mitoujtag.jp

What It Is

MITOUJTAG is an integrated JTAG support software package developed by Tokushu Denshi Kairo Inc., aimed at debugging embedded devices such as FPGAs, CPUs, and CPLDs. Its core capability is “boundary-scan visualization”: it displays signals that are difficult to probe with an oscilloscope—such as those on the back side of BGA packages or inner layers of multilayer PCBs—in real time on a PC screen as H/L states, and can also operate actual IC pins via mouse actions.

Core Capabilities and Ecosystem

In terms of feature coverage, MITOUJTAG is not just a board inspection tool. It integrates a broad set of R&D debugging functions, including boundary-scan visualization, EXTEST pin control, a JTAG logic analyzer, FPGA/CPLD programming, Flash ROM read/write/erase/verify operations, CPU JTAG-ICE debugging, netlist import, and board testing. The JTAG logic analyzer can use any JTAG device as a multi-channel logic analysis tool, without embedding observation IP inside the FPGA. For scripting, the documentation mentions that boundary-scan operation flows can be described in C++, while generated board-test modes can use C; CPU debugging can also be connected remotely via GDB.

On the hardware ecosystem side, it supports cable connections from XILINX, ALTERA, Digilent, and others. It supports various XILINX FPGA/CPLD devices and configuration ROMs, some ALTERA and Lattice FPGAs, and indirect SPI ROM programming via FPGA. CPU debugging support includes SH2, SH2A, SH4, SH4A, V850, and RX. The website also lists real-board examples such as ZED Board, ZYBO-Z7, Arty, DE0-nano, and the i.MX series, suggesting that the product is strongly oriented toward practical hardware engineering work.

Pricing and Support

The main text shows a product line including MITOUJTAG Free, BASIC, and Pro, and claims pricing below 100,000 yen, which is much lower than many traditional tools in the same category. However, it does not provide clear details on version differences, licensing model, or payment methods. For support, the vendor emphasizes that it is Japan-developed software, with contact available by phone and email, and direct support from the developers. The site provides tutorials, FAQs, runtime environment information, supported device lists, and SPI ROM lists, so the documentation is fairly rich, though mainly in Japanese.

Pros, Cons, and Who It’s For

Its strengths are that it can operate I/O without modifying the FPGA bitstream or CPU program, making it suitable for continuity testing, early board bring-up, BGA signal tracing, and Flash programming. As a software-based tool, it can also reduce reliance on expensive oscilloscopes and logic analyzers. The limitations are that it depends on JTAG capabilities, is aimed at professional hardware debugging, and has a non-trivial learning curve. Publicly available materials do not clearly state the full pricing or whether any part is open source, and CPU debugger device coverage is also limited.

Access from China and Alternatives

There is no information in the source text about access from China, so this remains unknown for now; payment methods are also undisclosed. If procurement or access to the Japanese website is difficult, alternatives to consider include XJTAG, Corelis, JTAG Technologies, Lauterbach TRACE32, OpenOCD, or the JTAG toolchains provided by FPGA vendors.