Apparatus and method for controlling assertion of a trigger signal to processing circuitry

A method of operating an apparatus to control assertion of a trigger signal to processing circuitry, comprising:

• receiving program instruction execution information indicative of a program instruction executed by the processing circuitry, and performing an evaluation operation to determine with reference to evaluation information whether the program instruction execution information indicates presence of a trigger condition;
• asserting a trigger signal to the processing circuitry in dependence on whether said trigger condition is determined to be present;
• receiving event information indicative of at least one event occurring within the processing circuitry, and determining with reference to filter control information and said event information whether a qualifying condition is present;
• and
• on determining that the qualifying condition is absent, preventing the presence of the trigger condition being taken into account when determining whether to assert the trigger signal.

An apparatus, comprising:

• evaluation means for receiving program instruction execution information indicative of a program instruction executed by processing circuitry, and for performing an evaluation operation to determine with reference to evaluation information whether the program instruction execution information indicates presence of a trigger condition;
• trigger signal generation means for asserting a trigger signal to the processing circuitry in dependence on whether said trigger condition is determined to be present;
• and
• filter means for receiving event information indicative of at least one event occurring within the processing circuitry, and for determining with reference to filter control information and said event information whether a qualifying condition is present;
• the filter means further, on determining that the qualifying condition is absent, for preventing the presence of the trigger condition being notified to the trigger signal generation means.