The triggering system provides fine-grain control for capturing system activity.

The large Microtek trace buffer allows you to capture a great deal of information. But the processor is moving through instructions so quickly that even a buffer of this size represents only a fraction of a second of processor operation. To maximize the value of your trace, you must be selective about what to capture.

The trigger could be set up to begin trace when a function is called, and halt when the function returns. The ability to control exactly when the trace system is capturing information allows you to pinpoint critical parts of the system.

Types of triggers

A full-featured triggering system can respond to any signal captured in the trace.

The triggering system can also respond to a sequence of events. This is called a complex trigger. Most triggering systems use logical levels to implement a complex trigger. The initial event is noted by the triggering system, which moves to a second defined event, and performs another action.

Actions available when a trigger occurs

Triggering system actions include GO, HALT, Start Trace, Stop Trace, Start Timer, Stop Timer, Increment Counter, and Reset Counter. Each can be used in a complex trigger, providing considerable power controlling the emulator and its features.

What is an emulator?
What is trace, and how can it help?