Propeller Assembler Source-code Debugger

The Propeller Assembler Source-code Debugger (PASD) is a suite of software components which enable end-users to debug Propeller assembly language code at the source level using a remote (USB attached) Windows PC.

Author

Andy Schenk (Ariba) Manual by Eric Moyer (epmoyer)

License

© 2007 Insonix. Free (as in beer) to download and use.

Website

Download from Insonix Introduced on the Parallax forum here.

Overview

(from the manual) PASD supports setting multiple break points, single-step execution, memory inspection/modification of COG RAM, inspection of Main RAM, label recognition, and I/O pin state inspection. The debugger suite consists of a Windows application, a spin object and a short Debug Kernel which must be inserted at the beginning of the code to be debugged. The Debug Kernel is only 12 longs in size, and makes possible communication with the PASD spin driver, which runs into own Cog. The PASD spin driver communicates over the Propeller’s serial programming interface with the PASD Windows application running on an attached PC. Except for pins 30 and 31 (the Propeller’s serial programming interface pins) all Propeller IO pins are freely available during debugging.

The total Propeller resource footprint of the PASD suite is:

1. Two IO Pins (30 and 31, the serial programming interface pins).
2. 12 longs at the start of COG Ram in the COG whose assembly code is being debugged.
3. The upper two longs of Main RAM ($7ff8 and $7fff).
4. The PASD driver which occupies about 223 Longs and runs in one dedicated COG. All remaining Propeller resources (cogs, RAM, pins) are fully usable. PASD presently supports debugging code in only one COG at a time.