Anyone using a Generic JTAG programmer?

[jfrey]

After running into this issue programming the devkits, I've given up on PEMicro and "Open"SDA and am going to move onto JTAG.

Has anyone tried a generic JTAG device for programming? I'm looking at either using my BusPirate or MPSSE FTCJTAG. Or anything else I can grab that OpenOCD supports.

[robertapplebaum]

Abatron Linux BDI Debug Tool 

We just released a GDB debugger for PowerPC only - very similar to BDI user interface

[jamesmurray]

Hi,

a few years back I worked on OpenOCD with the TRK-MPC5634M eval board. That board comes with a J60 based OSBDM on-board, the source code is available for that so all its features can be understood. JTAG bit-streams are sent over USB.

My OpenOCD work is far from complete, but I am able to flash firmware and do source level debugging with breakpoints and watchpoints. I have not yet released my work, but I am happy to share it. Perhaps you could find some students to work on it?

I'm sure the Lauterbach debug tool is a great piece of equipment, but it is in the order of £4000 and out of my current budget.

I'm now looking to work on the MPC57xx chips. The debug module "OnCE" looks to be a superset of the one in the MPC5634M and I'm hoping that it won't be a huge task to add the support. Dual processors does add complication though. My current plan is to cut the traces on the 5634 board and use that OSBDM to connect to the JTAG header on the new eval board.

The documentation for the MPC57xx seems better than the 5634 as it brings it all together, while previously the needed pieces were spread amongst numerous documents and application notes.

James

[jfrey]

James,

I found your posts pertaining to it in mailing lists. It sounds interesting and a potential lead.

Right now I'm looking at the BusPirate and binary JTAG protocol. I've never done any JTAG before so the whole thing is a learning experience but I'm hacking through some other boards. It'd be an external device but would allow me to flash from a RaspberryPi.

I haven't checked to see if OpenSDA shows up as a serial port on ARM boards. If so flashing via BusPirate and using USB as just serial. Alternatively there are some CAN shields and devices that would allow interacting via CAN.

Regards, 

- Jed.

[jamesmurray]

Since my last post I had an interesting development...

I found that as-shipped, S32 Design Studio has a driver for the P&E OSBDM included on the TRKMPC5634M eval board. It works.

Before looking into extending OpenOCD for the 57XX I did look on P&E's site and wasn't able to find any products that supported Linux and 57xx devices. However, the support for P&E OSBDM is in S32DS there and works (albeit slowly.) I hacked the 56 eval board to extract the JTAG wires and connected them to the 5746R daughterboard and it is working fine so far. I have yet to email P&E to clarify the situation regarding their purchasable debug hardware.

regards

James

[martin_kovar]

Hello,

there are some other companies which provide debug tools. You can use for example PLS or iSystem debuggers or there is Lauterbach debugger which is the best tool you can buy.

Please check the link below. See sections emulators/probes and debuggers and runtime analysis

MPC574xB/C/G|32-bit MCU|Gateway|NXP 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to write me back.

Regards,

Martin

[nxppower912935]

Hi !

Olimex is another debugger manufacturer, but not including PPC as for as I can see. (I haven't ask them though)

Debugger hardware is one thing, software another. The most expert debugger are surely Lauterbach, iSystems and PLS. All ridiculous expensive of course, not suitable for University. Hardware probes cost in the thousands (2000-3000 single), but software is amazing and allows scripting, e.g. therefore automating tests.

Personally, I'd prefer PEMicro probes including ARM support, however PEMicro looks like from the 90s ... and for that, is too expensive.

I find download speeds most annoying using Eclipse, GDB and OpenSDA, but I have seen worse, e.g. flashing ECUs with vFlash can take in the minutes.

STLink also works nice, but that is STM32...not NXP PPC.

I actually ran into Jtag problems with Xilinx Debugger not long ago ... sold it ... OpenSDA works fast and good for Xilinx FPGAs ...

XJTAG is another name out there: Products - JTAG Boundary Scan / PCB Test & Programming - XJTAG  ... (I don't know if they have experience and support for Power)

Best,

LS