Hello, I am working on an industrial automation project that involves programming the i188 PC-compatible controller with embedded DOS and several serial ports. What options do I have for debugging on this hardware? Specifications of the controller: CPU 80188 or compatible, 40 MHz (RDC R-8820, clone of Am188ES ?) SRAM 512KBytes Flash 512KBytes EEPROM 2KBytes COM 0 Internal communication with the I/O modules COM 1 RS-232 (system console is here) COM 2 RS-485 COM 3 RS-232/RS-485 COM 4 RS-232 Model: ICPDAS I-8411 Detailed spec: http://www.icpdas.com/products/PAC/i-8000/i-8411-i-8811.htm The controller has DOS-compatible OS in the boot sector of its Flash disk (first 64K), called MiniOS7. Flash disk has rudimentary file system: no directories, only full erase (OS is not affected since it resides in boot sector). There is no video card, but serial RS-232 console can be used instead. (COM 1) For development I can use any compiler (I program in 'C') that can target DOS and i186. Manufacturer supplies system library (LIB and H files) that I link to my program for interfacing with controller's devices. Then I'm supposed to transfer binary to controller using manufacturer's terminal program. Are there any DOS-targetting 'C' compilers that have what I need - remote debugging via RS-232? Regards, Nickolai Leschov
Remote debugging via serial
Started by ●January 16, 2008
Reply by ●January 16, 20082008-01-16
On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:59:10 +0300, Nickolai Leschov wrote:> Hello, > > I am working on an industrial automation project that involves > programming the i188 PC-compatible controller with embedded DOS and > several serial ports. What options do I have for debugging on this > hardware? > > Specifications of the controller: > CPU 80188 or compatible, 40 MHz (RDC R-8820, clone of Am188ES ?) SRAM > 512KBytes > Flash 512KBytes > EEPROM 2KBytes > COM 0 Internal communication with the I/O modules COM 1 RS-232(system> console is here) COM 2 RS-485 > COM 3 RS-232/RS-485 > COM 4 RS-232 > Model: ICPDAS I-8411 > Detailed spec: > http://www.icpdas.com/products/PAC/i-8000/i-8411-i-8811.htm > > The controller has DOS-compatible OS in the boot sector of its Flash > disk (first 64K), called MiniOS7. Flash disk has rudimentary file > system: no directories, only full erase (OS is not affected since it > resides in boot sector). There is no video card, but serial RS-232 > console can be used instead. (COM 1) > > For development I can use any compiler (I program in 'C') that can > target DOS and i186. Manufacturer supplies system library (LIB and H > files) that I link to my program for interfacing with controller's > devices. Then I'm supposed to transfer binary to controller using > manufacturer's terminal program. > > Are there any DOS-targetting 'C' compilers that have what I need - > remote debugging via RS-232? > > Regards, > Nickolai LeschovAbout a decade ago I was using the Paradigm debugger on '188 based systems -- it did everything you could ever hope for a serial debugger to do, with very little muss or fuss. I don't know where they are now, but it's worth checking on the name on the web. -- Tim Wescott Control systems and communications consulting http://www.wescottdesign.com Need to learn how to apply control theory in your embedded system? "Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" by Tim Wescott Elsevier/Newnes, http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
Reply by ●January 16, 20082008-01-16
In article <fmko1u$sv0$4@aioe.org>, Nickolai Leschov says...> The controller has DOS-compatible OS in the boot sector of its Flash > disk (first 64K), called MiniOS7. Flash disk has rudimentary file > system: no directories, only full erase (OS is not affected since it > resides in boot sector). There is no video card, but serial RS-232 > console can be used instead. (COM 1) > > For development I can use any compiler (I program in 'C') that can > target DOS and i186. Manufacturer supplies system library (LIB and H > files) that I link to my program for interfacing with controller's > devices. Then I'm supposed to transfer binary to controller using > manufacturer's terminal program. > > Are there any DOS-targetting 'C' compilers that have what I need - > remote debugging via RS-232?Borland had such a program (called tdremote IIRC). It was a TSR so you would need at least that much DOS compatibility. You might check with them and see if it still exists (maybe in the community version?) Robert -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
Reply by ●January 16, 20082008-01-16
On Jan 16, 7:31=A0pm, Robert Adsett <s...@aeolusdevelopment.com> wrote:> Borland had such a program (called tdremote IIRC). =A0It was a TSR so you > would need at least that much DOS compatibility. =A0You might check with > them and see if it still exists (maybe in the community version?)Wasn't TDREMOTE part of Turbo Debugger, a separate package? The free version of Borland C++ last I checked was 5.5, which targets Win32 only :( However, Open Watcom includes a serial debugger <http:// www.openwatcom.org/index.php/Advanced_Debugging> and best of all it's free :))) Watcom C/C++ was my favorite development environment for DOS and OS/2. (I could never afford VisualAge).
Reply by ●January 17, 20082008-01-17
In message <9104158d-d8c4-4cc2-8417-0df5d9d05ec2@j78g2000hsd.googlegroups.com>, larwe <zwsdotcom@gmail.com> writes>On Jan 16, 7:31�pm, Robert Adsett <s...@aeolusdevelopment.com> wrote: > >> Borland had such a program (called tdremote IIRC). �It was a TSR so you >> would need at least that much DOS compatibility. �You might check with >> them and see if it still exists (maybe in the community version?) > >Wasn't TDREMOTE part of Turbo Debugger, a separate package? The free >version of Borland C++ last I checked was 5.5, which targets Win32 >only :(I am sure Turbo C V3 did both DOS and win3 . I believe that is also freely available. -- \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ \/\/\/\/\ Chris Hills Staffs England /\/\/\/\/ /\/\/ chris@phaedsys.org www.phaedsys.org \/\/\ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Reply by ●January 17, 20082008-01-17
Tim Wescott wrote:> About a decade ago I was using the Paradigm debugger on '188 based > systems -- it did everything you could ever hope for a serial debugger to > do, with very little muss or fuss. >Thanks for the advice, Tim I don't remember I heard of this name before (Paradigm) I'll try it. Regards, Nickolai Leschov
Reply by ●January 17, 20082008-01-17
larwe wrote:> On Jan 16, 7:31 pm, Robert Adsett <s...@aeolusdevelopment.com> wrote: > >> Borland had such a program (called tdremote IIRC). It was a TSR so you >> would need at least that much DOS compatibility. You might check with >> them and see if it still exists (maybe in the community version?)Thanks, I have found tdremote. I managed to get Borland C++ versions 3.1 (the last one with TurboVision DOS IDE) and 5.02 (the last full version) Both of them have tdremote, and v. 5.02 even seems to have newer version (I expected that they discontinued or dropped it with the DOS IDE) I transferred and ran it on the controller, but the controller would just reboot. OTOH, some other DOS programs, such as Borland's tdrf.exe do run (it outputs ). Seems like programs using only '86 instructions and standard I/O will work. I have 2 versions of why tdremote doesn't work: 1. It doesn't know to clear i188 controller's watchdog timer. The timer is there, it is running by default and can be turned off in user's program. I checked with OS's built-in diagnostic command that it is running. I can turn it off in my program, but it is on again when program returns to OS. tdremote doesn't know anything about the timer and the timer just reboots the system. 2. serial port on the i188 controller chip doesn't happen to be the same as PC's serial port. Both are very likely. Suggestions, anyone? P.S. As far as I understand, tdremote is for running on target machine, right?
Reply by ●January 20, 20082008-01-20
On Jan 17, 1:06 pm, Nickolai Leschov <nlesc...@gmail.com> wrote:> Tim Wescott wrote: > > About a decade ago I was using the Paradigm debugger on '188 based > > systems -- it did everything you could ever hope for a serial debugger to > > do, with very little muss or fuss. > > Thanks for the advice, Tim I don't remember I heard of this name before > (Paradigm) > I'll try it. > > Regards, > Nickolai LeschovMe too. It works great. Plus a sound compiler. http://www.devtools.com/pcpp/compiler.htm george
