ANN: Pluto Visual Debugger for Assembly programs using Serial Monitor

[englere]

I just released version 1.0 of Pluto. Pluto is an open source visual debugger for Windows that works with embedded devices using the AN2548 Serial Monitor.

Pluto integrates well with my open source IDE, AsmIDE, and uses programs that were compiled with the open source as12 assembler.

I'll add support for other debugging options later, like BDM and d-bug12. I'll also look into supporting C language debugging when I have some time.

The 9s12C32 is especially well suited for students and hobbiests because it's a low cost part that has cool boards available that use a DIP form factor, making them great for prototyping. Both Technological Arts and Wytec make these boards, as well as docking boards and other cool stuff. There are other companies who make these parts but I don't know much about their offerings.

Until now this was a difficult chip to use because it uses the Serial Monitor, which doesn't have a text mode interface. Fortunately, Alex Harvey wrote the uBug12 program to let people use a text interface similar to that offered by d-bug12. But it's still more difficult to use text mode debugging in today's world where we rely on nice GUI interfaces, so Pluto fills that gap.

Special thanks go to Alex Harvey of Technological Arts and Wayne Chu of Wytec for their support!

Eric Engler
http://www.ericengler.com/Pluto.aspx

[kwik]

Eric ; I just ordered a couple of those 40 pin boards from Wytec to play with. (www.evbplus.com)

The surface mounted chips nowaday stops me for making myown pcbs ;
(You need to much expensive tools to mount chips ...)

So the 40 pin boards makes it possible for me to make adapter boards with different functionality .I can design these adapter boards myself. Then I just plug the 40 pin wytec boards in ,and voila !

I use software from www.expresspcb.com to make my little adapter boards.

[imajeff]

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kwik wrote:
The surface mounted chips nowaday stops me for making myown pcbs ;
(You need to much expensive tools to mount chips ...)

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kwik, I agree that it's nice to have this module, esp. when it includes all the overhead circuitry (xtal, filter, serial RS232).

One thing though, I find it sometimes easier (not harder) to solder these surface mount chips. The tool I require is a small-tip solder iron (quite normal). Normally no solder is needed, just flux paste (quite low cost).

My reference is the Kevin Ross Learning Center

[rocco]

And you don't need a soldering iron either.

I put all of the SMT parts down in the solder-paste, and then re-flow the whole board in a toaster oven.

[imajeff]

Some boards are already tinned enough that I would not even need to add any type of soler or solder paste, just flux.

P.S. I emphasise this because solder paste can be kind of expensive

Message Edited by imajeff on 2006-08-25 04:12 PM

[kwik]

I had no idea this was the case. You learn something new every day!!!!