Chapter 6 – Debugging Embedded Software

Publisher Summary This chapter presents various steps for debugging the embedded software. It begins with the discussion of GDB. GDB stands for the GNU DeBugger, the source-level debugging package that is part of the GNU tool chain. Like any good debugger, it allows the user to start their program, insert breakpoints to stop the program at specified points, and examine and modify variables and processor registers. In an embedded environment, data display debugger (DDD)/GDB runs on the host and the program being debugged runs on the target. GDB implements a serial protocol that allows it to work with remote targets. DDD provides an X-windows front end for GDB. It allows the user to point-and-click to set breakpoints and examine variables. DDD translates the graphical user interface (GUI) input into commands for GDB. Most recent Linux distributions include DDD and GDB as part of the standard GNU tool chain. The chapter also describes the setting for remote debugging, in which the program, shellsort, is moved to the target and debugged.