[LinuxBIOS] development board

[Tyler Pohl]

I am looking to buy what ever it is I need so I can just step through
LinuxBios code on a separate machine.  For example I have a 8051 micro
controller board and I can download code to its flash via serial and step
through the code one line at a time.  Is there anything out there so I can
do this with LinuxBios?

TP

[Peter Stuge]

On Sat, Dec 09, 2006 at 02:04:59PM -0800, Tyler Pohl wrote:
> I am looking to buy what ever it is I need so I can just step through
> LinuxBios code on a separate machine.  For example I have a 8051 micro
> controller board and I can download code to its flash via serial and
> step through the code one line at a time.  Is there anything out
> there so I can do this with LinuxBios?

Sure, but I guess an ICE/ICD (In-Circuit-Emulator/Debugger) for a
modern CPU will cost a couple of hundred thousand dollars.

//Peter

[ron minnich]

On 12/10/06, Peter Stuge  wrote:
> Sure, but I guess an ICE/ICD (In-Circuit-Emulator/Debugger) for a
> modern CPU will cost a couple of hundred thousand dollars.

True, but they're incredibly cheap if you can use JTAG.

You can nice ones for several $K, and you can build one for parallel
port for much less:
http://joule.bu.edu/~hazen/mezz_jtag/
http://www.corelis.com/products/JTAG_Test_Products.htm
http://www.simtec.co.uk/products/DTJTAGPAR/
(note: I have NO IDEA which of these work :-)

tools:
http://openwince.sourceforge.net/jtag/

[Tom Sylla]

Peter Stuge wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 09, 2006 at 02:04:59PM -0800, Tyler Pohl wrote:
> > I am looking to buy what ever it is I need so I can just step through
> > LinuxBios code on a separate machine.  For example I have a 8051 micro
> > controller board and I can download code to its flash via serial and
> > step through the code one line at a time.  Is there anything out
> > there so I can do this with LinuxBios?
>
> Sure, but I guess an ICE/ICD (In-Circuit-Emulator/Debugger) for a
> modern CPU will cost a couple of hundred thousand dollars.

For a modern processor, "ICE" means something different than what you 
are thinking of. NO one debugs with a true "ICE" any more, everyone uses 
JTAG. JTAG debuggers are cheaper now:

http://www.macraigor.com/raven.htm

is a commercial product that works with K8 series processors. It is $750.

You can see the coverage map at:

http://www.macraigor.com/cpus.htm

American Arium also sells ITP for lots of processors:

http://www.arium.com/products/hwdebugtools.html

They don't have quotes on their website, but you can probably get one 
for a couple of thousand dollars.

FS2 is the JTAG ICE supplier for Geode GX and LX, it is available for a 
similar price.

Adding to Ron's homebrew stuff:

http://www.mouser.com/search/refine.aspx?Ntt=DLP-2232M-G

is a $35 board that very easily talks JTAG from USB.

[Segher Boessenkool]

> > Sure, but I guess an ICE/ICD (In-Circuit-Emulator/Debugger) for a
> > modern CPU will cost a couple of hundred thousand dollars.
>
> For a modern processor, "ICE" means something different than what you
> are thinking of. NO one debugs with a true "ICE" any more,

Not "no one" -- but for the purposes we're talking about
here, it's pretty close yes.
> Adding to Ron's homebrew stuff:
>
> http://www.mouser.com/search/refine.aspx?Ntt=DLP-2232M-G
>
> is a $35 board that very easily talks JTAG from USB.

Ooh, nice!  And a bunch of CPIOs and a 232 port at the
same time, too.  With drivers and example code and
everything.

Do note that for debugging a "modern" processor you still
need to know what JTAG commands to send (and many manufacturers
don't publicly document this).

Segher