A hybrid real time performance analyser

Hybrid monitors attempt to take advantage of the complementary nature of hardware and software tools. Research into ways of dividing the monitoring functions between the hardware and software sections of a tool and co-ordinating their interaction has guided the design of an easy-touse hybrid performance anaLyser. The proposed tool can be added to an existing system or implemented as part of an integrated design of a new system. The real power of the tooL is in its ability to reduce and anaLyse the data being read. A hierarchy of performance measurement strategies is discussed. Execution time, execution path, execution frequency and stimuLus information can all be obtained without having to refer to the code of the moduLes, considerably simplifying the measurement process. Real-time analysis provides the information needed for model development and verification, module spectral anaLysis, bottle-neck analysis and adaptive system control.