The previous parts were about installation, project setup and building. This one is about debugging an ARM Cortex-M Microcontroller with Visual Studio Code:
Visual Studio Code for C/C++ with ARM Cortex-M: Part 4 – Debug
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Category Archives: Debugging
Visual Studio Code for C/C++ with ARM Cortex-M: Part 1 – Installation
For a few months I’m learning and using Rust. I’m still learning, but I’m very impressed by the powerful and cool programming language, the vibrant ecosystem, the advanced concepts behind it and by the tools. With learning Rust I have been using the Visual Studio Code IDE and it works great for Rust. But I was wondering: could I use it for my ‘usual’ C/C++ development on ARM Cortex-M devices too? The answer is a clear ‘yes’, and this mini series of articles should get you up and running too.
Attach with the Debugger to a Running Target
Sometime I’m pretty sure I wrote about a topic I can find or refer to, and I was pretty sure I did write about ‘attaching to a running target’ using MCUXpresso IDE in an article, but Google does not find it? The only rational outcome is that I can blame Google and I have to come up with a potential duplicate ;-).
Anyway: attaching to a running target is such an essential life saver it deserves a dedicated article.
New MCUXpresso IDE v11.3.1
NXP has released an updated version of the Eclipse based MCUXpresso IDE: the V11.3.1 is an update of the v11.3.0 I wrote about it back in January this year.
The release includes new device support, and beside of bug fixes includes a few new things.
Continue readingDebug Firmware Switching for the LPC4322
In “Freelink LPC4322JET100 based Debug Circuit on NXP i.MX RT1064-EVK Board” I described how to change the factory firmware from OpenSDA to the LPC-Link2 one.
Now it is possible to use a Segger J-Link firmware too, or to switch back to the factory default one.
Continue reading“java.net.SocketException: Connection reset”: Check your Windows Updates!
One of the most frustrating part developing embedded applications is if the debug connection fails somehow: with all the different factors like operating system, virtual machines, USB ports and hubs, debug probe and firmware a ‘connection failed’ is my nightmare. And this is probably the most frustrating parts for my students (and myself!)
I do have a growing list of tips & tricks in “Debugging Failure: Check List and Hints“, so check this list. What I just have added is an entry for
java.net.SocketException: Connection reset
It occurred for a few students when they wanted to use the on-board CMSIS-DAP LinkServer debug connection on the NXP LPC845-BRK.
NXP LPC845-BRK Board
Tutorial: GNU Coverage with MCUXpresso IDE
If you are developing Linux or desktop applications with GNU tools, you very likely are familiar with gcov: the GNU coverage tool. It collects data what parts of the code gets executed and represents that in different formats, great to check what is really used in the application code or what has been covered during multiple test runs.
Coverage Information with gcov
line never executed
GNU coverage is possible for resource constraint embedded systems too: it still needs some extra RAM and code space, but very well spent for gathering metrics and improves the firmware quality. As I wrote in “MCUXpresso IDE V11.3.0 for 2021” things are now easier to use, so here is a short tutorial how to use it.
assert(), __FILE__, Path and other cool GNU gcc Tricks to be aware of
It is always good to have a close look what ends up in a microcontroller FLASH memory. For example using EHEP Eclipse plugin to inspect the binary file:
Source File Name in Binary Image
Obviously it has path and source file information in it. Why is that? And is this really needed?
What about:
- Privacy: the path or file name might expose information (secret project name?) or might be used for reverse engineering?
- Size: The strings add up to the final data/FLASH size, so this increases the need for ROM space?
So let’s have a look what is the reason for this and how it could be avoided or at least reduced.
Hey Google: Find ‘Error from StubMonSemihost: “monitor” command not supported by this target.’
Something what I say quite often is: “Google is your friend”. It means that the answer to many questions can be found with an internet search engine. And I have to admit that I have to ‘google’ my own articles to find solutions for problems I feel I have seen in the past too :-).
But for the one problem below I did not find anything: not on my own blog, and not anywhere else in the internet:
Exception
MCUXpresso IDE V11.3.0 for 2021
I’m in the middle of the university exam season: means writing exams and do grading. The same time the new semester is approaching too and I need to prepare the new course material. For the classes using NXP parts I’m using the Eclipse based MCUXpresso IDE, and I just received the announcement that a new version V11.3.0 is available: time to check out what is new.
MCUXpresso IDE v11.3.0 (Build 5222)
MCU on Eclipse 