GDB Stub/ debugging without JTAG via UART

[ICONDev]

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]

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]

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]

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