GDB Stub/ debugging without JTAG via UART

ICONDev
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:12 pm

GDB Stub/ debugging without JTAG via UART

Postby ICONDev » Mon Jun 22, 2020 6:20 am

Hi Guys,

we have a custom hardware design, unfortunately we have no chance using a JTAG debugger because we need those pins for other things like Sd Card interface and other peripherials. No chance to strip this down.
So the one and only possibility is using the UART interface /the one which is the terminal interface).
When a crash happens we have always a hard time to debug, we work with back trace or we are enabling the the gdb stub handler, which automatically starts the gdb after a crash. The documentation for using the gdb in this case is very poor (maybe I miss something), also the possibilities in interacting are limited without JTAG.

a. Is there a better implementation of a GDB stub available which allows better debugging via UART Terminal interface?

b. Is there a documentation available? (what does the gdb stub really support without JTAG which is usefull, small examples would be nice. Knowing that e.g. breakpoints are not possible)

c. Is it possible to use the GDB from e.g. Eclipse to work with the ESP gdb stub without JTAG? (instead of the painfull console environment?)

Thanks in advance

Juergen

ESP_Sprite
Posts: 9708
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 4:08 am

Re: GDB Stub/ debugging without JTAG via UART

Postby ESP_Sprite » Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:01 am

In general, the GDB stub is forensic only. That means that anything that assumes the processor can resume execution (continue command, breakpoints, evaluating functions called by the debugger) will not work. I don't know about what Eclipse assumes a gdbstub can do, but I can imagine it should work with it as long as you do not touch any Eclipse commands that would cause the processor to execute something.

ICONDev
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:12 pm

Re: GDB Stub/ debugging without JTAG via UART

Postby ICONDev » Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:28 am

thank you for the quick response. Does espressif intend improving the gdb stub for uart debugging and/ or write some documentation for that?

Juergen

ESP_Sprite
Posts: 9708
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 4:08 am

Re: GDB Stub/ debugging without JTAG via UART

Postby ESP_Sprite » Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:49 am

I think there have been some ideas for improving it, but I do not know the priority or timeframe of those, sorry.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 85 guests