Approach to the evaluation of microprocessor development systems

The microprocessor industry is now showing signs of maturity as the methods by which microprocessor-based products are developed are becoming clearly defined. This article is intended to emphasise the need for the correct tools to be used in development. Serious professional work with a microprocessor needs to be undertaken with a healthy understanding of the risks and pitfalls. The author and his colleagues are nearing the completion of a project in which development aids have been studied by in-depth laboratory evaluation. This work shows that a great deal of time and money can be wasted without prudent choice of the correct tools. This article describes the parts of these tools which it is important to evaluate. Microprocessor product development is highly labour intensive and the engineers with the right knowledge and experience are at the moment rare and expensive. It is important therefore to use equipment that is quick and efficient in order to deploy these engineers effectively