Simple and Efficient Visualization of Embedded System Events and Data

[BPrem.1]

This release introduces the latest version of RTEdbg, a high-performance toolkit engineered for real-time embedded system analysis and debugging. The latest update streamlines event visualization via VCD viewers and introduces FreeRTOS trace integration, alongside several core enhancements.

Unlike traditional logging and tracing solutions (such as Tracealyzer or SystemView), RTEdbg provides deep runtime insights with a minimal footprint. Its logging functions are significantly faster than commercial alternatives and consume substantially less stack space, making it the ideal choice for both resource-constrained devices and complex, large-scale RTOS-based systems.

Relying solely on classical debuggers often feels like "flying blind" when managing intricate timing and RTOS scheduling. RTEdbg bridges this gap by providing:

• VCD-based visualization for synchronized event and data tracking.
• RTOS trace support for better scheduling visibility.
• Enhanced trace macros allowing you to log any data type for deeper system transparency.

As an open-source tool, RTEdbg is accessible for any project, regardless of budget. It supports both application-level and RTOS event visualization (check out our FreeRTOS demo) and offers flexible data export for custom visualization and analysis.

See also this independent review.

[mƎALLEm]

Hello and thank you for the sharing.

I didn't find (may be I missed something): from which link one can download that "visualizer" tool? :

And what PC OS are supported? Windows? Linux? MacOS?

[Kraal]

From the md readme file on github, it appears to be GTKWave.

[Andrew Neil]

Does this require FreeRTOS, or can it also be used bare metal?

[BPrem.1]

The toolkit is designed to be system-agnostic. RTOS tracing (RTOS event visualization) is an extension of the core bare-metal functionality.

[BPrem.1 · Accepted solution]

The toolkit includes a library of functions and macros for binary data logging, the RTEgetData utility for transferring data to the host (via a debug probe/GDB or serial channel), and the RTEmsg tool, which decodes and exports data to various formats as defined by the developer. This includes CSV for graphing, VCD for visualization, and more. While visualization and graphing tools are not bundled with the toolkit, the open-source GTKWave viewer is highly recommended. To help users navigate its complexity, we have included a "GTKWave - Quick Introduction and Shortcuts" guide for a faster start.

Currently, the toolkit’s software tools run on Windows. While RTEmsg and RTEgetData have been experimentally ported to Linux, they have not yet undergone a full code review or detailed testing and are therefore excluded from the official release. A macOS version is not currently planned. However, third-party visualization tools like GTKWave are available across all major operating systems (Unix, Win32, and macOS). My colleague is also exploring the idea of server-side binary data decoding for users who do not test on Windows-based machines.

[BPrem.1]

Any VCD viewer can be used, but GTKWave is recommended. RTEmsg automatically generates a GTKWave configuration file, allowing data to be displayed immediately without the developer having to manually select signals or data ranges.