Template:MCU resources

Resources

Tutorials

• Setting up ARM development environment on Ubuntu

Make

• A simple Makefile tutorial
• Embedded Programming using the GNU Toolchain
• GNU Make manual

GDB

• GDB tutorial from UMD
• GDB getting started tutorial

• GDB commands in short from PDX
• GDB manual

Remote debugging example

Debugging myprog with a parameter 10.

• First, start the qemu emulator, providing the communications port (12345), and run it in background (&).
  • Before you do this, make sure that the port is not in use by anyone or anything.
• Then start the gdb-multiarch with the name of the program and
• Use the gdb command "remote target" with address (localhost) and the port (12345).
• Finally start the program execution with "continue". Perhaps, you may want to set some breakpoints before that.

$ qemu-arm -L /usr/arm-linux-gnueabi -g 12345 myprog 10 &
$ gdb-multiarch myprog
    (gdb) target remote localhost:12345
    (gdb) continue

A few essential GDB commands

GDB command	Shortcut	Description
run		Run the program from the beginning
continue	c	Continue (or start) the execution of the program
step	s	Execute the current line from the source. If there is a function call, step into it. This command can have a parameter n that tells how many steps to make.
next	n	Execute the current line from the source. If there is a function call, stop after running it. This command can have a parameter n that tells how many steps to make.
break <x>	b <x>	Set a "breakpoint" to <x>, where <x> could be: line_number in the current source code file filename:line_number function_name filename:function_name *address ...and many others
list	l	Shows the source code (lines). Could be followed by a function_name or file:line_number
info registers	i r	Prints all registers and their values. Can be followed by one or more register names.
set step mode on		Set running mode such that "step" will enter the code that has no debug information available. Using "off" instead of "on" resets this mode.

ARM

• ARM instruction set quick reference - from U.Wisconsin.

• A32 instruction summary
• Application Binary Interface (ABI) for the Arm architecture
• ARM A32 instruction set. Note, that ARM has several instruction sets described here

Xscale

• Intel XScale Microarchitecture Assembly Language Quick Reference Card ARM Instruction Set, Intel Corporation, 2001
• Intel IXP42X Product Line of Network Processors and IXC1100 Control Plane Processor Developer’s Manual, ON: 252480-006US, Intel Corporation, 2006
• Intel XScale(R) Core Developer’s Manual
• Intel XScale R Core Developer’s Manual, ON: 273473-002, Intel Corporation, 2004

Insights

• Teach yourself programming in 10 years by Peter Norvig
• Should I learn assembly language to program a microcontroller? - Answer on Quora by software R&D professional with 40 years of experience.