What are Platform Support Packages and why are they needed?

Platform Support Packages are required to support software analysis by zero-footprint RVS tools. They interface between the tools and the platform in order to do the following:

• Convert the specific format of native branch traces generated by the platform into a format that the RVS tool understands and can use for subsequent analysis.
• Disassemble the object code to understand the structure and control flow of the code so this can be used for subsequent analysis.

Each PSP is designed to support various components of a platform. These include:

• The compiler(s) used to generate executables
• The instruction set of object code to be analyzed
• The native branch trace format generated from the platform – this depends on the mechanism used to generate branch traces, which may be the target hardware (or simulator) or a third-party device e.g. debugger.
• The real-time operating system.

Different PSPs are needed to support analysis by zero-footprint RVS tools when any of the above items are different between two platforms. For more information on how PSPs support analysis by zero-footprint RVS tools, see our Requirements for zero-footprint RVS analysis Technical note.