"The thing that is important is the thing that is not seen." Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The following list contains tools our team has experience with in the development activities. It does not mean we have all the tools installed or own an active license at the moment. Purchasing of the tools or the licenses depends on project arrangements, customer agreements, and budgeting.
The list is not complete, so if you do not see your favourite tool here, it does not mean we are not familiar with it.
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GIT - GIT is a version control system for tracking changes in computer files and coordinating work on these files by multiple people. In recent years, this system has become more popular with us. Excellent branching and merching tools, easy visualization and above all the small size of project folders make it a powerful tool.
MoreGOGS - To fully intergate GIT with out task assigning policy we had to use GOGS. This tool allows us creation of pull requests which do considerably increase our effectivness of code review. Integration with Jenkins is also used to automatically create SW, not least workflow settings, to prevent accidental overriding of branch history.
MoreSVN - Although SVN is older and stiffer than its GIT counterpart, it is quite effective. We use it mainly for communicating with customers who use SVN because GIT servers better meet our current needs.
MoreJenkins - We use Jenkins to manage our Build Flow. A surprisingly practical tool that helps us to automate large parts of the release process for each project on an individual level. By automatically creating software for every pull requirement, performing unit testing, and monitoring our encoding style, life was made much easier.
MoreIBM® Rational® ClearCase® - One of our biggest customers has made us use ClearCase to manage source codes and documents for his projects. As there was a direct support of ClearCase in Rhapsody IDE available, it was quite a reasonable choice. So, we have been using ClearCase (local or remote access) in a daily SW development routine for more than 7 years. We have also supported our customer in several source code management processes definitions.
MorePerforce™ - It is our preferable choice for source code management and versioning! We have been using this product for only a short time but we like it very much and we plan to use it as much as possible. We believe in the potential of this product and we want to become a part of the Perforce Partner Program. As mentioned in our references, we have already started with the integration of Rhapsody and Perforce. We hope to bring great news in this field soon!
MoreQt Creator - With a multitude of custom plugins and GIT built-in support, we have begun using QT more and more in our current projects. Above all, it's the cross-platform support that's attracting interest, as more and more of our applications need to be written with support for multiple platforms. The UML and moderl authoring tools are also not to be despised. All in all, this is a powerful and workable tool for many of the challenges we face and many more we will face.
MoreIBM® Rational® Rhapsody® - As fans of UML and Object Oriented Approach in embedded SW development we are sure that Rhapsody is the right choice for us! It is the best embedded SW design tool with the support of UML modeling, several programming languages, code generation, frameworks for OS or without OS, etc. The IDE now runs also on Linux. Our team has more than 7 years of experience with Rhapsody and was trained by the best experts in the world such as Bruce Powel Douglass or Andreas Willert.
MoreNI LabVIEW™ - Our team has more than 10 years of experience with LabVIEW. We have been maintaining large projects and overcame several LabVIEW upgrades (not always easy). The LabVIEW is a great tool to get results fast and with professional look&feel. We appreciate mainly great support for remote control of various equipment. As we designed new instruments, appropriate VISA drivers were prepared as well. When we built measurement systems and testers based on LabVIEW, we could take advantage of our knowledge of several interfaces (SCPI, USB), know-how in controlling of instruments (not only NI based), knowledge of their capabilities (datasheets) and understanding of what is technically feasible.
MoreAVR Studio® - We have been using AVR Studio® together with an external WinAVR™ GCC compiler for many years. It was a nice tool with suitable debugging options and support for various programmers. But Atmel® company presents a really cool tool for ARM® and AVR® architectures now. It includes an internal C/C++ compiler and (because of connection to VisualStudio) the best comfort for coding we have ever seen in similar tools. And it is for free! We are looking forward to use this tool in our new projects with ARM® or AVR® platforms.
MoreEclipse® - We like Eclipse® and use it in many different ways as IDE for Altera® NIOS® II debugger, an XML/XSL editor, an IBM® Rational® ClearCase® remote client, etc.
MoreAltera® Quartus®, NIOS® II Embedded Design Suite, SOPC Builder - Our team has more than 10 years of experience with Altera® Quartus®. We have used this tool for code implementation, simulation, synthesis, debugging. Together with Altera® SOPC Builder we were able to create complex embedded system where FPGA logic is controlled by the Altera® NIOS® soft-core CPU.
MoreXilinx® PlanAhead™ - Xilinx® Zynq™ FPGA is used in our new project. We have started learning this new development platform which is very similar to Altera® Quartus®. We also use it for code implementation, simulation, synthesis, and debugging. This tool is suitable also for maintaining the FPGA project where more designers contribute.
MoreAnalog Devices VisualDSP++® - We have used this tool for some projects with SHARC® and Blackfin® Digital Signal Processors. These DSPs were selected because of high demand on computation algorithms and complex control of the signal path hardware.
MoreClang Static Analyzer - The Clang Static Analyzer is a source code analysis tool that finds bugs in C, C++, and Objective-C programs. Currently it can be run either as a stand-alone tool or within Xcode. The stand-alone tool is invoked from the command line, and is intended to be run in tandem with a build of a codebase. The analyzer is open source and is part of the Clang project. Like the rest of Clang, the analyzer is implemented as a C++ library that can be used by other tools and applications.
MorePC-lint™ - This seems to be the longest-serving tool we have used to support our SW development. Static code analysis is an important part of our quality assurance. We find PC-lint (although it is a little bit conservative) as an optimal choice due to its "speed/low number of false warnings/high number of found serious issues" ratio. We have successfully integrated PC-lint into Rhapsody GUI. Nevertheless, we are permanently checking new tools available on the market.
MoreGoanna™ - We have been using this tool for one year and plan to integrate it into Rhapsody. It seems to be a little bit slower than PC-lint, but more flexible. The time will show if we replace PC-lint by Goanna or use both tools in parallel.
MoreRohde & Schwarz - We have experience with a wide range of high-end measurement instruments such as spectrum analysers (FSW, FSIQ, FSP), signal generators (SME, SMT), vector network analyzer (ZVC), power sensors (NRP, NRV). Thanks to close cooperation with Rohde & Schwarz we have the chance to test the newest products on the market.
MoreNI® - We have experience with PXI-1042Q (8-Slot Chassis), PXI-PCIe8361, MXI-Express, PXI-GPIB, NI-488.2 (interface cards), PXI-5114 (2 ch Digitizer), PXI-4130 (Power SMU) with APS-4100 Auxiliary Power, PXI-2569 (100 ch Relay Module), PXI-2532 (Relay matrix 4x128), PXI-4071 (7 1/2-Digit DMM).
MoreVivado Design Suite - is a software suite produced by Xilinx for synthesis and analysis of HDL designs, superseding Xilinx ISE with additional features for system on a chip development and high-level synthesis. Vivado represents a fundamentally new approach to the overall design process (compared to ISE) and has been described by reviewers as "well-designed, densely integrated, fast, scalable, maintainable, and intuitive."
MorePlanAhead - PlanAhead designs and manufactures stylish and functional planning products, journals, business accessories, phone/address books, and back-to-school ...
MoreIntel/Altera - Cyclone, Aria, Stratix - Current product lines developed by Altera include Arria (mid-range), Stratix (high performance) and Cyclone (low-cost). Stratix FPGAs are typically programmed in hardware description languages such as VHDL or Verilog, using the Altera Quartus computer software. Altera FPGAs have been used in automotive, optical imaging, memory, data processing and computing applications.
MoreAltera® NIOS® II soft processor - NIOS is a 32-bit soft-core processor that could be used within Altera FPGA. Advantage of this solution is that in the SOPC Builder design tool (today Qsys) we can choose only particular peripherals for the project and configure them according to our requirements. A well-defined Altera Avalon® bus allows us to connect any custom entity to the processor.
MoreXilinx® Zynq™ - This FPGA we use for its coupling of ARM® processor and FPGA logic. The ARM® processor is used for control and signal process algorithms with no requirements on real-time. Time critical real-time computations are done in FPGA logic.
MoreTechnexion™ - We use the complete TDM-3730 multimedia development board which is compatible with any display through LVDS, TTL, HDMI, VGA, and S-Video interfaces. It offers expand storage options with USB, SATA, and micro-SD card slot. It records and plays back audio and video easily over the Composite, S-video interfaces, audio jacks and speakers, and Camera expansion interface. It allows communication over LAN, RS-232, RS-422/485, SPI, and I2C to control remote or external devices, or connection over a 3G data module to the outside world.
MoreRaspberry Pi™ - It is a credit-card sized computer that can be plugged into your TV and a keyboard. It is a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things your desktop PC does, such as spreadsheets, word-processing, and games. It also plays high-definition video. Ideal for kids all over the world to learn programming.
MoreMentor Graphics - Mentor, a Siemens Business, is a US-based electronic design automation (EDA) multinational corporation for electrical engineering and electronics.
MoreCadence® OrCAD® PCB Designer, Cadence® OrCAD® Capture CIS - One of the main EDA software producers offers a wide range of scalable PCB tools that allow designing PCBs with various complexity, starting with very simple low-cost oriented PCBs upto high-speed gigabit/gigahertz applications and silicon chips layout. The tools include a schematics editor, a part/footprint editor, a Cadence® PSpice® A/D simulator, and a PCB designer in several functional levels with a possibility to buy/rent other advanced options (e.g. signal and power integrity). Coupling with databases in several formats (Microsoft® Access®, SQL) is proved as well-working and easy to maintain.
MoreAltium® - Beside the Cadence® EDA tools, proven on our designs for years, the Altium® has been used by our designers on the basis of customer's preferences. We have found the tool user friendly and easy to start with.
MoreOctave - GNU Octave is software featuring a high-level programming language, primarily intended for numerical computations. Octave helps in solving linear and nonlinear problems numerically, and for performing other numerical experiments using a language that is mostly compatible with MATLAB. It may also be used as a batch-oriented language. Since it is part of the GNU Project, it is free software under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
MoreAgilent Genesys™ - It is the cheapest RF simulation tool on the market. We use linear and non-linear analysis too. The tool is suitable for linear analysis. The non-linear analysis is based on the older simulation algorithms, therefore it is weak for complex problems. Good price/performance ration. There are no new functionalities/new trends for the Genesys tool, but support from Agilent is good.
MoreMicrowave Office® - An RF simulation tool with the best price-to-performance ratio. AWR Design Environment™ (AWRDE) offers great configurability, including various configurations of installation packages. It supports also access into a database of the RF components and connection to Rohde & Schwarz measurement instruments. The 3D moment simulation method is supported and the environment is generally "user-friendly".
MoreMATLAB® - We have used MATLAB for various simulations and reference designs of our projects. Its strength is in the number of toolboxes and built-in functions. We would like to point out mainly MATLAB® Signal Processing Toolbox™ and Communications System Toolbox™.
MoreWireshark® - Many projects from our portfolio include the LAN interface. We have used various protocols such as TCP, UDP, FTP, SNMP and VoIP, and also implemented several proprietary protocols. Wireshark® has always been the best tool to capture network traffic and analyze all observed issues. We are able to prepare network test setup, generate traffic, test stability/performance, and reproduce critical situations. We can help you to understand and analyze the logs from Wireshark® and find a root cause of the issue. We have created several plugins for Wireshark® to support troubleshooting of our proprietary protocols design.
MoreJIRA - We've been looking for a strong bug tracking tool for a long time. JIRA offers many things that others could not achieve. An amazingly customizable workflow, a good search engine, and a highly customizable responsive GUI. With report formats, which can also be different for project and bug report. It is really difficult to find a challenger for JIRA among the current competitors.
MoreFlySpray - We have been using it on various projects for more than 7 years. For certain projects we have slightly modified the GUI. A very good bug tracking system with route maps, etc.
MoreMantisBT - A bugtracking system with better customization possibilities than FlySpray has. We have started using this system in our new projects.
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