ProDG for PSP®

Overview

SN Systems' product ProDG for PSP® consists of an advanced toolchain for building and debugging console games. Continuous development based on customer feedback ensures we keep pace with your demands.

The following components are included. Click on any of the components below to list its key features, click a feature to view its benefits.

• Debugger

The debugger provides comprehensive support for examining source code, disassembly, memory, registers, variables, TTY and the call stack.

See our 8 reasons to download Debugger v2

Usability is enhanced through the debugger's split pane system which allows unlimited configuration of pane layout. User control of single stepping is complemented by conditional breakpoints.

Full support for the processor


ProDG fully supports the new customized MIPS CPU in the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) including display of all opcodes and registers for the CPU, FPU, and VFPU.

Run/step/breakpoint control


The debugger provides source-level single-step, step-over, step-into, run to cursor, and breakpoint support.

Supports conditional/counted breakpoints


Conditional breakpoints aid debugging by allowing specified criteria to trigger a break in your code. You can also use counted breakpoints to halt code execution once a breakpoint has been triggered a specified number of times.

Display list pane


The display list pane enables you to browse display lists containing graphics commands that will be sent to the "PSP®"'s graphics processor.

Pipeline Analyzer


The pipeline analyzer examines program flow in CPU/FPU/VFPU pipelines and displays additional useful information alongside the disassembly of your code, such as number of stall cycles, total instruction duration and pitch and latency, address of the opcode causing the largest stall, and the reason for the stall.

VFPU support


Not only does ProDG understand the VFPU opcodes and display useful VFPU timing information, it also analyzes register dependencies and shows any overlap in VFPU register sets used by VFPU opcodes by helpful color coding of the disassembly. Of course it does this for the main CPU and FPU also but the VFPU is where it is most useful to help diagnose bugs caused by accidental register overlaps.

Drag-and-drop support


Freely drag names and expressions from source panes to watch panes to add watches. Most panes support clipboard mark and copy and many panes also allow their type of information to be directly dumped to a text file.

Watch and locals panes


Locals pane automatically tracks all local variables, with tabs for 'this' pointer, and 'auto' context. Watch pane accepts any expression including typecasts. Browse your C/C++ data with intuitive expand/collapse of classes, unions, structures, arrays. Use custom templates to specify how you want certain data types to display. The debugger also supports one-off evaluation of complex expressions via script pane immediate mode.

Comprehensive scripting support


The script pane allows to to execute your own ANSI-C programs to perform complex debugger operations including send/receive data to/from "PSP®" memory. Start or stop execution, set breakpoints, load executable files, customize debugger context menus, draw text and graphics, manipulate files, change the way watches are displayed, execute other programs, etc. Scripts are plain text files but are compiled at run-time for very fast execution. Scripts can also be auto-loaded at debugger startup and custom script panes can be saved and reloaded when you exit and restart the debugger.

Workspace pane allows easy project navigation


The workspace pane provides quick access to the files, functions, globals and class definitions within your ELF file. Combine this with source code search paths to allow debugging of anything you have source code for, regardless of who built it, and what their setup was.

Mixed-mode source/disassembly pane


The mixed-mode pane allows you to quickly toggle the format of your source code. Display the source, disassembly or mixed-mode, which will interleave the disassembly of code with the original source line.

Regular expressions


Regular expressions are a standard way to describe a string pattern, and can be used for searches within the debugger.

Flexible pane and window system


Allows multiple, simultaneous views of the CPU registers, memory, disassembly, source, local variables, and watch points. You can also save numerous layouts and recall them as and when needed.

Save/load data to/from various panes


Many of the panes have the ability to save or load blocks of information to and from disk. Use this to quickly restore a game state, or compare the status of memory on different hardware.

User-configurable accelerator keys/bindings and color schemes


The debugger key map can be altered to suit the developer. SN Systems provide pre-defined keymaps for Visual Studio and SN (for users who are used to our SDevTC product or are using ProDG on another platform). The font, size and color of text in each pane can be altered also.

Pop-up expression evaluation


The debugger source panes feature hover evaluation. Simply hover the cursor over some text or a selection, and the evaluation or value of the underlying item will instantly popup in a tooltip.

• SNC C/C++ Compiler

SN Systems' new SNC C/C++ Compiler has been developed for the needs of the game console developer. High performance, advanced optimizing controls and comprehensive language support help you make better games.

Based on an industry-standard C++ front end, SNC offers extensive control over project building and code generation. Developed and maintained in-house by SN Systems, it forms the foundation of SN Systems' programming systems for future console architectures.

SNC C/C++ Compiler Key Benefits

High quality code	Efficient code generation enables you to make better games. The powerful optimization features provide you with fine control.
Reduced development time	Write tight code quicker. Your productivity will be improved using: the intuitive inline assembly syntax; pre-compiled headers; Visual Studio .NET integration
Comprehensive standards support	Writing multi platform code is easier with support for: ANSI/ISO C/C++; Boost C++, GCC C/C++, Microsoft C/C++ and STLport C++
Unparalleled technical support	Continuous development based on customer feedback ensure we keep pace with your demands. Our industry leading reputation for responsiveness will get you through the crunch.
Advanced optimization controls	See below for details of the optimization controls provided by SNC.
VFPU assembler support	Support for VFPU assembler, including SN Systems' simplified syntax for the VFPU prefix feature.

Advanced optimization controls

Loop unrolling under precise user control


Code within loops can be replicated one or more times. This decreases the loop control overhead and increases the opportunities for scheduling.

Function inlining under precise user control


Calls to small user functions can be replaced by the code they call. This saves the overhead of making a function call and creates additional opportunities for optimization by providing the optimizer with greater scope on which to work.

Inlining of intrinsic functions


Complete control over the way the compiler instantiates C++ templates.

Instruction scheduling


Instructions can be reordered in a way that improves the utilization of the fine-grained parallelism available on the target computer.

Network point expression rearrangement


Some optimizations of floating point expressions are mathematically equivalent, but are not necessarily always computationally equivalent. This aspect of optimization is under user control.

Interprocedural analysis


This allows the compiler to optimize code across more than one routine. Includes call modification analysis, inlining in C, address leakage detection in C and interprocedural register allocation.

Multi-compilation module code optimization features


It is a characteristic of optimization that it is possible to do a better job when more of the program is given to the compiler at one time. Given this characteristic, it is generally true that you will obtain better performance when more of the program is given to the compiler at a single invocation.

Common subexpression elimination


If a value that has already been computed is unnecessarily recomputed, the first result can be held in a processor register and reused instead of being recomputed. Sometimes the value is a repeated expression in the source code. Sometimes it is below the level of the source code.

Induction variable elimination


Loop control variables that are not needed can be eliminated. This situation is common in loops after strength reduction has been applied.

Partial template specialization


SNC supports template specializations where one or more of the template parameters remains unspecialized.

Control flow improvements


Several kinds of improvements can be applied to the control flow of the program. For example, unconditional transfers to unconditional transfer instructions can be eliminated.

• Build Tools

Linker


The linker provides accurate control over the position, allocation and alignment of code and data in memory. Unused function and data stripping controls enable the developer to minimize code size.

Assembler


The assembler is invoked automatically by the compiler driver to generate object modules. Debug information for source level debugging of assembly programs is provided.

• Visual Studio Integration

Integration of the above tools with Visual Studio .NET (2003) is achieved through Add-ins and Appwizards.

Build, edit and manage your project using the Visual Studio IDE


VSI will install a toolbar into Visual Studio to allow your ProDG build environment to be used by Visual Studio. Any feature natively available in Visual Studio is available to use in your PSP® project, for example, Source Safe controls.

Tight integration between the IDE and the ProDG Debugger


Once built, you can run/debug your game in the ProDG debugger from within Visual Studio. Breakpoints (including conditional information) are automatically transferred between the IDE and debugger, and files in the debugger source pane can be opened in Visual Studio from within the debugger.

Compiler and linker errors and warnings are output in Visual Studio format so that double-clicking on a build error in the output window opens the source file at the appropriate line in the Visual Studio editor.

ProDG build tool integration


Toolchain command-line switches, command-line arguments for the Debugger and ELF, and fileserving paths, can all be set via a configuration dialog within Visual Studio .NET.

Flexible Project Configurations


VSI .NET supports configuration-specific properties, for example different linker scripts could be used for debug and release builds.

Source browsing and Intellisense


Use Visual Studio's built in source browsing and Intellisense capabilities (when editing a C/C++ source) in your PSP® project, just as you would in a Win32 build.

Project dependencies


Full source dependency checking for C, C++ and assembler files during the build process.

• Target Manager

Load/Run executable files


Simple interface for loading and running executable files. Includes support for multiple module pre-loading.

Manage all development tools from your own PC


Manage PSP® development tools that is visible on a LAN. This includes visibility of hardware status, and the currently connected user.

Integrated, safe Kernel flashing


Update any PSP® development tools from a single location. Removes the need for an additional Linux PC.

Full file serving, including named pipes


File serving allows your application, running on the PSP® development tools, to access files located on your host PC. You can read your game data directly from your PC, saving you time and resources, and access file information such as size and access times directly from the PSP® development tools.

Furthermore, named pipe support provides a two-way communication channel between your application and the host PC. Now you can write software to control the PSP® development tools from your PC!

TTY output pane


View the output from the PSP® development tools in pre-defined streams or in user selectable formats. ANSI coloring is supported to improve legibility and resizable buffers allow you to save output for your test records and later analysis.

Target Manager Software Development Kit (SDK)


An SDK provides access to Target Manager functions from your own applications and plug-ins. It leaves you free to concentrate on your application, leaving target communications to the tried and tested Target Manager.

• Tuner - NEW!
• ProView - NEW!

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is supplied in PDF and HTML formats. Technical articles and FAQs are available in the developer technical support zone of the website.

Technical support

Technical support is provided via e-mail and telephone during normal UK business hours. We also provide support via the customer-only technical support zone of our website where the following services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

• Documentation and technical articles
  
• Downloads and updates
• FAQs
  

System requirements

• PC running Windows XP Professional.
• SCE PSP® development tools.

Availability

ProDG for PSP (which includes Tuner and ProView) is available to order at no additional cost via your SCE account manager.

'PSP' is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.