MDK Version 6 Integrates Command-Line/IDE Workflows Plus Virtual Hardware Support
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Arm will show off its new Keil MDK Version 6 at the embedded world 2023 show. I was able to talk with Reinhard Keil, Senior Director of Embedded Technology at Arm, about the new toolset (Fig. 1).
The Common Microcontroller Software Interface Standard (CMSIS) fostered by Arm is used to define any Arm-based micro and its peripherals so that the interface can be utilized by software-generated headers or interfaces. The management of these now are able to be handled by the IDE. There's also a tighter integration with the command line and the graphical IDE. Software-dependency validation has been enhanced as well.
Keil MDK Version 6 includes support for Arm Virtual Hardware (Fig. 2). This enables simulation for verification and testing. Developers can run applications without needing physical target hardware that may not exist yet. The system supports A/B performance comparisons derived from timing statistics obtained from the Event Recorder tied to the virtual hardware.