J-Trace PRO Cortex-A/R

The J-Trace PRO Cortex-A/R is the dedicated trace variant for Arm Cortex-A and Cortex-R application and real-time processors. Where Cortex-M trace probes focus on microcontroller-class targets, the Cortex-A/R variant addresses the unique challenges of tracing high-performance application processors running Linux, RTOS kernels, and safety-critical real-time firmware, capturing every instruction at full processor speed for complete execution visibility.

Cortex-A/R Trace Protocols

Cortex-A and Cortex-R cores use ETM (Embedded Trace Macrocell) and PTM (Program Trace Macrocell) trace encoders that generate significantly higher trace data rates than Cortex-M targets. The J-Trace PRO Cortex-A/R handles these rates with a 4-bit trace port running at up to 150 MHz trace clock (300 MHz TPIU frequency), streaming trace data continuously over USB 3.0 SuperSpeed to the host. ETB (Embedded Trace Buffer) readout is also supported for targets with on-chip trace buffers, providing an alternative capture path when external trace pins are unavailable.

Hardware-based code coverage extracts MC/DC, branch, and statement metrics directly from the trace stream, essential for safety certification under IEC 61508, ISO 26262, and DO-178C in automotive, industrial, and aerospace applications where Cortex-R cores are widely deployed.

Specifications

The J-Trace PRO Cortex-A/R is the right choice for teams developing on Cortex-A application processors or Cortex-R safety-critical real-time systems who need full instruction trace, code coverage, and execution profiling without the overhead of software instrumentation.