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Discussion Groups | Rabbit-Semi | Re: Re: Newbie Rabbit vs. Netburner question...
This is a group for folks designing and programming embedded systems using the Rabbit Semiconductor C-programmable microcontroller. Rabbit Semi is a spin-off from Z-World who makes a variety of embedded modules and tools. This group is not affiliated with either Rabbit or Z-World, but is a user forum for sharing ideas, asking questions, flaunting knowledge, and other typical user group stuff. The Rabbit is a powerful uC, supported by a full-featured C-compiler.
Re: Re: Newbie Rabbit vs. Netburner question... - Richard Wayman - Mar 5 21:35:13 2008
Hi Alexis,
Let me add my two cents in here...
There are times when a good debugger can help to find a nasty problem. The same thing can be said about logic analyzers, voltmeters, oscilloscopes etc. However, your customer quite often has none of these tools when things go haywire and he is on the other side of the planet talking to you on the phone in the middle of the night. Most people do have access to "Hyperterminal" through a Serial or USB port though. By observing simple text messages it can then be reported what the device is doing in real-time, and in your language of choice.
Hence, I find myself often adding in printf's to a serial port just to keep tabs on what is going on. You probably need the serial interface to make manual settings for things like IP addresses anyway (you can't browse, telnet, or otherwise communicate with a device with an unknown IP address).
This commentary is obviously way over-simplified, but each of these tools has their place. I for one, like printfs running under normal operating conditions.
Rich
----- Original Message -----
From: Alexis
To: r...@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 10:11 AM
Subject: Re: [rabbit-semi] Re: Newbie Rabbit vs. Netburner question...
Most modern CPUs have JTAG on board debugging. It's a bonus and
simplifies debugging. Especially when you have vectored interrupt issues
(As I had on an ARM 9) yesterday.
Saves time, you can see the assembly code and the internal registers.
You don't have to recompile to print the data out of a serial port. And
to search/guess where to put the command.
Debugging by printing out of a serial port went out of fashion years
ago. The last time I used that technique was in 1999 on a Philips XAS3
CPU. Today I will never design a CPU onto my board without hardware
debugging features. It saves time. 10% of the time is spent coding and
90% of the time debugging. If you can reduce this debugging period you
become more productive and earn more $$.
A.
seulaterbuddy wrote:
>
> they have it, but i have never used it and have not read up on it.
>
> personally, i never did understand why anyone would need debugging /
> break points. there must be a reason because people use it and want
> it. for me if i am having trouble with something i just slap a printf
> there to see whats going on. Dont quite see why there would be a need
> for something more that that.
>
> --- In r...@yahoogroups.com
>, Mike van Meeteren
> wrote:
> >
> > How is NetBurner debugging? I have a kit but I haven't had a
> chance to
> > play with it yet. The thing I like about the Rabbit is the ability
> to
> > compile to RAM and set breakpoints and examine variables, much like
> a PC
> > program. How does NetBurner handle that?
> >
> > -Mike
> > --
> > Mike vanMeeteren FASTechnologies Corp.
> > Wakeboarding as much as possible, on a 2007 Air Nautique SV-211.
> >
>
>
(You need to be a member of rabbit-semi -- send a blank email to rabbit-semi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )
Let me add my two cents in here...
There are times when a good debugger can help to find a nasty problem. The same thing can be said about logic analyzers, voltmeters, oscilloscopes etc. However, your customer quite often has none of these tools when things go haywire and he is on the other side of the planet talking to you on the phone in the middle of the night. Most people do have access to "Hyperterminal" through a Serial or USB port though. By observing simple text messages it can then be reported what the device is doing in real-time, and in your language of choice.
Hence, I find myself often adding in printf's to a serial port just to keep tabs on what is going on. You probably need the serial interface to make manual settings for things like IP addresses anyway (you can't browse, telnet, or otherwise communicate with a device with an unknown IP address).
This commentary is obviously way over-simplified, but each of these tools has their place. I for one, like printfs running under normal operating conditions.
Rich
----- Original Message -----
From: Alexis
To: r...@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 10:11 AM
Subject: Re: [rabbit-semi] Re: Newbie Rabbit vs. Netburner question...
Most modern CPUs have JTAG on board debugging. It's a bonus and
simplifies debugging. Especially when you have vectored interrupt issues
(As I had on an ARM 9) yesterday.
Saves time, you can see the assembly code and the internal registers.
You don't have to recompile to print the data out of a serial port. And
to search/guess where to put the command.
Debugging by printing out of a serial port went out of fashion years
ago. The last time I used that technique was in 1999 on a Philips XAS3
CPU. Today I will never design a CPU onto my board without hardware
debugging features. It saves time. 10% of the time is spent coding and
90% of the time debugging. If you can reduce this debugging period you
become more productive and earn more $$.
A.
seulaterbuddy wrote:
>
> they have it, but i have never used it and have not read up on it.
>
> personally, i never did understand why anyone would need debugging /
> break points. there must be a reason because people use it and want
> it. for me if i am having trouble with something i just slap a printf
> there to see whats going on. Dont quite see why there would be a need
> for something more that that.
>
> --- In r...@yahoogroups.com
>
> wrote:
> >
> > How is NetBurner debugging? I have a kit but I haven't had a
> chance to
> > play with it yet. The thing I like about the Rabbit is the ability
> to
> > compile to RAM and set breakpoints and examine variables, much like
> a PC
> > program. How does NetBurner handle that?
> >
> > -Mike
> > --
> > Mike vanMeeteren FASTechnologies Corp.
> > Wakeboarding as much as possible, on a 2007 Air Nautique SV-211.
> >
>
>
(You need to be a member of rabbit-semi -- send a blank email to rabbit-semi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com )