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QNX Momentics IDE User's Guide
This User's Guide describes version 7.1 of the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that's part of the QNX Momentics tool suite.
JTAG: Debugging with Lauterbach TRACE32
The Lauterbach TRACE32® In-Circuit Debugger (TRACE32-ICD) supports the JTAG onchip interface so you can perform hardware debugging of QNX Neutrino systems through the QNX Momentics IDE.
Starting a TRACE32-ICD debugging session
When the QNX OS image is running on your target, the TRACE32 TCF plugin is installed in the IDE, and you've created a debug configuration, you're ready to debug your target using the TRACE32-ICD.

QNX Momentics IDE User's Guide
This User's Guide describes version 7.1 of the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that's part of the QNX Momentics tool suite.
- Working with QNX Momentics IDE
  QNX Momentics IDE provides a graphical environment for developing, running, debugging, and profiling applications.
- Developing Projects with the IDE
  To use the QNX Momentics IDE to write applications targeted for QNX Neutrino systems, you must define projects, which are containers that store your source code, configuration files, and binary files.
- Debugging Applications
  The IDE allows you to debug a running application, a library used by the application, or a core file.
- Unit Testing
  The IDE lets you use commercial test frameworks to write unit tests and then execute them by launching a project. While running a test program, you can use the Code Coverage tool to determine how much of the code is exercised (covered) by your tests.
- Analyzing Memory Usage and Finding Memory Problems
  QNX Momentics IDE lets you run Memory Analysis and several Valgrind (pronounced val-grinned) tools to find memory problems such as leaks and corruption, and to measure memory usage of programs. It also provides the QNX System Information perspective so you can learn which processes are consuming memory or other resources excessively.
- Analyzing Performance
  QNX Momentics IDE works with the Application Profiler and Valgrind (pronounced val-grinned) Cachegrind tools, which measure the performance of programs running on QNX targets. It also offers the QNX System Information perspective for viewing performance-related metrics.
- Analyzing System Behavior
  Many IDE tools allow you to find errors and optimize applications, but to ensure that your embedded system behaves well, you need to use system-wide diagnostic tools. The QNX System Information and QNX System Profiler tools help you understand process and thread interaction on the target, reduce application and system startup times, and debug deadlock and improper CPU usage levels.
- Building QNX OS Images
  Using the IDE's QNX System Builder feature, you can generate OS images, which are bootable images that contain startup code, the QNX Neutrino RTOS, your applications, and any data files used by your applications. The IDE supports image building by allowing you to transfer an image to a target board.
- Reference
  The reference topics provide information about QNX Momentics IDE features and workflows that isn't covered in the chapters related to developing projects or debugging, testing, and analyzing applications.
- JTAG: Debugging with Lauterbach TRACE32
  The Lauterbach TRACE32® In-Circuit Debugger (TRACE32-ICD) supports the JTAG onchip interface so you can perform hardware debugging of QNX Neutrino systems through the QNX Momentics IDE.
  - Prerequisites
    There are hardware and software requirements for the Lauterbach TRACE32 In-Circuit Debugger.
  - Installing the Lauterbach TRACE32 In-Circuit Debugger software
    To use the TRACE32-ICD either stand-alone or as a TCF agent, you have to install the appropriate software on your host. It's recommended to use the latest TRACE32 software version. For TCF, use at least the February 2016 version.
  - Installing the Target Communication Framework (TCF) in the IDE
    The TCF is an Eclipse framework designed for simplifying communication between development tools and embedded devices. This extensible, vendor-agnostic framework allows you to use the TRACE32-ICD through the IDE to debug QNX Neutrino targets.
  - Installing the TRACE32 TCF Eclipse plugin
    Lauterbach offers an Eclipse plugin that lets you configure the TRACE32-ICD through a debug configuration created in the IDE. This is simpler than using a configuration file or the T32Start program.
  - Building applications and an OS image for TRACE32-ICD debugging
    The TRACE32-ICD needs debug symbols to debug an OS image and the applications within it. To provide these symbols, you must modify the buildfile of your QNX System Builder project to include the debug versions of application binaries and to create symbol files for the startup script and QNX Neutrino microkernel, procnto.
  - Creating a TRACE32 startup script
    To work with the TRACE32-ICD, you need to configure it for your specific hardware and OS image. You can automate the configuration by creating a startup script.
  - Creating a launch configuration for debugging an OS image
    When you install the TRACE32 TCF plugin in the IDE, a new launch configuration type is added. You can then create a configuration of this type to use the TRACE32-ICD on a QNX OS image.
  - Starting a TRACE32-ICD debugging session
    When the QNX OS image is running on your target, the TRACE32 TCF plugin is installed in the IDE, and you've created a debug configuration, you're ready to debug your target using the TRACE32-ICD.
QNX Software Development Platform
QNX SDP is a cross-compiling and debugging environment, including an IDE and command-line tools, for building binary images and programs for target boards running QNX Neutrino 7.1.
QNX Hypervisor
The QNX Hypervisor allows you to run multiple OSs on a target system so you can separate critical and non-critical functions, support a wide variety of applications, and reduce hardware costs.
QNX Software in the Cloud
QNX Software in the Cloud enables developers to use the QNX software in Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure (Azure).
QNX Advanced Virtualization Frameworks User's Guide
This User's Guide is aimed at all systems integrators and developers who want to design and build embedded systems using the QNX Advanced Virtualization Frameworks.
Typographical Conventions, Support, and Licensing
This section describes the typographical conventions used throughout the documentation and explains how to obtain technical support.

Starting a TRACE32-ICD debugging session

When the QNX OS image is running on your target, the TRACE32 TCF plugin is installed in the IDE, and you've created a debug configuration, you're ready to debug your target using the TRACE32-ICD.

To start a JTAG debugging session using the TRACE32-ICD:

Click the dropdown arrow in the TRACE32 button () and select your debug configuration to start the TRACE32 software.

The IDE adds this button near the launch bar when you install the TRACE32 TCF plugin.
When the TRACE32 software starts, wait until it completes execution of the startup script.
Select Run > Debug Configurations.
In the list on the left, double-click Target Communication Framework to create a new configuration.

The configuration tabs appear in the main area of the window.
Provide a unique name in the Name text field at the top.
Click the Target tab on the left to access the fields for configuring the target for the TCF connection.
Clear the Use local host as the target checkbox.
In the Available targets list area, select TRACE32.
Click Debug.

The IDE switches to the Debug perspective starts a debugging session by connecting to the TRACE32 software through the TCF plugin. The TRACE32 software controls the TRACE32-ICD module.

The Debug views display the target processes and threads, the source code, register contents, and other essential debugging information. The debugging controls let you set breakpoints, step through the code, and stop and resume execution.

Screenshot of Debug perspective showing source code and registers for target thread being debugged through TCF connection

Page updated: March 12, 2026