Tag Archives: Debugging

Using Segger Real Time Terminal (RTT) with Eclipse

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I have used semihosting more and more in my projects. However, there are several disadvantage of using it:

  • Without special handlers, it only works with an active debug connection going on. Without a debugger attached, the application blocks otherwise.
  • Because it needs debugger interactions, it is rather slow (only several hundreds of bytes per second)

The good news is that Segger supports with their debug probes a faster approach with what they name Real Time Terminal (RTT). And it even runs without a debugger attached to the board: all what I need is a Segger J-Link probe (or Segger J-Link OpenSDA) plus a telnet client.

Segger RTT Viewer

Segger RTT Viewer

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Debugging ARM Cortex-M Hard Faults with GDB Custom Command

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In “A Processor Expert Component to Help with Hard Faults” I’m using a C handler with some assembly code, created with Processor Expert, to help me with debugging hard faults on ARM Cortex-M. Inspired by a GNU gdb script here, I have now an alternative way. As this approach is using the GDB command line approach, it works both with an Eclipse GUI and with using GDB in command line mode only :-).

GDB script to debug ARM Hard Faults
GDB script to debug ARM Hard Faults
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How to Reset an ARM Cortex-M with Software

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There are cases when I need to do a reset of the device by software. For example I have loaded the application image with the bootloader, and then I need to perform a reset of the microcontroller to do a restart. As a human user I can press the reset button on the board. But how to do this from the software and application running on the board, without user manual intervention? Or if I simply want to reset the system for whatever reason?

Performing a Software System Reset with Kinetis Design Studio
Performing a Software System Reset with Kinetis Design Studio
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Code Coverage with gcov, launchpad tools and Eclipse Kinetis Design Studio V3.0.0

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What makes Eclipse great: using open source tools there are a lot of tools and techniques available which usually are only provided for desktop development.

A while back I described how to do code coverage with Eclipse Kepler and the GNU ARM Embedded (launchpad) tools (see “Code Coverage for Embedded Target with Eclipse, gcc and gcov“). With Kinetis Design Studio out, time to do the same with that Eclipse distribution, especially as Freescale is now using the stock GNU ARM Embedded tools too.

Coverage with multiple Files

Coverage with multiple Files

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Merging NXP LPCXpresso IDE with Freescale Kinetis Design Studio, Processor Expert and Kinetis SDK

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So NXP announced here a $40 Billion Merger with Freescale. Frequent readers of my blog will know that I’m using in my own and university projects many Freescale devices with Eclipse based tools (Eclipse Kepler/Luna, Emprog ThunderBench, Atollic TrueSTUDIO, Freescale CodeWarrior and of Freescale Kinetis Design Studio) in combination with Processor Expert. In a few projects I have used NXP devices with the CodeRed Eclipse base tools too. So I was curious how that merger of the two silicon companies could look like, if you merge the Freescale and NXP Eclipse based tools, and mix it with Processor Expert and the Freescale Kinetis SDK? The result looks like this:

LPCXpresso v7.7.2 with Processor Expert and Kinetis SDK

LPCXpresso v7.7.2 with Processor Expert and Kinetis SDK

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Semihosting for Kinetis Design Studio V3.0.0 and GNU ARM Embedded (launchpad)

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Freescale has released the v3.0.0 version of the Kinetis Design Studio: this one comes with a great positive change: instead of a custom toolchain, it is coming with the standard GNU ARM Embedded (launchpad) toolchain from ARM. Beside of better code density and less RAM needed, there is one change which affects semihosting. Previously, semihosting was enabled by default in the V2.0.0 libraries. Now semihosting needs to be turned on. This post is how to do this.

Semihosting Console with Output in Eclipse

Semihosting Console with Output in Eclipse

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Solving “The connected emulator does not support serial wire output (SWO)” for Segger J-Link

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SWO (Serial Wire Output) is a cool feature defined by ARM as part of the CoreSight debug block. However, not every debug connection supports SWO, as it requries extra pins routed from the microcontroller to the debug JTAG/SWD header.

If I’m using the Segger J-Link, and if my hardware does not support SWO, I will get a dialog telling me “The connected emulator does not support serial wire output (SWO).”

The connected emulator does not support serial wire output (SWO)

The connected emulator does not support serial wire output (SWO)

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GDB Client and Server: Unlocking GDB

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In case you face problems with launching GDB: Then I have a quick solution (well: workaround): kill the GDB server and or client process. The problem can show up in many way, but in general gdb is stuck or does not respond:

GDB stuck?

GDB stuck?

But it could be an error message like this too:

Error in services launch sequence
Starting J-Link GDB Server timed out.

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Debugging the FRDM-K64F with P&E Multilink

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The FRDM-K64F board as other Freescale Freedom board have an onboard debugging device. For everyone who wants to debug the FRDM-K64F board with say a P&E Universal Multilink, here is my setup in case you do not get it working out of the box:

FRDM-K64F with P&E Multilink

FRDM-K64F with P&E Multilink (click to enlarge)

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