Off-Target Environment
Overview
Two of the largest barriers to embedded developer productivity are long build/test cycles and scarce target hardware. Fortunately, STRIDE's cross-platform capabilities make it possible to run STRIDE in a host-only Off-Target Configuration that emulates your target system. All of the supplied samples run identically under either the Off-Target environment or your actual target. In addition, any test code you write will also run in either environment. This enables the user to create their own sandbox for training and Off-Target unit testing.
The Off-Target Environment utilizes the Framework's "SDK" that can be built and executed on the host system. The STRIDE Runner application executes on the same system and communicates with the "target" process over a TCP/IP connection. This set up frees you from external hardware dependencies and provides for a rapid "edit/build/test" cycle.
Prerequisites
To simplify training, we recommend using a single Windows or Linux (x86) computer for both the target and host systems. Host and target code will run in separate processes and communicate via TCP/IP, thus simulating an embedded target with host computer configuration. All code and techniques used in the Off-Target Environment are directly transferable to a production environment.
Please complete and verify the following prerequisites:
- Desktop Installation
- Host system development toolchain installation. For Windows Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 or later is required. If you don't already have Visual Studio, the free Visual C++ Express can be used (download here). For Linux the GNU Compiler Collection (included by default in almost all Linux distros) is required.
- Build a TestApp and successful execute built-in diagnostics.
