Where Tools Come From
Most DSP processor vendors develop their tools in-house, and there are several advantages to this approach. No-one knows a processor’s architecture better than its vendor. Therefore, the vendor is typically best equipped to create an efficient compiler. Also, the processor vendor usually knows the needs of its customers and can tailor its tools to support specific target applications.

But there are also downsides to home-grown tools. Not all processor vendors have the resources or know-how to create a top-notch tool suite, and users may have to learn a completely new set of tools if they switch processor vendors.

In contrast to DSP processor vendors, most general-purpose processor vendors use outside companies to provide their tool suites. The processor vendor may provide the back-end for the compiler, but almost everything else—including the IDE—is created by the outside company. One of the largest independent tool providers is Green Hills Software, which provides tools for a wide range of general-purpose processors, as well as for several DSPs. From the user’s perspective, an advantage to this approach is that the tool provider is (presumably) very experienced in developing tools that are user-friendly, stable, and efficient. A further benefit is that the user interface is common among many processors. But the tool developer may not have designed the tools to meet the special needs of signal processing software developers.

Some companies try to achieve the best of both worlds. ChipWrights, for example, is a company that sells chips intended for use in image processing products like digital cameras. Its tool suite was mostly developed by Metrowerks, but the suite also includes a home-grown tool called an “Image Viewer” that allows the user to view an image stored in memory. (See Figure 2.) This sort of feature is not common in software tools; it was developed specifically with the needs of ChipWrights’ customers in mind.