.

Thanks,

Best regards,

Sheng