[S12 Debugging] I Can't debug in Codewarior

[jacekjanczura]

Dear friends I have an urgent question.

I can't debug one of the projects on S12 processor. On one project everything is working excellent but on the other something might be wrong with Processor Expert's settings. I can setup a breakpoint, but I can't stop the program on that breakpoint even if it is in the main function. I can check dynamically the variables so debugging should be possible. I can stop the processor via debugger but than I can't step in/over or go/continue once again. Sometimes the debugger is able to catch the breakpoint but only for a few seconds.  I checked everything, have changed the interrupts I read already everything connected with debugging in CodeWarior that I found in the internet. I checked the project on other boards so a processor and the board aren't damaged. Can you please tell me what could cause my problem.

Please help me I can't work without debuging

Jacek

I read :

http://www.nxp.com/files/soft_dev_tools/doc/ref_manual/CW_Debugger_HC12_RM.pdf  didn't help

[iggi]

Hi Jacek,

what exact S12 MCU do you use?

Does the same happen if you disable interrupts?

It's very probable that PE tool is causing such unexpected behavior of the debugger.

Is it possible for you to share the project so we can review?

Regards,

iggi

[jacekjanczura]

1. Processor is MC9S12XET256.

2. Disable interrupts in debugger options or disable interrupts in firmware? if in debugger, that it doesn't help.

3. I can send you project configuration on email (if you will provide me)

4. I've attached screenshot - first try to stop program was unsuccesful - it goes automatically again.

Second stop was correct, but after one step, program jumps to zeroed memory and I've get ILLEGAL_BP.

This is typical behaviour in this project. I have other project where I can debug smoothly, but there are many differences, e.g. no FreeRTOS.

[iggi]

Hi Jacek,

well, it's better to disable interrupts in firmware, just comment out EnableInterrupts; codeline or type in DisableInterrupts;

But, this might not be much of help since you are using RTOS which uses the interrupts a lot.

Now, looking at the screenshot, the code stucked in RAM. So, not sure if it caused by RTOS itself.

We think that the issue is with pointers and/or addressing. For example, the program is pointed to an _far address (RPAGE, PPAGE or GPAGE), but the pointer value is missing high byte.

The Illegal_BP is a typical SW thing. It means the debugger  lost (MCU behavior is different from behavior which debugger expects).

Typical root cause is unexpected interrupt or BDM communication is down. This is usually generated by the following causes:

_ unmapped interrupt vectors

_ watchdogs

_ jump, read or write to unimplemented addresses (could be due to inappropriate libraries).

_ stack overflow

Regards,

iggi