September 27, 2001 - SofTec Microsystems extends the support of the STMicroelectronics ST7 family by announcing the availability of inDART-ST7FLITE0, a low-cost FLASH in-circuit debugger and programmer targeted to ST7FLITE0 devices.

Like other inDART-ST7 Series models, inDART-ST7FLITE0 takes advantage of STMicroelectronics' STVD7 (STMicroelectronics Visual Debug) Integrated Development Environment and the ISP (In Situ Programming) feature to program the FLASH memory of the microcontrollers. Together with STVD7, inDART-ST7FLITE0 provides users with everything they need to write, compile, download, in-circuit emulate and debug user code. Full speed program execution allows users to perform hardware and software testing in real time. inDART-ST7FLITE0 is connected to the host PC through a parallel port, while the 10-pin probe of the debuggers fit into the target's standard ISP connector.

The ISP feature allows users to update the content of FLASH program memory when the chip is already plugged on the application board. ISP programming uses a serial protocol to interface a programming tool like inDART. The ISP feature can be implemented with a minimum number of added components and board area impact. inDART-ST7FLITE0 uses the standard, 10-pin ST7 ISP connector to program and in-circuit emulate the target device.

The inDART-ST7 user interface (common for all of the inDART-ST7 Series In-Circuit Debuggers) is based on the ST7 Visual Debug Integrated Development Environment (STVD7). STVD7 enables programs to be executed and stopped where desired, while viewing the memory contents. It offers the ability to step through and examine code at the C source level and the Assembly instruction level. Users can introduce breakpoints and run or single-step the executable, while viewing the source and observing current program values. All registers and memory locations are accessible for both read and write operations.

The tool is available in the Starter Kit package (standalone debugger/programmer, with an ST7FLITE0 device sample included--a working user application board is required) or in the Design Kit package (which also includes a full-featured experiment board). The demo board includes DIP-switches, jumpers, LEDs, push-buttons, a potentiometer, prototyping area and a standard ISP connector and can be used for evaluation/experiments in the absence of a target application board.