IAR Embedded Workbench®

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

for Texas Instruments’

MSP430 Microcontroller Family

UCS430-1

UCS430-1
 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright © 1996–2010 IAR Systems AB.
No part of this document may be reproduced without the prior written consent of IAR
Systems AB. The software described in this document is furnished under a license and
may only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of such a license.

DISCLAIMER
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on any part of IAR Systems. While the information contained
herein is assumed to be accurate, IAR Systems assumes no responsibility for any errors
or omissions.
In no event shall IAR Systems, its employees, its contractors, or the authors of this
document be liable for special, direct, indirect, or consequential damage, losses, costs,
charges, claims, demands, claim for lost profits, fees, or expenses of any nature or kind.

TRADEMARKS
IAR Systems, IAR Embedded Workbench, C-SPY, visualSTATE, From Idea To Target,
IAR KickStart Kit, IAR PowerPac, IAR YellowSuite, IAR Advanced Development Kit,
IAR, and the IAR Systems logotype are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by
IAR Systems AB. J-Link is a trademark licensed to IAR Systems AB.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Texas Instruments is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments Incorporated.
Adobe and Acrobat Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.

EDITION NOTICE
First edition: November 2010
Part number: UCS430-1
This guide applies to version 5.20 and later of IAR Embedded Workbench® for Texas
Instruments’ MSP430 microcontroller family.
The C-SPY® Debugging Guide for MSP430 replaces all debugging information in the
IAR Embedded Workbench IDE User Guide for MSP430.
Internal reference: Too6.1, IJOA.

UCS430-1
Brief contents
Tables ...................................................................................................................... 13

Figures .................................................................................................................... 15

Preface .................................................................................................................... 19

The IAR C-SPY Debugger ........................................................................... 25

Getting started using C-SPY ....................................................................... 35

Executing your application ........................................................................... 51

Working with variables and expressions .............................................. 71

Using breakpoints ............................................................................................. 87

Monitoring memory and registers ........................................................ 119

Collecting and using trace data ............................................................... 143

Using the profiler ............................................................................................ 159

Code coverage ................................................................................................. 167

Using state storage ........................................................................................ 171

Using the sequencer ..................................................................................... 177

Using the cycle counter for 5xx devices ............................................ 183

Simulating interrupts ..................................................................................... 191

Using C-SPY macros ..................................................................................... 205

The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat ................................... 251

Debugger options ........................................................................................... 269

Additional information on C-SPY drivers .......................................... 281

Index ..................................................................................................................... 289

UCS430-1
 C-SPY® Debugging Guide
4 for MSP430

UCS430-1
Contents
Tables ...................................................................................................................... 13

Figures .................................................................................................................... 15

Preface .................................................................................................................... 19

Who should read this guide ............................................................... 19

How to use this guide ........................................................................... 19
What this guide contains ..................................................................... 20
Other documentation ........................................................................... 21
User and reference guides .................................................................. 21
The online help system ...................................................................... 22
Web sites ............................................................................................ 22
Document conventions ........................................................................ 22
Typographic conventions ................................................................... 23
Naming conventions .......................................................................... 23

The IAR C-SPY Debugger ........................................................................... 25

Introduction to C-SPY .......................................................................... 25

An integrated environment ................................................................. 25
General C-SPY debugger features ..................................................... 26
RTOS awareness ................................................................................ 27
Debugger concepts ................................................................................ 28
C-SPY and target systems .................................................................. 28
The debugger ...................................................................................... 29
The target system ............................................................................... 29
The application ................................................................................... 29
C-SPY debugger systems ................................................................... 29
The ROM-monitor program ............................................................... 29
Third-party debuggers ........................................................................ 30
C-SPY plugin modules ....................................................................... 30
C-SPY drivers overview ....................................................................... 30
Differences between the C-SPY drivers ........................................... 30

UCS430-1
 The IAR C-SPY Simulator .................................................................. 31
Features .............................................................................................. 31
Selecting the simulator driver ............................................................ 32
The C-SPY FET Debugger driver .................................................... 32
Features .............................................................................................. 32
Communication overview .................................................................. 33
Hardware installation ......................................................................... 34

Getting started using C-SPY ....................................................................... 35

Setting up C-SPY .................................................................................... 35

Setting up for debugging .................................................................... 35
Executing from reset .......................................................................... 36
Using a setup macro file ..................................................................... 36
Selecting a device description file ..................................................... 37
Loading plugin modules ..................................................................... 37
Starting C-SPY ......................................................................................... 37
Starting the debugger ......................................................................... 38
Loading executable files built outside of the IDE .............................. 38
Starting a debug session with source files missing ............................ 38
Loading multiple images .................................................................... 39
Adapting for target hardware ........................................................... 40
Modifying a device description file ................................................... 40
Initializing target hardware before C-SPY starts ............................... 41
Running example projects .................................................................. 41
Running an example project .............................................................. 42
Reference information on starting C-SPY ................................... 43
Executing your application ........................................................................... 51

Introduction to application execution ........................................... 51

Briefly about application execution ................................................... 51
Source and disassembly mode debugging ......................................... 51
Single stepping ................................................................................... 52
Running the application ..................................................................... 54
Highlighting ....................................................................................... 55
Call stack information ........................................................................ 55

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

6 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Contents

Terminal input and output .................................................................. 56

Debug logging .................................................................................... 56
Reference information on application execution ..................... 57
Working with variables and expressions .............................................. 71
Introduction to working with variables and expressions ...... 71
Briefly about working with variables and expressions ...................... 71
C-SPY expressions ............................................................................. 72
Limitations on variable information .................................................. 74
Viewing assembler variables ............................................................. 75
Reference information on working with variables and
expressions ................................................................................................ 76
Using breakpoints ............................................................................................. 87

Introduction to setting and using breakpoints .......................... 87

Reasons for using breakpoints ........................................................... 87
Briefly about setting breakpoints ....................................................... 88
Breakpoint types ................................................................................ 88
Breakpoint icons ................................................................................ 90
Breakpoints in the C-SPY simulator .................................................. 90
Breakpoints in the C-SPY FET Debugger driver ............................... 90
Breakpoint consumers ........................................................................ 91
Procedures for setting breakpoints ................................................ 93
Various ways to set a breakpoint ....................................................... 93
Toggling a simple code breakpoint .................................................... 94
Setting breakpoints using the dialog box ........................................... 94
Setting a data breakpoint in the Memory window ............................. 95
Setting breakpoints using system macros .......................................... 96
Useful breakpoint hints ...................................................................... 97
Reference information on breakpoints ......................................... 98
Monitoring memory and registers ........................................................ 119

Introduction to monitoring memory and registers ............... 119

Briefly about monitoring memory and registers .............................. 119
C-SPY memory zones ...................................................................... 120

UCS430-1
 Stack display .................................................................................... 121
Memory access checking ................................................................. 122
Reference information on memory and registers .................. 123
Collecting and using trace data ............................................................... 143

Introduction to using trace .............................................................. 143

Reasons for using trace .................................................................... 143
Briefly about trace ............................................................................ 143
Requirements for using trace ........................................................... 144
Procedures for using trace .............................................................. 144
Getting started with trace ................................................................. 144
Trace data collection using breakpoints ........................................... 144
Searching in trace data ..................................................................... 145
Browsing through trace data ............................................................ 145
Reference information on trace ..................................................... 146
Using the profiler ............................................................................................ 159
Introduction to the profiler .............................................................. 159
Reasons for using the profiler .......................................................... 159
Briefly about the profiler .................................................................. 159
Requirements for using the profiler ................................................. 160
Procedures for using the profiler ................................................... 160
Getting started using the profiler on function level ......................... 161
Getting started using the profiler on instruction level ...................... 161
Reference information on the profiler ........................................ 162
Code coverage ................................................................................................. 167

Introduction to code coverage ....................................................... 167

Reasons for using code coverage ..................................................... 167
Briefly about code coverage ............................................................ 167
Requirements for using code coverage ............................................ 167
Reference information on code coverage .................................. 168

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

8 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Contents

Using state storage ........................................................................................ 171

Introduction to state storage .......................................................... 171

Reasons for using state storage ........................................................ 171
Briefly about state storage ................................................................ 171
Requirements ................................................................................... 172
Procedures for using state storage ............................................... 172
Setting up state storage .................................................................... 172
Reference information on state storage ..................................... 173
Using the sequencer ..................................................................................... 177

Introduction to the sequencer ........................................................ 177

Reasons for using the sequencer ...................................................... 177
Briefly about the sequencer .............................................................. 177
Requirements for using the sequencer ............................................. 178
Procedures for using the sequencer ............................................. 178
Setting up the sequencer (simple setup) ........................................... 178
Setting up the sequencer (advanced setup) ...................................... 178
Using the sequencer to locate a problem ......................................... 179
Reference information on the sequencer .................................. 181
Using the cycle counter for 5xx devices ............................................ 183

Introduction to the cycle counter for 5xx ................................. 183

Reasons for using the cycle counter for 5xx .................................... 183
Briefly about the cycle counter for 5xx ........................................... 183
Requirements for using the cycle counter for 5xx ........................... 184
Procedures for using the cycle counter applications ............ 184
Counting all CPU cycles .................................................................. 184
Measuring the DMA load versus the CPU load ............................... 185
Profiling a specific part of your application ..................................... 185
Measuring the Trigger hits ............................................................... 186
Measuring the number of CPU cycles for a task ............................. 186
Reference information on the cycle counter for 5xx ............ 187

UCS430-1
 Simulating interrupts ..................................................................................... 191

Introduction to interrupt simulation ........................................... 191

Reasons for using the interrupt simulation system .......................... 191
Briefly about the interrupt simulation system .................................. 192
Interrupt characteristics .................................................................... 193
Interrupt simulation states ................................................................ 193
C-SPY system macros for interrupts ................................................ 195
Target-adapting the interrupt simulation system ............................. 195
Procedures for simulating interrupts .......................................... 196
Simulating a simple interrupt ........................................................... 196
Simulating an interrupt in a multi-task system ................................ 197
Reference information on simulating interrupts .................... 198
Using C-SPY macros ..................................................................................... 205

Introduction to C-SPY macros ....................................................... 205

Reasons for using C-SPY macros .................................................... 205
Briefly about using C-SPY macros .................................................. 206
Briefly about setup macro functions and files ................................. 206
Briefly about the macro language .................................................... 207
Procedures for using C-SPY macros ............................................ 207
Registering C-SPY macros—an overview ....................................... 208
Executing C-SPY macros—an overview ......................................... 208
Using the Macro Configuration dialog box ..................................... 209
Registering and executing using setup macros and setup files ........ 210
Executing macros using Quick Watch ............................................ 211
Executing a macro by connecting it to a breakpoint ........................ 212
Reference information on the macro language ....................... 213
Macro functions ............................................................................... 213
Macro variables ................................................................................ 214
Macro strings .................................................................................... 214
Macro statements ............................................................................. 215
Formatted output .............................................................................. 216
Reference information on reserved setup macro function
names ......................................................................................................... 218

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

10 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Contents

Reference information on C-SPY system macros .................. 219

The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat ................................... 251

Using C-SPY in batch mode ............................................................. 251

Invocation syntax ............................................................................. 251
Output ............................................................................................... 252
Using an automatically generated batch file .................................... 253
Summary of C-SPY command line options .............................. 253
Descriptions of C-SPY command line options ......................... 255
Debugger options ........................................................................................... 269
Setting debugger options .................................................................. 269
Reference information on general debugger options ........... 270
Reference information on C-SPY driver options .................... 274
Additional information on C-SPY drivers .......................................... 281

Reference information on the C-SPY simulator ..................... 281

Reference information
on the C-SPY FET Debugger driver ............................................. 282
Resolving problems .............................................................................. 286
The device port pins do not work ..................................................... 286
Write failure during load .................................................................. 287
No contact with the target hardware ................................................ 288

Index ..................................................................................................................... 289

11

UCS430-1
 C-SPY® Debugging Guide
12 for MSP430

UCS430-1
Tables
1: Typographic conventions used in this guide ......................................................... 23
2: Naming conventions used in this guide ................................................................ 23
3: Driver differences .................................................................................................. 30
4: C-SPY assembler symbols expressions ................................................................ 73
5: Handling name conflicts between hardware registers and assembler labels ......... 73
6: Effects of display format setting on different types of expressions .................... 79
7: Effects of display format setting on different types of expressions .................... 82
8: C-SPY macros for breakpoints .............................................................................. 96
9: Cycle counter registers ........................................................................................ 136
10: Project options for enabling the profiler ........................................................... 161
11: Project options for enabling code coverage ...................................................... 168
12: Sequencer settings - example ............................................................................ 180
13: State Storage Control settings—example .......................................................... 180
14: Cycle Counter 1, combinations of start, stop, and clear reactions .................... 189
15: Timer interrupt settings ..................................................................................... 197
16: Examples of C-SPY macro variables ................................................................ 214
17: C-SPY setup macros ......................................................................................... 218
18: Summary of system macros .............................................................................. 219
19: __cancelInterrupt return values ......................................................................... 221
20: __disableInterrupts return values ...................................................................... 222
21: __driverType return values ............................................................................... 223
22: __enableInterrupts return values ....................................................................... 223
23: __evaluate return values ................................................................................... 224
24: __isBatchMode return values ........................................................................... 224
25: __loadImage return values ................................................................................ 225
26: __openFile return values ................................................................................... 228
27: __readFile return values ................................................................................... 230
28: __setAdvancedTriggerBreak return values ....................................................... 234
29: __setCodeBreak return values .......................................................................... 235
30: __setConditionalBreak return values ................................................................ 236
31: __setDataBreak return values ........................................................................... 238

13

UCS430-1
 32: __setLogBreak return values ............................................................................ 239
33: __setRangeBreak return values ........................................................................ 240
34: __setSimBreak return values ............................................................................ 241
35: __setTraceStartBreak return values .................................................................. 242
36: __setTraceStopBreak return values .................................................................. 243
37: __sourcePosition return values ......................................................................... 244
38: __unloadImage return values ............................................................................ 247
39: cspybat parameters ............................................................................................ 251
40: Options specific to the C-SPY drivers you are using ........................................ 269

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

14 for MSP430

UCS430-1
Figures
1: C-SPY and target systems ..................................................................................... 28
2: C-SPY FET Debugger communication overview ................................................. 33
3: Get Alternative File dialog box ............................................................................. 39
4: Example applications ............................................................................................ 42
5: Debug menu .......................................................................................................... 44
6: Images window ..................................................................................................... 47
7: Images window context menu ............................................................................... 48
8: Get Alternative File dialog box ............................................................................. 49
9: Device Information window ................................................................................. 50
10: C-SPY highlighting source location .................................................................... 55
11: C-SPY Disassembly window .............................................................................. 58
12: Disassembly window context menu .................................................................... 60
13: Call Stack window .............................................................................................. 62
14: Call Stack window context menu ........................................................................ 62
15: Terminal I/O window .......................................................................................... 63
16: Ctrl codes menu ................................................................................................... 64
17: Input Mode dialog box ........................................................................................ 64
18: Terminal I/O Log File dialog box ....................................................................... 64
19: LCD window ....................................................................................................... 65
20: LCD Settings dialog box ..................................................................................... 66
21: Debug Log window (message window) .............................................................. 66
22: Debug Log window context menu ...................................................................... 67
23: Log File dialog box ............................................................................................. 67
24: Report Assert dialog box ..................................................................................... 68
25: Autostep settings dialog box ............................................................................... 69
26: Viewing assembler variables in the Watch window ........................................... 76
27: Auto window ....................................................................................................... 77
28: Locals window .................................................................................................... 77
29: Watch window .................................................................................................... 78
30: Watch window context menu .............................................................................. 78
31: Live Watch window ............................................................................................ 79

15

UCS430-1
 32: Statics window .................................................................................................... 80
33: Statics window context menu .............................................................................. 81
34: Select Statics dialog box ..................................................................................... 82
35: Quick Watch window .......................................................................................... 83
36: Symbols window ................................................................................................. 84
37: Symbols window context menu .......................................................................... 85
38: Resolve Symbol Ambiguity dialog box .............................................................. 85
39: Breakpoint icons .................................................................................................. 90
40: Modifying breakpoints via the context menu ...................................................... 95
41: Breakpoints window ............................................................................................ 98
42: Breakpoints window context menu ..................................................................... 99
43: Breakpoint Usage dialog box ............................................................................ 100
44: Code breakpoints dialog box ............................................................................. 101
45: Log breakpoints dialog box ............................................................................... 103
46: Data breakpoints dialog box .............................................................................. 104
47: Immediate breakpoints dialog box .................................................................... 106
48: Range breakpoints dialog box ........................................................................... 107
49: Conditional breakpoints dialog box .................................................................. 109
50: Advanced trigger dialog box ............................................................................. 112
51: Enter Location dialog box ................................................................................. 114
52: Breakpoint combiner dialog box ....................................................................... 115
53: Resolve Source Ambiguity dialog box ............................................................. 116
54: Zones in C-SPY ................................................................................................. 121
55: Memory window ............................................................................................... 123
56: Memory window context menu ........................................................................ 125
57: Memory Save dialog box .................................................................................. 127
58: Memory Restore dialog box .............................................................................. 128
59: Fill dialog box ................................................................................................... 128
60: Symbolic Memory window ............................................................................... 130
61: Symbolic Memory window context menu ........................................................ 131
62: Stack window .................................................................................................... 132
63: Stack window context menu ............................................................................. 134
64: Register window ................................................................................................ 135
65: Memory Access Setup dialog box ..................................................................... 137

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

16 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Figures

66: Edit Memory Access dialog box ....................................................................... 139

67: Memory Dump dialog box ................................................................................ 140
68: The Trace window ............................................................................................. 146
69: Function Trace window ..................................................................................... 148
70: Timeline window .............................................................................................. 149
71: Timeline window context menu ........................................................................ 150
72: Trace Start breakpoints dialog box ................................................................... 152
73: Trace Stop breakpoints dialog box .................................................................... 153
74: Trace Expressions window ............................................................................... 154
75: Find in Trace dialog box ................................................................................... 155
76: Find in Trace window ....................................................................................... 156
77: Instruction count in Disassembly window ........................................................ 162
78: Function Profiler window ................................................................................. 163
79: Function Profiler window context menu ........................................................... 165
80: Code Coverage window .................................................................................... 168
81: Code coverage window context menu .............................................................. 170
82: State Storage Control window .......................................................................... 174
83: State storage window ........................................................................................ 175
84: Sequencer Control window ............................................................................... 181
85: Cycle Counter 5xx Control window ................................................................. 187
86: Simulated interrupt configuration ..................................................................... 193
87: Simulation states - example 1 ........................................................................... 194
88: Simulation states - example 2 ........................................................................... 194
89: Interrupt Setup dialog box ................................................................................. 198
90: Edit Interrupt dialog box ................................................................................... 200
91: Forced Interrupt window ................................................................................... 202
92: Interrupt Log window ....................................................................................... 203
93: Interrupt Log window context menu ................................................................. 204
94: Macro Configuration dialog box ....................................................................... 209
95: Quick Watch window ........................................................................................ 211
96: Debugger setup options ..................................................................................... 270
97: Debugger images options .................................................................................. 272
98: Debugger extra options ..................................................................................... 273
99: Debugger plugin options ................................................................................... 273

17

UCS430-1
 100: FET Debugger setup options ........................................................................... 275
101: FET Debugger download options ................................................................... 277
102: FET Debugger breakpoints options ................................................................ 278
103: Simulator setup options ................................................................................... 279
104: Simulator menu ............................................................................................... 281
105: The Emulator menu ......................................................................................... 283
106: General Clock Control dialog box .................................................................. 285
107: Extended Clock Control dialog box ................................................................ 286

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

18 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Preface
Welcome to the C-SPY® Debugging Guide for MSP430. The purpose of this
guide is to help you fully use the features in the IAR C-SPY® Debugger for
debugging your application based on the MSP430 microcontroller.

Who should read this guide

Read this guide if you want to get the most out of the features available in C-SPY. In
addition, you should have working knowledge of:
● The C or C++ programming language
● Application development for embedded systems
● The architecture and instruction set of the MSP430 microcontroller (refer to the
chip manufacturer's documentation)
● The operating system of your host computer.
For more information about the other development tools incorporated in the IDE, refer
to their respective documentation, see Other documentation, page 21.

How to use this guide

If you are new to using IAR Embedded Workbench, we suggest that you first read the
guide Getting Started with IAR Embedded Workbench® for an overview of the tools and
the features that the IDE offers.
If you already have had some experience using IAR Embedded Workbench, but need
refreshing on how to work with the IAR Systems development tools, the tutorials which
you can find in the IAR Information Center is a good place to begin. The process of
managing projects and building, as well as editing, is described in the IDE Project
Management and Building Guide, whereas information about how to use C-SPY for
debugging is described in this guide.
This guide describes a number of topics, where each topic section contains an
introduction which also covers concepts related to the topic. This will give you a good
understanding of the features in C-SPY. Furthermore, the topic section provides
procedures with step-by-step descriptions to help you use the features. Finally, each
topic section gives all relevant reference information.

19

UCS430-1
What this guide contains

We also recommend the Glossary which you can find in the IDE Project Management
and Building Guide if you should encounter any unfamiliar terms in the IAR Systems
user and reference guides.

What this guide contains

This is a brief outline and summary of the chapters in this guide:
● The IAR C-SPY Debugger introduces you to the C-SPY debugger and to the
concepts that are related to debugging in general and to C-SPY in particular. The
chapter also introduces the various C-SPY drivers. The chapter briefly shows the
difference in functionality that the various C-SPY drivers provide.
● Getting started using C-SPY helps you get started using C-SPY, which includes
setting up, starting, and adapting C-SPY for target hardware.
● Executing your application describes the conceptual differences between source
and disassembly mode debugging, the facilities for executing your application, and
finally, how you can handle terminal input and output.
● Working with variables and expressions describes the syntax of the expressions and
variables used in C-SPY, as well as the limitations on variable information. The
chapter also demonstrates the various methods for monitoring variables and
expressions.
● Using breakpoints describes the breakpoint system and the various ways to set
breakpoints.
● Monitoring memory and registers shows how you can examine memory and
registers.
● Collecting and using trace data describes how you can inspect the program flow up
to a specific state using trace data.
● Using the profiler describes how the profiler can help you find the functions in your
application source code where the most time is spent during execution.
● Code coverage describes how the code coverage functionality can help you verify
whether all parts of your code have been executed, thus identifying parts which have
not been executed.
● Using state storage describes how the state storage module can help you to examine
how your code is executed, and find problems in a specific stage of the execution.
● Using the sequencer describes the sequencer module, a simple state machine that
lets you break the execution or trigger the state storage module using a more
complex method than a standard breakpoint.
● Using the cycle counter for 5xx devices describes the second cycle counter for
MSP430F5xx devices, and how it can help you to profile your application or to
measure how long some tasks take.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

20 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Preface

● Simulating interrupts contains detailed information about the C-SPY interrupt

simulation system and how to configure the simulated interrupts to make them
reflect the interrupts of your target hardware.
● Using C-SPY macros describes the C-SPY macro system, its features, the purposes
of these features, and how to use them.
● The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat describes how to use C-SPY in batch
mode.
● Debugger options describes the C-SPY options you must set before you start the
C-SPY debugger.
● Additional information on C-SPY drivers describes menus and features provided by
the C-SPY drivers not described in any dedicated topics.

Other documentation
User documentation is available as hypertext PDFs and as a context-sensitive online
help system in HTML format. You can access the documentation from the Information
Center or from the Help menu in the IAR Embedded Workbench IDE. The online help
system is also available via the F1 key.

USER AND REFERENCE GUIDES

The complete set of IAR Systems development tools is described in a series of guides.
For information about:
● System requirements and information about how to install and register the IAR
Systems products, refer to the booklet Quick Reference (available in the product
box) and the Installation and Licensing Guide.
● Getting started using IAR Embedded Workbench and the tools it provides, refer to
the guide Getting Started with IAR Embedded Workbench®.
● Using the IDE for project management and building, refer to the IDE Project
Management and Building Guide
● Programming for the IAR C/C++ Compiler for MSP430, refer to the IAR C/C++
Compiler Reference Guide for MSP430
● Using the IAR XLINK Linker, the IAR XAR Library Builder, and the IAR XLIB
Librarian, refer to the IAR Linker and Library Tools Reference Guide.
● Programming for the IAR Assembler for MSP430, refer to the MSP430 IAR
Assembler Reference Guide.
● Using the IAR DLIB Library, refer to the DLIB Library Reference information,
available in the online help system.

21

UCS430-1
Document conventions

● Using the IAR CLIB Library, refer to the IAR C Library Functions Reference
Guide, available in the online help system.
● Porting application code and projects created with a previous version of IAR
Embedded Workbench for MSP430, refer to the IAR Embedded Workbench®
Migration Guide for MSP430.
● Developing safety-critical applications using the MISRA C guidelines, refer to the
IAR Embedded Workbench® MISRA C:2004 Reference Guide or the IAR Embedded
Workbench® MISRA C:1998 Reference Guide.
Note: Additional documentation might be available depending on your product
installation.

THE ONLINE HELP SYSTEM

The context-sensitive online help contains:
● Comprehensive information about debugging using the IAR C-SPY® Debugger
● Reference information about the menus, windows, and dialog boxes in the IDE
● Compiler reference information
● Keyword reference information for the DLIB library functions. To obtain reference
information for a function, select the function name in the editor window and press
F1. Note that if you select a function name in the editor window and press F1 while
using the CLIB library, you will get reference information for the DLIB library.

WEB SITES
Recommended web sites:
● The Texas Instruments web site, [Link], contains information and news about
the MSP430 microcontrollers.
● The IAR Systems web site, [Link], holds application notes and other
product information.
● Finally, the Embedded C++ Technical Committee web site,
[Link]/ec2plus, contains information about the Embedded C++
standard.

Document conventions
When, in this text, we refer to the programming language C, the text also applies to C++,
unless otherwise stated.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

22 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Preface

When referring to a directory in your product installation, for example 430\doc, the full
path to the location is assumed, for example c:\Program Files\IAR
Systems\Embedded Workbench 6.n\430\doc.

TYPOGRAPHIC CONVENTIONS
This guide uses the following typographic conventions:
Style Used for
computer • Source code examples and file paths.
• Text on the command line.
• Binary, hexadecimal, and octal numbers.
parameter A placeholder for an actual value used as a parameter, for example
filename.h where filename represents the name of the file.
[option] An optional part of a command.
[a|b|c] An optional part of a command with alternatives.
{a|b|c} A mandatory part of a command with alternatives.
bold Names of menus, menu commands, buttons, and dialog boxes that
appear on the screen.
italic • A cross-reference within this guide or to another guide.
• Emphasis.
… An ellipsis indicates that the previous item can be repeated an arbitrary
number of times.
Identifies instructions specific to the IAR Embedded Workbench® IDE
interface.
Identifies instructions specific to the command line interface.
Identifies helpful tips and programming hints.

Identifies warnings.

Table 1: Typographic conventions used in this guide

NAMING CONVENTIONS
The following naming conventions are used for the products and tools from IAR
Systems® referred to in this guide:
Brand name Generic term
IAR Embedded Workbench® for MSP430 IAR Embedded Workbench®
IAR Embedded Workbench® IDE for MSP430 the IDE
Table 2: Naming conventions used in this guide

23

UCS430-1
Document conventions

Brand name Generic term

IAR C-SPY® Debugger for MSP430 C-SPY, the debugger
IAR C-SPY® Simulator the simulator
IAR C/C++ Compiler™ for MSP430 the compiler
IAR Assembler™ for MSP430 the assembler
IAR XLINK Linker™ XLINK, the linker
IAR XAR Library Builder™ the library builder
IAR XLIB Librarian™ the librarian
IAR DLIB Library™ the DLIB library
IAR CLIB Library™ the CLIB library
Table 2: Naming conventions used in this guide (Continued)

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

24 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The IAR C-SPY Debugger
This chapter introduces you to the IAR C-SPY® Debugger and to the
concepts that are related to debugging in general and to C-SPY in particular.
The chapter also introduces the various C-SPY drivers. More specifically, this
means:

● Introduction to C-SPY

● Debugger concepts

● C-SPY drivers overview

● The IAR C-SPY Simulator

● The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Introduction to C-SPY
This section covers these topics:
● An integrated environment
● General C-SPY debugger features
● RTOS awareness.

AN INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENT
C-SPY is a high-level-language debugger for embedded applications. It is designed for
use with the IAR Systems compilers and assemblers, and is completely integrated in the
IDE, providing development and debugging within the same application. This will give
you possibilities such as:
● Editing while debugging. During a debug session, you can make corrections directly
in the same source code window that is used for control the debugging. Changes
will be included in the next project rebuild.
● Setting breakpoints at any point during the development cycle. You can inspect and
modify breakpoint definitions also when the debugger is not running, and
breakpoint definitions flow with the text as you edit. Your debug settings, such as
watch properties, window layouts, and register groups will be preserved between
your debug sessions.

25

UCS430-1
Introduction to C-SPY

All windows that are open in the Embedded Workbench workspace will stay open when
you start the C-SPY Debugger. In addition, a set of C-SPY-specific windows are opened.

GENERAL C-SPY DEBUGGER FEATURES

Because IAR Systems provides an entire toolchain, the output from the compiler and
linker can include extensive debug information for the debugger, resulting in good
debugging possibilities for you.
C-SPY offers these general features:
● Source and disassembly level debugging
C-SPY allows you to switch between source and disassembly debugging as required,
for both C or C++ and assembler source code.
● Single-stepping on a function call level
Compared to traditional debuggers, where the finest granularity for source level
stepping is line by line, C-SPY provides a finer level of control by identifying every
statement and function call as a step point. This means that each function
call—inside expressions, and function calls that are part of parameter lists to other
functions—can be single-stepped. The latter is especially useful when debugging
C++ code, where numerous extra function calls are made, for example to object
constructors.
● Code and data breakpoints
The C-SPY breakpoint system lets you set breakpoints of various kinds in the
application being debugged, allowing you to stop at locations of particular interest.
For example, you set breakpoints to investigate whether your program logic is correct
or to investigate how and when the data changes.
● Monitoring variables and expressions
For variables and expressions there is a wide choice of facilities. Any variable and
expression can be evaluated in one-shot views. You can easily both monitor and log
values of a defined set of expressions during a longer period of time. You have instant
control over local variables, and real-time data is displayed non-intrusively. Finally,
the last referred variables are displayed automatically.
● Container awareness
When you run your application in C-SPY, you can view the elements of library data
types such as STL lists and vectors. This gives you a very good overview and
debugging opportunities when you work with C++ STL containers.
● Call stack information
The compiler generates extensive call stack information. This allows the debugger to
show, without any runtime penalty, the complete stack of function calls wherever the

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

26 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The IAR C-SPY Debugger

program counter is. You can select any function in the call stack, and for each
function you get valid information for local variables and available registers.
● Powerful macro system
C-SPY includes a powerful internal macro system, to allow you to define complex
sets of actions to be performed. C-SPY macros can be used on their own or in
conjunction with complex breakpoints and—if you are using the simulator—the
interrupt simulation system to perform a wide variety of tasks.

Additional general C-SPY debugger features

This list shows some additional features:
● Threaded execution keeps the IDE responsive while running the target application
● Automatic stepping
● The source browser provides easy navigation to functions, types, and variables
● Extensive type recognition of variables
● Configurable registers (CPU and peripherals) and memory windows
● Graphical stack view with overflow detection
● Support for code coverage and function level profiling
● The target application can access files on the host PC using file I/O
● UBROF, Intel-extended, and Motorola input formats supported
● Optional terminal I/O emulation.

RTOS AWARENESS
C-SPY supports real-time OS aware debugging.
These RTOSes are supported:
● IAR PowerPac
● Segger embOS
● Micrium μC/OS-II
● OSEK.
RTOS plugin modules can be provided by IAR Systems, and by third-party suppliers.
Contact your software distributor or IAR Systems representative, alternatively visit the
IAR Systems web site, for information about supported RTOS modules.
Provided that one or more real-time operating system plugin modules are supported for
the IAR Embedded Workbench version you are using, you can load one for use with
C-SPY. A C-SPY RTOS awareness plugin module gives you a high level of control and
visibility over an application built on top of a real-time operating system. It displays

27

UCS430-1
Debugger concepts

RTOS-specific items like task lists, queues, semaphores, mailboxes, and various RTOS
system variables. Task-specific breakpoints and task-specific stepping make it easier to
debug tasks.
A loaded plugin will add its own menu, set of windows, and buttons when a debug
session is started (provided that the RTOS is linked with the application). For
information about other RTOS awareness plugin modules, refer to the manufacturer of
the plugin module.

Debugger concepts
This section introduces some of the concepts and terms that are related to debugging in
general and to C-SPY in particular. This section does not contain specific information
related to C-SPY features. Instead, you will find such information in each chapter of this
part of the documentation. The IAR Systems user documentation uses the terms
described in this section when referring to these concepts.

C-SPY AND TARGET SYSTEMS

You can use C-SPY to debug either a software target system or a hardware target system.
This figure gives an overview of C-SPY and possible target systems:

Figure 1: C-SPY and target systems

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

28 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The IAR C-SPY Debugger

Note: In IAR Embedded Workbench for MSP430, there are no ROM-monitor drivers.

THE DEBUGGER
The debugger, for instance C-SPY, is the program that you use for debugging your
applications on a target system.

THE TARGET SYSTEM

The target system is the system on which you execute your application when you are
debugging it. The target system can consist of hardware, either an evaluation board or
your own hardware design. It can also be completely or partially simulated by software.
Each type of target system needs a dedicated C-SPY driver.

THE APPLICATION
A user application is the software you have developed and which you want to debug
using C-SPY.

C-SPY DEBUGGER SYSTEMS

C-SPY consists of both a general part which provides a basic set of debugger features,
and a target-specific back end. The back end consists of two components: a processor
module—one for every microcontroller, which defines the properties of the
microcontroller, and a C-SPY driver. The C-SPY driver is the part that provides
communication with and control of the target system. The driver also provides the user
interface—menus, windows, and dialog boxes—to the functions provided by the target
system, for instance, special breakpoints. Typically, there are three main types of C-SPY
drivers:
● Simulator driver
● ROM-monitor driver
● Emulator driver.
C-SPY is available with a simulator driver, and depending on your product package,
optional drivers for hardware debugger systems. For an overview of the available C-SPY
drivers and the functionality provided by each driver, see C-SPY drivers overview, page
30.

THE ROM-MONITOR PROGRAM

The ROM-monitor program is a piece of firmware that is loaded to non-volatile memory
on your target hardware; it runs in parallel with your application. The ROM-monitor
communicates with the debugger and provides services needed for debugging the
application, for instance stepping and breakpoints.

29

UCS430-1
C-SPY drivers overview

THIRD-PARTY DEBUGGERS
You can use a third-party debugger together with the IAR Systems toolchain as long as
the third-party debugger can read any of the output formats provided by XLINK, such
as UBROF, ELF/DWARF, COFF, Intel-extended, Motorola, or any other available
format. For information about which format to use with a third-party debugger, see the
user documentation supplied with that tool.

C-SPY PLUGIN MODULES

C-SPY is designed as a modular architecture with an open SDK that can be used for
implementing additional functionality to the debugger in the form of plugin modules.
These modules can be seamlessly integrated in the IDE.
Plugin modules are provided by IAR Systems, or can be supplied by third-party vendors.
Examples of such modules are:
● Code Coverage and the Stack window, both integrated in the IDE.
● The various C-SPY drivers for debugging using certain debug systems.
● RTOS plugin modules for support for real-time OS aware debugging.
● C-SPYLink that bridges IAR visualSTATE and IAR Embedded Workbench to make
true high-level state machine debugging possible directly in C-SPY, in addition to
the normal C level symbolic debugging. For more information, refer to the
documentation provided with IAR visualSTATE.
For more information about the C-SPY SDK, contact IAR Systems.

C-SPY drivers overview

The IAR C-SPY Debugger for the MSP430 microcontroller is available with drivers for
these target systems:
● Simulator
● FET Debugger.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE C-SPY DRIVERS

This table summarizes the key differences between the C-SPY drivers:
Feature Simulator FET Debugger
OP-fetch x x
Code breakpoints x x1
Data breakpoints x --
Table 3: Driver differences

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

30 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The IAR C-SPY Debugger

Feature Simulator FET Debugger

Log breakpoints x x
Trace breakpoints x --
Execution in real time -- x
Zero memory footprint x x
Simulated interrupts x --
Real interrupts -- x
Interrupt logging x --
Live watch x --
Cycle counter2 x x
Code coverage x --
Data coverage x --
Function/instruction profiler x --
Enhanced Emulation Module support3 -- x
Trace x --
Table 3: Driver differences (Continued)
1 A limited number of hardware breakpoints, unlimited software breakpoints. For more
information, see Breakpoints in the C-SPY FET Debugger driver, page 90.
2 The cycle counter 5xx is supported during single step, you can then view the value of the cycle
counter in the Register window.
3 There are several levels of support for the Enhanced Emulation Module. The higher the level of
support, the more debugging features are available.

The IAR C-SPY Simulator

The C-SPY Simulator simulates the functions of the target processor entirely in
software, which means that you can debug the program logic long before any hardware
is available. Because no hardware is required, it is also the most cost-effective solution
for many applications.

FEATURES
In addition to the general features in C-SPY, the simulator also provides:
● Instruction-level simulation
● Memory configuration and validation
● Interrupt simulation
● Peripheral simulation (using the C-SPY macro system in conjunction with
immediate breakpoints).

31

UCS430-1
The C-SPY FET Debugger driver

SELECTING THE SIMULATOR DRIVER

Before starting C-SPY, you must choose the simulator driver:
1 In the IDE, choose Project>Options and click the Setup tab in the Debugger
category.
2 Choose Simulator from the Driver drop-down list.

The C-SPY FET Debugger driver

The C-SPY Flash Emulator Tool Debugger is a JTAG debugger that supports all Texas
Instruments’ boards, and several third-party JTAG debug probes. It provides automatic
flash downloading and takes advantage of on-chip debug facilities.
To make the C-SPY FET Debugger work, a communication driver must be installed on
the host PC. This driver is automatically installed during the installation of the IAR
Embedded Workbench IDE. Because the hardware debugger kernel is built into the
microcontroller, no ordinary ROM-monitor program or extra specific hardware is
needed to make the debugging work. You can also use the debugger on your own
hardware design.
The C-SPY FET Debugger provides real-time debugging at a low cost.
At the time of writing this guide, the IAR C-SPY Debugger for the MSP430
microcontrollers is available with drivers for these JTAG debug probes supported by the
FET debugger driver:
● Texas Instruments FET
● Olimex JTAG interface
● Elprotronic JTAG interface.

FEATURES
In addition to the general features of C-SPY, the FET Debugger driver also provides:
● Execution in real time with full access to the microcontroller
● High-speed communication through a JTAG interface
● Zero memory footprint on the target system
● Hardware code breakpoints
● Built-in flash loader.
Depending on the level of Enhanced Emulation Module (EEM) support, you might have
access also to:
● State storage

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

32 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The IAR C-SPY Debugger

● Sequencer
● Clock control
● Advanced cycle counter.
Note: Code coverage, function level profiling, and live watch are not supported by the
C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

COMMUNICATION OVERVIEW
The C-SPY FET Debugger driver uses the USB or parallel port to communicate with the
FET Interface module. The FET Interface module communicates with the JTAG
interface on the hardware.

Figure 2: C-SPY FET Debugger communication overview

For further information, refer to the documentation supplied with the FET Debugger.
When a debugging session is started, your application is automatically downloaded and
programmed into flash memory. You can disable this feature, if necessary.

33

UCS430-1
The C-SPY FET Debugger driver

HARDWARE INSTALLATION
For information about the hardware installation, see the documentation supplied with
the FET Debugger from Texas Instruments. The following power-up sequence is
recommended to ensure proper communication between the target board, FET
Debugger, and C-SPY:
1 Power up the target board.
2 Power up FET Debugger.
3 Start the C-SPY debugging session.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

34 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Getting started using
C-SPY
This chapter helps you get started using C-SPY®. More specifically, this means:

● Setting up C-SPY

● Starting C-SPY

● Adapting for target hardware

● Running example projects

● Reference information on starting C-SPY.

Setting up C-SPY
This section describes the steps involved for setting up C-SPY.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Setting up for debugging
● Executing from reset
● Using a setup macro file
● Selecting a device description file
● Loading plugin modules.

SETTING UP FOR DEBUGGING

1 Before you start C-SPY, choose Project>Options>Debugger>Setup and select the
C-SPY driver that matches your debugger system: simulator or a hardware debugger
system.
Note: You can only choose a driver you have installed on your computer.
2 In the Category list, select the appropriate C-SPY driver and make your settings.
For information about these options, see Debugger options, page 269.
3 Click OK.

35

UCS430-1
Setting up C-SPY

4 Choose Tools>Options>Debugger to configure:

● The debugger’s behavior
● The debugger’s tracking of stack usage.
For further information about these options, see the IDE Project Management and
Building Guide.
See also Adapting for target hardware, page 40.

EXECUTING FROM RESET

The Run to option—available on the Debugger>Setup page—specifies a location you
want C-SPY to run to when you start the debugger as well as after each reset. C-SPY
will place a temporary breakpoint at this location and all code up to this point is executed
before stopping at the location.
The default location to run to is the main function. Type the name of the location if you
want C-SPY to run to a different location. You can specify assembler labels or whatever
can be evaluated to such, for instance function names.
If you leave the check box empty, the program counter will then contain the regular
hardware reset address at each reset.
If no breakpoints are available when C-SPY starts, a warning message notifies you that
single stepping will be required and that this is time-consuming. You can then continue
execution in single-step mode or stop at the first instruction. If you choose to stop at the
first instruction, the debugger starts executing with the PC (program counter) at the
default reset location instead of the location you typed in the Run to box.
Note: This message will never be displayed in the C-SPY Simulator, where
breakpoints are not limited.

USING A SETUP MACRO FILE

A setup macro file is a macro file that you choose to load automatically when C-SPY
starts. You can define the setup macro file to perform actions according to your needs,
using setup macro functions and system macros. Thus, if you load a setup macro file you
can initialize C-SPY to perform actions automatically.
For detailed information about setup macro files and functions, see Briefly about setup
macro functions and files, page 206. For an example about how to use a setup macro file,
see the chapter Initializing target hardware before C-SPY starts, page 41.
To register a setup macro file:
1 Before you start C-SPY, choose Project>Options>Debugger>Setup.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

36 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Getting started using C-SPY

2 Select Use macro file and type the path and name of your setup macro file, for
example [Link]. If you do not type a filename extension, the extension mac is
assumed.

SELECTING A DEVICE DESCRIPTION FILE

C-SPY uses device description files to handle device-specific information.
A default device description file is automatically used based on your project settings. If
you want to override the default file, you must select your device description file. Device
description files are provided in the msp430\config directory and they have the
filename extension ddf.
For more information about device description files, see Adapting for target hardware,
page 40.
To override the default device description file:
1 Before you start C-SPY, choose Project>Options>Debugger>Setup.
2 Enable the use of a device description file and select a file using the Device
description file browse button.

LOADING PLUGIN MODULES

On the Plugins page you can specify C-SPY plugin modules to load and make available
during debug sessions. Plugin modules can be provided by IAR Systems, and by
third-party suppliers. Contact your software distributor or IAR Systems representative,
or visit the IAR Systems web site, for information about available modules.
For more information, see Plugins, page 273.

Starting C-SPY
When you have set up the debugger, you are ready to start a debug session; this section
describes the steps involved.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Starting the debugger
● Loading executable files built outside of the IDE
● Starting a debug session with source files missing
● Loading multiple images.

37

UCS430-1
Starting C-SPY

STARTING THE DEBUGGER

You can choose to start the debugger with or without loading the current project.
To start C-SPY and load the current project, click the Download and Debug button.
Alternatively, choose Project>Download and Debug.
To start C-SPY without reloading the current project, click the Debug without
Downloading button. Alternatively, choose Project>Debug without Downloading.

LOADING EXECUTABLE FILES BUILT OUTSIDE OF THE IDE

You can also load C-SPY with an application that was built outside the IDE, for example
applications built on the command line. To load an externally built executable file and
to set build options you must first create a project for it in your workspace.
To create a project for an externally built file:
1 Choose Project>Create New Project, and specify a project name.
2 To add the executable file to the project, choose Project>Add Files and make sure to
choose All Files in the Files of type drop-down list. Locate the executable file.
3 To start the executable file, click the Download and Debug button. The project can be
reused whenever you rebuild your executable file.
The only project options that are meaningful to set for this kind of project are options in
the General Options and Debugger categories. Make sure to set up the general project
options in the same way as when the executable file was built.

STARTING A DEBUG SESSION WITH SOURCE FILES MISSING

Normally, when you use the IAR Embedded Workbench IDE to edit source files, build
your project, and start the debug session, all required files are available and the process
works as expected.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

38 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Getting started using C-SPY

However, if C-SPY cannot automatically find the source files, for example if the
application was built on another computer, the Get Alternative File dialog box is
displayed:

Figure 3: Get Alternative File dialog box

Typically, you can use the dialog box like this:

● The source files are not available: Click If possible, don’t show this dialog again
and then click Skip. C-SPY will assume that there simply is no source file available.
The dialog box will not appear again, and the debug session will not try to display
the source code.
● Alternative source files are available at another location: Specify an alternative
source code file, click If possible, don’t show this dialog again, and then click Use
this file. C-SPY will assume that the alternative file should be used. The dialog box
will not appear again, unless a file is needed for which there is no alternative file
specified and which cannot be located automatically.
If you restart the IAR Embedded Workbench IDE, the Get Alternative File dialog box
will be displayed again once even if you have clicked If possible, don’t show this
dialog again. This gives you an opportunity to modify your previous settings.
For more information, see Get Alternative File dialog box, page 49.

LOADING MULTIPLE IMAGES

Normally, a debuggable application consists of exactly one file that you debug.
However, you can also load additional debug files (images). This means that the
complete program consists of several images.
Typically, this is useful if you want to debug your application in combination with a
prebuilt ROM image that contains an additional library for some platform-provided
features. The ROM image and the application are built using separate projects in the
IAR Embedded Workbench IDE and generate separate output files.

39

UCS430-1
Adapting for target hardware

If more than one image has been loaded, you will have access to the combined debug
information for all the loaded images. In the Images window you can choose whether
you want to have access to debug information for one image or for all images.
To load additional images at C-SPY startup:
1 Choose Project>Options>Debugger>Images and specify up to three additional
images to be loaded. For more information, see Images, page 272.
2 Start the debug session.
To load additional images at a specific moment:
Use the __loadImage system macro and execute it using either one of the methods
described in Procedures for using C-SPY macros, page 207.
To display a list of loaded images:
Choose Images from the View menu. The Images window is displayed, see Images
window, page 47.

Adapting for target hardware

This section provides information about how to describe the target hardware to C-SPY,
and how you can make C-SPY initialize the target hardware before your application is
downloaded to memory.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Modifying a device description file
● Initializing target hardware before C-SPY starts.

MODIFYING A DEVICE DESCRIPTION FILE

C-SPY uses device description files provided with the product to handle several of the
target-specific adaptations, see Selecting a device description file, page 37. They contain
device-specific information such as:
● Memory information for device-specific memory zones, see C-SPY memory zones,
page 120
● Definitions of memory-mapped peripheral units, device-specific CPU registers, and
groups of these
● Definitions for device-specific interrupts, which makes it possible to simulate these
interrupts in the C-SPY simulator; see Simulating interrupts, page 191.
Normally, you do not need to modify the device description file. However, if the
predefinitions are not sufficient for some reason, you can edit the file. Note, however,

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

40 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Getting started using C-SPY

that the format of these descriptions might be updated in future upgrade versions of the
product.
Make a copy of the device description file that best suits your needs, and modify it
according to the description in the file.
For information about how to load a device description file, see Selecting a device
description file, page 37.

INITIALIZING TARGET HARDWARE BEFORE C-SPY STARTS

If your hardware uses external memory that must be enabled before code can be
downloaded to it, C-SPY needs a macro to perform this action before your application
can be downloaded. For example:
1 Create a new text file and define your macro function. For example, a macro that
enables external SDRAM might look like this:
/* Your macro function. */
enableExternalSDRAM()
{
__message "Enabling external SDRAM\n";
__writeMemory32( /* Place your code here. */ );
/* And more code here, if needed. */
}

/* Setup macro determines time of execution. */

execUserPreload()
{
enableExternalSDRAM();
}

Because the built-in execUserPreload setup macro function is used, your macro
function will be executed directly after the communication with the target system is
established but before C-SPY downloads your application.
2 Save the file with the filename extension mac.
3 Before you start C-SPY, choose Project>Options>Debugger and click the Setup tab.
4 Select the option Use Setup file and choose the macro file you just created.
Your setup macro will now be loaded during the C-SPY startup sequence.

Running example projects

IAR Embedded Workbench comes with example applications. You can use these
examples to get started using the development tools from IAR Systems or simply to

41

UCS430-1
Running example projects

verify that contact has been established with your target board. You can also use the
examples as a starting point for your application project.
You can find the examples in the msp430\FET_examples directory. The examples are
ready to be used as is. They are supplied with ready-made workspace files, together with
source code files and all other related files.

RUNNING AN EXAMPLE PROJECT

To run an example project:
1 Choose Help>Information Center and click EXAMPLE PROJECTS.
2 Browse to the example that matches the specific evaluation board or starter kit you are
using.

Figure 4: Example applications

Click the Open Project button.

3 In the dialog box that appears, choose a destination folder for your project location.
Click Select to confirm your choice.
4 The available example projects are displayed in the workspace window. Select one of
the projects, and if it is not the active project (highlighted in bold), right-click it and
choose Set As Active from the context menu.
5 To view the project settings, select the project and choose Options from the context
menu. Verify the settings for General Options>Target>Device and
Debugger>Setup>Driver. As for other settings, the project is set up to suit the target
system you selected.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

42 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Getting started using C-SPY

For further details about the C-SPY options and how to configure C-SPY to interact with
the target board, see Debugger options, page 269.
Click OK to close the project Options dialog box.
6 To compile and link the application, choose Project>Make or click the Make button.
7 To start C-SPY, choose Project>Debug or click the Download and Debug button. If
C-SPY fails to establish contact with the target system, see Resolving problems, page
286.
8 Choose Execute>Go or click the Go button to start the application.
Click the Stop button to stop execution.

Reference information on starting C-SPY

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● C-SPY Debugger main window, page 43
● Images window, page 47
● Get Alternative File dialog box, page 49
● Device Information window, page 50.
For related information, see:
● Tools options for the debugger in the IDE Project Management and Building Guide.

C-SPY Debugger main window

When you start the debugger, these debugger-specific items appear in the main IAR
Embedded Workbench IDE window:
● A dedicated Debug menu with commands for executing and debugging your
application
● Depending on the C-SPY driver you are using, a driver-specific menu, often
referred to as the Driver menu in this documentation. Typically, this menu contains
menu commands for opening driver-specific windows and dialog boxes.
● A special debug toolbar
● Several windows and dialog boxes specific to C-SPY.
The C-SPY main window might look different depending on which components of the
product installation you are using.

43

UCS430-1
Reference information on starting C-SPY

Menu bar
These menus are available when C-SPY is running:

Debug Provides commands for executing and debugging the source

application; see Debug menu, page 44. Most of the
commands are also available as icon buttons on the debug
toolbar.
Simulator Provides access to the dialog boxes for setting up interrupt
simulation and memory access checking. This menu is only
available when the C-SPY Simulator is used; see Simulator
menu, page 281.
Emulator Provides commands specific to the C-SPY FET Debugger
driver. This menu is only available when the driver is used;
see Emulator menu, page 283.

Debug menu
The Debug menu is available when C-SPY is running. The Debug menu provides
commands for executing and debugging the source application. Most of the commands
are also available as icon buttons on the debug toolbar.

Figure 5: Debug menu

These commands are available:

Go Executes from the current statement or instruction until a

F5 breakpoint or program exit is reached.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

44 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Getting started using C-SPY

Break Stops the application execution.

Reset Resets the target processor.
Stop Debugging Stops the debugging session and returns you to the project
Ctrl+Shift+D manager.
Step Over Executes the next statement, function call, or instruction,
F10 without entering C or C++ functions or assembler
subroutines.
Step Into Executes the next statement or instruction, or function call,
F11 entering C or C++ functions or assembler subroutines.
Step Out Executes from the current statement up to the statement
Shift+F11 after the call to the current function.
Next Statement Executes directly to the next statement without stopping at
individual function calls.
Run to Cursor Executes from the current statement or instruction up to a
selected statement or instruction.
Autostep Displays a dialog box where you can customize and
perform autostepping; see Autostep settings dialog box,
page 69.
Set Next Statement Moves the program counter directly to where the cursor is,
without executing any source code. Note, however, that this
creates an anomaly in the program flow and might have
unexpected effects.
Memory>Save Displays a dialog box where you can save the contents of a
specified memory area to a file, see Memory Save dialog
box, page 127.
Memory>Restore Displays a dialog box where you can load the contents of a
file in Intel-extended or Motorola s-record format to a
specified memory zone, see Memory Restore dialog box,
page 128.
Refresh Refreshes the contents of all debugger windows. Because
window updates are automatic, this is needed only in
unusual situations, such as when target memory is modified
in ways C-SPY cannot detect. It is also useful if code that
is displayed in the Disassembly window is changed.

45

UCS430-1
Reference information on starting C-SPY

Macros Displays a dialog box where you can list, register, and edit
your macro files and functions; see Using the Macro
Configuration dialog box, page 209.
Logging>Set Log file Displays a dialog box where you can choose to log the
contents of the Debug Log window to a file. You can select
the type and the location of the log file. You can choose
what you want to log: errors, warnings, system
information, user messages, or all of these. See Log File
dialog box, page 67.
Logging> Displays a dialog box where you can choose to log
Set Terminal I/O Log file simulated target access communication to a file. You can
select the destination of the log file. See Terminal I/O Log
File dialog box, page 64.

C-SPY windows
These windows specific to C-SPY are available when C-SPY is running:
● C-SPY Debugger main window
● Disassembly window
● Memory window
● Symbolic Memory window
● Register window
● Watch window
● Locals window
● Auto window
● Live Watch window
● Quick Watch window
● Statics window
● Call Stack window
● Trace window
● Function Trace window
● Timeline window
● Terminal I/O window
● LCD window
● Code Coverage window
● Function Profiler window

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

46 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Getting started using C-SPY

● Images window
● Stack window
● Symbols window.
Additional windows are available depending on which C-SPY driver you are using.

Editing in C-SPY windows

You can edit the contents of the Memory, Symbolic Memory, Register, Auto, Watch,
Locals, Statics, Live Watch, and Quick Watch windows.
Use these keyboard keys to edit the contents of these windows:

Enter Makes an item editable and saves the new value.

Esc Cancels a new value.

In windows where you can edit the Expression field, you can specify the number of
elements to be displayed in the field by adding a semicolon followed by an integer. For
example, to display only the three first elements of an array named myArray, or three
elements in sequence starting with the element pointed to by a pointer, write:
myArray;3

Optionally, add a comma and another integer that specifies which element to start with.
For example, to display elements 10–14, write:
myArray;5,10

Images window
The Images window is available from the View menu.

Figure 6: Images window

The Images window lists all currently loaded images (debug files).

47

UCS430-1
Reference information on starting C-SPY

Normally, a source application consists of exactly one image that you debug. However,
you can also load additional images. This means that the complete debuggable unit
consists of several images.

Display area
This area lists the loaded images in these columns:

Name The name of the loaded image.

Path The path to the loaded image.

C-SPY can either use debug information from all of the loaded images simultaneously,
or from one image at a time. Double-click on a row to show information only for that
image. The current choice is highlighted.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 7: Images window context menu

These commands are available:

Show all images Shows debug information for all loaded debug images.
Show only image Shows debug information for the selected debug image.

Related information
For related information, see:
● Loading multiple images, page 39
● Images, page 272
● __loadImage, page 225.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

48 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Getting started using C-SPY

Get Alternative File dialog box

The Get Alternative File dialog box is displayed if C-SPY cannot automatically find
the source files to be loaded, for example if the application was built on another
computer.

Figure 8: Get Alternative File dialog box

Could not find the following source file

The missing source file.

Suggested alternative
Specify an alternative file.

Use this file

After you have specified an alternative file, Use this file establishes that file as the alias
for the requested file. Note that after you have chosen this action, C-SPY will
automatically locate other source files if these files reside in a directory structure similar
to the first selected alternative file.
The next time you start a debug session, the selected alternative file will be preloaded
automatically.

Skip
C-SPY will assume that the source file is not available for this debug session.

If possible, don’t show this dialog again

Instead of displaying the dialog box again for a missing source file, C-SPY will use the
previously supplied response.

Related information
For related information, see Starting a debug session with source files missing, page 38.

49

UCS430-1
Reference information on starting C-SPY

Device Information window

The Device Information window is available from the Emulator menu.

Figure 9: Device Information window

Displays information about the target hardware being used.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

50 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application
This chapter contains information about executing your application in
C-SPY®. More specifically, this means:

● Introduction to application execution

● Reference information on application execution.

Introduction to application execution

This section covers these topics:
● Briefly about application execution
● Source and disassembly mode debugging
● Single stepping
● Running the application
● Highlighting
● Call stack information
● Terminal input and output
● Debug logging.

BRIEFLY ABOUT APPLICATION EXECUTION

C-SPY allows you to monitor and control the execution of your application. By
single-stepping through it, and setting breakpoints, you can examine details about the
application execution, for example the values of variables and registers. You can also use
the call stack to step back and forth in the function call chain.
The terminal I/O and debug log features let you interact with your application.
You can find commands for execution on the Debug menu and on the toolbar.

SOURCE AND DISASSEMBLY MODE DEBUGGING

C-SPY allows you to switch between source mode and disassembly mode debugging as
needed.
Source debugging provides the fastest and easiest way of developing your application,
without having to worry about how the compiler or assembler has implemented the

51

UCS430-1
Introduction to application execution

code. In the editor windows you can execute the application one statement at a time
while monitoring the values of variables and data structures.
Disassembly mode debugging lets you focus on the critical sections of your application,
and provides you with precise control of the application code. You can open a
disassembly window which displays a mnemonic assembler listing of your application
based on actual memory contents rather than source code, and lets you execute the
application exactly one machine instruction at a time.
Regardless of which mode you are debugging in, you can display registers and memory,
and change their contents.

SINGLE STEPPING
C-SPY allows more stepping precision than most other debuggers because it is not
line-oriented but statement-oriented. The compiler generates detailed stepping
information in the form of step points at each statement, and at each function call. That
is, source code locations where you might consider whether to execute a step into or a
step over command. Because the step points are located not only at each statement but
also at each function call, the step functionality allows a finer granularity than just
stepping on statements. There are four step commands:
● Step Into
● Step Over
● Next Statement
● Step Out.
Using the Autostep settings dialog box, you can automate the single stepping. For more
information, see Autostep settings dialog box, page 69.
Consider this example and assume that the previous step has taken you to the f(i)
function call (highlighted):
extern int g(int);
int f(int n)
{
value = g(n-1) + g(n-2) + g(n-3);
return value;
}
int main()
{
...
f(i);
value ++;
}

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

52 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

Step Into
While stepping, you typically consider whether to step into a function and continue
stepping inside the function or subroutine. The Step Into command takes you to the first
step point within the subroutine, g(n-1):
extern int g(int);
int f(int n)
{
value = g(n-1) + g(n-2) + g(n-3);
return value;
}

The Step Into command executes to the next step point in the normal flow of control,
regardless of whether it is in the same or another function.

Step Over
The Step Over command executes to the next step point in the same function, without
stopping inside called functions. The command would take you to the g(n-2) function
call, which is not a statement on its own but part of the same statement as g(n-1). Thus,
you can skip uninteresting calls which are parts of statements and instead focus on
critical parts:
extern int g(int);
int f(int n)
{
value = g(n-1) + g(n-2) + g(n-3);
return value;
}

Next Statement
The Next Statement command executes directly to the next statement, in this case
return value, allowing faster stepping:

extern int g(int);

int f(int n)
{
value = g(n-1) + g(n-2) + g(n-3);
return value;
}

53

UCS430-1
Introduction to application execution

Step Out
When inside the function, you can—if you wish—use the Step Out command to step
out of it before it reaches the exit. This will take you directly to the statement
immediately after the function call:
extern int g(int);
int f(int n)
{
value = g(n-1) + g(n-2) g(n-3);
return value;
}
int main()
{
...
f(i);
value ++;
}

The possibility of stepping into an individual function that is part of a more complex
statement is particularly useful when you use C code containing many nested function
calls. It is also very useful for C++, which tends to have many implicit function calls,
such as constructors, destructors, assignment operators, and other user-defined
operators.
This detailed stepping can in some circumstances be either invaluable or unnecessarily
slow. For this reason, you can also step only on statements, which means faster stepping.

Single-stepping and flash memory in the C-SPY FET Debugger

When you use the FET Debugger driver, be aware that single-stepping over instructions
that manipulate the flash memory might cause some unexpected side-effects.
Multiple internal machine cycles are required to clear and program the flash memory.
When single-stepping over instructions that manipulate the flash memory, control is
given back to C-SPY before these operations are complete. Consequently, C-SPY will
update its memory window with erroneous information. A workaround to this behavior
is to follow the flash access instruction with a NOP instruction, and then step past the NOP
before reviewing the effects of the flash access instruction.

RUNNING THE APPLICATION

Go
The Go command continues execution from the current position until a breakpoint or
program exit is reached.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

54 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

Run to Cursor
The Run to Cursor command executes to the position in the source code where you
have placed the cursor. The Run to Cursor command also works in the Disassembly
window and in the Call Stack window.

HIGHLIGHTING
At each stop, C-SPY highlights the corresponding C or C++ source or instruction with
a green color, in the editor and the Disassembly window respectively. In addition, a
green arrow appears in the editor window when you step on C or C++ source level, and
in the Disassembly window when you step on disassembly level. This is determined by
which of the windows is the active window. If none of the windows are active, it is
determined by which of the windows was last active.

Figure 10: C-SPY highlighting source location

For simple statements without function calls, the whole statement is typically
highlighted. When stopping at a statement with function calls, C-SPY highlights the first
call because this illustrates more clearly what Step Into and Step Over would mean at
that time.
Occasionally, you will notice that a statement in the source window is highlighted using
a pale variant of the normal highlight color. This happens when the program counter is
at an assembler instruction which is part of a source statement but not exactly at a step
point. This is often the case when stepping in the Disassembly window. Only when the
program counter is at the first instruction of the source statement, the ordinary highlight
color is used.

CALL STACK INFORMATION

The compiler generates extensive backtrace information. This allows C-SPY to show,
without any runtime penalty, the complete function call chain at any time.
Typically, this is useful for two purposes:
● Determining in what context the current function has been called
● Tracing the origin of incorrect values in variables and in parameters, thus locating
the function in the call chain where the problem occurred.

55

UCS430-1
Introduction to application execution

The Call Stack window shows a list of function calls, with the current function at the
top. When you inspect a function in the call chain, the contents of all affected windows
are updated to display the state of that particular call frame. This includes the editor,
Locals, Register, Watch and Disassembly windows. A function would normally not
make use of all registers, so these registers might have undefined states and be displayed
as dashes (---).
In the editor and Disassembly windows, a green highlight indicates the topmost, or
current, call frame; a yellow highlight is used when inspecting other frames.
For your convenience, it is possible to select a function in the call stack and click the
Run to Cursor command to execute to that function.
Assembler source code does not automatically contain any backtrace information. To
see the call chain also for your assembler modules, you can add the appropriate CFI
assembler directives to the assembler source code. For further information, see the
MSP430 IAR Assembler Reference Guide.

TERMINAL INPUT AND OUTPUT

Sometimes you might have to debug constructions in your application that use stdin
and stdout without an actual hardware device for input and output. The Terminal I/O
window lets you enter input to your application, and display output from it. You can also
direct terminal I/O to a file, using the Terminal I/O Log Files dialog box.
This facility is useful in two different contexts:
● If your application uses stdin and stdout
● For producing debug trace printouts.
For reference information, see Terminal I/O window, page 63 and Terminal I/O Log File
dialog box, page 64.

DEBUG LOGGING
The Debug Log window displays debugger output, such as diagnostic messages,
macro-generated output, event log messages, and information about trace.
It can sometimes be convenient to log the information to a file where you can easily
inspect it. The two main advantages are:
● The file can be opened in another tool, for instance an editor, so you can navigate
and search within the file for particularly interesting parts
● The file provides history about how you have controlled the execution, for instance,
which breakpoints that have been triggered etc.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

56 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

Reference information on application execution

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● Disassembly window, page 58
● Call Stack window, page 62
● Terminal I/O window, page 63
● Terminal I/O Log File dialog box, page 64
● LCD window, page 65
● LCD Settings dialog box, page 66
● Debug Log window, page 66
● Log File dialog box, page 67
● Report Assert dialog box, page 68
● Autostep settings dialog box, page 69.
For related information, see Terminal I/O options in IDE Project Management and
Building Guide.

57

UCS430-1
Reference information on application execution

Disassembly window
The C-SPY Disassembly window is available from the View menu.

Toggle embedded
Go to memory address Zone display source mode

Code coverage
information

Current position

Breakpoint

Figure 11: C-SPY Disassembly window

This window shows the application being debugged as disassembled application code.
To change the default color of the source code in the Disassembly window:
1 Choose Tools>Options>Debugger.
2 Set the default color using the Source code coloring in disassembly window option.
To view the corresponding assembler code for a function, you can select it in the editor
window and drag it to the Disassembly window.

Toolbar
The toolbar contains:

Go to The location you want to view. This can be a memory

address, or the name of a variable, function, or label.
Zone display Lists the available memory zones to display, see C-SPY
memory zones, page 120.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

58 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

Toggle Mixed-Mode Toggles between displaying only disassembled code or

disassembled code together with the corresponding source
code. Source code requires that the corresponding source
file has been compiled with debug information.

Display area
The display area shows the disassembled application code.
This area contains these graphic elements:

Green highlight Indicates the current position, that is the next assembler
instruction to be executed. To move the cursor to any line in
the Disassembly window, click the line. Alternatively, move
the cursor using the navigation keys.
Yellow highlight Indicates inspection of other frames, that is the next
assembler instruction to be executed upon return to this
frame
Red dot Indicates a breakpoint. Double-click in the gray left-side
margin of the window to set a breakpoint. For more
information, see Using breakpoints, page 87.
Green diamond Indicates code that has been executed—that is, code
coverage.

If instruction profiling has been enabled from the context menu, an extra column in the
left-side margin appears with information about how many times each instruction has
been executed.

59

UCS430-1
Reference information on application execution

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 12: Disassembly window context menu

Note: The contents of this menu are dynamic, which means it might look different
depending on your product package.
These commands are available:

Move to PC Displays code at the current program counter location.

Run to Cursor Executes the application from the current position up to the
line containing the cursor.
Code Coverage Displays a submenu that provides commands for controlling
code coverage. This command is only enabled if the driver
you are using supports it.
Enable, toggles code coverage on or off.
Show, toggles the display of code coverage on or off.
Executed code is indicated by a green diamond.
Clear, clears all code coverage information.
Instruction Profiling Displays a submenu that provides commands for controlling
instruction profiling. This command is only enabled if the
driver you are using supports it.
Enable, toggles instruction profiling on or off.
Show, toggles the display of instruction profiling on or off.
For each instruction, the left-side margin displays how
many times the instruction has been executed.
Clear, clears all instruction profiling information.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

60 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

Toggle Breakpoint Toggles a code breakpoint. Assembler instructions and any

(Code) corresponding label at which code breakpoints have been set
are highlighted in red. For more information, see Code
breakpoints dialog box, page 101.
Toggle Breakpoint Toggles a log breakpoint for trace printouts. Assembler
(Log) instructions at which log breakpoints have been set are
highlighted in red. For more information, see Log breakpoints
dialog box, page 103.
Toggle Breakpoint Toggles a Trace Start breakpoint. When the breakpoint is
(Trace Start) triggered, the trace data collection starts. Note that this menu
command is only available if the C-SPY driver you are using
supports trace. For more information, see Trace Start
breakpoints dialog box, page 152.
Toggle Breakpoint Toggles a Trace Stop breakpoint. When the breakpoint is
(Trace Stop) triggered, the trace data collection stops. Note that this menu
command is only available if the C-SPY driver you are using
supports trace. For more information, see Trace Stop
breakpoints dialog box, page 153.
Enable/Disable Enables and Disables a breakpoint. If there is more than one
Breakpoint breakpoint at a specific line, all those breakpoints are affected
by the Enable/Disable command.
Edit Breakpoint Displays the breakpoint dialog box to let you edit the
currently selected breakpoint. If there is more than one
breakpoint on the selected line, a submenu is displayed that
lists all available breakpoints on that line.
Set Next Statement Sets the program counter to the address of the instruction at
the insertion point.
Copy Window Copies the selected contents of the Disassembly window to
Contents the clipboard.
Mixed-Mode Toggles between showing only disassembled code or
disassembled code together with the corresponding source
code. Source code requires that the corresponding source file
has been compiled with debug information.

61

UCS430-1
Reference information on application execution

Call Stack window

The Call stack window is available from the View menu.

Destination for Step Into

Figure 13: Call Stack window

This window displays the C function call stack with the current function at the top. To
inspect a function call, double-click it. C-SPY now focuses on that call frame instead.
If the next Step Into command would step to a function call, the name of the function
is displayed in the grey bar at the top of the window. This is especially useful for implicit
function calls, such as C++ constructors, destructors, and operators.

Display area
Provided that the command Show Arguments is enabled, each entry in the display area
has the format:
function(values)

where (values) is a list of the current value of the parameters, or empty if the function
does not take any parameters.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 14: Call Stack window context menu

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

62 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

These commands are available:

Go to Source Displays the selected function in the Disassembly or

editor windows.
Show Arguments Shows function arguments.
Run to Cursor Executes until return to the function selected in the call
stack.
Toggle Breakpoint (Code) Toggles a code breakpoint.
Toggle Breakpoint (Log) Toggles a log breakpoint.
Enable/Disable Breakpoint Enables or disables the selected breakpoint.

Terminal I/O window

The Terminal I/O window is available from the View menu.

Figure 15: Terminal I/O window

Use this window to enter input to your application, and display output from it.
To use this window, you must:
1 Link your application with the option With I/O emulation modules.
C-SPY will then direct stdin, stdout and stderr to this window. If the Terminal I/O
window is closed, C-SPY will open it automatically when input is required, but not for
output.

63

UCS430-1
Reference information on application execution

Input
Type the text that you want to input to your application.

Ctrl codes
Opens a menu for input of special characters, such as EOF (end of file) and NUL.

Figure 16: Ctrl codes menu

Input Mode
Opens the Input Mode dialog box where you choose whether to input data from the
keyboard or from a file.

Figure 17: Input Mode dialog box

For reference information about the options available in this dialog box, see Terminal
I/O options in IDE Project Management and Building Guide.

Terminal I/O Log File dialog box

The Terminal I/O Log File dialog box is available by choosing Debug>Logging>Set
Terminal I/O Log File.

Figure 18: Terminal I/O Log File dialog box

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

64 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

Use this dialog box to select a destination log file for terminal I/O from C-SPY.

Terminal IO Log Files

Controls the logging of terminal I/O. To enable logging of terminal I/O to a file, select
Enable Terminal IO log file and specify a filename. The default filename extension is
log. A browse button is available for your convenience.

LCD window
The LCD window is available from the View menu.

Figure 19: LCD window

This window simulates a 7- or 14-segments LCD display.

Toolbar

Displays the LCD Settings dialog box, where you can configure the LCD window.

65

UCS430-1
Reference information on application execution

LCD Settings dialog box

The LCD Settings dialog box is available from the LCD window.

Figure 20: LCD Settings dialog box

Use this dialog box to configure the LCD window.

LCD configuration file

Specify the LCD display to simulate, using the browse button. Choose between a
7-segment display and a 14-segment display.

LCD control register address

Specify the address of the LCD control register.

Debug Log window

The Debug Log window is available by choosing View>Messages.

Figure 21: Debug Log window (message window)

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

66 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

This window displays debugger output, such as diagnostic messages, macro-generated

output, event log messages, and information about trace. This output is only available
when C-SPY is running. When opened, this window is, by default, grouped together
with the other message windows, see IDE Project Management and Building Guide.
Double-click any rows in one of the following formats to display the corresponding
source code in the editor window:
<path> (<row>):<message>
<path> (<row>,<column>):<message>

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 22: Debug Log window context menu

These commands are available:

Copy Copies the contents of the window.

Select All Selects the contents of the window.
Clear All Clears the contents of the window.

Log File dialog box

The Log File dialog box is available by choosing Debug>Logging>Set Log File.

Figure 23: Log File dialog box

Use this dialog box to log output from C-SPY to a file.

67

UCS430-1
Reference information on application execution

Enable Log file

Enables or disables logging to the file.

Include
The information printed in the file is, by default, the same as the information listed in
the Log window. To change the information logged, choose between:

Errors C-SPY has failed to perform an operation.

Warnings An error or omission of concern.
Info Progress information about actions C-SPY has performed.
User Messages from C-SPY macros, that is, your messages using the
__message statement.

Use the browse button, to override the default file and location of the log file (the default
filename extension is log).

Report Assert dialog box

The Report Assert dialog box appears if you have a call to the assert function in your
application source code, and the assert condition is false. In this dialog box you can
choose how to proceed.

Figure 24: Report Assert dialog box

Abort
The application stops executing and the runtime library function abort, which is part
of your application on the target system, will be called. This means that the application
itself terminates its execution.

Debug
C-SPY stops the execution of the application and returns control to you.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

68 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Executing your application

Ignore
The assertion is ignored and the application continues to execute.

Autostep settings dialog box

The Autostep settings dialog box is available from the Debug menu.

Figure 25: Autostep settings dialog box

Use this dialog box to customize autostepping.

The drop-down menu lists the available step commands.

Delay
Specify the delay between each step in milliseconds.

69

UCS430-1
Reference information on application execution

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

70 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Working with variables
and expressions
This chapter describes how variables and expressions can be used in C-SPY®.
More specifically, this means:

● Introduction to working with variables and expressions

● Reference information on working with variables and expressions.

Introduction to working with variables and expressions

This section covers these topics:
● Briefly about working with variables and expressions
● C-SPY expressions
● Limitations on variable information
● Viewing assembler variables.

BRIEFLY ABOUT WORKING WITH VARIABLES AND

EXPRESSIONS
There are several methods for looking at variables and calculating their values:
● Tooltip watch—in the editor window—provides the simplest way of viewing the
value of a variable or more complex expressions. Just point at the variable with the
mouse pointer. The value is displayed next to the variable.
● The Auto window displays a useful selection of variables and expressions in, or
near, the current statement. The window is automatically updated when execution
stops.
● The Locals window displays the local variables, that is, auto variables and function
parameters for the active function. The window is automatically updated when
execution stops.
● The Watch window allows you to monitor the values of C-SPY expressions and
variables. The window is automatically updated when execution stops.
● The Live Watch window repeatedly samples and displays the values of expressions
while your application is executing. Variables in the expressions must be statically
located, such as global variables.

71

UCS430-1
Introduction to working with variables and expressions

● The Statics window displays the values of variables with static storage duration. The
window is automatically updated when execution stops.
● The Quick Watch window gives you precise control over when to evaluate an
expression.
● The Symbols window displays all symbols with a static location, that is, C/C++
functions, assembler labels, and variables with static storage duration, including
symbols from the runtime library.
● The Trace-related windows let you inspect the program flow up to a specific state.
For more information, see Collecting and using trace data, page 143.

Details about using these windows

All the windows are easy to use. You can add, modify, and remove expressions, and
change the display format.
To add a value you can also click in the dotted rectangle and type the expression you
want to examine. To modify the value of an expression, click the Value field and modify
its content. To remove an expression, select it and press the Delete key.
For text that is too wide to fit in a column—in any of the these windows, except the Trace
window—and thus is truncated, just point at the text with the mouse pointer and tooltip
information is displayed.
Right-click in any of the windows to access the context menu which contains additional
commands. Convenient drag-and-drop between windows is supported, except for in the
Locals window and the Quick Watch window where it is not relevant.

C-SPY EXPRESSIONS
C-SPY expressions can include any type of C expression, except for calls to functions.
The following types of symbols can be used in expressions:
● C/C++ symbols
● Assembler symbols (register names and assembler labels)
● C-SPY macro functions
● C-SPY macro variables.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

72 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Working with variables and expressions

Expressions that are built with these types of symbols are called C-SPY expressions and
there are several methods for monitoring these in C-SPY. Examples of valid C-SPY
expressions are:
i + j
i = 42
#asm_label
#R2
#PC
my_macro_func(19)

C/C++ symbols
C symbols are symbols that you have defined in the C source code of your application,
for instance variables, constants, and functions (functions can be used as symbols but
cannot be executed). C symbols can be referenced by their names. Note that C++
symbols might implicitly contain function calls which are not allowed in C-SPY
symbols and expressions.

Assembler symbols
Assembler symbols can be assembler labels or register names. That is, general purpose
registers, such as R4–R15, and special purpose registers, such as the program counter
and the status register. If a device description file is used, all memory-mapped peripheral
units, such as I/O ports, can also be used as assembler symbols in the same way as the
CPU registers. See Modifying a device description file, page 40.
Assembler symbols can be used in C-SPY expressions if they are prefixed by #.
Example What it does
#pc++ Increments the value of the program counter.
myptr = #label7 Sets myptr to the integral address of label7 within its zone.
Table 4: C-SPY assembler symbols expressions

In case of a name conflict between a hardware register and an assembler label, hardware
registers have a higher precedence. To refer to an assembler label in such a case, you
must enclose the label in back quotes ` (ASCII character 0x60). For example:
Example What it does
#pc Refers to the program counter.
#`pc` Refers to the assembler label pc.
Table 5: Handling name conflicts between hardware registers and assembler labels

Which processor-specific symbols are available by default can be seen in the Register
window, using the CPU Registers register group. See Register window, page 135.

73

UCS430-1
Introduction to working with variables and expressions

C-SPY macro functions

Macro functions consist of C-SPY macro variable definitions and macro statements
which are executed when the macro is called.
For details of C-SPY macro functions and how to use them, see Briefly about the macro
language, page 207.

C-SPY macro variables

Macro variables are defined and allocated outside your application, and can be used in
a C-SPY expression. In case of a name conflict between a C symbol and a C-SPY macro
variable, the C-SPY macro variable will have a higher precedence than the C variable.
Assignments to a macro variable assign both its value and type.
For details of C-SPY macro variables and how to use them, see Reference information
on the macro language, page 213.

Using sizeof
According to standard C, there are two syntactical forms of sizeof:
sizeof(type)
sizeof expr

The former is for types and the latter for expressions.

Note: In C-SPY, do not use parentheses around an expression when you use the
sizeof operator. For example, use sizeof x+2 instead of sizeof (x+2).

LIMITATIONS ON VARIABLE INFORMATION

The value of a C variable is valid only on step points, that is, the first instruction of a
statement and on function calls. This is indicated in the editor window with a bright
green highlight color. In practice, the value of the variable is accessible and correct more
often than that.
When the program counter is inside a statement, but not at a step point, the statement or
part of the statement is highlighted with a pale variant of the ordinary highlight color.

Effects of optimizations
The compiler is free to optimize the application software as much as possible, as long
as the expected behavior remains. The optimization can affect the code so that
debugging might be more difficult because it will be less clear how the generated code
relates to the source code. Typically, using a high optimization level can affect the code
in a way that will not allow you to view a value of a variable as expected.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

74 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Working with variables and expressions

Consider this example:

myFunction()
{
int i = 42;
...
x = computer(i); /* Here, the value of i is known to C-SPY */
...
}

From the point where the variable i is declared until it is actually used, the compiler
does not need to waste stack or register space on it. The compiler can optimize the code,
which means that C-SPY will not be able to display the value until it is actually used. If
you try to view the value of a variable that is temporarily unavailable, C-SPY will
display the text:
Unavailable

If you need full information about values of variables during your debugging session,
you should make sure to use the lowest optimization level during compilation, that is,
None.

VIEWING ASSEMBLER VARIABLES

An assembler label does not convey any type information at all, which means C-SPY
cannot easily display data located at that label without getting extra information. To
view data conveniently, C-SPY by default treats all data located at assembler labels as
variables of type int. However, in the Watch, Quick Watch, and Live Watch windows,
you can select a different interpretation to better suit the declaration of the variables.

75

UCS430-1
Reference information on working with variables and expressions

In this figure, you can see four variables in the Watch window and their corresponding
declarations in the assembler source file to the left:

Figure 26: Viewing assembler variables in the Watch window

Note that asmvar4 is displayed as an int, although the original assembler declaration
probably intended for it to be a single byte quantity. From the context menu you can
make C-SPY display the variable as, for example, an 8-bit unsigned variable. This has
already been specified for the asmvar3 variable.

Reference information on working with variables and expressions

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● Auto window, page 77
● Locals window, page 77
● Watch window, page 78
● Live Watch window, page 79
● Statics window, page 80
● Select Statics dialog box, page 82
● Quick Watch window, page 83
● Symbols window, page 84
● Resolve Symbol Ambiguity dialog box, page 85.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

76 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Working with variables and expressions

For trace-related reference information, see Reference information on trace, page 146.

Auto window
The Auto window is available from the View menu.

Figure 27: Auto window

This window displays a useful selection of variables and expressions in, or near, the
current statement. Every time execution in C-SPY stops, the values in the Auto window
are recalculated. Values that have changed since the last stop are highlighted in red.

Context menu
For a description of the context menu, see Watch window, page 78.

Locals window
The Locals window is available from the View menu.

Figure 28: Locals window

This window displays the local variables and parameters for the current function. Every
time execution in C-SPY stops, the values in the Locals window are recalculated. Values
that have changed since the last stop are highlighted in red.

77

UCS430-1
Reference information on working with variables and expressions

Context menu
For a description of the context menu, see Watch window, page 78.

Watch window
The Watch window is available from the View menu.

Figure 29: Watch window

Use this window to monitor the values of C-SPY expressions or variables. You can view,
add, modify, and remove expressions. Tree structures of arrays, structs, and unions are
expandable, which means that you can study each item of these.
Every time execution in C-SPY stops, the values in the Watch window are recalculated.
Values that have changed since the last stop are highlighted in red.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 30: Watch window context menu

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

78 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Working with variables and expressions

These commands are available:

Add Adds an expression.

Remove Removes the selected expression.
Default Format, Changes the display format of expressions. The display
Binary Format, format setting affects different types of expressions in
Octal Format, different ways, see Table 6, Effects of display format setting
Decimal Format, on different types of expressions. Your selection of display
Hexadecimal Format, format is saved between debug sessions.
Char Format
Show As Displays a submenu that provides commands for changing
the default type interpretation of variables. The commands
on this submenu are mainly useful for assembler
variables—data at assembler labels—because these are, by
default, displayed as integers. For more information, see
Viewing assembler variables, page 75.

The display format setting affects different types of expressions in these ways:

Type of expression Effects of display format setting

Variable The display setting affects only the selected variable, not other
variables.
Array element The display setting affects the complete array, that is, the same display
format is used for each array element.
Structure field All elements with the same definition—the same field name and C
declaration type—are affected by the display setting.
Table 6: Effects of display format setting on different types of expressions

Live Watch window

The Live Watch window is available from the View menu.

Figure 31: Live Watch window

79

UCS430-1
Reference information on working with variables and expressions

This window repeatedly samples and displays the value of expressions while your
application is executing. Variables in the expressions must be statically located, such as
global variables.
This window can only be used for hardware target systems supporting this feature.

Context menu
For a description of the context menu, see Watch window, page 78.
In addition, the menu contains the Options command, which opens the Debugger
dialog box where you can set the Update interval option. The default value of this
option is 1000 milliseconds, which means the Live Watch window will be updated once
every second during program execution.

Statics window
The Statics window is available from the View menu.

Figure 32: Statics window

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

80 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Working with variables and expressions

This window displays the values of variables with static storage duration, typically that
is variables with file scope but also static variables in functions and classes. Note that
volatile declared variables with static storage duration will not be displayed.

Every time execution in C-SPY stops, the values in the Statics window are recalculated.
Values that have changed since the last stop are highlighted in red.

Display area
This area contains these columns:

Expression The name of the variable. The base name of the variable is
followed by the full name, which includes module, class, or
function scope. This column is not editable.
Value The value of the variable. Values that have changed are
highlighted in red. This column is editable.
Location The location in memory where this variable is stored.
Type The data type of the variable.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 33: Statics window context menu

These commands are available:

Default Format, Changes the display format of expressions. The display

Binary Format, format setting affects different types of expressions in
Octal Format, different ways, see Table 6, Effects of display format setting
Decimal Format, on different types of expressions. Your selection of display
Hexadecimal Format, format is saved between debug sessions.
Char Format

81

UCS430-1
Reference information on working with variables and expressions

Select Statics Displays a dialog box where you can select a subset of
variables to be displayed in the Statics window, see Select
Statics dialog box, page 82.

The display format setting affects different types of expressions in these ways:

Type of expression Effects of display format setting

Variable The display setting affects only the selected variable, not other
variables.
Array element The display setting affects the complete array, that is, the same display
format is used for each array element.
Structure field All elements with the same definition—the same field name and C
declaration type—are affected by the display setting.
Table 7: Effects of display format setting on different types of expressions

Select Statics dialog box

The Select Statics dialog box is available from the context menu in the Statics window.

Figure 34: Select Statics dialog box

Use this dialog box to select which variables should be displayed in the Statics window.

Show all variables with static storage duration

Makes all variables be displayed in the Statics window, including new variables that are
added to your application between debug sessions.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

82 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Working with variables and expressions

Show selected variables only

Selects which variables to be displayed in the Statics window. Note that if you add a new
variable to your application between two debug sessions, this variable will not
automatically be displayed in the Statics window. Select the checkbox next to a variable
to make that variable be displayed. Alternatively, click Select All.

Quick Watch window

The Quick Watch window is available from the View menu and from the context menu
in the editor window.

Figure 35: Quick Watch window

Use this window to watch the value of a variable or expression and evaluate expressions
at a specific point in time.
In contrast to the Watch window, the Quick Watch window gives you precise control
over when to evaluate the expression. For single variables this might not be necessary,
but for expressions with possible side effects, such as assignments and C-SPY macro
functions, it allows you to perform evaluations under controlled conditions.
To evaluate an expression:
1 In the editor window, right-click on the expression you want to examine and choose
Quick Watch from the context menu that appears.
2 The expression will automatically appear in the Quick Watch window.
Alternatively:
1 In the Quick Watch window, type the expression you want to examine in the
Expressions text box.
2 Click the Recalculate button to calculate the value of the expression.
For an example, see Executing macros using Quick Watch, page 211.

83

UCS430-1
Reference information on working with variables and expressions

Context menu
For a description of the context menu, see Watch window, page 78.
In addition, the menu contains the Add to Watch window command, which adds the
selected expression to the Watch window.

Symbols window
The Symbols window is available from the View menu.

Figure 36: Symbols window

This window displays all symbols with a static location, that is, C/C++ functions,
assembler labels, and variables with static storage duration, including symbols from the
runtime library.

Display area
This area contains these columns:

Symbol The symbol name.

Location The memory address.
Full name The symbol name; often the same as the contents of the
Symbol column but differs for example for C++ member
functions.

Click the column headers to sort the list by symbol name, location, or full name.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

84 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Working with variables and expressions

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 37: Symbols window context menu

These commands are available:

Functions Toggles the display of function symbols on or off in the list.

Variables Toggles the display of variables on or off in the list.
Labels Toggles the display of labels on or off in the list.

Resolve Symbol Ambiguity dialog box

The Resolve Symbol Ambiguity dialog box appears, for example, when you specify a
symbol in the Disassembly window to go to, and there are several instances of the same
symbol due to templates or function overloading.

Figure 38: Resolve Symbol Ambiguity dialog box

Ambiguous symbol
Indicates which symbol that is ambiguous.

Please select one symbol

A list of possible matches for the ambiguous symbol. Select the one you want to use.

85

UCS430-1
Reference information on working with variables and expressions

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

86 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints
This chapter describes breakpoints and the various ways to define and
monitor them. More specifically, this means:

● Introduction to setting and using breakpoints

● Procedures for setting breakpoints

● Reference information on breakpoints.

Introduction to setting and using breakpoints

This section introduces breakpoints.
These topics are covered:
● Reasons for using breakpoints
● Briefly about setting breakpoints
● Breakpoint types
● Breakpoint icons
● Breakpoints in the C-SPY simulator
● Breakpoints in the C-SPY FET Debugger driver
● Breakpoint consumers.

REASONS FOR USING BREAKPOINTS

C-SPY® lets you set various types of breakpoints in the application you are debugging,
allowing you to stop at locations of particular interest. You can set a breakpoint at a code
location to investigate whether your program logic is correct, or to get trace printouts.
In addition to code breakpoints, and depending on what C-SPY driver you are using,
additional breakpoint types might be available. For example, you might be able to set a
data breakpoint, to investigate how and when the data changes.
You can let the execution stop under certain conditions, which you specify. You can also
let the breakpoint trigger a side effect, for instance executing a C-SPY macro function,
by transparently stopping the execution and then resuming. The macro function can be
defined to perform a wide variety of actions, for instance, simulating hardware behavior.
All these possibilities provide you with a flexible tool for investigating the status of your
application.

87

UCS430-1
Introduction to setting and using breakpoints

BRIEFLY ABOUT SETTING BREAKPOINTS

You can set breakpoints in many various ways, allowing for different levels of
interaction, precision, timing, and automation. All the breakpoints you define will
appear in the Breakpoints window. From this window you can conveniently view all
breakpoints, enable and disable breakpoints, and open a dialog box for defining new
breakpoints. The Breakpoint Usage dialog box also lists all internally used breakpoints,
see Breakpoint consumers, page 91.
Breakpoints are set with a higher precision than single lines, using the same mechanism
as when stepping; for more details about the precision, see Single stepping, page 52.
You can set breakpoints while you edit your code even if no debug session is active. The
breakpoints will then be validated when the debug session starts. Breakpoints are
preserved between debug sessions.
Note: For most hardware debugger systems it is only possible to set breakpoints when
the application is not executing.

BREAKPOINT TYPES
Depending on the C-SPY driver you are using, C-SPY supports different types of
breakpoints.

Code breakpoints
Code breakpoints are used for code locations to investigate whether your program logic
is correct or to get trace printouts. Code breakpoints are triggered when an instruction is
fetched from the specified location. If you have set the breakpoint on a specific machine
instruction, the breakpoint will be triggered and the execution will stop, before the
instruction is executed.

Log breakpoints
Log breakpoints provide a convenient way to add trace printouts without having to add
any code to your application source code. Log breakpoints are triggered when an
instruction is fetched from the specified location. If you have set the breakpoint on a
specific machine instruction, the breakpoint will be triggered and the execution will
temporarily stop and print the specified message in the C-SPY Debug Log window.

Trace breakpoints
Trace Start and Stop breakpoints start and stop trace data collection—a convenient way
to analyze instructions between two execution points.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

88 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Data breakpoints
Data breakpoints are primarily useful for variables that have a fixed address in memory.
If you set a breakpoint on an accessible local variable, the breakpoint is set on the
corresponding memory location. The validity of this location is only guaranteed for
small parts of the code. Data breakpoints are triggered when data is accessed at the
specified location. The execution will usually stop directly after the instruction that
accessed the data has been executed.

Immediate breakpoints
The C-SPY Simulator lets you set immediate breakpoints, which will halt instruction
execution only temporarily. This allows a C-SPY macro function to be called when the
simulated processor is about to read data from a location or immediately after it has
written data. Instruction execution will resume after the action.
This type of breakpoint is useful for simulating memory-mapped devices of various
kinds (for instance serial ports and timers). When the simulated processor reads from a
memory-mapped location, a C-SPY macro function can intervene and supply
appropriate data. Conversely, when the simulated processor writes to a memory-mapped
location, a C-SPY macro function can act on the value that was written.

Range breakpoints
Range breakpoints can be set on a data or an address range, and the action can be
specified to occur on an access inside or outside the specified range. These breakpoints
are only available if you are using a device that supports the Enhanced Emulation
Module at the required level.

Advanced trigger breakpoints

Advanced trigger breakpoints can be set with various operators on the address bus, the
data bus, or on a register, to be triggered by a certain kind of access. These breakpoints
are only available if you are using a device that supports the Enhanced Emulation
Module at the required level.

Conditional breakpoints
Conditional breakpoints can be set with various operators on the address bus, the data
bus, or on a register, to be triggered by a certain kind of access. You can also specify a
conditional value. These breakpoints are only available if you are using a device that
supports the Enhanced Emulation Module at the required level.

89

UCS430-1
Introduction to setting and using breakpoints

BREAKPOINT ICONS
A breakpoint is marked with an icon in the left margin of the editor window. The icon
varies with the type of breakpoint:

Code breakpoint

Log breakpoint

Tooltip information

Disabled code
breakpoint

Figure 39: Breakpoint icons

If the breakpoint icon does not appear, make sure the option Show bookmarks is
selected, see Editor options in the IDE Project Management and Building Guide.
Just point at the breakpoint icon with the mouse pointer to get detailed tooltip
information about all breakpoints set on the same location. The first row gives user
breakpoint information, the following rows describe the physical breakpoints used for
implementing the user breakpoint. The latter information can also be seen in the
Breakpoint Usage dialog box.
Note: The breakpoint icons might look different for the C-SPY driver you are using.

BREAKPOINTS IN THE C-SPY SIMULATOR

The C-SPY simulator supports all breakpoint types and you can set an unlimited amount
of breakpoints.

BREAKPOINTS IN THE C-SPY FET DEBUGGER DRIVER

Using the C-SPY driver for the C-SPY FET Debugger driver, you can set code
breakpoints. If you are using a device that supports the Enhanced Emulation Module at
the required level you also have access to an extended breakpoint system with support
for:
● breakpoints on addresses, data, and registers
● defining which type of access that should trigger the breakpoint: read, write, or
fetch
● range breakpoints
● setting conditional breakpoints

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

90 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

● triggering different actions: stopping the execution, or starting the state storage
module
● emulated breakpoints.
The Enhanced Emulation Module (at the required level) also gives you access to the
sequencer module which is a state machine that uses breakpoints for triggering new
states.

Hardware breakpoints
To set breakpoints, the C-SPY FET Debugger uses the hardware breakpoints available
on the device. The number of hardware breakpoints is limited, and when all hardware
breakpoints have been used C-SPY can use software breakpoints.
For information about the number of available hardware breakpoints for each device, see
the release notes or the hardware documentation.

Software breakpoints
There are two types of software breakpoints: virtual breakpoints and emulated
breakpoints. See Breakpoints, page 278, for information about how to specify which
type to use.
When virtual breakpoints are used, C-SPY is forced into single-step mode after all
hardware breakpoints have been used. However, if your device supports the Enhanced
Emulation Module at the required level, you can use emulated breakpoints for access to
an unlimited number of breakpoints.
When emulated breakpoints are used, the instruction where the breakpoint is set will be
replaced by a special instruction that the debugger recognizes. When the debugger
encounters such an instruction, it stops. This mechanism uses one hardware breakpoint
to emulate an unlimited number of breakpoints.
To prevent the debugger from executing in single-step mode if you do not use emulated
software breakpoints, you can disable the use of virtual breakpoints and—in the CLIB
runtime environment—fine-tune the use of breakpoint consumers. This will increase the
performance of the debugger, but you will only have access to the available number of
hardware breakpoints. For information about the breakpoint consumers of the debugger
system, see Breakpoint consumers, page 91.
Adding and removing software breakpoints generates many write accesses to the code
memory. This can significantly reduce the lifetime of flash memories.

BREAKPOINT CONSUMERS
Exceeding the number of available hardware breakpoints, when you do not use emulated
software breakpoints, causes the debugger to single step. This will significantly reduce

91

UCS430-1
Introduction to setting and using breakpoints

the execution speed. For this reason you must be aware of the different breakpoint
consumers.

User breakpoints
The breakpoints you define in the breakpoint dialog box or by toggling breakpoints in
the editor window often consume one physical breakpoint each, but this can vary greatly.
Some user breakpoints consume several physical breakpoints and conversely, several
user breakpoints can share one physical breakpoint. User breakpoints are displayed in
the same way both in the Breakpoint Usage dialog box and in the Breakpoints window,
for example Data @[R] callCount.

C-SPY itself
C-SPY itself also consumes breakpoints. C-SPY will set a breakpoint if:
● The debugger option Run to has been selected, and any step command is used.
These are temporary breakpoints which are only set when the debugger system is
running. This means that they are not visible in the Breakpoints window.
● The command Edit>Run to Cursor is used
● The linker option With I/O emulation modules has been selected.
These types of breakpoint consumers are displayed in the Breakpoint Usage dialog
box, for example, C-SPY Terminal I/O & libsupport module.
In the CLIB runtime environment, C-SPY will set a breakpoint if:
● the library functions putchar and getchar are used (low-level routines used by
functions like printf and scanf)
● the application has an exit label.
You can disable the setting of system breakpoints on the putchar and getchar
functions and on the exit label; see Breakpoints, page 278.
In the DLIB runtime environment, C-SPY will set a system breakpoint on the
__DebugBreak label.

When the Run to option is selected and all hardware breakpoints have already been
used, a virtual breakpoint will be set even if you have deselected the Use virtual
breakpoints option. When you start the debugger under these conditions, C-SPY will
prompt you to choose whether you want to execute in single-step mode or stop at the
first instruction.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

92 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

C-SPY plugin modules

For example, modules for real-time operating systems can consume additional
breakpoints. Specifically, by default, the Stack window consumes one physical
breakpoint.
To disable the breakpoint used by the Stack window:
1 Choose Tools>Options>Stack.
2 Deselect the Stack pointer(s) not valid until program reaches: label option.

Procedures for setting breakpoints

This section gives you step-by-step descriptions about how to set and use breakpoints.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Various ways to set a breakpoint
● Toggling a simple code breakpoint
● Setting breakpoints using the dialog box
● Setting a data breakpoint in the Memory window
● Setting breakpoints using system macros
● Useful breakpoint hints.

VARIOUS WAYS TO SET A BREAKPOINT

You can set a breakpoint in various ways:
● Using the Toggle Breakpoint command toggles a code breakpoint. This command
is available both from the Tools menu and from the context menus in the editor
window and in the Disassembly window.
● Right-clicking in the left-side margin of the editor window or the Disassembly
window toggles a code breakpoint.
● Using the New Breakpoints dialog box and the Edit Breakpoints dialog box
available from the context menus in the editor window, Breakpoints window, and in
the Disassembly window. The dialog boxes give you access to all breakpoint
options.
● Setting a data breakpoint on a memory area directly in the Memory window.
● Using predefined system macros for setting breakpoints, which allows automation.
The different methods offer different levels of simplicity, complexity, and automation.

93

UCS430-1
Procedures for setting breakpoints

TOGGLING A SIMPLE CODE BREAKPOINT

Toggling a code breakpoint is a quick method of setting a breakpoint. The following
methods are available both in the editor window and in the Disassembly window:
● Double-click in the gray left-side margin of the window
● Place the insertion point in the C source statement or assembler instruction where
you want the breakpoint, and click the Toggle Breakpoint button in the toolbar
● Choose Edit>Toggle Breakpoint
● Right-click and choose Toggle Breakpoint from the context menu.

SETTING BREAKPOINTS USING THE DIALOG BOX

The advantage of using a breakpoint dialog box is that it provides you with a graphical
interface where you can interactively fine-tune the characteristics of the breakpoints.
You can set the options and quickly test whether the breakpoint works according to your
intentions.
All breakpoints you define using a breakpoint dialog box are preserved between debug
sessions.
To set a new breakpoint:
You can open the dialog box from the context menu available in the editor window,
Breakpoints window, and in the Disassembly window.
1 Choose View>Breakpoints to open the Breakpoints window.
2 In the Breakpoints window, right-click, and choose New Breakpoint from the context
menu.
3 On the submenu, choose the breakpoint type you want to set.
Depending on the C-SPY driver you are using, different breakpoint types are available.
4 In the breakpoint dialog box that appears, specify the breakpoint settings and click OK.
The breakpoint is displayed in the Breakpoints window.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

94 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

To modify an existing breakpoint:

1 In the Breakpoints window, editor window, or in the Disassembly window, select the
breakpoint you want to modify and right-click to open the context menu.

Figure 40: Modifying breakpoints via the context menu

If there are several breakpoints on the same source code line, the breakpoints will be
listed on a submenu.
2 On the context menu, choose the appropriate command.
3 In the breakpoint dialog box that appears, specify the breakpoint settings and click OK.
The breakpoint is displayed in the Breakpoints window.

SETTING A DATA BREAKPOINT IN THE MEMORY WINDOW

You can set breakpoints directly on a memory location in the Memory window.
Right-click in the window and choose the breakpoint command from the context menu
that appears. To set the breakpoint on a range, select a portion of the memory contents.
The breakpoint is not highlighted in the Memory window; instead, you can see, edit, and
remove it using the Breakpoints window, which is available from the View menu. The
breakpoints you set in this window will be triggered for both read and write accesses.
All breakpoints defined in the Memory window are preserved between debug sessions.

95

UCS430-1
Procedures for setting breakpoints

Note: Setting breakpoints directly in the Memory window is only possible if the driver
you use supports this.

SETTING BREAKPOINTS USING SYSTEM MACROS

You can set breakpoints not only in the breakpoint dialog box but also by using built-in
C-SPY system macros. When you use system macros for setting breakpoints, the
breakpoint characteristics are specified as macro parameters.
Macros are useful when you have already specified your breakpoints so that they fully
meet your requirements. You can define your breakpoints in a macro file, using built-in
system macros, and execute the file at C-SPY startup. The breakpoints will then be set
automatically each time you start C-SPY. Another advantage is that the debug session
will be documented, and that several engineers involved in the development project can
share the macro files.
Note: If you use system macros for setting breakpoints, you can still view and modify
them in the Breakpoints window. In contrast to using the dialog box for defining
breakpoints, all breakpoints that are defined using system macros are removed when
you exit the debug session.
These breakpoint macros are available:
C-SPY macro for breakpoints Simulator FET Debugger
__setAdvancedTriggerBreak — Yes
__setCodeBreak Yes Yes
__setConditionalBreak — Yes
__setDataBreak Yes —
__setLogBreak Yes Yes
__setRangeBreak — Yes
__setSimBreak Yes —
__setTraceStartBreak Yes —
__setTraceStopBreak Yes —
__clearBreak Yes Yes
Table 8: C-SPY macros for breakpoints

For details of each breakpoint macro, see Reference information on C-SPY system
macros, page 219.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

96 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Setting breakpoints at C-SPY startup using a setup macro file

You can use a setup macro file to define breakpoints at C-SPY startup. Follow the
procedure described in Registering and executing using setup macros and setup files,
page 210.

USEFUL BREAKPOINT HINTS

Below are some useful hints related to setting breakpoints.

Performing a task and continue execution

You can perform a task when a breakpoint is triggered and then automatically continue
execution.
You can use the Action text box to associate an action with the breakpoint, for instance
a C-SPY macro function. When the breakpoint is triggered and the execution of your
application has stopped, the macro function will be executed. In this case, the execution
will not continue automatically.
Instead, you can set a condition which returns 0 (false). When the breakpoint is
triggered, the condition—which can be a call to a C-SPY macro that performs a task—
is evaluated and because it is not true, execution continues.
Consider this example where the C-SPY macro function performs a simple task:
__var my_counter;

count()
{
my_counter += 1;
return 0;
}

To use this function as a condition for the breakpoint, type count() in the Expression
text box under Conditions. The task will then be performed when the breakpoint is
triggered. Because the macro function count returns 0, the condition is false and the
execution of the program will resume automatically, without any stop.

Using breakpoints when programming flash memory

When programming the flash memory, do not set a breakpoint on the instruction
immediately following the write to flash operation. A simple work-around is to follow
the write to flash operation with a NOP instruction, and set a breakpoint on the instruction
following the NOP instruction.

97

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Reference information on breakpoints

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● Breakpoints window, page 98
● Breakpoint Usage dialog box, page 100
● Code breakpoints dialog box, page 101
● Log breakpoints dialog box, page 103
● Data breakpoints dialog box, page 104
● Immediate breakpoints dialog box, page 106
● Range breakpoints dialog box, page 107
● Conditional breakpoints dialog box, page 109
● Advanced Trigger breakpoints dialog box, page 112
● Enter Location dialog box, page 114
● Breakpoint combiner dialog box, page 115
● Resolve Source Ambiguity dialog box, page 116.
For related information, see also:
● Reference information on C-SPY system macros, page 219
● Reference information on trace, page 146.

Breakpoints window
The Breakpoints window is available from the View menu.

Figure 41: Breakpoints window

The Breakpoints window lists all breakpoints you define.

Use this window to conveniently monitor, enable, and disable breakpoints; you can also
define new breakpoints and modify existing breakpoints.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

98 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Display area
This area lists all breakpoints you define. For each breakpoint, information about the
breakpoint type, source file, source line, and source column is provided.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 42: Breakpoints window context menu

These commands are available:

Go to Source Moves the insertion point to the location of the breakpoint,

if the breakpoint has a source location. Double-click a
breakpoint in the Breakpoints window to perform the same
command.
Edit Opens the breakpoint dialog box for the breakpoint you
selected.
Delete Deletes the breakpoint. Press the Delete key to perform the
same command.
Enable Enables the breakpoint. The check box at the beginning of
the line will be selected. You can also perform the command
by manually selecting the check box. This command is only
available if the breakpoint is disabled.
Disable Disables the breakpoint. The check box at the beginning of
the line will be deselected. You can also perform this
command by manually deselecting the check box. This
command is only available if the breakpoint is enabled.
Enable All Enables all defined breakpoints.
Disable All Disables all defined breakpoints.

99

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

New Breakpoint Displays a submenu where you can open the breakpoint
dialog box for the available breakpoint types. All
breakpoints you define using this dialog box are preserved
between debug sessions.

Breakpoint Usage dialog box

The Breakpoint Usage dialog box is available from the menu specific to the C-SPY
driver you are using.

Figure 43: Breakpoint Usage dialog box

The Breakpoint Usage dialog box lists all breakpoints currently set in the target system,
both the ones you have defined and the ones used internally by C-SPY. The format of
the items in this dialog box depends on the C-SPY driver you are using.
The dialog box gives a low-level view of all breakpoints, related but not identical to the
list of breakpoints displayed in the Breakpoints window.
C-SPY uses breakpoints when stepping. If your target system has a limited number of
hardware breakpoints and software breakpoints are not enabled, exceeding the number
of available hardware breakpoints will cause the debugger to single step. This will
significantly reduce the execution speed. Therefore, in a debugger system with a limited
amount of hardware breakpoints, you can use the Breakpoint Usage dialog box for:
● Identifying all breakpoint consumers
● Checking that the number of active breakpoints is supported by the target system
● Configuring the debugger to use the available breakpoints in a better way, if
possible.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

100 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Display area
For each breakpoint in the list, the address and access type are displayed. Each
breakpoint in the list can also be expanded to show its originator.

Code breakpoints dialog box

The Code breakpoints dialog box is available from the context menu in the editor
window, Breakpoints window, and in the Disassembly window.

Figure 44: Code breakpoints dialog box

Use the Code breakpoints dialog box to set a code breakpoint.

Note: The Code breakpoints dialog box depends on the C-SPY driver you are using.
This figure reflects the C-SPY simulator. For information about support for breakpoints
in the C-SPY FET Debugger driver, see Breakpoints in the C-SPY FET Debugger
driver, page 90.

Break At
Specify the location of the breakpoint in the text box. Alternatively, click the Edit button
to open the Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box, page 114.

101

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Size
Determines whether there should be a size—in practice, a range—of locations where the
breakpoint will trigger. Each fetch access to the specified memory range will trigger the
breakpoint. Select how to specify the size:

Auto The size will be set automatically, typically to 1.

Manual Specify the size of the breakpoint range in the text box

Action
Determines whether there is an action connected to the breakpoint. Specify an
expression, for instance a C-SPY macro function, which is evaluated when the
breakpoint is triggered and the condition is true.

Conditions
Specify simple or complex conditions:

Expression Specify a valid expression conforming to the C-SPY

expression syntax.
Condition true The breakpoint is triggered if the value of the expression is
true.
Condition changed The breakpoint is triggered if the value of the expression has
changed since it was last evaluated.
Skip count The number of times that the breakpoint condition must be
fulfilled before a break occurs (integer).

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

102 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Log breakpoints dialog box

The Log breakpoints dialog box is available from the context menu in the editor
window, Breakpoints window, and in the Disassembly window.

Figure 45: Log breakpoints dialog box

Use the Log breakpoints dialog box to set a log breakpoint.

Break At
Specify the location of the breakpoint. Alternatively, click the Edit button to open the
Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box, page 114.

Message
Specify the message you want to be displayed in the C-SPY Debug Log window. The
message can either be plain text, or—if you also select the option C-SPY macro
"__message" style—a comma-separated list of arguments.

C-SPY macro "__message" style

Select this option to make a comma-separated list of arguments specified in the Message
text box be treated exactly as the arguments to the C-SPY macro language statement
__message, see Formatted output, page 216.

Conditions
Specify simple or complex conditions:

Expression Specify a valid expression conforming to the C-SPY

expression syntax.

103

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Condition true The breakpoint is triggered if the value of the expression is

true.
Condition changed The breakpoint is triggered if the value of the expression has
changed since it was last evaluated.

Data breakpoints dialog box

The Data breakpoints dialog box is available from the context menu in the editor
window, Breakpoints window, the Memory window, and in the Disassembly window.

Figure 46: Data breakpoints dialog box

In the C-SPY simulator, use the Data breakpoints dialog box to set a data breakpoint.
Data breakpoints never stop execution within a single instruction. They are recorded and
reported after the instruction is executed.

Break At
Specify the location for the breakpoint in the Break At text box. Alternatively, click the
Edit button to open the Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box, page
114.

Access Type
Selects the type of memory access that triggers data breakpoints:

Read/Write Reads from or writes to location.

Read Reads from location.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

104 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Write Writes to location.

Size
Determines whether there should be a size—in practice, a range—of locations where the
breakpoint will trigger. Each fetch access to the specified memory range will trigger the
breakpoint. For data breakpoints, this can be useful if you want the breakpoint to be
triggered on accesses to data structures, such as arrays, structs, and unions. Select
between two different ways to specify the size:

Auto The size will automatically be based on the type of

expression the breakpoint is set on. For example, if you set
the breakpoint on a 12-byte structure, the size of the
breakpoint will be 12 bytes.
Manual Specify the size of the breakpoint range in the text box.

Action
Determines whether there is an action connected to the breakpoint. Specify an
expression, for instance a C-SPY macro function, which is evaluated when the
breakpoint is triggered and the condition is true.

Conditions
Specify simple or complex conditions:

Expression Specify a valid expression conforming to the C-SPY

expression syntax.
Condition true The breakpoint is triggered if the value of the expression is
true.
Condition changed The breakpoint is triggered if the value of the expression has
changed since it was last evaluated.
Skip count The number of times that the breakpoint condition must be
fulfilled before a break occurs (integer).

105

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Immediate breakpoints dialog box

The Immediate breakpoints dialog box is available from the context menu in the editor
window, Breakpoints window, the Memory window, and in the Disassembly window.

Figure 47: Immediate breakpoints dialog box

In the C-SPY simulator, use the Immediate breakpoints dialog box to set an immediate
breakpoint. Immediate breakpoints do not stop execution at all; they only suspend it
temporarily.

Break At
Specify the location for the breakpoint in the Break At text box. Alternatively, click the
Edit button to open the Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box, page
114.

Access Type
Selects the type of memory access that triggers immediate breakpoints:

Read Reads from location.

Write Writes to location.

Action
Determines whether there is an action connected to the breakpoint. Specify an
expression, for instance a C-SPY macro function, which is evaluated when the
breakpoint is triggered and the condition is true.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

106 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Range breakpoints dialog box

The Range breakpoints dialog box is available from the context menu in the
Breakpoints window and the Memory window.

Figure 48: Range breakpoints dialog box

Use the Range breakpoints dialog box to set a range breakpoint.

Range breakpoints are available for the C-SPY FET Debugger driver on devices that
support the Enhanced Emulation Module at the required level.

Start value
Specify the start value for the range breakpoint in the Start value text box; an
expression, an absolute address, or a source location. Alternatively, click the Edit button
to open the Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box, page 114.

Range delimiter
Sets the end location of the range. Choose the type of delimiter and specify the value in
the text box:

End value The same type of value as for the Start value.
Length The length of the range in bytes (in hexadecimal notation).
Automatic Bases the range automatically on the type of expression the
breakpoint is set on. For example, if you set the breakpoint on a
12-byte structure, the range of the breakpoint will be 12 bytes.

107

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Type
Selects which breakpoint type to use:

Address (MAB) Sets a breakpoint on a specified address, or anything that can be

evaluated to one. The breakpoint is triggered when the specified
location is accessed. If you have set the breakpoint on a specific
machine instruction, the breakpoint will be triggered and the
execution will stop exactly before the instruction will be
executed.
Data (MDB) Sets a breakpoint on a specified value. It is the value on the data
bus that triggers the breakpoint.

Access type
Selects the type of access that triggers the selected breakpoint:

Read Read from location.

Write Write to location.
Read/Write Read from or write to location.
Fetch At instruction fetch.

Action
Selects the action that occurs when the breakpoint is triggered:

Break The execution stops when the breakpoint is triggered.

State Storage Trigger Defines the breakpoint as a state storage trigger. To control
the behavior of the state storage module, see State Storage
Control window, page 174.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

108 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Action when
Selects when the action shall occur:

Inside range The action occurs at an access inside the specified range.
Outside range The action occurs at an access outside of the specified range.

Conditional breakpoints dialog box

The Conditional breakpoints dialog box is available from the context menu in the
Breakpoints window and the Disassembly window.

Figure 49: Conditional breakpoints dialog box

Use the Conditional breakpoints dialog box to set a conditional breakpoint.

Conditional breakpoints are available for the C-SPY FET Debugger driver on devices
that support the Enhanced Emulation Module at the required level.

Break At
Specify the location for the breakpoint in the Break At text box. Alternatively, click the
Edit button to open the Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box, page
114.

109

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Type
Selects which breakpoint type to use:

Address bus Sets a breakpoint on the address specified in the Break At text
(MAB) box, or anything that can be evaluated to one. The breakpoint is
triggered when the specified location is accessed. If you have set
the breakpoint on a specific machine instruction, the breakpoint
will be triggered and the execution will stop exactly before the
instruction will be executed.
Data bus (MDB) Sets a breakpoint on a specified value. It is the value on the data
bus that triggers the breakpoint.
Register Sets a breakpoint on a register. Specify the register, or anything
that can be evaluated to such, in the Break At text box. In the
Register Value text box, type the value that should trigger the
breakpoint.

Operator
Selects a condition operator for when the breakpoint should be triggered:

== Equal to.
>= Greater than or equal to.
<= Less than or equal to.
!= Not equal to.

Access
Selects the type of access that triggers the selected breakpoint:

Read Read from location.

Write Write to location.
Read/Write Read from or write to location.
Fetch At instruction fetch.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

110 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Mask
Specify a bit mask value that the breakpoint address or value will be masked with. (On
the FET hardware the mask is inverted, but this is not the case in the FET Debugger
driver.)

Condition
Optionally, specify an additional condition to a conditional breakpoint. This means that
a conditional breakpoint can be a single data breakpoint or a combination of two
breakpoints that must occur at the same time. These settings can be specified for the
additional condition:

MDB/Register Value The extra conditional data value.

Mask The bit mask value that the breakpoint value will be masked
with.
Operator The operator of condition, either ==, >=, <=, or !=.
Access The access type of the condition, either Read, Write, or
Read/Write.

Action
Selects the action that occurs when the breakpoint is triggered:

Break The execution stops when the breakpoint is triggered.

State Storage Trigger State storage starts when the breakpoint is triggered. To
control the behavior of the state storage module, see State
Storage Control window, page 174.

111

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Advanced Trigger breakpoints dialog box

The Advanced Trigger breakpoints dialog box is available from the context menu in
the Breakpoints window and the Disassembly window.

Figure 50: Advanced trigger dialog box

Use the Advanced Trigger breakpoints dialog box to set an advanced trigger
breakpoint.
Advanced trigger breakpoints are available for the C-SPY FET Debugger driver on
devices that support the Enhanced Emulation Module at the required level.

Break At
Specify the location for the breakpoint in the Break At text box. Alternatively, click the
Edit button to open the Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box, page
114.

Type
Selects which breakpoint type to use:

Address bus (MAB) Sets a breakpoint on a specified address, or anything that can be
evaluated to one. The breakpoint is triggered when the specified
location is accessed. If you have set the breakpoint on a specific
machine instruction, the breakpoint will be triggered and the
execution will stop exactly before the instruction will be
executed.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

112 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Data bus (MDB) Sets a breakpoint on a specified value. It is the value on the data
bus that triggers the breakpoint.
Register Sets a breakpoint on a register. Specify the register, or anything
that can be evaluated to such, in the Break At text box. In the
Value text box, type the value that should trigger the
breakpoint.

Operator
Selects a condition operator for when the breakpoint should be triggered:

== Equal to.
>= Greater than or equal to.
<= Less than or equal to.
!= Not equal to.

Mask
Specify a bit mask value that the breakpoint address or value will be masked with. (On
the FET hardware the mask is inverted, but this is not the case in the FET Debugger
driver.)

Value
Specify the data value in the specified register that should be triggered.

Access type
Selects the type of access that triggers the selected breakpoint.

Action
Selects the action that occurs when the breakpoint is triggered:

Break The execution stops when the breakpoint is triggered.

State Storage Trigger State storage starts when the breakpoint is triggered. To
control the behavior of the state storage module, see State
Storage Control window, page 174.

113

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Enter Location dialog box

The Enter Location dialog box is available from the breakpoints dialog box, either
when you set a new breakpoint or when you edit a breakpoint.

Figure 51: Enter Location dialog box

Use the Enter Location dialog box to specify the location of the breakpoint.
Note: This dialog box looks different depending on the Type you select.

Type
Selects the type of location to be used for the breakpoint:

Expression Any expression that evaluates to a valid address, such as a

function or variable name.
Code breakpoints are set on functions and data breakpoints
are set on variable names. For example, my_var refers to the
location of the variable my_var, and arr[3] refers to the
third element of the array arr.
Absolute address An absolute location on the form zone:hexaddress or
simply hexaddress. Zone refers to C-SPY memory zones
and specifies in which memory the address belongs. For
example Memory:0x42.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

114 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Source location A location in the C source code using the syntax:

{file_path}.[Link].

file_path specifies the filename and full path.

row specifies the row in which you want the breakpoint.
column specifies the column in which you want the
breakpoint.
For example, {C:\my_projects\Utilities.c}.22.3
sets a breakpoint on the third character position on line 22 in
the source file Utilities.c.
Note that the Source location type is usually meaningful
only for code breakpoints.

Breakpoint combiner dialog box

The Breakpoint combiner dialog box is available from the Emulator menu.

Figure 52: Breakpoint combiner dialog box

Use this dialog box to combine two already defined breakpoints.

Select a breakpoint and right-click to display a list of breakpoints to combine it with.
When two breakpoints have been combined, the defined action will not occur until both
breakpoints have been reached.
Note: Only available for devices that support the Enhanced Emulation Module at the
required level. The settings are not saved when the debug session is closed.

115

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

Resolve Source Ambiguity dialog box

The Resolve Source Ambiguity dialog box appears, for example, when you try to set a
breakpoint on inline functions or templates, and the source location corresponds to more
than one function.

Figure 53: Resolve Source Ambiguity dialog box

To resolve a source ambiguity, perform one of these actions:

● In the text box, select one or several of the listed locations and click Selected.
● Click All.

All
The breakpoint will be set on all listed locations.

Selected
The breakpoint will be set on the source locations that you have selected in the text box.

Cancel
No location will be used.

Automatically choose all

Determines that whenever a specified source location corresponds to more than one
function, all locations will be used.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

116 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using breakpoints

Note that this option can also be specified in the IDE Options dialog box, see Debugger
options in the IDE Project Management and Building Guide.

117

UCS430-1
Reference information on breakpoints

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

118 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and
registers
This chapter describes how to use the features available in C-SPY® for
examining memory and registers. More specifically, this means information
about:

● Introduction to monitoring memory and registers

● Reference information on memory and registers.

Introduction to monitoring memory and registers

This section covers these topics:
● Briefly about monitoring memory and registers
● C-SPY memory zones
● Stack display
● Memory access checking.

BRIEFLY ABOUT MONITORING MEMORY AND REGISTERS

C-SPY provides many windows for monitoring memory and registers, each of them
available from the View menu:
● The Memory window
Gives an up-to-date display of a specified area of memory—a memory zone—and
allows you to edit it. Different colors are used for indicating data coverage along with
execution of your application. You can fill specified areas with specific values and
you can set breakpoints directly on a memory location or range. You can open several
instances of this window, to monitor different memory areas. The content of the
window can be regularly updated while your application is executing.
● The Symbolic memory window
Displays how variables with static storage duration are laid out in memory. This can
be useful for better understanding memory usage or for investigating problems
caused by variables being overwritten, for example by buffer overruns.

119

UCS430-1
Introduction to monitoring memory and registers

● The Stack window

Displays the contents of the stack, including how stack variables are laid out in
memory. In addition, some integrity checks of the stack can be performed to detect
and warn about problems with stack overflow. For example, the Stack window is
useful for determining the optimal size of the stack. You can open several instances
of this window, each showing different stacks or different display modes of the same
stack.
● The Register window
Gives an up-to-date display of the contents of the processor registers and SFRs, and
allows you to edit them. Due to the large amount of registers, it is inconvenient to list
all registers concurrently in the Register window. Instead the registers are divided
into logical register groups. You can choose to load either predefined register groups
or define your own application-specific groups. You can open several instances of
this window, each showing different register groups.
To view the memory contents for a specific variable, simply drag the variable to the
Memory window or the Symbolic memory window. The memory area where the
variable is located will appear.
Reading the value of some registers might influence the runtime behavior of your
application. For example, reading the value of a UART status register might reset a
pending bit, which leads to the lack of an interrupt that would have processed a received
byte. To prevent this from happening, make sure that the Register window containing
any such registers is closed when debugging a running application.

C-SPY MEMORY ZONES

In C-SPY, the term zone is used for a named memory area. A memory address, or
location, is a combination of a zone and a numerical offset into that zone. By default,
the MSP430 architecture has one zone, Memory, which covers the whole MSP430

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

120 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

memory range. If you load a device description file, additional zones that adhere better
to the specific device memory layout are defined.

0x0000 0x0000
SFR
0x0200
RAM
0x0A00

0x1100
Flash

0xFFFFFFFF
0xFFFF 0xFFFF

Default zone Memory Additional zones for MSP430F149

Figure 54: Zones in C-SPY

Memory zones are used in several contexts, most importantly in the Memory and
Disassembly windows. Use the Zone box in these windows to choose which memory
zone to display.

Device-specific zones
Memory information for device-specific zones are defined in the device description
files. By default, there is only one zone in the debugger, Memory. If you load a device
description file, additional zones that adhere to the specific memory layout are defined.
These zones are available, depending on the device description file you are using: SFR,
RAM, INFO, and Flash.

If your hardware does not have the same memory layout as any of the predefined device
description files, you can define customized zones by adding them to the file.
For further information, see Selecting a device description file, page 37 and Modifying
a device description file, page 40.

STACK DISPLAY
The Stack window displays the contents of the stack, overflow warnings, and it has a
graphical stack bar. These can be useful in many contexts. Some examples are:
● Investigating the stack usage when assembler modules are called from C modules
and vice versa
● Investigating whether the correct elements are located on the stack

121

UCS430-1
Introduction to monitoring memory and registers

● Investigating whether the stack is restored properly

● Determining the optimal stack size
● Detecting stack overflows.

Stack usage
When your application is first loaded, and upon each reset, the memory for the stack area
is filled with the dedicated byte value 0xCD before the application starts executing.
Whenever execution stops, the stack memory is searched from the end of the stack until
a byte with a value different from 0xCD is found, which is assumed to be how far the
stack has been used. Although this is a reasonably reliable way to track stack usage,
there is no guarantee that a stack overflow is detected. For example, a stack can
incorrectly grow outside its bounds, and even modify memory outside the stack area,
without actually modifying any of the bytes near the stack range. Likewise, your
application might modify memory within the stack area by mistake.
The Stack window cannot detect a stack overflow when it happens, but can only detect
the signs it leaves behind. However, when the graphical stack bar is enabled, the
functionality needed to detect and warn about stack overflows is also enabled.
Note: The size and location of the stack is retrieved from the definition of the segment
holding the stack, made in the linker configuration file. If you, for some reason, modify
the stack initialization made in the system startup code, cstartup, you should also
change the segment definition in the linker configuration file accordingly; otherwise the
Stack window cannot track the stack usage. To read more about this, see the IAR C/C++
Compiler Reference Guide for MSP430.

MEMORY ACCESS CHECKING

The C-SPY simulator can simulate various memory access types of the target hardware
and detect illegal accesses, for example a read access to write-only memory. If a memory
access occurs that does not agree with the access type specified for the specific memory
area, C-SPY will regard this as an illegal access. Also, a memory access to memory
which is not defined is regarded as an illegal access. The purpose of memory access
checking is to help you to identify any memory access violations.
The memory areas can either be the zones predefined in the device description file, or
memory areas based on the segment information available in the debug file. In addition
to these, you can define your own memory areas. The access type can be read and write,
read-only, or write-only. You cannot map two different access types to the same memory
area. You can check for access type violation and accesses to unspecified ranges. Any
violations are logged in the Debug Log window. You can also choose to have the
execution halted.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

122 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Reference information on memory and registers

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● Memory window, page 123
● Memory Save dialog box, page 127
● Memory Restore dialog box, page 128
● Fill dialog box, page 128
● Symbolic Memory window, page 130
● Stack window, page 132
● Register window, page 135
● Memory Access Setup dialog box, page 137
● Edit Memory Access dialog box, page 139
● Memory Dump dialog box, page 140.

Memory window
The Memory window is available from the View menu.

Memory contents Available zones Context menu button

Go to location

Memory addresses

Data coverage
information

Memory contents in ASCII format

Figure 55: Memory window

This window gives an up-to-date display of a specified area of memory—a memory

zone—and allows you to edit it. You can open several instances of this window, which

123

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

is very convenient if you want to keep track of several memory or register zones, or
monitor different parts of the memory.
To view the memory corresponding to a variable, you can select it in the editor window
and drag it to the Memory window.

Toolbar
The toolbar contains:

Go to The location you want to view. This can be a memory address, or

the name of a variable, function, or label.
Zone display Selects a memory zone to display; see C-SPY memory zones,
page 120.
Context menu Displays the context menu, see Context menu, page 125.
button
Update Now Updates the content of the Memory window while your
application is executing. This button is only enabled if the C-SPY
driver you are using has access to the target system memory
while your application is executing.
Live Update Updates the contents of the Memory window regularly while
your application is executing. This button is only enabled if the
C-SPY driver you are using has access to the target system
memory while your application is executing. To set the update
frequency, specify an appropriate frequency in the IDE
Options>Debugger dialog box.

Display area
The display area shows the addresses currently being viewed, the memory contents in
the format you have chosen, and—provided that the display mode is set to
1x Units—the memory contents in ASCII format. You can edit the contents of the
display area, both in the hexadecimal part and the ASCII part of the area.
Data coverage is displayed with these colors:

Yellow Indicates data that has been read.

Blue Indicates data that has been written
Green Indicates data that has been both read and written.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

124 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Note: Data coverage is not supported by all C-SPY drivers. Data coverage is supported
by the C-SPY Simulator.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 56: Memory window context menu

These commands are available:

Copy, Paste Standard editing commands.

Zone Selects a memory zone to display; see C-SPY memory zones,
page 120.
1x Units Displays the memory contents in units of 8 bits.
2x Units Displays the memory contents in units of 16 bits.
4x Units Displays the memory contents in units of 32 bits.
Little Endian Displays the contents in little-endian byte order.
Big Endian Displays the contents in big-endian byte order.

125

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

Data Coverage Choose between:

Enable toggles data coverage on or off.
Show toggles between showing or hiding data coverage.
Clear clears all data coverage information.
These commands are only available if your C-SPY driver
supports data coverage.
Find Displays a dialog box where you can search for text within the
Memory window; read about the Find dialog box in the IDE
Project Management and Building Guide.
Replace Displays a dialog box where you can search for a specified
string and replace each occurrence with another string; read
about the Replace dialog box in the IDE Project Management
and Building Guide.
Memory Fill Displays a dialog box, where you can fill a specified area with
a value, see Fill dialog box, page 128.
Memory Save Displays a dialog box, where you can save the contents of a
specified memory area to a file, see Memory Save dialog box,
page 127.
Memory Restore Displays a dialog box, where you can load the contents of a
file in Intel-hex or Motorola s-record format to a specified
memory zone, see Memory Restore dialog box, page 128.
Set Data Breakpoint Sets breakpoints directly in the Memory window. The
breakpoint is not highlighted; you can see, edit, and remove it
in the Breakpoints dialog box. The breakpoints you set in this
window will be triggered for both read and write access. For
more information, see Setting a data breakpoint in the
Memory window, page 95.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

126 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Memory Save dialog box

The Memory Save dialog box is available by choosing Debug>Memory>Save or from
the context menu in the Memory window.

Figure 57: Memory Save dialog box

Use this dialog box to save the contents of a specified memory area to a file.

Zone
Selects a memory zone.

Start address
Specify the start address of the memory range to be saved.

End address
Specify the end address of the memory range to be saved.

File format
Selects the file format to be used, which is msp430-txt by default.

Filename
Specify the destination file to be used; a browse button is available for your convenience.

Save
Saves the selected range of the memory zone to the specified file.

127

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

Memory Restore dialog box

The Memory Restore dialog box is available by choosing Debug>Memory>Restore
or from the context menu in the Memory window.

Figure 58: Memory Restore dialog box

Use this dialog box to load the contents of a file in Intel-extended, Motorola S-record,
or msp430-txt format to a specified memory zone.

Zone
Selects a memory zone.

Filename
Specify the file to be read; a browse button is available for your convenience.

Restore
Loads the contents of the specified file to the selected memory zone.

Fill dialog box

The Fill dialog box is available from the context menu in the Memory window.

Figure 59: Fill dialog box

Use this dialog box to fill a specified area of memory with a value.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

128 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Start address
Type the start address—in binary, octal, decimal, or hexadecimal notation.

Length
Type the length—in binary, octal, decimal, or hexadecimal notation.

Zone
Selects a memory zone.

Value
Type the 8-bit value to be used for filling each memory location.

Operation
These are the available memory fill operations:

Copy Value will be copied to the specified memory area.

AND An AND operation will be performed between Value and the
existing contents of memory before writing the result to
memory.
XOR An XOR operation will be performed between Value and the
existing contents of memory before writing the result to
memory.
OR An OR operation will be performed between Value and the
existing contents of memory before writing the result to
memory.

129

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

Symbolic Memory window

The Symbolic Memory window is available from the View menu when the debugger is
running.

Figure 60: Symbolic Memory window

This window displays how variables with static storage duration, typically variables
with file scope but also static variables in functions and classes, are laid out in memory.
This can be useful for better understanding memory usage or for investigating problems
caused by variables being overwritten, for example buffer overruns. Other areas of use
are spotting alignment holes or for understanding problems caused by buffers being
overwritten.
To view the memory corresponding to a variable, you can select it in the editor window
and drag it to the Symbolic Memory window.

Toolbar
The toolbar contains:

Go to The memory location or symbol you want to view.

Zone display Selects a memory zone to display; C-SPY memory zones, page
120.
Previous Highlights the previous symbol in the display area.
Next Highlights the next symbol in the display area.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

130 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Display area
This area contains these columns:

Location The memory address.

Data The memory contents in hexadecimal format. The data is
grouped according to the size of the symbol. This column is
editable.
Variable The variable name; requires that the variable has a fixed memory
location. Local variables are not displayed.
Value The value of the variable. This column is editable.
Type The type of the variable.

There are several different ways to navigate within the memory space:
● Text that is dropped in the window is interpreted as symbols
● The scroll bar at the right-side of the window
● The toolbar buttons Next and Previous
● The toolbar list box Go to can be used for locating specific locations or symbols.
Note: Rows are marked in red when the corresponding value has changed.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 61: Symbolic Memory window context menu

These commands are available:

Next Symbol Highlights the next symbol in the display area.

Previous Symbol Highlights the previous symbol in the display area.
1x Units Displays the memory contents in units of 8 bits. This
applies only to rows which do not contain a variable.
2x Units Displays the memory contents in units of 16 bits.

131

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

4x Units Displays the memory contents in units of 32 bits.

Add to Watch Window Adds the selected symbol to the Watch window.

Stack window
The Stack window is available from the View menu.

Current stack
Stack view pointer Used stack memory, Unused stack memory,
in dark gray in light gray

The graphical stack bar

with tooltip information
Current stack
pointer

Figure 62: Stack window

This window is a memory window that displays the contents of the stack. In addition,
some integrity checks of the stack can be performed to detect and warn about problems
with stack overflow. For example, the Stack window is useful for determining the
optimal size of the stack.
To view the graphical stack bar:
1 Choose Tools>Options>Stack.
2 Select the option Enable graphical stack display and stack usage.
You can open several Stack windows, each showing a different stack—if several stacks
are available—or the same stack with different display settings.
Note: By default, this window uses one physical breakpoint. For more information, see
Breakpoint consumers, page 91.
For information about options specific to the Stack window, see the IDE Project
Management and Building Guide.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

132 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Toolbar

Stack Selects which stack to view. This applies to microcontrollers with

multiple stacks.

The graphical stack bar

Displays the state of the stack graphically.
The left end of the stack bar represents the bottom of the stack, in other words, the
position of the stack pointer when the stack is empty. The right end represents the end
of the memory space reserved for the stack. The graphical stack bar turns red when the
stack usage exceeds a threshold that you can specify.
When the stack bar is enabled, the functionality needed to detect and warn about stack
overflows is also enabled.
Place the mouse pointer over the stack bar to get tooltip information about stack usage.

Display area
This area contains these columns:

Location Displays the location in memory. The addresses are displayed in

increasing order. The address referenced by the stack pointer, in
other words the top of the stack, is highlighted in a green color.
Data Displays the contents of the memory unit at the given location.
From the Stack window context menu, you can select how the
data should be displayed; as a 1-, 2-, or 4-byte group of data.
Variable Displays the name of a variable, if there is a local variable at the
given location. Variables are only displayed if they are declared
locally in a function, and located on the stack and not in registers.
Value Displays the value of the variable that is displayed in the
Variable column.
Frame Displays the name of the function that the call frame corresponds
to.

133

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 63: Stack window context menu

These commands are available:

Show variables Displays separate columns named Variables, Value, and

Frame in the Stack window. Variables located at memory
addresses listed in the Stack window are displayed in these
columns.
Show offsets Displays locations in the Location column as offsets from
the stack pointer. When deselected, locations are displayed
as absolute addresses.
1x Units Displays data in the Data column as single bytes.
2x Units Displays data in the Data column as 2-byte groups.
4x Units Displays data in the Data column as 4-byte groups.
Options Opens the IDE Options dialog box where you can set
options specific to the Stack window, see the IDE Project
Management and Building Guide.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

134 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Register window
The Register window is available from the View menu.

Figure 64: Register window

This window gives an up-to-date display of the contents of the processor registers and
special function registers, and allows you to edit their contents. Optionally, you can
choose to load either predefined register groups or to define your own
application-specific groups.
You can open several instances of this window, which is very convenient if you want to
keep track of different register groups.
To enable predefined register groups:
1 Select a device description file that suits your device, see Selecting a device description
file, page 37.
2 The register groups appear in the Register window, provided that they are defined in
the device description file. Note that the available register groups are also listed on the
Register Filter page.
To define application-specific register groups, read about register filter options in the
IDE Project Management and Building Guide.

Toolbar

CPU Registers Selects which register group to display, by default CPU Registers.
Additional registers are defined in a specific register definition
file—with the filename extension sfr—which is included from
the register section of the device description file. These registers
are the device-specific memory-mapped control and status
registers for the peripheral units on the MSP430 microcontrollers.

135

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

Display area
Displays registers and their values. Every time C-SPY stops, a value that has changed
since the last stop is highlighted. To edit the contents of a register, click it, and modify
the value.
Some registers are expandable, which means that the register contains interesting bits or
subgroups of bits.
To change the display format, change the Base setting on the Register Filter
page—available by choosing Tools>Options.
Note: When the FET Debugger is used, the cycle counter registers can only be used
while single-stepping in the Disassembly window.
Register Description
CYCLECOUNTER Cycle counter, cleared at reset.
CCTIMER1, CCTIMER2 Trip counters, cleared at reset. These registers can be edited.
CCSTEP The number of cycles in the last step.
Table 9: Cycle counter registers

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

136 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Memory Access Setup dialog box

The Memory Access Setup dialog box is available from the Simulator menu.

Figure 65: Memory Access Setup dialog box

This dialog box lists all defined memory areas, where each column in the list specifies
the properties of the area. In other words, the dialog box displays the memory access
setup that will be used during the simulation.
Note: If you enable both the Use ranges based on and the Use manual ranges option,
memory accesses are checked for all defined ranges.
For information about the columns and the properties displayed, see Edit Memory
Access dialog box, page 139.

Use ranges based on

Selects any of the predefined alternatives for the memory access setup. Choose between:

Device description file Loads properties from the device description file.

137

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

Debug file segment Properties are based on the segment information available in
information the debug file. This information is only available while
debugging. The advantage of using this option, is that the
simulator can catch memory accesses outside the linked
application.

Use manual ranges

Specify your own ranges manually via the Edit Memory Access dialog box. To open
this dialog box, choose New to specify a new memory range, or select a memory zone
and choose Edit to modify it. For more details, see Edit Memory Access dialog box,
page 139.
The ranges you define manually are saved between debug sessions.

Memory access checking

Check for determines what to check for;
● Access type violation
● Access to unspecified ranges.
Action selects the action to be performed if an access violation occurs; choose between:
● Log violations
● Log and stop execution.
Any violations are logged in the Debug Log window.

Buttons
These buttons are available:

New Opens the Edit Memory Access dialog box, where you can
specify a new memory range and attach an access type to it; see
Edit Memory Access dialog box, page 139.
Edit Opens the Edit Memory Access dialog box, where you can edit
the selected memory area. See Edit Memory Access dialog box,
page 139.
Delete Deletes the selected memory area definition.
Delete All Deletes all defined memory area definitions.

Note: Except for the OK and Cancel buttons, buttons are only available when the
option Use manual ranges is selected.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

138 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Edit Memory Access dialog box

The Edit Memory Access dialog box is available from the Memory Access Setup
dialog box.

Figure 66: Edit Memory Access dialog box

Use this dialog box to specify the memory ranges, and assign an access type to each
memory range, for which you want to detect illegal accesses during the simulation.

Memory range
Defines the memory area for which you want to check the memory accesses:

Zone Selects a memory zone; see C-SPY memory zones, page 120.
Start address Specify the start address for the address range, in hexadecimal
notation.
End address Specify the end address for the address range, in hexadecimal
notation.

Access type
Selects an access type to the memory range; choose between:
● Read and write
● Read only
● Write only.

139

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

Memory Dump dialog box

The Memory Dump dialog box is available from the Emulator menu.

Figure 67: Memory Dump dialog box

Use this dialog box to write memory contents to a file.

Dump File Name

Specify the name of the destination file where the contents of the selected part of the
memory will be saved in text format. You can find the file using the Browse button.

Start Address
Specify the start address for the memory section you want to save to a file.

Dump Length
Specify the length of the memory section you want to save to a file, in hexadecimal
notation. The maximum length is FFFF, which limits the number of bytes that can be
written to 65535. Consequently, you cannot write memory from address 0x0000 to
0xFFFF, inclusive, as this would require a length specifier of 65536 bytes (0x10000).

Add address information

Adds address information to the file.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

140 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Monitoring memory and registers

Append register contents

Appends register contents to the file. Choose between:
Program Counter (R0)
Stack Pointer (R1)
Status Register (R2)
Register R4 to R15

Format
Selects format for the text that is written to the file. Choose between:
Word
Byte

141

UCS430-1
Reference information on memory and registers

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

142 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Collecting and using trace
data
This chapter gives you information about collecting and using trace data in
C-SPY®. More specifically, this means:

● Introduction to using trace

● Procedures for using trace

● Reference information on trace.

Introduction to using trace

This section introduces trace.
These topics are covered:
● Reasons for using trace
● Briefly about trace
● Requirements for using trace.
For related information, see also:
● Using the profiler, page 159
● Using state storage, page 171.

REASONS FOR USING TRACE

By using trace, you can inspect the program flow up to a specific state, for instance an
application crash, and use the trace data to locate the origin of the problem. Trace data
can be useful for locating programming errors that have irregular symptoms and occur
sporadically.

BRIEFLY ABOUT TRACE

Trace data is a continuously collected sequence of every executed instruction for a
selected portion of the execution. Once generated, C-SPY can collect the data and you
can visualize and analyze it in various windows and dialog boxes.

143

UCS430-1
Procedures for using trace

Trace features in C-SPY

In C-SPY, you can use the trace-related windows Trace, Function Trace, Timeline, and
Find in Trace. In the C-SPY simulator, you can also use the Trace Expressions window.
Depending on your C-SPY driver, you can set various types of trace breakpoints to
control the collection of trace data.
In addition, several other features in C-SPY also use trace data, features such as the
Profiler, Code coverage, and Instruction profiling.

REQUIREMENTS FOR USING TRACE

To use trace-related functionality in C-SPY, you must use the C-SPY simulator. Trace
data cannot be collected from the FET Debugger.

Procedures for using trace

This section gives you step-by-step descriptions about how to collect and use trace data.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Getting started with trace
● Trace data collection using breakpoints
● Searching in trace data
● Browsing through trace data.

GETTING STARTED WITH TRACE

To collect trace data using the C-SPY simulator, no specific build settings are required.
1 After you have built your application and started C-SPY, choose Simulator>Trace to
open the Trace window, and click the Activate button to enable collecting trace data.
2 Start the execution. When the execution stops, for instance because a breakpoint is
triggered, trace data is displayed in the Trace window. For more information about the
window, see Trace window, page 146.

TRACE DATA COLLECTION USING BREAKPOINTS

A convenient way to collect trace data between two execution points is to start and stop
the data collection using dedicated breakpoints. Choose between these alternatives:
● In the editor or Disassembly window, position your insertion point, right-click, and
toggle a Trace Start or Trace Stop breakpoint from the context menu.
● In the Breakpoints window, choose Trace Start, or Trace Stop.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

144 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Collecting and using trace data

● The C-SPY system macros __setTraceStartBreak and

__setTraceStopBreak can also be used.

For details about these breakpoints, see Trace Start breakpoints dialog box, page 152
and Trace Stop breakpoints dialog box, page 153, respectively.

SEARCHING IN TRACE DATA

When you have collected trace data, you can perform searches in the collected data to
locate the parts of your code or data that you are interested in, for example, a specific
interrupt or accesses of a specific variable.
You specify the search criteria in the Find in Trace dialog box and view the result in
the Find in Trace window.
The Find in Trace window is very similar to the Trace window, showing the same
columns and data, but only those rows that match the specified search criteria.
Double-clicking an item in the Find in Trace window brings up the same item in the
Trace window.
To search in your trace data, follow these steps:
1 In the Trace window toolbar, click the Find button.
2 In the Find in Trace dialog box, specify your search criteria.
Typically, you can choose to search for:
● A specific piece of text, for which you can apply further search criteria
● An address range
● A combination of these, like a specific piece of text within a specific address range.
For detailed information about the different options, see Find in Trace dialog box, page
155.
3 When you have specified your search criteria, click Find. The Find in Trace window is
displayed, which means you can start analyzing the trace data. For detailed reference
information, see Find in Trace window, page 156.

BROWSING THROUGH TRACE DATA

To follow the execution history, simply look and scroll in the Trace window.
Alternatively, you can enter browse mode.
To enter browse mode, double-click an item in the Trace window, or click the Browse
toolbar button.
The selected item turns yellow and the source and disassembly windows will highlight
the corresponding location. You can now move around in the trace data using the up and

145

UCS430-1
Reference information on trace

down arrow keys, or by scrolling and clicking; the source and Disassembly windows
will be updated to show the corresponding location. This is like stepping backward and
forward through the execution history.
Double-click again to leave browse mode.

Reference information on trace

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● Trace window, page 146
● Function Trace window, page 148
● Timeline window, page 149
● Trace Start breakpoints dialog box, page 152
● Trace Stop breakpoints dialog box, page 153
● Trace Expressions window, page 154
● Find in Trace window, page 156
● Find in Trace dialog box, page 155.

Trace window
The Trace window is available from the Simulator menu when you are using the C-SPY
simulator.

Figure 68: The Trace window

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

146 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Collecting and using trace data

This window displays a collected sequence of executed machine instructions. In

addition, the window can display trace data for expressions.

Trace toolbar
The toolbar in the Trace window and in the Function trace window contains:

Enable/Disable Enables and disables collecting and viewing trace data in

this window. This button is not available in the Function
trace window.
Clear trace data Clears the trace buffer. Both the Trace window and the
Function trace window are cleared.
Toggle source Toggles the Trace column between showing only
disassembly or disassembly together with the corresponding
source code.
Browse Toggles browse mode on or off for a selected item in the
Trace window; see Browsing through trace data, page 145.
Find Displays a dialog box where you can perform a search; see
Find in Trace dialog box, page 155.
Save Displays a standard Save As dialog box where you can save
the collected trace data to a text file, with tab-separated
columns.
Edit Settings In the C-SPY simulator this button is not enabled.
Edit Expressions Opens the Trace Expressions window; see Trace
(C-SPY simulator only) Expressions window, page 154.

Display area
This area contains these columns:

# A serial number for each row in the trace buffer. Simplifies

the navigation within the buffer.
Cycles The number of cycles elapsed to this point.
Trace The collected sequence of executed machine instructions.
Optionally, the corresponding source code can also be
displayed.

147

UCS430-1
Reference information on trace

Expression Each expression you have defined to be displayed appears in

a separate column. Each entry in the expression column
displays the value after executing the instruction on the
same row. You specify the expressions for which you want
to collect trace data in the Trace Expressions window; see
Trace Expressions window, page 154.

Function Trace window

The Function Trace window is available from the Simulator menu when you are using
the C-SPY simulator.

Figure 69: Function Trace window

This window displays a subset of the trace data displayed in the Trace window. Instead
of displaying all rows, the Function Trace window only shows trace data corresponding
to calls to and returns from functions.

Toolbar
For information about the toolbar, see Trace toolbar, page 147.

Display area
For information about the columns in the display area, see:
● Display area, page 147

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

148 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Collecting and using trace data

Timeline window
The Timeline window is available from the Simulator menu during a debug session.

An active
interrupt

Interrupt
Log
Graph

Call
Stack
Graph

Common
time axis Selection for
current graph

Figure 70: Timeline window

This window displays trace data—for interrupt logs and for the call stack—as graphs in
relation to a common time axis.

Display area
The display area can be populated with different graphs:
● Interrupt Log Graph
● Call Stack Graph.
At the bottom of the window, there is a common time axis that uses seconds as the time
unit.

Interrupt Log Graph

The Interrupt Log Graph displays interrupts reported by the C-SPY simulator. In other
words, the graph provides a graphical view of the interrupt events during the execution
of your application, where:
● The label area at the left end of the graph shows the names of the interrupts.
● The graph itself shows active interrupts as a thick green horizontal bar. This graph is
a graphical representation of the information in the Interrupt Log window, see
Interrupt Log window, page 203.

149

UCS430-1
Reference information on trace

Call Stack Graph

The Call Stack Graph displays the sequence of calls and returns collected by trace. At
the bottom of the graph you will usually find main, and above it, the functions called
from main, and so on. The horizontal bars, which represent invocations of functions, use
four different colors:
● Medium green for normal C functions with debug information
● Light green for functions known to the debugger only through an assembler label
● Medium or light yellow for interrupt handlers, with the same distinctions as for
green.
The numbers represent the number of cycles spent in, or between, the function
invocations.

Selection and navigation

Click and drag to select. The selection extends vertically over all graphs, but appears
highlighted in a darker color for the selected graph. You can navigate backward and
forward in the selected graph using the left and right arrow keys. Use the Home and End
keys to move to the first or last relevant point, respectively. Use the navigation keys in
combination with the Shift key to extend the selection.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 71: Timeline window context menu

Note: The context menu contains some commands that are common to all graphs and
some commands that are specific to each graph.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

150 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Collecting and using trace data

These commands are available:

Navigate All graphs Commands for navigating over the graph(s);

choose between:
Next moves the selection to the next relevant
point in the graph. Shortcut key: right arrow.
Previous moves the selection backward to the
previous relevant point in the graph.
Shortcut key: left arrow.
First moves the selection to the first data entry
in the graph. Shortcut key: Home.
Last moves the selection to the last data entry in
the graph. Shortcut key: End.
End moves the selection to the last data in any
displayed graph, in other words the end of
the time axis. Shortcut key: Ctrl+End.
Auto Scroll All graphs Toggles auto scrolling on or off. When on, the
most recent collected data is automatically
displayed.
Zoom All graphs Commands for zooming the window, in other
words, changing the time scale; choose
between:
Zoom to Selection makes the current selection
fit the window. Shortcut key: Return.
Zoom In zooms in on the time scale. Shortcut
key: +.
Zoom Out zooms out on the time scale.
Shortcut key: -.
10ns, 100ns, 1us, etc makes an interval of 10
nanoseconds, 100 nanoseconds, 1
microsecond, respectively, fit the window.
1ms, 10ms, etc makes an interval of 1
millisecond or 10 milliseconds,
respectively, fit the window.
10m, 1h, etc makes an interval of 10 minutes or
1 hour, respectively, fit the window.
Call Stack Call Stack A heading that shows that the Call
Graph stack-specific commands below are available.

151

UCS430-1
Reference information on trace

Interrupt Interrupt Log A heading that shows that the Interrupt

Graph Log-specific commands below are available.
Enable All graphs Toggles the display of the graph on or off. If you
disable a graph, that graph will be indicated as
OFF in the Timeline window. If no trace data has
been collected for a graph, no data will appear
instead of the graph.
Go To Source Common Displays the corresponding source code in an
editor window, if applicable.
Select Graphs Common Selects which graphs to be displayed in the
Timeline window.
Time Axis Unit Common Selects the unit used in the time axis; choose
between Seconds and Cycles.

Trace Start breakpoints dialog box

The Trace Start dialog box is available from the context menu that appears when you
right-click in the Breakpoints window.

Figure 72: Trace Start breakpoints dialog box

This dialog box is available for the C-SPY simulator.

To set a Trace Start breakpoint:
1 In the editor or Disassembly window, right-click and choose Trace Start from the
context menu.
Alternatively, open the Breakpoints window by choosing View>Breakpoints.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

152 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Collecting and using trace data

2 In the Breakpoints window, right-click and choose New Breakpoint>Trace Start.

Alternatively, to modify an existing breakpoint, select a breakpoint in the Breakpoints
window and choose Edit on the context menu.
3 In the Trigger At text box, specify an expression, an absolute address, or a source
location. Click OK.
4 When the breakpoint is triggered, the trace data collection starts.

Trigger At
Specify the location for the breakpoint in the text box. Alternatively, click the Edit
browse button to open the Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box,
page 114.

Trace Stop breakpoints dialog box

The Trace Stop dialog box is available from the context menu that appears when you
right-click in the Breakpoints window.

Figure 73: Trace Stop breakpoints dialog box

This dialog box is available for the C-SPY simulator.

To set a Trace Stop breakpoint:
1 In the editor or Disassembly window, right-click and choose Trace Stop from the
context menu.
Alternatively, open the Breakpoints window by choosing View>Breakpoints.

153

UCS430-1
Reference information on trace

2 In the Breakpoints window, right-click and choose New Breakpoint>Trace Stop.

Alternatively, to modify an existing breakpoint, select a breakpoint in the Breakpoints
window and choose Edit on the context menu.
3 In the Trigger At text box, specify an expression, an absolute address, or a source
location. Click OK.
4 When the breakpoint is triggered, the trace data collection stops.

Trigger At
Specify the location for the breakpoint in the text box. Alternatively, click the Edit
browse button to open the Enter Location dialog box; see Enter Location dialog box,
page 114.

Trace Expressions window

The Trace Expressions window is available from the Trace window toolbar in the
C-SPY simulator.

Figure 74: Trace Expressions window

Use this window to specify, for example, a specific variable (or an expression) for which
you want to collect trace data.

Toolbar
The toolbar buttons change the order between the expressions:

Arrow up Moves the selected row up.

Arrow down Moves the selected row down.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

154 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Collecting and using trace data

Display area
Use the display area to specify expressions for which you want to collect trace data:

Expression Specify any expression that you want to collect data from.
You can specify any expression that can be evaluated, such
as variables and registers.
Format Shows which display format that is used for each
expression. Note that you can change display format via the
context menu.

Each row in this area will appear as an extra column in the Trace window.

Find in Trace dialog box

The Find in Trace dialog box is available by clicking the Find button on the Trace
window toolbar or by choosing Edit>Find and Replace>Find.
Note that the Edit>Find and Replace>Find command is context-dependent. It displays
the Find in Trace dialog box if the Trace window is the current window or the Find
dialog box if the editor window is the current window.

Figure 75: Find in Trace dialog box

Use this dialog box to specify the search criteria for advanced searches in the trace data.
The search results are displayed in the Find in Trace window—available by choosing the
View>Messages command, see Find in Trace window, page 156.
See also Searching in trace data, page 145.

155

UCS430-1
Reference information on trace

Text search
Specify the string you want to search for. To specify the search criteria, choose between:

Match Case Searches only for occurrences that exactly match the case of the
specified text. Otherwise specifying int will also find INT and
Int and so on.

Match whole word Searches only for the string when it occurs as a separate word.
Otherwise int will also find print, sprintf and so on.
Only search in one Searches only in the column you selected from the drop-down
column list.

Address Range
Specify the address range you want to display or search. The trace data within the
address range is displayed. If you also have specified a text string in the Text search
field, the text string is searched for within the address range.

Find in Trace window

The Find in Trace window is available from the View>Messages menu. Alternatively,
it is automatically displayed when you perform a search using the Find in Trace dialog
box.

Figure 76: Find in Trace window

This window displays the result of searches in the trace data. Double-click an item in the
Find in Trace window to bring up the same item in the Trace window.
Before you can view any trace data, you must specify the search criteria in the Find in
Trace dialog box, see Find in Trace dialog box, page 155.
See also, Searching in trace data, page 145.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

156 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Collecting and using trace data

Display area
The Find in Trace window looks like the Trace window and shows the same columns
and data, but only those rows that match the specified search criteria.

157

UCS430-1
Reference information on trace

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

158 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using the profiler
This chapter describes how to use the profiler in C-SPY®. More specifically,
this means:

● Introduction to the profiler

● Procedures for using the profiler

● Reference information on the profiler.

Introduction to the profiler

This section introduces the profiler.
These topics are covered:
● Reasons for using the profiler
● Briefly about the profiler
● Requirements for using the profiler.

REASONS FOR USING THE PROFILER

Function profiling can help you find the functions in your source code where the most
time is spent during execution. You should focus on those functions when optimizing
your code. A simple method of optimizing a function is to compile it using speed
optimization. Alternatively, you can move the data used by the function into the memory
which uses the most efficient addressing mode. For detailed information about efficient
memory usage, see the IAR C/C++ Compiler Reference Guide for MSP430.
Instruction profiling can help you fine-tune your code on a very detailed level, especially
for assembler source code. Instruction profiling can also help you to understand where
your compiled C/C++ source code spends most of its time, and perhaps give insight into
how to rewrite it for better performance.

BRIEFLY ABOUT THE PROFILER

Function profiling information is displayed in the Function Profiler window, that is,
timing information for the functions in an application. Profiling must be turned on
explicitly using a button on the window’s toolbar, and will stay enabled until it is turned
off.

159

UCS430-1
Procedures for using the profiler

Instruction profiling information is displayed in the Disassembly window, that is, the
number of times each instruction has been executed.

Profiling sources
The profiler can use different mechanisms, or sources, to collect profiling information.
Depending on the available hardware features, one or more of the sources can be used
for profiling:
● Trace (calls)
The full instruction trace is analyzed to determine all function calls and returns.
When the collected instruction sequence is incomplete or discontinuous, the
profiling information is less accurate.
● Trace (flat)
Each instruction in the full instruction trace is assigned to a corresponding function
or code fragment, without regard to function calls or returns. This is most useful
when the application does not exhibit normal call/return sequences, such as when
you are using an RTOS, or when you are profiling code which does not have full
debug information.

REQUIREMENTS FOR USING THE PROFILER

The C-SPY simulator supports the profiler, and there are no specific requirements for
using the profiler.
Profiling is not available for the C-SPY FET Debugger.

Procedures for using the profiler

This section gives you step-by-step descriptions about how to use the profiler.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Getting started using the profiler on function level
● Getting started using the profiler on instruction level.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

160 User Guide

UCS430-1
 Using the profiler

GETTING STARTED USING THE PROFILER ON FUNCTION

LEVEL
To display function profiling information in the Function Profiler window, follow these
steps:
1 Make sure you build your application using these options:

Category Setting
C/C++ Compiler Output>Generate debug information
Linker Output>Format>Debug information for C-SPY
Table 10: Project options for enabling the profiler

2 When you have built your application and started C-SPY, choose Simulator>Function
Profiler to open the Function Profiler window, and click the Enable button to turn on
the profiler. Alternatively, choose Enable from the context menu that is available when
you right-click in the Function Profiler window.
3 Start executing your application to collect the profiling information.
4 Profiling information is displayed in the Function Profiler window. To sort, click on the
relevant column header.
5 When you start a new sampling, you can click the Clear button—alternatively, use the
context menu—to clear the data.

GETTING STARTED USING THE PROFILER ON INSTRUCTION

LEVEL
To display instruction profiling information in the Disassembly window, follow these
steps:
1 Build your application and start C-SPY.
2 Choose View>Disassembly to open the Disassembly window, and choose Enable
from the context menu that is available when you right-click in the Profiler window.
3 Make sure that the Show command on the context menu is selected, to display the
profiling information.
4 Start executing your application to collect the profiling information.

161

UCS430-1
Reference information on the profiler

5 When the execution stops, for instance because the program exit is reached or a
breakpoint is triggered, you can view instruction level profiling information in the
left-hand margin of the Disassembly window.

Figure 77: Instruction count in Disassembly window

For each instruction, the number of times it has been executed is displayed.

Reference information on the profiler

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● Function Profiler window, page 163
● Disassembly window, page 58.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

162 User Guide

UCS430-1
 Using the profiler

Function Profiler window

The Function Profiler window is available from the Simulator menu.

Figure 78: Function Profiler window

This window displays function profiling information.

Toolbar
The toolbar contains:

Enable/Disable Enables or disables the profiler.

Clear Clears all profiling data.
Save Opens a standard Save As dialog box where you can save
the contents of the window to a file, with tab-separated
columns. Only non-expanded rows are included in the list
file.
Graphical view Overlays the values in the percentage columns with a
graphical bar.
Progress bar Displays a backlog of profiling data that is still being
processed. If the rate of incoming data is higher than the rate
of the profiler processing the data, a backlog is accumulated.
The progress bar indicates that the profiler is still processing
data, but also approximately how far the profiler has come
in the process. Note that because the profiler consumes data
at a certain rate and the target system supplies data at
another rate, the amount of data remaining to be processed
can both increase and decrease. The progress bar can grow
and shrink accordingly.

163

UCS430-1
Reference information on the profiler

Display area
The content in the display area depends on which source that is used for the profiling
information:
● For the Trace (calls) source, the display area contains one line for each function
compiled with debug information enabled. When some profiling information has
been collected, it is possible to expand rows of functions that have called other
functions. The child items for a given function list all the functions that have been
called by the parent function and the corresponding statistics.
● For the Trace (flat) source, the display area contains one line for each C function of
your application, but also lines for sections of code from the runtime library or from
other code without debug information, denoted only by the corresponding
assembler labels. Each executed PC address from trace data is treated as a separate
sample and is associated with the corresponding line in the Profiling window. Each
line contains a count of those samples.
More specifically, the display area provides information in these columns:

Function All sources The name of the profiled C function.

Calls Trace (calls) The number of times the function has been
called.
Flat time Trace (calls) The time in cycles spent inside the function.
Flat time (%) Trace (calls) Flat time in cycles expressed as a percentage
of the total time.
Acc. time Trace (calls) The time in cycles spent in this function and
everything called by this function.
Acc. time (%) Trace (calls) Accumulated time in cycles expressed as a
percentage of the total time.
PC Samples Trace (flat) The number of PC samples associated with the
function.
PC Samples (%) Trace (flat) The number of PC samples associated with the
function as a percentage of the total number of
samples.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

164 User Guide

UCS430-1
 Using the profiler

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 79: Function Profiler window context menu

These commands are available:

Enable Enables the profiler. The system will collect information

also when the window is closed.
Clear Clears all profiling data.
*
Source Selects which source to be used for the profiling
information. Choose between:
Trace (calls)—the instruction count for instruction
profiling is only as complete as the collected trace data.
Trace (flat)—the instruction count for instruction profiling
is only as complete as the collected trace data.
*
The available sources depend on the C-SPY driver you are using.

165

UCS430-1
Reference information on the profiler

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

166 User Guide

UCS430-1
 Code coverage
This chapter describes the code coverage functionality in C-SPY®, which helps
you verify whether all parts of your code have been executed. More
specifically, this means:

● Introduction to code coverage

● Reference information on code coverage.

Introduction to code coverage

This section covers these topics:
● Reasons for using code coverage
● Briefly about code coverage
● Requirements for using code coverage.

REASONS FOR USING CODE COVERAGE

The code coverage functionality is useful when you design your test procedure to verify
whether all parts of the code have been executed. It also helps you identify parts of your
code that are not reachable.

BRIEFLY ABOUT CODE COVERAGE

The Code Coverage window reports the status of the current code coverage analysis. For
every program, module, and function, the analysis shows the percentage of code that has
been executed since code coverage was turned on up to the point where the application
has stopped. In addition, all statements that have not been executed are listed. The
analysis will continue until turned off.

REQUIREMENTS FOR USING CODE COVERAGE

Code coverage is only supported by the C-SPY Simulator.

167

UCS430-1
Reference information on code coverage

Reference information on code coverage

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● Code Coverage window, page 168.
For related information, see Single stepping, page 52.

Code Coverage window

The Code Coverage window is available from the View menu.

Figure 80: Code Coverage window

This window reports the status of the current code coverage analysis. For every program,
module, and function, the analysis shows the percentage of code that has been executed
since code coverage was turned on up to the point where the application has stopped. In
addition, all statements that have not been executed are listed. The analysis will continue
until turned off.
An asterisk (*) in the title bar indicates that C-SPY has continued to execute, and that
the Code Coverage window must be refreshed because the displayed information is no
longer up to date. To update the information, use the Refresh command.
To get started using code coverage:
1 Before using the code coverage functionality you must build your application using
these options:

Category Setting
C/C++ Compiler Output>Generate debug information
Linker Format>Debug information for C-SPY
Table 11: Project options for enabling code coverage

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

168 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Code coverage

Category Setting
Debugger Plugins>Code Coverage
Table 11: Project options for enabling code coverage

2 After you have built your application and started C-SPY, choose View>Code
Coverage to open the Code Coverage window.
3 Click the Activate button, alternatively choose Activate from the context menu, to
switch on code coverage.
4 Start the execution. When the execution stops, for instance because the program exit is
reached or a breakpoint is triggered, click the Refresh button to view the code
coverage information.

Display area
The code coverage information is displayed in a tree structure, showing the program,
module, function, and statement levels. The window displays only source code that was
compiled with debug information. Thus, startup code, exit code, and library code is not
displayed in the window. Furthermore, coverage information for statements in inlined
functions is not displayed. Only the statement containing the inlined function call is
marked as executed. The plus sign and minus sign icons allow you to expand and
collapse the structure.
These icons give you an overview of the current status on all levels:

Red diamond Signifies that 0% of the modules or functions has been

executed.
Green diamond Signifies that 100% of the modules or functions has been
executed.
Red and green diamond Signifies that some of the modules or functions have been
executed.
Yellow diamond Signifies a statement that has not been executed.

The percentage displayed at the end of every program, module, and function line shows
the amount of statements that has been covered so far, that is, the number of executed
statements divided with the total number of statements.
For statements that have not been executed (yellow diamond), the information displayed
is the column number range and the row number of the statement in the source window,
followed by the address of the step point:
<column_start>-<column_end>:row address.

169

UCS430-1
Reference information on code coverage

A statement is considered to be executed when one of its instructions has been executed.
When a statement has been executed, it is removed from the window and the percentage
is increased correspondingly.
Double-clicking a statement or a function in the Code Coverage window displays that
statement or function as the current position in the source window, which becomes the
active window. Double-clicking a module on the program level expands or collapses the
tree structure.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 81: Code coverage window context menu

These commands are available:

Activate Switches code coverage on and off during execution.

Clear Clears the code coverage information. All step points are
marked as not executed.
Refresh Updates the code coverage information and refreshes the
window. All step points that have been executed since the
last refresh are removed from the tree.
Auto-refresh Toggles the automatic reload of code coverage information
on and off. When turned on, the code coverage information
is reloaded automatically when C-SPY stops at a
breakpoint, at a step point, and at program exit.
Save As Saves the current code coverage result in a text file.
Save session Saves your code coverage session data to a *.dat file. This
is useful if you for some reason must abort your debug
session, but want to continue the session later on. This
command is available on the toolbar.
Restore session Restores previously saved code coverage session data. This
is useful if you for some reason must abort your debug
session, but want to continue the session later on. This
command is available on the toolbar.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

170 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using state storage
This chapter describes how to use the state storage module. More specifically,
this means:

● Introduction to state storage

● Procedures for using state storage

● Reference information on state storage.

Introduction to state storage

This section introduces the state storage module, a limited variant of a traditional trace
module available for the C-SPY FET Debugger driver.
These topics are covered:
● Reasons for using state storage
● Briefly about state storage
● Requirements.
For related information, see also:
● Using the sequencer, page 177.

REASONS FOR USING STATE STORAGE

State storage allows you to examine the last eight states or instructions that were
executed before a specific point was reached or a specific event occurred, or the next
eight states that will be executed after a specific point is reached or a specific event
occurs.

BRIEFLY ABOUT STATE STORAGE

The state storage module is a limited variant of a traditional trace module. It can store
eight states and can be used for monitoring program states or program flow, without
interfering with the execution. It uses a built-in buffer to store MAB, MDB, and CPU
control signal information.

171

UCS430-1
Procedures for using state storage

REQUIREMENTS
The state storage module is only available if you are using the C-SPY FET Debugger
driver and a device that supports the Enhanced Emulation Module at the required level.

Procedures for using state storage

This section gives you step-by-step descriptions about how to use certain features
related to state storage.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Setting up state storage.

SETTING UP STATE STORAGE

To use the state storage module, you must:
1 Define one or several range breakpoints or conditional breakpoints.
2 In the breakpoints dialog box, select the action State Storage Trigger for these
breakpoints. This means that the breakpoint is defined as a state storage trigger. (State
storage can also be triggered from the Sequencer Control window.)
Note: Depending on the behavior you want when the state storage module is triggered,
it is useful to consider the combination of the Action options and the options available
in the State Storage Control window. See the examples following immediately after
these steps.
3 Choose Emulator>State Storage Control to open the State Storage Control window.
4 Select the option Enable state storage. Set the options Buffer wrap around, Trigger
action, and Storage action according to your preferences.
In the list State Storage Triggers, all breakpoints defined as state storage triggers are
listed.
For more details about the options, see State Storage Control window, page 174.
5 Click Apply.
6 Choose Emulator>State Storage window to open the State Storage window.
7 Choose Debug>Go to execute your application. Before you can view the state storage
information, you must stop the execution. You can do this, for instance, by using the
Break command.
For information about the window contents, see State Storage window, page 175.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

172 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using state storage

Example
As an example, assume the following setup:
● There is a conditional breakpoint which has both of the action options
selected—Break and State Storage Trigger
● The state storage options Instruction fetch and Buffer wrap around are selected
in the State Storage Control window.
This will start the state storage immediately when you start executing your application.
When the breakpoint is triggered, the execution will stop and the last eight states can be
inspected in the State Storage window.
However, if you do not want the state storage module to start until a specific state is
reached, you would usually not want the execution to stop, because no state information
has been stored yet.
In this case, select the State Storage Trigger action in the Conditional breakpoints
dialog box (making sure that Break is deselected), and deselect the option Buffer wrap
around in the State Storage Control window.
When the breakpoint is triggered, the execution will not stop, but the state storage will
start. Because the option Buffer wrap around is deselected, you have ensured that the
data in the buffer will not be overwritten.
When another breakpoint (which has Break selected) is triggered, or if you stop the
execution by clicking the Break button, the State Storage window will show eight states
starting with the breakpoint that was used for starting the state storage module.

Reference information on state storage

This section gives reference information about these windows:
● State Storage Control window, page 174
● State Storage window, page 175.

173

UCS430-1
Reference information on state storage

State Storage Control window

The State Storage Control window is available from the Emulator menu.

Figure 82: State Storage Control window

Use this window to define how to use the state storage module. The window is only
available for devices that support the Enhanced Emulation Module at the required level.

Enable state storage

Enables the state storage module.

Buffer wrap around

Determines whether the state storage buffer should wrap around. If you select this
option, the state storage buffer is continuously overwritten until the execution is stopped
or a breakpoint is triggered. Only the eight last states are stored.
Alternatively, in order not to overwrite the information in the state storage buffer,
deselect this option. To guarantee that the eight first states will be stored, you should also
click Reset.

Reset
Resets the state storage module.

Trigger action
Selects which action to take when breakpoints defined as state storage triggers are
triggered:

Start on trigger Starts state storage when the breakpoint is triggered.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

174 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using state storage

Stop on trigger Starts state storage immediately when execution starts. State
storage stops when the breakpoint is triggered.
None Starts state storage immediately when execution starts. State
storage does not stop when the breakpoint is triggered.
However, if execution stops, state storage also stops but it will
resume when execution resumes.

Storage action on
Selects when the state information should be collected:

Triggers Stores state information at the time when the state storage
trigger is triggered. That is, when the breakpoint defined as a
state storage trigger is triggered.
Instruction fetch Stores state information at all instruction fetches.
All cycles Stores state information for all cycles.

State storage triggers

Lists all the breakpoints that are defined as state storage triggers. That is, the breakpoints
that have the action State Storage Trigger selected.

State Storage window

The State Storage window is available from the Emulator menu.

Figure 83: State storage window

This window displays state storage information for eight states. Invalid data is displayed
in red color.

175

UCS430-1
Reference information on state storage

Toolbar
The toolbar contains:

Update Refreshes the data in the State Storage window, alternatively

appends new data.
Automatic update Updates the data in the state storage window automatically
each time new data is available in the state storage buffer.
Automatic restart Resets the state storage module for consecutive data
readouts after each readout.
Append data Appends collected data from the state storage buffer to the
data that is already present in the State Storage window. The
new data is added below the data that is already present.

Display area
This area contains these columns:

Address bus The stored value of the address bus.

Instruction The instruction.
Mnemonic The mnemonic.
Data bus The stored content of the data bus.
Control signals (byte) The stored value of the control signals during storage.
Bit 1: Instruction fetch
Bit 2: Byte/Word
Bit 3: Interrupt request
Bit 4: CPU off
Bit 5: The value of the Power Up Clear (PUC) signal
Bit 6: ZERO|HALT (which one depends on the used device)
Bit 7: Break trigger
Control signals (bits) Each bit in the stored value of the control signals during
storage.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

176 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using the sequencer
This chapter describes the sequencer and how to take advantage of it. More
specifically, this means:

● Introduction to the sequencer

● Procedures for using the sequencer

● Reference information on the sequencer.

Introduction to the sequencer

This section introduces the sequencer module.
These topics are covered:
● Reasons for using the sequencer, page 177
● Briefly about the sequencer, page 177
● Requirements for using the sequencer, page 178.
For related information, see also:
● Using state storage, page 171.

REASONS FOR USING THE SEQUENCER

The sequencer is useful if you, for instance, want to stop the execution or start the state
storage module under certain conditions, for instance a specific program flow. If you
combine this with letting the state storage module continuously store information, you
will have useful state information logged in the State Storage window when the
execution stops.

BRIEFLY ABOUT THE SEQUENCER

The sequencer module is a simple state machine that lets you break the execution or
trigger the state storage module using a more complex method than a standard
breakpoint.
In a simple setup, you can define three transition triggers, where the last one triggers an
action. In an advanced setup, the state machine can have four states (0-3). State 0 is the
starting state, and state 3 is the state that triggers a breakpoint (the action state). This

177

UCS430-1
Procedures for using the sequencer

breakpoint can be designed either to stop execution, or to trigger the state storage
module.

REQUIREMENTS FOR USING THE SEQUENCER

The sequencer module is only available for the C-SPY FET Debugger driver and if you
are using a device that supports the Enhanced Emulation Module at the required level.

Procedures for using the sequencer

This section gives you step-by-step descriptions about how to use certain features of the
sequencer module.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Setting up the sequencer (simple setup)
● Setting up the sequencer (advanced setup)
● Using the sequencer to locate a problem.

SETTING UP THE SEQUENCER (SIMPLE SETUP)

In a simple setup, you can define three transition triggers, where the last one triggers an
action.
To define a simple sequencer setup:
1 Choose Emulator>Sequencer Control to open the Sequencer Control window.
2 Select the option Enable Sequencer.
3 Use the Transition trigger drop-down lists to define three breakpoints, where the last
breakpoint should act as a transition trigger.

SETTING UP THE SEQUENCER (ADVANCED SETUP)

In an advanced setup, the state machine can have four states (0-3). State 0 is the starting
state, and state 3 is the state that triggers a breakpoint (the action state). This breakpoint
can be designed either to stop execution, or to trigger the state storage module.
To define an advanced sequencer setup:
1 Choose Emulator>Sequencer Control to open the Sequencer Control window.
2 Select the option Enable Sequencer.
3 Click the Advanced button. This will let you define 4 states (0-3) with two transition
triggers each (a and b).

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

178 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using the sequencer

From the eight available hardware breakpoints (0-7) of the device, breakpoint number 7
will be reserved for state 3. The Transition trigger drop-down lists let you define one
breakpoint each, where the breakpoint should act as a transition trigger.
4 For each transition trigger, define which state should be the next state after the
transition.
Use the following options:

State Storage Trigger Select a breakpoint from the drop-down list to move the state
machine from one state to another. Note: to do this you must
first define the required conditional breakpoints.
Next state Select a state to define which state should be the next state after
the transition.

5 Select an action to determine the result of the final transition trigger. If you select the
option Break, the execution will stop. If you select the option State Storage Trigger,
the state storage module will be triggered.

USING THE SEQUENCER TO LOCATE A PROBLEM

Consider this example:
void my_putchar(char c)
{
...
/* Code suspected to be erroneous */
...
}

void my_function(void)
{
...
my_putchar('a');
...
my_putchar('x');
...
my_putchar('@');
...
}

In this example, the customized putchar function my_putchar has for some reason a
problem with special characters. To locate the problem, it might be useful to stop
execution when the function is called, but only when it is called with one of the
problematic characters as the argument.

179

UCS430-1
Procedures for using the sequencer

To locate the problem:

1 Set a hardware breakpoint on the statement my_putchar('@');.
2 Set another breakpoint on the suspected code within the function my_putchar().
3 Define these breakpoints as transition triggers. Choose Emulator>Sequencer Control
to open the Sequencer Control window. Select the option Enable sequencer.
4 In this simple example you will only need two transition triggers. Make sure the
following options are selected:

Option Setting
Transition trigger 0 The breakpoint which is set on the function call
my_putchar('@');
Transition trigger 1 The breakpoint which is set on the suspected code within the function
my_putchar()
Action Break
Table 12: Sequencer settings - example

The transition trigger 1 depends on the transition trigger 0. This means that the execution
will stop only when the function my_putchar() is called by the function call
my_putchar('@');

Click OK.
5 Set up the state storage module. Choose Emulator>State Storage Control to open the
State Storage Control window. Make sure the following options are selected:

Option Setting
Enable state storage Selected
Buffer wrap around Selected
Storage action Instruction fetch
Trigger action None
Table 13: State Storage Control settings—example

Click OK.
6 Start the program execution. The state storage module will continuously store trace
information. Execution stops when the function my_putchar() has been called by the
function call my_putchar('@');
7 Choose Emulator>State Storage Window to open the State Storage window. You
can now examine the stored trace information. For more information, see State Storage
window, page 175.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

180 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using the sequencer

8 When the sequencer is in state 3, C-SPY’s breakpoint mechanism—which is used for

all breakpoints, not only transition triggers—can be locked. Therefore, you should
always end the session with one of these steps:
● Disabling the sequencer module. This will restore all breakpoint actions.
● Resetting the state machine by clicking the Reset States button. The sequencer will
still be active and trigger on the defined setup during the program execution.

Reference information on the sequencer

This section gives reference information about the Sequencer Control window.

Sequencer Control window

The Sequencer Control window is available from the Emulator menu.

Figure 84: Sequencer Control window

Use this window to break the execution or trigger the state storage module, using a more
complex method than a standard breakpoint. The window is only available for devices
that support the Enhanced Emulation Module at the required level.
For related information about state storage, see Using state storage, page 171.

Enable Sequencer
Enables the sequencer.

181

UCS430-1
Reference information on the sequencer

Action
Controls the result of the final transition trigger:

Break Stops the execution.

State Storage Trigger Triggers to move the state machine from one state to another
and activates the state storage module. Requires that you select
a conditional breakpoint, that you have defined, from the
Transition trigger drop-down list.

Current state
Displays the current state of the state machine.

Reset Trigger
Selects a trigger that will reset the state machine.

Reset States
Sets the state machine to state 0.

Advanced
Displays the advanced setup options. This will let you define 4 states (numbered 0–3)
with two transition triggers each (a and b). For each transition trigger, you can define
which state should be the next state after the transition.

State 0–3
Controls the transition triggers and the state that follows the transitions.

Transition trigger a Selects a breakpoint to act as a transition trigger.

Transition trigger b Selects a breakpoint to act as a transition trigger.
Next state Select the next state after the transition.

For state 3—the final transition trigger—you must also define an Action: Break or
State Storage Trigger.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

182 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using the cycle counter for
5xx devices
This chapter describes the cycle counter for MSP430F5xx devices. More
specifically, this means:

● Introduction to the cycle counter for 5xx

● Procedures for using the cycle counter applications

● Reference information on the cycle counter for 5xx.

Introduction to the cycle counter for 5xx

This section introduces Cycle counter 1, a second cycle counter for MSP430F5xx
devices in addition to the cycle counter displayed in the Register window.
These topics are covered:
● Reasons for using the cycle counter for 5xx
● Briefly about the cycle counter for 5xx
● Requirements for using the cycle counter for 5xx.
For related information, see also:
● Register window, page 135.

REASONS FOR USING THE CYCLE COUNTER FOR 5XX

The cycle counter for MSP430F5xx devices can help you, for example, to measure the
DMA load, to profile a part of your application, or to measure how long some tasks take.

BRIEFLY ABOUT THE CYCLE COUNTER FOR 5XX

The cycle counter provides one or two 40-bit counters to count the number of cycles
used by the CPU to execute certain tasks. On some devices, the cycle counter operation
can be controlled using triggers. This allows, for example, conditional profiling, such as
profiling a specific section of code.
The Cycle Counter 5xx Control window contains preconfigured applications, as well as
the opportunity to customize your own use of the cycle counter.

183

UCS430-1
Procedures for using the cycle counter applications

REQUIREMENTS FOR USING THE CYCLE COUNTER FOR 5XX

The cycle counter for 5xx is only available if you are using the C-SPY FET Debugger
driver and an MSP430F5xx device that supports the Enhanced Emulation Module at the
required level.

Procedures for using the cycle counter applications

This section gives you descriptions of the Cycle counter 1 applications available in the
Cycle Counter 5xx Control window; that is, step-by-step descriptions of how to use the
extra cycle counter.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Counting all CPU cycles
● Measuring the DMA load versus the CPU load
● Profiling a specific part of your application
● Measuring the Trigger hits
● Measuring the number of CPU cycles for a task.

COUNTING ALL CPU CYCLES

The Cycle counter application in the Cycle Counter 5xx Control window makes Cycle
counter 1 behave like an ordinary cycle counter, counting all CPU cycles.
To count all CPU cycles:
1 Choose Emulator>Cycle Counter for 5xx to open the Cycle Counter 5xx Control
window.
2 Select the Cycle counter option.
3 Click the Reset Counter 1 button to reset Cycle counter 1.
4 Execute your program and then stop the execution.
Cycle counter 1 in the Cycle Counter Values area now shows the number of CPU
cycles that were executed.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

184 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using the cycle counter for 5xx devices

MEASURING THE DMA LOAD VERSUS THE CPU LOAD

The DMA load vs. CPU load application in the Cycle Counter 5xx Control window
measures the DMA load versus the CPU load by comparing the number of DMA bus
cycles with the total number of bus cycles.
To measure the DMA load versus the CPU load:
1 Choose Emulator>Cycle Counter for 5xx to open the Cycle Counter 5xx Control
window.
2 Select the DMA load vs. CPU load option.
3 Click the Reset Counter 1 button to reset Cycle counter 1.
4 Execute your program and then stop the execution.
In the Cycle Counter Values area, Cycle counter 1 now shows the number of DMA bus
cycles, which can be compared with the number of CPU cycles shown by cycle counter
0.

PROFILING A SPECIFIC PART OF YOUR APPLICATION

The Profiling application in the Cycle Counter 5xx Control window lets you profile a
specific part of your program. Two reaction triggers or breakpoints define the start and
stop points for the cycle counter. Cycle counter 1 starts to count cycles at the first trigger
point and stops counting cycles at the second trigger.
Note: You cannot define which trigger point should be used as the start point or stop
point; the first of the two that is reached will start the cycle counter. The execution does
not stop at any of the triggers. You can compare the amount of time spent in a specific
function with the result for cycle counter 0, which counts all cycles for the entire
application.
To profile a section of your application:
1 Set up an advanced trigger at the start point of the code section that you want to
measure. For information about setting advanced trigger breakpoints, see Advanced
Trigger breakpoints dialog box, page 112.
2 Set up a second advanced trigger at the stop point of the code section that you want to
measure.
3 Choose Emulator>Cycle Counter for 5xx to open the Cycle Counter 5xx Control
window.
4 Select the Profiling option.
5 Select the start trigger point from the drop-down list Reaction trigger 1.
6 Select the stop trigger point from the drop-down list Reaction trigger 2.

185

UCS430-1
Procedures for using the cycle counter applications

7 Click the Reset Counter 1 button to reset Cycle counter 1.

8 Execute your program and then stop the execution.
In the Cycle Counter Values area, Cycle counter 1 shows the number of CPU cycles
spent in the selected code section or function. Cycle counter 0 shows all counted CPU
cycles.

MEASURING THE TRIGGER HITS

The Trigger hits application in the Cycle Counter 5xx Control window measures the
number of times a certain point in your program has been reached. Cycle counter 1
counts the number of times a trigger point has been triggered.
To measure how many times a point in your application is reached:
1 Set up an advanced trigger at the trigger point that you want to measure. For
information about setting advanced trigger breakpoints, see Advanced Trigger
breakpoints dialog box, page 112.
2 Choose Emulator>Cycle Counter for 5xx to open the Cycle Counter 5xx Control
window.
3 Select the Trigger hits option.
4 Select the trigger point from the drop-down list Reaction trigger 1.
5 Click the Reset Counter 1 button to reset Cycle counter 1.
6 Execute your program and then stop the execution.
In the Cycle Counter Values area, Cycle counter 1 now shows the number of times the
trigger point has been triggered.

MEASURING THE NUMBER OF CPU CYCLES FOR A TASK

The Trip counter application in the Cycle Counter 5xx Control window measures the
number of CPU cycles required to execute a certain task or function. Cycle counter 1
starts to count cycles at the start trigger and stops counting cycles at the stop trigger. The
execution stops when the stop trigger is reached.
To measure the number of cycles required to execute a task or function:
1 Set up an advanced trigger at the start point of the code section that you want to
measure. For information about setting advanced trigger breakpoints, see Advanced
Trigger breakpoints dialog box, page 112.
2 Set up a second advanced trigger at the stop point of the code section that you want to
measure.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

186 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using the cycle counter for 5xx devices

3 Choose Emulator>Cycle Counter for 5xx to open the Cycle Counter 5xx Control
window.
4 Select the Trip counter option.
5 Select the start trigger point from the drop-down list Reaction trigger 1.
6 Select the stop trigger point from the drop-down list Reaction trigger 2.
7 Click the Reset Counter 1 button to reset Cycle counter 1.
8 Execute your program. The execution stops when the stop trigger is reached.
In the Cycle Counter Values area, Cycle counter 1 now shows the number of CPU
cycles required to execute the task or function.

Reference information on the cycle counter for 5xx

This section gives reference information about the Cycle Counter 5xx Control window.

Cycle Counter 5xx Control window

The Cycle Counter 5xx Control window is available from the Emulator menu when the
debugger is running.

Figure 85: Cycle Counter 5xx Control window

Use this window to set the behavior of Cycle counter 1, the extra cycle counter for
MSP430F5xx devices.

187

UCS430-1
Reference information on the cycle counter for 5xx

Applications
The Cycle Counter 5xx Control window contains preconfigured applications, as well as
the opportunity to customize your own use of the cycle counter. Use the cycle counter
Applications to configure for what purpose to use the cycle counter. Choose between:

Cycle counter Makes Cycle counter 1 count all CPU cycles; see Counting all
CPU cycles, page 184.
DMA load vs. CPU Compares the number of DMA bus cycles with the total number
load of bus cycles; see Measuring the DMA load versus the CPU load,
page 185.
Profiling Profiles a specific part of your program; see Profiling a specific
part of your application, page 185.
Trigger hits Measures the number of times a certain point in your program
has been reached; see Measuring the Trigger hits, page 186.
Trip counter Measures the number of CPU cycles required to execute a certain
task or function; see Measuring the number of CPU cycles for a
task, page 186.
Custom Make a custom application using the options in the Cycle
Counter 1 area.

Cycle counter values

Cycle counter 0 The value of cycle counter 0. Cycle counter 0 is the same cycle
counter as the one displayed in the Register window.
Cycle counter 1 The value of Cycle counter 1. Cycle counter 1 is controlled by the
settings in the Cycle Counter 5xx Control window.

Mode

Reaction Increments the counter on reactions.

Fetch Increments the counter on all instruction fetch cycles.
Bus incl. DMA Increments the counter on all bus cycles (including DMA cycles).
CPU excl. DMA Increments the counter on all CPU bus cycles (excluding DMA
cycles).
DMA Increments the counter on all DMA bus cycles.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

188 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using the cycle counter for 5xx devices

Start

Reaction Uses the cycle counter reaction to start the cycle counter.
CPU starts Starts counting cycles when the CPU starts to execute.

Stop

Reaction Uses the cycle counter reaction to stop the cycle counter.
CPU stops Stops counting when the CPU stops the execution.

Clear

Reaction Clears the cycle counter on the cycle count reaction.

No event Does not clear the counter.

Combinations of start, stop, and clear reactions

Start Stop Clear Description

Reaction Reaction The cycle counter reaction starts the cycle counter and
clears it at start.
Reaction Reaction The cycle counter reaction stops and clears the cycle
counter.
Reaction Reaction If the cycle counter is stopped, the cycle counter
reaction starts the counter. If the counter is running, the
cycle counter reaction stops the counter.
Reaction Reaction Reaction If the cycle counter is stopped, the cycle counter
reaction starts the counter and clears it at start. If the
counter is running, the cycle counter reaction stops the
counter.
Table 14: Cycle Counter 1, combinations of start, stop, and clear reactions

Reaction trigger 1, Reaction trigger 2

Selects breakpoints to act as a reaction triggers.

Reset Counter 1
Resets the value and state of Cycle counter 1.

189

UCS430-1
Reference information on the cycle counter for 5xx

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

190 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Simulating interrupts
By simulating interrupts, you can debug the program logic long before any
hardware is available. This chapter contains detailed information about the
C-SPY® interrupt simulation system and how to configure the simulated
interrupts to make them reflect the interrupts of your target hardware. More
specifically, this means:

● Introduction to interrupt simulation

● Procedures for simulating interrupts

● Reference information on simulating interrupts.

Introduction to interrupt simulation

This section introduces the C-SPY interrupt simulation system.
These topics are covered:
● Reasons for using the interrupt simulation system
● Briefly about the interrupt simulation system
● Interrupt characteristics
● Interrupt simulation states
● C-SPY system macros for interrupts
● Target-adapting the interrupt simulation system.
For related information, see also:
● Reference information on C-SPY system macros, page 219
● Using breakpoints, page 87
● Timeline window, page 149
● The IAR C/C++ Compiler Reference Guide for MSP430.

REASONS FOR USING THE INTERRUPT SIMULATION SYSTEM

Simulated interrupts let you test the logic of your interrupt service routines and debug
the interrupt handling in the target system. If you use simulated interrupts in conjunction
with C-SPY macros and breakpoints, you can compose a complex simulation of, for
instance, interrupt-driven peripheral devices.

191

UCS430-1
Introduction to interrupt simulation

BRIEFLY ABOUT THE INTERRUPT SIMULATION SYSTEM

The C-SPY Simulator includes an interrupt simulation system where you can simulate
the execution of interrupts during debugging. You can configure the interrupt simulation
system so that it resembles your hardware interrupt system.
The interrupt system has the following features:
● Simulated interrupt support for the MSP430 microcontroller
● Single-occasion or periodical interrupts based on the cycle counter
● Predefined interrupts for various devices
● Configuration of hold time, probability, and timing variation
● State information for locating timing problems
● Configuration of interrupts using a dialog box or a C-SPY system macro—that is,
one interactive and one automating interface. In addition, you can instantly force an
interrupt.
● A log window which continuously displays events for each defined interrupt.
All interrupts you define using the Interrupt Setup dialog box are preserved between
debug sessions, unless you remove them. A forced interrupt, on the other hand, exists
only until it has been serviced and is not preserved between sessions.
The interrupt simulation system is activated by default, but if not required, you can turn
off the interrupt simulation system to speed up the simulation. To turn it off, use either
the Interrupt Setup dialog box or a system macro.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

192 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Simulating interrupts

INTERRUPT CHARACTERISTICS
The simulated interrupts consist of a set of characteristics which lets you fine-tune each
interrupt to make it resemble the real interrupt on your target hardware. You can specify
a first activation time, a repeat interval, a hold time, a variance, and a probability.

Figure 86: Simulated interrupt configuration

The interrupt simulation system uses the cycle counter as a clock to determine when an
interrupt should be raised in the simulator. You specify the first activation time, which
is based on the cycle counter. C-SPY will generate an interrupt when the cycle counter
has passed the specified activation time. However, interrupts can only be raised between
instructions, which means that a full assembler instruction must have been executed
before the interrupt is generated, regardless of how many cycles an instruction takes.
To define the periodicity of the interrupt generation you can specify the repeat interval
which defines the amount of cycles after which a new interrupt should be generated. In
addition to the repeat interval, the periodicity depends on the two options
probability—the probability, in percent, that the interrupt will actually appear in a
period—and variance—a time variation range as a percentage of the repeat interval.
These options make it possible to randomize the interrupt simulation. You can also
specify a hold time which describes how long the interrupt remains pending until
removed if it has not been processed. If the hold time is set to infinite, the corresponding
pending bit will be set until the interrupt is acknowledged or removed.

INTERRUPT SIMULATION STATES

The interrupt simulation system contains status information that you can use for locating
timing problems in your application. The Interrupt Setup dialog box displays the
available status information. For an interrupt, these states can be displayed: Idle,
Pending, Executing, Executed, Removed, Rejected, or Expired.

193

UCS430-1
Introduction to interrupt simulation

For a repeatable interrupt that has a specified repeat interval which is longer than the
execution time, the status information at different times can look like this:

Figure 87: Simulation states - example 1

Note: The interrupt activation signal—also known as the pending bit—is automatically
deactivated the moment the interrupt is acknowledged by the interrupt handler.
If the interrupt repeat interval is shorter than the execution time, and the interrupt is
reentrant (or non-maskable), the status information at different times can look like this:

Figure 88: Simulation states - example 2

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

194 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Simulating interrupts

In this case, the execution time of the interrupt handler is too long compared to the repeat
interval, which might indicate that you should rewrite your interrupt handler and make
it faster, or that you should specify a longer repeat interval for the interrupt simulation
system.

C-SPY SYSTEM MACROS FOR INTERRUPTS

Macros are useful when you already have sorted out the details of the simulated interrupt
so that it fully meets your requirements. If you write a macro function containing
definitions for the simulated interrupts, you can execute the functions automatically
when C-SPY starts. Another advantage is that your simulated interrupt definitions will
be documented if you use macro files, and if you are several engineers involved in the
development project you can share the macro files within the group.
The C-SPY Simulator provides these predefined system macros related to interrupts:
__enableInterrupts
__disableInterrupts
__orderInterrupt
__cancelInterrupt
__cancelAllInterrupts
__popSimulatorInterruptExecutingStack

The parameters of the first five macros correspond to the equivalent entries of the
Interrupts dialog box.
For detailed reference information about each macro, see Reference information on
C-SPY system macros, page 219.

TARGET-ADAPTING THE INTERRUPT SIMULATION SYSTEM

The interrupt simulation system is easy to use. However, to take full advantage of the
interrupt simulation system you should be familiar with how to adapt it for the processor
you are using.
The interrupt simulation has the same behavior as the hardware. This means that the
execution of an interrupt is dependent on the status of the global interrupt enable bit. The
execution of maskable interrupts is also dependent on the status of the individual
interrupt enable bits.
To perform these actions for various devices, the interrupt system must have detailed
information about each available interrupt. Except for default settings, this information
is provided in the device description files. The default settings are used if no device
description file has been specified.
For details of device description files, see Selecting a device description file, page 37.

195

UCS430-1
Procedures for simulating interrupts

Procedures for simulating interrupts

This section gives you step-by-step descriptions about how to use the interrupt
simulation system.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Simulating a simple interrupt
● Simulating an interrupt in a multi-task system.
For related information, see also:
● Registering and executing using setup macros and setup files, page 210 for details
about how to use a setup file to define simulated interrupts at C-SPY startup
● The tutorial Simulating an interrupt in the Information Center.

SIMULATING A SIMPLE INTERRUPT

This example demonstrates the method for simulating a timer interrupt. However, the
procedure can also be used for other types of interrupts.
To simulate and debug an interrupt:
1 Assume this simple application which contains an interrupt service routine for the
BasicTimer, which increments a tick variable. The main function sets the necessary
status registers. The application exits when 100 interrupts have been generated.
#include "io430x41x.h"
#include <intrinsics.h>

volatile int ticks = 0;

void main (void)
{
/* Timer setup code */
WDTCTL = WDTPW + WDTHOLD;/* Stop WDT */
IE2 |= BTIE;/* Enable BT interrupt */
BTCTL = BTSSEL+BTIP2+BTIP1+BTIP0;
__enable_interrupt();/* Enable interrupts */

while (ticks < 100); /* Endless loop */

printf("Done\n");
}

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

196 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Simulating interrupts

/* Timer interrupt service routine */

#pragma vector = BASICTIMER_VECTOR
__interrupt void basic_timer(void)
{
ticks += 1;
}

2 Add your interrupt service routine to your application source code and add the file to
your project.
3 Choose Project>Options>Debugger>Setup and select a device description file. The
device description file contains information about the interrupt that C-SPY needs to be
able to simulate it. Use the Use device description file browse button to locate the ddf
file.
4 Build your project and start the simulator.
5 Choose Simulator>Interrupt Setup to open the Interrupts Setup dialog box. Select
the Enable interrupt simulation option to enable interrupt simulation. Click New to
open the Edit Interrupt dialog box. For the Timer example, verify these settings:

Option Settings
Interrupt BASICTIMER_VECTOR
First activation 4000
Repeat interval 2000
Hold time 10
Probability (%) 100
Variance (%) 0
Table 15: Timer interrupt settings

Click OK.
6 Execute your application. If you have enabled the interrupt properly in your application
source code, C-SPY will:
● Generate an interrupt when the cycle counter has passed 4000
● Continuously repeat the interrupt after approximately 2000 cycles.
7 To watch the interrupt in action, choose Simulator>Interrupt Log to open the
Interrupt Log window.

SIMULATING AN INTERRUPT IN A MULTI-TASK SYSTEM

If you are using interrupts in such a way that the normal instruction used for returning
from an interrupt handler is not used, for example in an operating system with
task-switching, the simulator cannot automatically detect that the interrupt has finished

197

UCS430-1
Reference information on simulating interrupts

executing. The interrupt simulation system will work correctly, but the status
information in the Interrupt Setup dialog box might not look as you expect. If too
many interrupts are executing simultaneously, a warning might be issued.
To simulate a normal interrupt exit:
1 Set a code breakpoint on the instruction that returns from the interrupt function.
2 Specify the __popSimulatorInterruptExecutingStack macro as a condition to
the breakpoint.
When the breakpoint is triggered, the macro is executed and then the application
continues to execute automatically.

Reference information on simulating interrupts

This section gives reference information about these windows and dialog boxes:
● Interrupt Setup dialog box, page 198
● Edit Interrupt dialog box, page 200
● Forced Interrupt window, page 202
● Interrupt Log window, page 203.

Interrupt Setup dialog box

The Interrupt Setup dialog box is available by choosing Simulator>Interrupt Setup.

Figure 89: Interrupt Setup dialog box

This dialog box lists all defined interrupts. Use this dialog box to enable or disable the
interrupt simulation system, as well as to enable or disable individual interrupts.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

198 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Simulating interrupts

Enable interrupt simulation

Enables or disables interrupt simulation. If the interrupt simulation is disabled, the
definitions remain but no interrupts are generated. Note that you can also enable and
disable installed interrupts individually by using the check box to the left of the interrupt
name in the list of installed interrupts.

Display area
This area contains these columns:

Interrupt Lists all interrupts. Use the checkbox to enable or disable the
interrupt.
Type Shows the type of the interrupt. The type can be one of:
Forced, a single-occasion interrupt defined in the Forced
Interrupt Window.
Single, a single-occasion interrupt.
Repeat, a periodically occurring interrupt.
For repeatable interrupts there might be additional information
about how many interrupts of the same type that are
simultaneously executing (n executing). If n is larger than one,
there is a reentrant interrupt in your interrupt simulation system
that never finishes executing, which might indicate that there is a
problem in your application.
Status Shows the state of the interrupt:
Idle, the interrupt activation signal is low (deactivated).
Pending, the interrupt activation signal is active, but the interrupt
has not been acknowledged yet by the interrupt handler.
Executing, the interrupt is currently being serviced, that is the
interrupt handler function is executing.
Executed, this is a single-occasion interrupt and it has been
serviced.
Removed, the interrupt has been removed, but because the
interrupt is currently executing it is visible until it is finished.
Rejected, the interrupt has been rejected because the necessary
interrupt registers are not set up to accept the interrupt.
Expired, this is a single-occasion interrupt which was not
serviced while the interrupt activation signal was active.
Next Activation Shows the next activation time in cycles.

199

UCS430-1
Reference information on simulating interrupts

Buttons
These buttons are available:

New Opens the Edit Interrupt dialog box, see Edit Interrupt dialog
box, page 200.
Edit Opens the Edit Interrupt dialog box, see Edit Interrupt dialog
box, page 200.
Delete Removes the selected interrupt.
Delete All Removes all interrupts.

Note: You can only edit or remove non-forced interrupts.

Edit Interrupt dialog box

The Edit Interrupt dialog box is available from the Interrupt Setup dialog box.

Figure 90: Edit Interrupt dialog box

Use this dialog box to interactively fine-tune the interrupt parameters. You can add the
parameters and quickly test that the interrupt is generated according to your needs.

Interrupt
Selects the interrupt that you want to edit. The drop-down list contains all available
interrupts. Your selection will automatically update the Description box. The list is
populated with entries from the device description file that you have selected.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

200 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Simulating interrupts

Description
A description of the selected interrupt, if available. The description is retrieved from the
selected device description file and consists of a string describing the vector address,
priority, enable bit, and pending bit, separated by space characters. For interrupts
specified using the system macro __orderInterrupt, the Description box is empty.

First activation
Specify the value of the cycle counter after which the specified type of interrupt will be
generated.

Repeat interval
Specify the periodicity of the interrupt in cycles.

Variance %
Selects a timing variation range, as a percentage of the repeat interval, in which the
interrupt might occur for a period. For example, if the repeat interval is 100 and the
variance 5%, the interrupt might occur anywhere between T=95 and T=105, to simulate
a variation in the timing.

Hold time
Specify how long, in cycles, the interrupt remains pending until removed if it has not
been processed. If you select Infinite, the corresponding pending bit will be set until the
interrupt is acknowledged or removed.

Probability %
Selects the probability, in percent, that the interrupt will actually occur within the
specified period.

201

UCS430-1
Reference information on simulating interrupts

Forced Interrupt window

The Forced Interrupt window is available from the Simulator menu.

Figure 91: Forced Interrupt window

Use this window to force an interrupt instantly. This is useful when you want to check
your interrupt logistics and interrupt routines.
The hold time for a forced interrupt is infinite, and the interrupt exists until it has been
serviced or until a reset of the debug session.
To force an interrupt:
1 Enable the interrupt simulation system, see Interrupt Setup dialog box, page 198.
2 Double-click the interrupt in the Forced Interrupt window, or select the interrupt and
click Trigger.

Display area
Lists all available interrupts and their definitions. The description field is editable and
the information is retrieved from the selected device description file. See this file for a
detailed description.

Trigger
Triggers the interrupt you selected in the display area.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

202 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Simulating interrupts

Interrupt Log window

The Interrupt Log window is available from the Simulator menu.

Figure 92: Interrupt Log window

This window displays runtime information about the interrupts that you have activated
in the Edit Interrupts dialog box or forced via the Forced Interrupt window. The
information is useful for debugging the interrupt handling in the target system.
When the Interrupt Log window is open it is updated continuously during runtime.
Note: If the window becomes full of entries, the first entries are erased.

Display area
This area contains these columns:

Cycles The point in time, measured in cycles, when the event occurred.
Displayed if Show Cycles is selected on the context menu.
Time The point in time, measured in seconds, when the event occurred.
Displayed if Show Time is selected on the context menu.
Interrupt The interrupt as defined in the device description file.
Status Shows the event status of the interrupt:
Triggered, the interrupt has passed its activation time.
Forced, the same as Triggered, but the interrupt has been forced
from the Forced Interrupt window.
Executing, the interrupt is currently executing.
Finished, the interrupt has been executed.
Expired, the interrupt hold time has expired without the interrupt
being executed.
Rejected, the interrupt has been rejected because the necessary
interrupt registers are not set up to accept the interrupt.

203

UCS430-1
Reference information on simulating interrupts

Program Counter The value of the program counter when the event occurred.
Execution Cycles The duration of the interrupt in execution cycles. Displayed if
Show Cycles is selected on the context menu.
Execution Time The duration of the interrupt in [Link] if Show Time
is selected on the context menu.

Context menu
This context menu is available:

Figure 93: Interrupt Log window context menu

These commands are available:

Enable Enables interrupt logging.

Show Time Uses seconds as the unit of measurement when displaying
when events occur and the duration of interrupts.
Show Cycles Uses cycles as the unit of measurement when displaying
when events occur and the duration of interrupts.
Clear Clears all contents of the window.
Save to Log File Opens a standard Save dialog box to let you save the
contents of the window as a text file.

Related information
For related information, see Timeline window, page 149.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

204 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros
C-SPY® includes a comprehensive macro language which allows you to
automate the debugging process and to simulate peripheral devices.

This chapter describes the C-SPY macro language, its features, for what
purpose these features can be used, and how to use them. More specifically,
this means:

● Introduction to C-SPY macros

● Procedures for using C-SPY macros

● Reference information on the macro language

● Reference information on reserved setup macro function names

● Reference information on C-SPY system macros.

Introduction to C-SPY macros

This section covers these topics:
● Reasons for using C-SPY macros
● Briefly about using C-SPY macros
● Briefly about setup macro functions and files
● Briefly about the macro language.

REASONS FOR USING C-SPY MACROS

You can use C-SPY macros either by themselves or in conjunction with complex
breakpoints and interrupt simulation to perform a wide variety of tasks. Some examples
where macros can be useful:
● Automating the debug session, for instance with trace printouts, printing values of
variables, and setting breakpoints.
● Hardware configuring, such as initializing hardware registers.
● Feeding your application with simulated data during runtime.

205

UCS430-1
Introduction to C-SPY macros

● Simulating peripheral devices, see the chapter Simulating interrupts. This only
applies if you are using the simulator driver.
● Developing small debug utility functions, for instance calculating the stack depth.

BRIEFLY ABOUT USING C-SPY MACROS

To use C-SPY macros, you should:
● Write your macro variables and functions and collect them in in one or several
macro files
● Register your macros
● Execute your macros.
For registering and executing macros, there are several methods to choose between.
Which method you choose depends on which level of interaction or automation you
want, and depending on at which stage you want to register or execute your macro.

BRIEFLY ABOUT SETUP MACRO FUNCTIONS AND FILES

There are some reserved setup macro function names that you can use for defining
macro functions which will be called at specific times, such as:
● Once after communication with the target system has been established but before
downloading the application software
● Once after your application software has been downloaded
● Each time the reset command is issued
● Once when the debug session ends.
To define a macro function to be called at a specific stage, you should define and register
a macro function with one of the reserved names. For instance, if you want to clear a
specific memory area before you load your application software, the macro setup
function execUserPreload should be used. This function is also suitable if you want
to initialize some CPU registers or memory-mapped peripheral units before you load
your application software.
You should define these functions in a setup macro file, which you can load before
C-SPY starts. Your macro functions will then be automatically registered each time you
start C-SPY. This is convenient if you want to automate the initialization of C-SPY, or
if you want to register multiple setup macros.
For detailed information about each setup macro function, see Reference information on
reserved setup macro function names, page 218.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

206 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

BRIEFLY ABOUT THE MACRO LANGUAGE

The syntax of the macro language is very similar to the C language. There are:
● Macro statements, which are similar to C statements.
● Macro functions, which you can define with or without parameters and return
values.
● Predefined built-in system macros, similar to C library functions, which perform
useful tasks such as opening and closing files, setting breakpoints, and defining
simulated interrupts.
● Macro variables, which can be global or local, and can be used in C-SPY
expressions.
● Macro strings, which you can manipulate using predefined system macros.
For a detailed description of the macro language components, see Reference information
on the macro language, page 213.

Example
Consider this example of a macro function which illustrates the various components of
the macro language:
__var oldVal;
CheckLatest(val)
{
if (oldval != val)
{
__message "Message: Changed from ", oldval, " to ", val, "\n";
oldval = val;
}
}

Note: Reserved macro words begin with double underscores to prevent name conflicts.

Procedures for using C-SPY macros

This section gives you step-by-step descriptions about how to register and execute
C-SPY macros.
More specifically, you will get information about:
● Registering C-SPY macros—an overview
● Executing C-SPY macros—an overview
● Using the Macro Configuration dialog box
● Registering and executing using setup macros and setup files

207

UCS430-1
Procedures for using C-SPY macros

● Executing macros using Quick Watch

● Executing a macro by connecting it to a breakpoint.
For more examples using C-SPY macros, see:
● The tutorial Simulating an interrupt in the Information Center
● Initializing target hardware before C-SPY starts, page 41.

REGISTERING C-SPY MACROS—AN OVERVIEW

C-SPY must know that you intend to use your defined macro functions, and thus you
must register your macros. There are various ways to register macro functions:
● You can register macros interactively in the Macro Configuration dialog box, see
Using the Macro Configuration dialog box, page 209.
● You can register macro functions during the C-SPY startup sequence, see
Registering and executing using setup macros and setup files, page 210.
● You can register a file containing macro function definitions, using the system
macro __ registerMacroFile. This means that you can dynamically select
which macro files to register, depending on the runtime conditions. Using the
system macro also lets you register multiple files at the same moment. For details
about the system macro, see __registerMacroFile, page 232.
Which method you choose depends on which level of interaction or automation you
want, and depending on at which stage you want to register your macro.

EXECUTING C-SPY MACROS—AN OVERVIEW

There are various ways to execute macro functions:
● You can execute macro functions during the C-SPY startup sequence and at other
predefined stages during the debug session by defining setup macro functions in a
setup macro file, see Registering and executing using setup macros and setup files,
page 210.
● The Quick Watch window lets you evaluate expressions, and can thus be used for
executing macro functions. For an example, see Executing macros using Quick
Watch, page 211.
● A macro can be connected to a breakpoint; when the breakpoint is triggered the
macro is executed. For an example, see Executing a macro by connecting it to a
breakpoint, page 212.
Which method you choose depends on which level of interaction or automation you
want, and depending on at which stage you want to execute your macro.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

208 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

USING THE MACRO CONFIGURATION DIALOG BOX

The Macro Configuration dialog box is available by choosing Debug>Macros.

Figure 94: Macro Configuration dialog box

Use this dialog box to list, register, and edit your macro files and functions. The dialog
box offers you an interactive interface for registering your macro functions which is
convenient when you develop macro functions and continuously want to load and test
them.
Macro functions that have been registered using the dialog box are deactivated when you
exit the debug session, and will not automatically be registered at the next debug session.
To register a macro file:
1 Select the macro files you want to register in the file selection list, and click Add or
Add All to add them to the Selected Macro Files list. Conversely, you can remove
files from the Selected Macro Files list using Remove or Remove All.

209

UCS430-1
Procedures for using C-SPY macros

2 Click Register to register the macro functions, replacing any previously defined macro
functions or variables. Registered macro functions are displayed in the scroll list under
Registered Macros.
Note: System macros cannot be removed from the list, they are always registered.
To list macro functions:
1 Select All to display all macro functions, select User to display all user-defined
macros, or select System to display all system macros.
2 Click either Name or File under Registered Macros to display the column contents
sorted by macro names or by file. Clicking a second time sorts the contents in the
reverse order.
To modify a macro file:
Double-click a user-defined macro function in the Name column to open the file where
the function is defined, allowing you to modify it.

REGISTERING AND EXECUTING USING SETUP MACROS AND

SETUP FILES
It can be convenient to register a macro file during the C-SPY startup sequence. To do
this, specify a macro file which you load before starting the debugger. Your macro
functions will be automatically registered each time you start the debugger.
If you use the reserved setup macro function names to define the macro functions, you
can define exactly at which stage you want the macro function to be executed.
To define a setup macro function and load it during C-SPY startup:
1 Create a new text file where you can define your macro function.
For example:
execUserSetup()
{
...
_ _registerMacroFile("[Link]");
_ _registerMacroFile("[Link]");

This macro function registers the additional macro files [Link] and
[Link]. Because the macro function is defined with the function
name execUserSetup, it will be executed directly after your application has been
downloaded.
2 Save the file using the filename extension mac.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

210 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

3 Before you start C-SPY, choose Project>Options>Debugger>Setup. Select Use

Setup file and choose the macro file you just created.
The macros will now be registered during the C-SPY startup sequence.

EXECUTING MACROS USING QUICK WATCH

The Quick Watch window lets you dynamically choose when to execute a macro
function.
1 Consider this simple macro function that checks the status of a watchdog timer
interrupt enable bit:
WDTstatus()
{
if (#IE1 & 0x01 != 0) /* Checks the status of WDTIE */
return "Timer enabled"; /* C-SPY macro string used */
else
return "Timer disabled"; /* C-SPY macro string used */
}

2 Save the macro function using the filename extension mac.

3 To register the macro file, choose Debug>Macros. The Macro Configuration dialog
box appears.
4 Locate the file, click Add and then Register. The macro function appears in the list of
registered macros.
5 Choose View>Quick Watch to open the Quick Watch window, type the macro call
WDTstatus() in the text field and press Return,

Alternatively, in the macro file editor window, select the macro function name
WDTstatus(). Right-click, and choose Quick Watch from the context menu that
appears.

Figure 95: Quick Watch window

The macro will automatically be displayed in the Quick Watch window.

For reference information, see Quick Watch window, page 83.

211

UCS430-1
Procedures for using C-SPY macros

EXECUTING A MACRO BY CONNECTING IT TO A

BREAKPOINT
You can connect a macro to a breakpoint. The macro will then be executed when the
breakpoint is triggered. The advantage is that you can stop the execution at locations of
particular interest and perform specific actions there.
For instance, you can easily produce log reports containing information such as how the
values of variables, symbols, or registers change. To do this you might set a breakpoint
on a suspicious location and connect a log macro to the breakpoint. After the execution
you can study how the values of the registers have changed.
To create a log macro and connect it to a breakpoint:
1 Assume this skeleton of a C function in your application source code:
int fact(int x)
{
...
}

2 Create a simple log macro function like this example:

logfact()
{
__message "fact(" ,x, ")";
}

The __message statement will log messages to the Log window.

Save the macro function in a macro file, with the filename extension mac.
3 To register the macro, choose Debug>Macros to open the Macro Configuration
dialog box and add your macro file to the list Selected Macro Files. Click Register
and your macro function will appear in the list Registered Macros. Close the dialog
box.
4 To set a code breakpoint, click the Toggle Breakpoint button on the first statement
within the function fact in your application source code. Choose View>Breakpoints
to open the Breakpoints window. Select your breakpoint in the list of breakpoints and
choose the Edit command from the context menu.
5 To connect the log macro function to the breakpoint, type the name of the macro
function, logfact(), in the Action field and click Apply. Close the dialog box.
6 Execute your application source code. When the breakpoint is triggered, the macro
function will be executed. You can see the result in the Log window.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

212 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

Note that the expression in the Action field is evaluated only when the breakpoint causes
the execution to really stop. If you want to log a value and then automatically continue
execution, you can either:
● Use a Log breakpoint, see Log breakpoints dialog box, page 103
● Use the Condition field instead of the Action field. For an example, see Performing
a task and continue execution, page 97.
7 You can easily enhance the log macro function by, for instance, using the __fmessage
statement instead, which will print the log information to a file. For information about
the __fmessage statement, see Formatted output, page 216.
For a complete example where a serial port input buffer is simulated using the method
of connecting a macro to a breakpoint, see the tutorial Simulating an interrupt in the
Information Center.

Reference information on the macro language

This section gives reference information on the macro language:
● Macro functions, page 213
● Macro variables, page 214
● Macro strings, page 214
● Macro statements, page 215
● Formatted output, page 216.

MACRO FUNCTIONS
C-SPY macro functions consist of C-SPY variable definitions and macro statements
which are executed when the macro is called. An unlimited number of parameters can
be passed to a macro function, and macro functions can return a value on exit.
A C-SPY macro has this form:
macroName (parameterList)
{
macroBody
}

where parameterList is a list of macro parameters separated by commas, and

macroBody is any series of C-SPY variable definitions and C-SPY statements.

Type checking is neither performed on the values passed to the macro functions nor on
the return value.

213

UCS430-1
Reference information on the macro language

MACRO VARIABLES
A macro variable is a variable defined and allocated outside your application. It can then
be used in a C-SPY expression, or you can assign application data—values of the
variables in your application—to it. For detailed information about C-SPY expressions,
see C-SPY expressions, page 72.
The syntax for defining one or more macro variables is:
__var nameList;

where nameList is a list of C-SPY variable names separated by commas.

A macro variable defined outside a macro body has global scope, and it exists
throughout the whole debugging session. A macro variable defined within a macro body
is created when its definition is executed and destroyed on return from the macro.
By default, macro variables are treated as signed integers and initialized to 0. When a
C-SPY variable is assigned a value in an expression, it also acquires the type of that
expression. For example:
Expression What it means
myvar = 3.5; myvar is now type float, value 3.5.
myvar = (int*)i; myvar is now type pointer to int, and the value is the same as i.
Table 16: Examples of C-SPY macro variables

In case of a name conflict between a C symbol and a C-SPY macro variable, C-SPY
macro variables have a higher precedence than C variables. Note that macro variables
are allocated on the debugger host and do not affect your application.

MACRO STRINGS
In addition to C types, macro variables can hold values of macro strings. Note that
macro strings differ from C language strings.
When you write a string literal, such as "Hello!", in a C-SPY expression, the value is
a macro string. It is not a C-style character pointer char*, because char* must point to
a sequence of characters in target memory and C-SPY cannot expect any string literal to
actually exist in target memory.
You can manipulate a macro string using a few built-in macro functions, for example
__strFind or __subString. The result can be a new macro string. You can
concatenate macro strings using the + operator, for example str + "tail". You can
also access individual characters using subscription, for example str[3]. You can get
the length of a string using sizeof(str). Note that a macro string is not
NULL-terminated.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

214 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

The macro function __toString is used for converting from a NULL-terminated C

string in your application (char* or char[]) to a macro string. For example, assume
this definition of a C string in your application:
char const *cstr = "Hello";

Then examine these macro examples:

__var str; /* A macro variable */
str = cstr /* str is now just a pointer to char */
sizeof str /* same as sizeof (char*), typically 2 or 4 */
str = __toString(cstr,512) /* str is now a macro string */
sizeof str /* 5, the length of the string */
str[1] /* 101, the ASCII code for 'e' */
str += " World!" /* str is now "Hello World!" */

See also Formatted output, page 216.

MACRO STATEMENTS
Statements are expected to behave in the same way as the corresponding C statements
would do. The following C-SPY macro statements are accepted:

Expressions
expression;

For detailed information about C-SPY expressions, see C-SPY expressions, page 72.

Conditional statements
if (expression)
statement

if (expression)
statement
else
statement

Loop statements
for (init_expression; cond_expression; update_expression)
statement

while (expression)
statement

215

UCS430-1
Reference information on the macro language

do
statement
while (expression);

Return statements
return;

return expression;

If the return value is not explicitly set, signed int 0 is returned by default.

Blocks
Statements can be grouped in blocks.
{
statement1
statement2
.
.
.
statementN
}

FORMATTED OUTPUT
C-SPY provides various methods for producing formatted output:

__message argList; Prints the output to the Debug Log window.

__fmessage file, argList; Prints the output to the designated file.

__smessage argList; Returns a string containing the formatted output.

where argList is a comma-separated list of C-SPY expressions or strings, and file is

the result of the __openFile system macro, see __openFile, page 227.
To produce messages in the Debug Log window:
var1 = 42;
var2 = 37;
__message "This line prints the values ", var1, " and ", var2,
" in the Log window.";

This produces this message in the Log window:

This line prints the values 42 and 37 in the Log window.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

216 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

To write the output to a designated file:

__fmessage myfile, "Result is ", res, "!\n";

To produce strings:
myMacroVar = __smessage 42, " is the answer.";

myMacroVar now contains the string "42 is the answer.".

Specifying display format of arguments

To override the default display format of a scalar argument (number or pointer) in
argList, suffix it with a : followed by a format specifier. Available specifiers are:

%b for binary scalar arguments

%o for octal scalar arguments
%d for decimal scalar arguments
%x for hexadecimal scalar arguments
%c for character scalar arguments

These match the formats available in the Watch and Locals windows, but number
prefixes and quotes around strings and characters are not printed. Another example:
__message "The character '", cvar:%c, "' has the decimal value
", cvar;

Depending on the value of the variables, this produces this message:

The character 'A' has the decimal value 65

Note: A character enclosed in single quotes (a character literal) is an integer constant

and is not automatically formatted as a character. For example:
__message 'A', " is the numeric value of the character ",
'A':%c;

would produce:
65 is the numeric value of the character A

Note: The default format for certain types is primarily designed to be useful in the
Watch window and other related windows. For example, a value of type char is
formatted as 'A' (0x41), while a pointer to a character (potentially a C string) is
formatted as 0x8102 "Hello", where the string part shows the beginning of the string
(currently up to 60 characters).

217

UCS430-1
Reference information on reserved setup macro function names

When printing a value of type char*, use the %x format specifier to print just the pointer
value in hexadecimal notation, or use the system macro __toString to get the full
string value.

Reference information on reserved setup macro function names

There are reserved setup macro function names that you can use for defining your setup
macro functions. By using these reserved names, your function will be executed at
defined stages during execution. For more information, see Briefly about setup macro
functions and files, page 206.
This table summarizes the reserved setup macro function names:
Macro Description
execUserPreload Called after communication with the target system is established
but before downloading the target application.
Implement this macro to initialize memory locations and/or
registers which are vital for loading data properly.
execUserSetup Called once after the target application is downloaded.
Implement this macro to set up the memory map, breakpoints,
interrupts, register macro files, etc.
execUserReset Called each time the reset command is issued.
Implement this macro to set up and restore data.
execUserExit Called once when the debug session ends.
Implement this macro to save status data etc.
Table 17: C-SPY setup macros

If you define interrupts or breakpoints in a macro file that is executed at system start
(using execUserSetup) we strongly recommend that you also make sure that they are
removed at system shutdown (using execUserExit). An example is available in
[Link], see Simulating an interrupt in the Information Center.

The reason for this is that the simulator saves interrupt settings between sessions and if
they are not removed they will get duplicated every time execUserSetup is executed
again. This seriously affects the execution speed.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

218 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

Reference information on C-SPY system macros

This section gives reference information about each of the C-SPY system macros.
This table summarizes the pre-defined system macros:
Macro Description
__cancelAllInterrupts Cancels all ordered interrupts
__cancelInterrupt Cancels an interrupt
__clearBreak Clears a breakpoint
__closeFile Closes a file that was opened by __openFile
__delay Delays execution
__disableInterrupts Disables generation of interrupts
__driverType Verifies the driver type
__enableInterrupts Enables generation of interrupts
__evaluate Interprets the input string as an expression and
evaluates it.
__isBatchMode Checks if C-SPY is running in batch mode or not.
__loadImage Loads an image.
__memoryRestore Restores the contents of a file to a specified memory
zone
__memorySave Saves the contents of a specified memory area to a
file
__openFile Opens a file for I/O operations
__orderInterrupt Generates an interrupt
__popSimulatorInterruptExec Informs the interrupt simulation system that an
utingStack interrupt handler has finished executing
__readFile Reads from the specified file
__readFileByte Reads one byte from the specified file
__readMemory8, Reads one byte from the specified memory location
__readMemoryByte
__readMemory16 Reads two bytes from the specified memory location
__readMemory32 Reads four bytes from the specified memory
location
__registerMacroFile Registers macros from the specified file
__resetFile Rewinds a file opened by __openFile
Table 18: Summary of system macros

219

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

Macro Description
__setAdvancedTriggerBreak Sets an advanced trigger breakpoint
__setCodeBreak Sets a code breakpoint
__setConditionalBreak Sets a conditional breakpoint
__setDataBreak Sets a data breakpoint
__setLogBreak Sets a log breakpoint
__setRangeBreak Sets a range breakpoint
__setSimBreak Sets a simulation breakpoint
__setTraceStartBreak Sets a trace start breakpoint
__setTraceStopBreak Sets a trace stop breakpoint
__sourcePosition Returns the file name and source location if the
current execution location corresponds to a source
location
__strFind Searches a given string for the occurrence of
another string
__subString Extracts a substring from another string
__targetDebuggerVersion Returns the version of the target debugger
__toLower Returns a copy of the parameter string where all the
characters have been converted to lower case
__toString Prints strings
__toUpper Returns a copy of the parameter string where all the
characters have been converted to upper case
__unloadImage Unloads a debug image.
__writeFile Writes to the specified file
__writeFileByte Writes one byte to the specified file
__writeMemory8, Writes one byte to the specified memory location
__writeMemoryByte
__writeMemory16 Writes a two-byte word to the specified memory
location
__writeMemory32 Writes a four-byte word to the specified memory
location
Table 18: Summary of system macros (Continued)

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

220 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

__cancelAllInterrupts
Syntax __cancelAllInterrupts()

Return value int 0

Description Cancels all ordered interrupts.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

__cancelInterrupt
Syntax __cancelInterrupt(interrupt_id)

Parameter
interrupt_id The value returned by the corresponding
__orderInterrupt macro call (unsigned long)

Return value
Result Value
Successful int 0
Unsuccessful Non-zero error number
Table 19: __cancelInterrupt return values

Description Cancels the specified interrupt.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

__clearBreak
Syntax __clearBreak(break_id)

Parameter
break_id The value returned by any of the set breakpoint macros

Return value int 0

Description Clears a user-defined breakpoint.

See also Using breakpoints, page 87.

221

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

__closeFile
Syntax __closeFile(fileHandle)

Parameter
fileHandle The macro variable used as filehandle by the __openFile
macro

Return value int 0

Description Closes a file previously opened by __openFile.

__delay
Syntax __delay(value)

Parameter
value The number of milliseconds to delay execution

Return value int 0

Description Delays execution the specified number of milliseconds.

__disableInterrupts
Syntax __disableInterrupts()

Return value
Result Value
Successful int 0
Unsuccessful Non-zero error number
Table 20: __disableInterrupts return values

Description Disables the generation of interrupts.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

222 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

__driverType
Syntax __driverType(driver_id)

Parameter
driver_id A string corresponding to the driver you want to check for.
Choose one of these:
"sim" corresponds to the simulator driver.
"fet" corresponds to the FET debugger driver.

Return value
Result Value
Successful 1
Unsuccessful 0
Table 21: __driverType return values

Description Checks to see if the current C-SPY driver is identical to the driver type of the
driver_id parameter.

Example __driverType("sim")

If the simulator is the current driver, the value 1 is returned. Otherwise 0 is returned.

__enableInterrupts
Syntax __enableInterrupts()

Return value
Result Value
Successful int 0
Unsuccessful Non-zero error number
Table 22: __enableInterrupts return values

Description Enables the generation of interrupts.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

223

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

__evaluate
Syntax __evaluate(string, valuePtr)

Parameter
string Expression string
valuePtr Pointer to a macro variable storing the result

Return value
Result Value
Successful int 0
Unsuccessful int 1
Table 23: __evaluate return values

Description This macro interprets the input string as an expression and evaluates it. The result is
stored in a variable pointed to by valuePtr.

Example This example assumes that the variable i is defined and has the value 5:
__evaluate("i + 3", &myVar)

The macro variable myVar is assigned the value 8.

__isBatchMode
Syntax __isBatchMode()

Return value
Result Value
True int 1
False int 0
Table 24: __isBatchMode return values

Description This macro returns True if the debugger is running in batch mode, otherwise it returns
False.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

224 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

__loadImage
Syntax __loadImage(path, offset, debugInfoOnly)

Parameter
path A string that identifies the path to the image to download. The
path must either be absolute or use argument variables. Read
more about argument variables in the IDE Project
Management and Building Guide.
offset An integer that identifies the offset to the destination address
for the downloaded image.
debugInfoOnly A non-zero integer value if no code or data should be
downloaded to the target system, which means that C-SPY
will only read the debug information from the debug file. Or,
0 (zero) for download.

Return value
Value Result
Non-zero integer number A unique module identification.
int 0 Loading failed.
Table 25: __loadImage return values

Description Loads an image (debug file).

Example 1 Your system consists of a ROM library and an application. The application is your active
project, but you have a debug file corresponding to the library. In this case you can add
this macro call in the execUserSetup macro in a C-SPY macro file, which you
associate with your project:
__loadImage(ROMfile, 0x8000, 1);

This macro call loads the debug information for the ROM library ROMfile without
downloading its contents (because it is presumably already in ROM). Then you can
debug your application together with the library.

Example 2 Your system consists of a ROM library and an application, but your main concern is the
library. The library needs to be programmed into flash memory before a debug session.
While you are developing the library, the library project must be the active project in the
IDE. In this case you can add this macro call in the execUserSetup macro in a C-SPY
macro file, which you associate with your project:
__loadImage(ApplicationFile, 0x8000, 0);

225

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

The macro call loads the debug information for the application and downloads its
contents (presumably into RAM). Then you can debug your library together with the
application.

See also Images, page 272 and Loading multiple images, page 39.

__memoryRestore
Syntax __memoryRestore(zone, filename)

Parameters
zone The memory zone name (string); for a list of available zones, see C-SPY
memory zones, page 120.
filename A string that specifies the file to be read. The filename must include a
path, which must either be absolute or use argument variables. For
information about argument variables, see the IDE Project Management
and Building Guide.

Return value int 0

Description Reads the contents of a file and saves it to the specified memory zone.

Example __memoryRestore("Memory", "c:\\temp\\saved_memory.hex");

See also Memory Restore dialog box, page 128.

__memorySave
Syntax __memorySave(start, stop, format, file)

Parameters
start A string that specifies the first location of the memory area to be saved
stop A string that specifies the last location of the memory area to be saved

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

226 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

format A string that specifies the format to be used for the saved memory.
Choose between:
intel-extended
motorola
motorola-s19
motorola-s28
motorola-s37
msp430-txt.

filename A string that specifies the file to write to. The filename must include a
path, which must either be absolute or use argument variables. For
information about Argument variables, see the IDE Project Management
and Building Guide.

Return value int 0

Description Saves the contents of a specified memory area to a file.

Example __memorySave("Memory:0x00", "Memory:0xFF", "intel-extended",

"c:\\temp\\saved_memory.hex");

See also Memory Save dialog box, page 127.

__openFile
Syntax __openFile(filename, access)

Parameters
filename The file to be opened. The filename must include a path, which must
either be absolute or use argument variables. For information about
argument variables, see the IDE Project Management and Building
Guide.

227

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

access The access type (string).

These are mandatory but mutually exclusive:
"a" append, new data will be appended at the end of the open file
"r" read
"w" write

These are optional and mutually exclusive:

"b" binary, opens the file in binary mode
"t" ASCII text, opens the file in text mode

This access type is optional:

"+" together with r, w, or a; r+ or w+ is read and write, while a+ is read
and append

Return value
Result Value
Successful The file handle
Unsuccessful An invalid file handle, which tests as False
Table 26: __openFile return values

Description Opens a file for I/O operations. The default base directory of this macro is where the
currently open project file (*.ewp) is located. The argument to __openFile can
specify a location relative to this directory. In addition, you can use argument variables
such as $PROJ_DIR$ and $TOOLKIT_DIR$ in the path argument.

Example __var myFileHandle; /* The macro variable to contain */

/* the file handle */
myFileHandle = __openFile("$PROJ_DIR$\\Debug\\Exe\\[Link]",
"r");
if (myFileHandle)
{
/* successful opening */
}

See also For information about argument variables, see the IDE Project Management and
Building Guide.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

228 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

__orderInterrupt
Syntax __orderInterrupt(specification, first_activation,
repeat_interval, variance, infinite_hold_time,
hold_time, probability)

Parameters
specification The interrupt (string). The specification can either be the full
specification used in the device description file (ddf) or only
the name. In the latter case the interrupt system will
automatically get the description from the device description
file.
first_activation The first activation time in cycles (integer)
repeat_interval The periodicity in cycles (integer)
variance The timing variation range in percent (integer between 0
and 100)
infinite_hold_time 1 if infinite, otherwise 0.

hold_time The hold time (integer)

probability The probability in percent (integer between 0 and 100)

Return value The macro returns an interrupt identifier (unsigned long).

If the syntax of specification is incorrect, it returns -1.

Description Generates an interrupt.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

Example This example generates a repeating interrupt using an infinite hold time first activated
after 4000 cycles:
__orderInterrupt( "USART0RX_VECTOR", 4000, 2000, 0, 1, 0, 100 );

__popSimulatorInterruptExecutingStack
Syntax __popSimulatorInterruptExecutingStack(void)

Return value This macro has no return value.

229

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

Description Informs the interrupt simulation system that an interrupt handler has finished executing,
as if the normal instruction used for returning from an interrupt handler was executed.
This is useful if you are using interrupts in such a way that the normal instruction for
returning from an interrupt handler is not used, for example in an operating system with
task-switching. In this case, the interrupt simulation system cannot automatically detect
that the interrupt has finished executing.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

See also Simulating an interrupt in a multi-task system, page 197.

__readFile
Syntax __readFile(fileHandle, valuePtr)

Parameters
fileHandle A macro variable used as filehandle by the __openFile
macro
valuePtr A pointer to a variable

Return value
Result Value
Successful 0
Unsuccessful Non-zero error number
Table 27: __readFile return values

Description Reads a sequence of hexadecimal digits from the given file and converts them to an
unsigned long which is assigned to the value parameter, which should be a pointer
to a macro variable.

Example __var number;

if (__readFile(myFileHandle, &number) == 0)
{
// Do something with number
}

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

230 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

__readFileByte
Syntax __readFileByte(fileHandle)

Parameter
fileHandle A macro variable used as filehandle by the __openFile
macro

Return value -1 upon error or end-of-file, otherwise a value between 0 and 255.

Description Reads one byte from a file.

Example __var byte;

while ( (byte = __readFileByte(myFileHandle)) != -1 )
{
/* Do something with byte */
}

__readMemory8, __readMemoryByte
Syntax __readMemory8(address, zone)
__readMemoryByte(address, zone)

Parameters
address The memory address (integer)
zone The memory zone name (string); for a list of available
zones, see C-SPY memory zones, page 120.

Return value The macro returns the value from memory.

Description Reads one byte from a given memory location.

Example __readMemory8(0x0108, "Memory");

__readMemory16
Syntax __readMemory16(address, zone)

Parameters
address The memory address (integer)

231

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

zone The memory zone name (string); for a list of available zones,
see C-SPY memory zones, page 120.

Return value The macro returns the value from memory.

Description Reads a two-byte word from a given memory location.

Example __readMemory16(0x0108, "Memory");

__readMemory32
Syntax __readMemory32(address, zone)

Parameters
address The memory address (integer)
zone The memory zone name (string); for a list of available
zones, see C-SPY memory zones, page 120.

Return value The macro returns the value from memory.

Description Reads a four-byte word from a given memory location.

Example __readMemory32(0x0108, "Memory");

__registerMacroFile
Syntax __registerMacroFile(filename)

Parameter
filename A file containing the macros to be registered (string). The
filename must include a path, which must either be absolute
or use argument variables. For information about argument
variables, see the IDE Project Management and Building
Guide.

Return value int 0

Description Registers macros from a setup macro file. With this function you can register multiple
macro files during C-SPY startup.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

232 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

Example __registerMacroFile("c:\\testdir\\[Link]");

See also Registering and executing using setup macros and setup files, page 210.

__resetFile
Syntax __resetFile(fileHandle)

Parameter
fileHandle A macro variable used as filehandle by the __openFile
macro

Return value int 0

Description Rewinds a file previously opened by __openFile.

__setAdvancedTriggerBreak
Syntax __setAdvancedTriggerBreak(type, condition, access, action, mask
cond_value)

Parameters All parameters are strings.

type The breakpoint type; either "Address", "Data", or "Register".

condition The breakpoint condition operator, either "==", ">=", "<=", or
"!=".

233

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

access The memory access type. Choose between:

"Read"
"Write"
"ReadWrite"
"Fetch"
"FetchHold"
"NoFetch"
"NoFetchRead"
"NoFetchNoDMA"
"DMA"
"NoDMA"
"WriteNoDMA"
"NoFetchReadNoDMA"
"ReadNoDMA"
"ReadDMA"
"WriteDMA"

action The action type: "Break", "Trigger", or "BreakTrigger".

mask A 16-bit value that the breakpoint address or value will be masked
with.
cond_value An extra conditional data value.

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. This value
must be used to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful 0
Table 28: __setAdvancedTriggerBreak return values

Description Sets an advanced trigger breakpoint.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Example __var brk;

brk = __setAdvancedTriggerBreak("Register", ">=", "Write",
"Trigger", "0x0000", "0x4000");
...
__clearBreak(brk);

See also Using breakpoints, page 87.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

234 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

__setCodeBreak
Syntax __setCodeBreak(location, count, condition, cond_type, action)

Parameters
location A string with a location description. This can be either:
● A source location on the form {filename}.[Link]
(for example {D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9)
● An absolute location on the form zone:hexaddress or
simply hexaddress (for example Memory:0x42)
● An expression whose value designates a location (for
example main)
count The number of times that a breakpoint condition must be
fulfilled before a break occurs (integer)
condition The breakpoint condition (string)
cond_type The condition type; either “CHANGED” or “TRUE” (string)
action An expression, typically a call to a macro, which is evaluated
when the breakpoint is detected

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. This value
must be used to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful 0
Table 29: __setCodeBreak return values

Description Sets a code breakpoint, that is, a breakpoint which is triggered just before the processor
fetches an instruction at the specified location.

Examples __setCodeBreak("{D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9", 3, "d>16", "TRUE",

"ActionCode()");

This example sets a code breakpoint on the label main in your source:
__setCodeBreak("main", 0, "1", "TRUE", "");

See also Using breakpoints, page 87.

235

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

__setConditionalBreak
Syntax __setConditionalBreak(location, type, operator, access, action,
mask, cond_value, cond_operator,
cond_access, cond_mask)

Parameters All parameters are strings.

location The breakpoint location. Choose between:

A source location on the form "{filename}.[Link]" (for
example "{D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9")
An absolute location on the form "zone:hexaddress" or simply
"hexaddress" (for example "Memory:0x42")
An expression whose value designates a location (for example
"my_global_variable").
A register (for example "R10")
type The breakpoint type: "Address", "Data", or "Register".
operator The breakpoint operator: "==", ">=", "<=", or "!=".
access The memory access type: "Read", "Write", "ReadWrite", or
"Fetch".

action The action type: "Break", "Trigger", or "BreakTrigger".

mask A 16-bit value that the breakpoint address or value will be masked
with.
cond_value An extra conditional data value.
cond_operator The condition operator: "==", ">=", "<=", or "!=".
cond_access The access type of the condition: "Read" or "Write".
cond_mask The mask value of the condition.

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. This value
must be used to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful 0
Table 30: __setConditionalBreak return values

Description Sets a conditional breakpoint.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

236 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Example __var brk;

brk = __setConditionalBreak("R10", "Register", "0x5000", ">=",
"Write", "Trigger", "0x0000", "0x4000", "<=", "Write",
“0x00FF”);
...
__clearBreak(brk);

See also Using breakpoints, page 87.

__setDataBreak
Syntax __setDataBreak(location, count, condition, cond_type, access,
action)

Parameters
location A string with a location description. This can be either:
● A source location on the form
{filename}.[Link] (for example
{D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9), although this is not
very useful for data breakpoints
● An absolute location on the form zone:hexaddress
or simply hexaddress (for example Memory:0x42)
● An expression whose value designates a location (for
example my_global_variable).
count The number of times that a breakpoint condition must be
fulfilled before a break occurs (integer)
condition The breakpoint condition (string)
cond_type The condition type; either "CHANGED" or "TRUE" (string)
access The memory access type: "R" for read, "W" for write, or
"RW" for read/write

action An expression, typically a call to a macro, which is

evaluated when the breakpoint is detected

237

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. This value
must be used to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful 0
Table 31: __setDataBreak return values

Description Sets a data breakpoint, that is, a breakpoint which is triggered directly after the processor
has read or written data at the specified location.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

Example __var brk;

brk = __setDataBreak("Memory:0x4710", 3, "d>6", "TRUE",
"W", "ActionData()");
...
__clearBreak(brk);

See also Using breakpoints, page 87.

__setLogBreak
Syntax __setLogBreak(location, message, mesg_type, condition,
cond_type)

Parameters
location A string with a location description. This can be either:
● A source location on the form
{filename}.[Link] (for example
{D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9)
● An absolute location on the form zone:hexaddress
or simply hexaddress (for example Memory:0x42)
● An expression whose value designates a location (for
example main)
message The message text
msg_type The message type; choose between:
TEXT, the message is written word for word.
ARGS, the message is interpreted as a comma-separated list
of C-SPY expressions or strings.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

238 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

condition The breakpoint condition (string)

cond_type The condition type; either "CHANGED" or "TRUE" (string)

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. The same
value must be used when you want to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful 0
Table 32: __setLogBreak return values

Description Sets a log breakpoint, that is, a breakpoint which is triggered when an instruction is
fetched from the specified location. If you have set the breakpoint on a specific machine
instruction, the breakpoint will be triggered and the execution will temporarily halt and
print the specified message in the C-SPY Debug Log window.

Example __var logBp1;

__var logBp2;

logOn()
{
logBp1 = __setLogBreak ("{C:\\temp\\Utilities.c}.23.1",
"\"Entering trace zone at :\", #PC:%X", "ARGS", "1", "TRUE");
logBp2 = __setLogBreak ("{C:\\temp\\Utilities.c}.30.1",
"Leaving trace zone...", "TEXT", "1", "TRUE");
}

logOff()
{
__clearBreak(logBp1);
__clearBreak(logBp2);
}

See also Formatted output, page 216 and Using breakpoints, page 87.

239

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

__setRangeBreak
Syntax __setRangeBreak(start_loc, end_loc, end_cond, type, access,
action, action_when)

Parameters All parameters are strings.

start_loc The start location. Choose between:

A source location on the form "{filename}.[Link]" (for
example "{D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9")
An absolute location on the form "zone:hexaddress" or simply
"hexaddress" (for example "Memory:0x42")
An expression whose value designates a location (for example
"my_global_variable").

end_loc The end location. This can be either the same as for start_loc
above or the length of the range.
end_cond The type of end condition: "Location", "Length", or
"Automatic".

type The breakpoint type: "Address" or "Data".

access The memory access type: "Read", "Write", "ReadWrite", or
"Fetch".

action The action type: "Break", "Trigger", or "BreakTrigger".

action_when Specifies if the action should happen at an access inside or outside of
the specified range: "Inside" or "Outside".

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. This value
must be used to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful 0
Table 33: __setRangeBreak return values

Description Sets a range breakpoint.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

240 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

Example __var brk;

brk = __setRangeBreak("Memory:0x1240", "Memory:0x1360",
"Location", "Address", "Fetch", "Trigger", "Inside");
...
__clearBreak(brk);

See also Using breakpoints, page 87.

__setSimBreak
Syntax __setSimBreak(location, access, action)

Parameters
location A string with a location description. This can be either:
● A source location on the form
{filename}.[Link] (for example
{D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9)
● An absolute location on the form zone:hexaddress
or simply hexaddress (for example Memory:0x42)
● An expression whose value designates a location (for
example main)
access The memory access type: "R" for read or "W" for write
action An expression, typically a call to a macro function, which
is evaluated when the breakpoint is detected

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. This value
must be used to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful 0
Table 34: __setSimBreak return values

Description Use this system macro to set immediate breakpoints, which will halt instruction
execution only temporarily. This allows a C-SPY macro function to be called when the
processor is about to read data from a location or immediately after it has written data.
Instruction execution will resume after the action.
This type of breakpoint is useful for simulating memory-mapped devices of various
kinds (for instance serial ports and timers). When the processor reads at a
memory-mapped location, a C-SPY macro function can intervene and supply the

241

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

appropriate data. Conversely, when the processor writes to a memory-mapped location,

a C-SPY macro function can act on the value that was written.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

__setTraceStartBreak
Syntax __setTraceStartBreak(location)

Parameters
location A string with a location description. This can be either:
● A source location on the form
{filename}.[Link] (for example
{D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9)
● An absolute location on the form zone:hexaddress
or simply hexaddress (for example Memory:0x42)
● An expression whose value designates a location (for
example main)

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. The same
value must be used when you want to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful 0
Table 35: __setTraceStartBreak return values

Description Sets a breakpoint at the specified location. When that breakpoint is triggered, the trace
system is started.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

Example __var startTraceBp;

__var stopTraceBp;

traceOn()
{
startTraceBp = __setTraceStartBreak
("{C:\\TEMP\\Utilities.c}.23.1");
stopTraceBp = __setTraceStopBreak
("{C:\\temp\\Utilities.c}.30.1");
}

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

242 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

traceOff()
{
__clearBreak(startTraceBp);
__clearBreak(stopTraceBp);
}

See also Using breakpoints, page 87.

__setTraceStopBreak
Syntax __setTraceStopBreak(location)

Parameters
location A string with a location description. This can be either:
● A source location on the form
{filename}.[Link] (for example
{D:\\src\\prog.c}.12.9)
● An absolute location on the form zone:hexaddress
or simply hexaddress (for example Memory:0x42)
● An expression whose value designates a location (for
example main)

Return value
Result Value
Successful An unsigned integer uniquely identifying the breakpoint. The same
value must be used when you want to clear the breakpoint.
Unsuccessful int 0
Table 36: __setTraceStopBreak return values

Description Sets a breakpoint at the specified location. When that breakpoint is triggered, the trace
system is stopped.

Applicability This system macro is only available in the C-SPY Simulator.

Example See __setTraceStartBreak, page 242.

See also Using breakpoints, page 87.

243

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

__sourcePosition
Syntax __sourcePosition(linePtr, colPtr)

Parameters
linePtr Pointer to the variable storing the line number
colPtr Pointer to the variable storing the column number

Return value
Result Value
Successful Filename string
Unsuccessful Empty ("") string
Table 37: __sourcePosition return values

Description If the current execution location corresponds to a source location, this macro returns the
filename as a string. It also sets the value of the variables, pointed to by the parameters,
to the line and column numbers of the source location.

__strFind
Syntax __strFind(macroString, pattern, position)

Parameters
macroString The macro string to search in
pattern The string pattern to search for
position The position where to start the search. The first position is
0

Return value The position where the pattern was found or -1 if the string is not found.

Description This macro searches a given string for the occurrence of another string.

Example __strFind("Compiler", "pile", 0) = 3

__strFind("Compiler", "foo", 0) = -1

See also Macro strings, page 214.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

244 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

__subString
Syntax __subString(macroString, position, length)

Parameters
macroString The macro string from which to extract a substring
position The start position of the substring. The first position is 0.
length The length of the substring

Return value A substring extracted from the given macro string.

Description This macro extracts a substring from another string.

Example __subString("Compiler", 0, 2)

The resulting macro string contains Co.

__subString("Compiler", 3, 4)

The resulting macro string contains pile.

See also Macro strings, page 214.

__targetDebuggerVersion
Syntax __targetDebuggerVersion

Return value A string that represents the version number of the C-SPY debugger processor module.

Description This macro returns the version number of the C-SPY debugger processor module.

Example __var toolVer;

toolVer = __targetDebuggerVersion();
__message "The target debugger version is, ", toolVer;

__toLower
Syntax __toLower(macroString)

Parameter
macroString Any macro string

245

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

Return value The converted macro string.

Description This macro returns a copy of the parameter string where all the characters have been
converted to lower case.

Example __toLower("IAR")

The resulting macro string contains iar.

__toLower("Mix42")

The resulting macro string contains mix42.

See also Macro strings, page 214.

__toString
Syntax __toString(C_string, maxlength)

Parameter
string Any null-terminated C string
maxlength The maximum length of the returned macro string

Return value Macro string.

Description This macro is used for converting C strings (char* or char[]) into macro strings.

Example Assuming your application contains this definition:

char const * hptr = "Hello World!";

this macro call:

__toString(hptr, 5)

would return the macro string containing Hello.

See also Macro strings, page 214.

__toUpper
Syntax __toUpper(macroString)

Parameter macroString is any macro string.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

246 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

Return value The converted string.

Description This macro returns a copy of the parameter macroString where all the characters have
been converted to upper case.

Example __toUpper("string")

The resulting macro string contains STRING.

See also Macro strings, page 214.

__unloadImage
Syntax __unloadImage(module_id)

Parameter
module_id An integer which represents a unique module identification, which is
retrieved as a return value from the corresponding __loadImage
C-SPY macro.

Return value
Value Result
module_id A unique module identification (the same as the input
parameter).
int 0 The unloading failed.
Table 38: __unloadImage return values

Description Unloads debug information from an already downloaded image.

See also Loading multiple images, page 39 and Images, page 272.

__writeFile
Syntax __writeFile(file, value)

Parameters
fileHandle A macro variable used as filehandle by the __openFile
macro
value An integer

Return value int 0

247

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

Description Prints the integer value in hexadecimal format (with a trailing space) to the file file.
Note: The __fmessage statement can do the same thing. The __writeFile macro is
provided for symmetry with __readFile.

__writeFileByte
Syntax __writeFileByte(file, value)

Parameters
fileHandle A macro variable used as filehandle by the __openFile
macro
value An integer in the range 0-255

Return value int 0

Description Writes one byte to the file file.

__writeMemory8, __writeMemoryByte
Syntax __writeMemory8(value, address, zone)
__writeMemoryByte(value, address, zone)

Parameters
value The value to be written (integer)
address The memory address (integer)
zone The memory zone name (string); for a list of available zones,
see C-SPY memory zones, page 120.

Return value int 0

Description Writes one byte to a given memory location.

Example __writeMemory8(0x2F, 0x8020, "Memory");

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

248 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Using C-SPY macros

__writeMemory16
Syntax __writeMemory16(value, address, zone)

Parameters
value The value to be written (integer)
address The memory address (integer)
zone The memory zone name (string); for a list of available zones,
see C-SPY memory zones, page 120.

Return value int 0

Description Writes two bytes to a given memory location.

Example __writeMemory16(0x2FFF, 0x8020, "Memory");

__writeMemory32
Syntax __writeMemory32(value, address, zone)

Parameters
value The value to be written (integer)
address The memory address (integer)
zone The memory zone name (string); for a list of available zones,
see C-SPY memory zones, page 120.

Return value int 0

Description Writes four bytes to a given memory location.

Example __writeMemory32(0x5555FFFF, 0x8020, "Memory");

249

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY system macros

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

250 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command
Line Utility—cspybat
This chapter describes how you can execute C-SPY® in batch mode, using the
C-SPY Command Line Utility—[Link]. More specifically, this means:

● Using C-SPY in batch mode

● Summary of C-SPY command line options

● Descriptions of C-SPY command line options.

Using C-SPY in batch mode

You can execute C-SPY in batch mode if you use the command line utility cspybat,
installed in the directory common\bin.

INVOCATION SYNTAX
The invocation syntax for cspybat is:
cspybat processor_DLL driver_DLL debug_file [cspybat_options]
--backend driver_options

Note: In those cases where a filename is required—including the DLL files—you are
recommended to give a full path to the filename.

Parameters
The parameters are:
Parameter Description
processor_DLL The processor-specific DLL file; available in 430\bin.
driver_DLL The C-SPY driver DLL file; available in 430\bin.
debug_file The object file that you want to debug (filename extension d43).
cspybat_options The command line options that you want to pass to cspybat. Note
that these options are optional. For information about each option,
see Descriptions of C-SPY command line options, page 255.
Table 39: cspybat parameters

251

UCS430-1
Using C-SPY in batch mode

Parameter Description
--backend Marks the beginning of the parameters to the C-SPY driver; all
options that follow will be sent to the driver. Note that this option is
mandatory.
driver_options The command line options that you want to pass to the C-SPY driver.
Note that some of these options are mandatory and some are
optional. For information about each option, see Descriptions of C-SPY
command line options, page 255.
Table 39: cspybat parameters (Continued)

Example
This example starts cspybat using the simulator driver:
EW_DIR\common\bin\cspybat EW_DIR\430\bin\[Link]
EW_DIR\430\bin\[Link] PROJ_DIR\myproject.d43 --plugin
EW_DIR\430\bin\[Link] --backend -d sim -B --cpu 430 -p
EW_DIR\430\bin\config\[Link]

where EW_DIR is the full path of the directory where you have installed IAR Embedded
Workbench
and where PROJ_DIR is the path of your project directory.
This example shows how to start cspybat using the FET debugger driver:
EW_DIR\common\bin\cspybat EW_DIR\430\bin\[Link]
EW_DIR\430\bin\[Link] PROJ_DIR\myproject.d43 --plugin
EW_DIR\430\bin\[Link] --backend -d fet -B --connection ti_usb
--derivative msp430F449 --erase_main_and_info

Note: The path to the 430\bin directory must be included in the environment path
when the parallel port FET or the TI USB FET is used.

OUTPUT
When you run cspybat, these types of output can be produced:
● Terminal output from cspybat itself
All such terminal output is directed to stderr. Note that if you run cspybat from
the command line without any arguments, the cspybat version number and all
available options including brief descriptions are directed to stdout and displayed
on your screen.
● Terminal output from the application you are debugging
All such terminal output is directed to stdout, provided that you have used the
--plugin option. See --plugin, page 264.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

252 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat

● Error return codes

cspybat return status information to the host operating system that can be tested in
a batch file. For successful, the value int 0 is returned, and for unsuccessful the value
int 1 is returned.

USING AN AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED BATCH FILE

When you use C-SPY in the IDE, C-SPY generates a batch file
[Link] every time C-SPY is initialized. You can find the file in the
directory $PROJ_DIR$\settings. This batch file contains the same settings as in the
IDE, and with minimal modifications, you can use it from the command line to start
cspybat. The file also contains information about required modifications.

Summary of C-SPY command line options

GENERAL CSPYBAT OPTIONS
--backend Marks the beginning of the parameters to be sent to the
C-SPY driver (mandatory).
--code_coverage_file Enables the generation of code coverage information and
places it in a specified file.
--cycles Specifies the maximum number of cycles to run.
--download_only Downloads a code image without starting a debug session
afterwards.
--macro Specifies a macro file to be used.
--plugin Specifies a plugin file to be used.
--silent Omits the sign-on message.
--timeout Limits the maximum allowed execution time.

OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR ALL C-SPY DRIVERS

-B Enables batch mode (mandatory).
--core Specifies the core to be used.
-d Specifies the C-SPY driver to be used.
-p Specifies the device description file to be used.

253

UCS430-1
Summary of C-SPY command line options

OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE SIMULATOR DRIVER

--disable_interrupts Disables the interrupt simulation.
--mapu Activates memory access checking.
--odd_word_check Stops the execution if an access to an odd address is
found.

OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE C-SPY FET DEBUGGER

DRIVER
--allow_access_to_BSL Enables erase/write access to BSL flash
memory.
--allow_locked_flash_access Enables erase/write access to locked flash
memory.
--attach Attaches the debugger to a running target.
--connection Specifies the communication channel to be
used.
--derivative Specifies the device.
--disable_memory_cache Disables the memory cache in the FET
debugger.
--eem Specifies the level of Enhanced Emulation
Mode.
--erase_main Erases main flash memory before download.
--erase_main_and_info Erases the main and Information flash
memories before download.
--erase_retain Retains unchanged memory during download.
--hardware_multiplier Generates code for the hardware multiplier
peripheral unit.
--hwmult_type Specifies the type of hardware multiplier to be
used.
--lptx Specifies the parallel port to be used.
--port Specifies the serial port to be used.
--protocol Specifies the debug protocol to be used.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

254 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat

--set_exit_breakpoint Sets a system breakpoint on exit.

--set_getchar_breakpoint Sets a system breakpoint on getchar.
--set_putchar_breakpoint Sets a system breakpoint on putchar.
--settlingtime Specifies the delay after setting the voltage.
--use_emulated_breakpoints Allows C-SPY to use emulated breakpoints.
--use_virtual_breakpoints Allows C-SPY to use virtual breakpoints.
--vccvoltage Specifies the voltage provided by the USB
interface.
--verify_all Verifies the download of your application.

Descriptions of C-SPY command line options

This section gives detailed reference information about each cspybat option and each
option available to the C-SPY drivers.

--allow_access_to_BSL
Syntax --allow_access_to_BSL

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to enableserase/write access to BSL flash memory.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Download>Allow erase/write access

to BSL flash memory

--allow_locked_flash_access
Syntax --allow_locked_flash_access

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to enable erase/write access to locked flash memory.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Download>Allow erase/write access

to locked flash memory

255

UCS430-1
Descriptions of C-SPY command line options

--attach
Syntax --attach

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to make the debugger attach to a running application at its current
location, without resetting the target system.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Setup>Attach to running target

-B
Syntax -B

Applicability All C-SPY drivers.

Description Use this option to enable batch mode.

--backend
Syntax --backend {driver options}

Parameters
driver options Any option available to the C-SPY driver you are using.

Applicability Sent to cspybat (mandatory).

Description Use this option to send options to the C-SPY driver. All options that follow --backend
will be passed to the C-SPY driver, and will not be processed by cspybat itself.

--connection
Syntax --connection Port

Parameters
Port The communication channel to be used; choose between:
ti_usb, ti_lpt, jlink, olimex, olimex_parallel,
elprotronic, softbaugh_lpt, softbaugh_usb, and
softbaugh_usb_pro.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

256 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to specify the communication channel to be used between C-SPY and
the target system.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Setup>Connection

--core
Syntax --core {430X|430Xv2}

Parameters
430X|430Xv2 The core you are using. For a description of the cores, see the
IAR C/C++ Compiler Reference Guide for MSP430.

Applicability All C-SPY drivers.

Description Use this option to specify the core you are using. This option reflects the corresponding
compiler option.

--code_coverage_file
Syntax --code_coverage_file file

Parameters
file The name of the destination file for the code coverage
information.

Applicability Sent to cspybat.

Description Use this option to enable the generation of code coverage information. The code
coverage information will be generated after the execution has completed and you can
find it in the specified file.
Note that this option requires that the C-SPY driver you are using supports code
coverage. If you try to use this option with a C-SPY driver that does not support code
coverage, an error message will be directed to stderr.

See also Code coverage, page 167.

257

UCS430-1
Descriptions of C-SPY command line options

--cycles
Syntax --cycles cycles

Parameters
cycles The number of cycles to run.

Applicability Sent to cspybat.

Description Use this option to specify the maximum number of cycles to run. If the target program
executes longer than the number of cycles specified, the target program will be aborted.
Using this option requires that the C-SPY driver you are using supports a cycle counter,
and that it can be sampled while executing.

-d
Syntax -d {sim|fet}

Parameters
sim Specifies the simulator driver.
fet Specifies the FET debugger driver.

Applicability All C-SPY drivers.

Description Use this option to specify the C-SPY driver to be used.

--derivative
Syntax --derivative device

Parameters
device Specifies the device to be used.

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to select the device for which you will build your application.

Project>Options>General Options>Target>Device

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

258 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat

--disable_interrupts
Syntax --disable_interrupts

Applicability The C-SPY Simulator driver.

Description Use this option to disable the interrupt simulation.

To set this option, choose Simulator>Interrupt Setup and deselect the Enable
interrupt simulation option.

--disable_memory_cache
Syntax --disable_memory_cache

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to disable the memory cache in the FET debugger.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Setup>Disable memory cache

--download_only
Syntax --download_only

Applicability Sent to cspybat.

Description Use this option to download the code image without starting a debug session afterwards.

To set related options, choose:

Project>Download

259

UCS430-1
Descriptions of C-SPY command line options

--eem
Syntax --eem {level}

Parameters
level Implementation level of Enhanced Emulation Module. Choose
between:
EMEX_HIGH
EMEX_MEDIUM
EMEX_LOW
EMEX_NONE

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to specify the implementation level of Enhanced Emulation Module for
a MSP430 device. The default value is EMEX_NONE. The value of this option depends on
the device you are using.
This option is not available in the IDE.

--erase_main
Syntax --erase_main

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to erase the main flash memory before download. The Information
memory is not erased.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Download>Erase main memory

--erase_main_and_info
Syntax --erase_main_and_info

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

260 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat

Description Use this option to erase both flash memories—main and Information memory—before
download.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Download>Erase main and

Information memory

--erase_retain
Syntax --erase_retain

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to make C-SPY read the main and Information memories into a buffer.
Only the flash segments that are needed are erased. If data that is to be written into a
segment matches the data on the target, the data on the target is left as is, and no
download is performed. The new data effectively replaces the old data, and unchanged
old data is retained.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Download>Retain unchanged

memory

--hardware_multiplier
Syntax --hardware_multiplier {16|32}

Parameters
16 The size of the multiplicands in bits.
Note: This parameter can only be used in combination with the
--hwmult_type parameters 1 and 2.

32 The size of the multiplicands in bits.

Note: This parameter can only be used in combination with the
--hwmult_type parameters 4 and 8.

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to generate code for the MSP430 hardware multiplier peripheral unit.
Use this option only when you have chosen a device with a hardware multiplier.

261

UCS430-1
Descriptions of C-SPY command line options

Note: This option requires that you also specify the --hwmult_type option.

To set related options, choose:

Project>Options>General Options>Target>Hardware multiplier

--hwmult_type
Syntax --hwmult_type {1|2|4|8}

Parameters
1 16 bits
Note: This parameter can only be combined with the
--hardware_multiplier parameter 16.

2 16 bits, the 2xx Family

Note: This parameter can only be combined with the
--hardware_multiplier parameter 16.

4 32 bits
Note: This parameter can only be combined with the
--hardware_multiplier parameter 32.

8 32 bits, the 5xx Families

Note: This parameter can only be combined with the
--hardware_multiplier parameter 32.

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to generate code for the MSP430 hardware multiplier peripheral unit.
Use this option only when you have chosen a device with a hardware multiplier.
Note: This option requires that you also specify the --hardware_multiplier
option.

To set related options, choose:

Project>Options>General Options>Target>Hardware multiplier

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

262 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat

--lptx
Syntax --lptx

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to specify which parallel port the FET Debugger is connected to. x can
be 1, 2, or 3.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Setup>Parallel port

--macro
Syntax --macro filename

Parameters
filename The C-SPY macro file to be used (filename extension mac).

Applicability Sent to cspybat.

Description Use this option to specify a C-SPY macro file to be loaded before executing the target
application. This option can be used more than once on the command line.

See also Briefly about using C-SPY macros, page 206.

--mapu
Syntax --mapu

Applicability Sent to C-SPY simulator driver.

Description Specify this option to use the segment information in the debug file for memory access
checking. During the execution, the simulator will then check for accesses to
unspecified ranges. If any such access is found, a message will be printed on stdout
and the execution will stop.

See also Memory access checking, page 122.

To set related options, choose:

Simulator>Memory Access Setup

263

UCS430-1
Descriptions of C-SPY command line options

--odd_word_check
Syntax --odd_word_check

Applicability The C-SPY simulator driver.

Description Use this option to make the simulator issue a warning if there is a word access to an odd
address.

Project>Options>Debugger>Simulator>Setup>Check for word access on odd

address

-p
Syntax -p filename

Parameters
filename The device description file to be used.

Applicability All C-SPY drivers.

Description Use this option to specify the device description file to be used.

See also Selecting a device description file, page 37.

--plugin
Syntax --plugin filename

Parameters
filename The plugin file to be used (filename extension dll).

Applicability Sent to cspybat.

Description Certain C/C++ standard library functions, for example printf, can be supported by
C-SPY—for example, the C-SPY Terminal I/O window—instead of by real hardware
devices. To enable such support in cspybat, a dedicated plugin module called
[Link] located in the 430\bin directory must be used.

Use this option to include this plugin during the debug session. This option can be used
more than once on the command line.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

264 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat

Note: You can use this option to include also other plugin modules, but in that case the
module must be able to work with cspybat specifically. This means that the C-SPY
plugin modules located in the common\plugin directory cannot normally be used with
cspybat.

--port
Syntax --port port

Parameters
port The serial port to be used, can be COMx or Automatic. x is
the number of the COM port.

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to specify which serial port the FET Debugger is connected to.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Setup>Connection

--protocol
Syntax --protocol {spy-bi-wire|spy-bi-wire-jtag|4wire}

Parameters
spy-bi-wire The Spy-Bi-Wire JTAG protocol.
spy-bi-wire-jtag 4-wire JTAG protocol for devices that also support
Spy-Bi-Wire.
4wire The ordinary 4-wire JTAG protocol.

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to specify the debug protocol. Spy-Bi-Wire works for the parallel port
FET module and the TI USB FET module.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Setup>Debug protocol

265

UCS430-1
Descriptions of C-SPY command line options

--set_exit_breakpoint
Syntax --set_exit_breakpoint

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to set a system breakpoint for exit.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Breakpoints>System breakpoints

on>exit

--set_getchar_breakpoint
Syntax --set_getchar_breakpoint

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to set a system breakpoint for getchar.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Breakpoints>System breakpoints

on>getchar

--set_putchar_breakpoint
Syntax --set_putchar_breakpoint

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to set a system breakpoint for putchar.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Breakpoints>System breakpoints

on>putchar

--settlingtime
Syntax --settlingtime=milliseconds

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

266 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 The C-SPY Command Line Utility—cspybat

Description Use this option to specify the delay between switching on the target VCC and starting
the identification of the MSP430 device. Give the value in milliseconds in the range
0-9999 ms. This option can only be used with a USB connection.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Setup>Target VCC>Settling time

(in ms)

--silent
Syntax --silent

Applicability Sent to cspybat.

Description Use this option to omit the sign-on message.

--timeout
Syntax --timeout milliseconds

Parameters
milliseconds The number of milliseconds before the execution stops.

Applicability Sent to cspybat.

Description Use this option to limit the maximum allowed execution time.

This option is not available in the IDE.

--use_emulated_breakpoints
Syntax --use_emulated_breakpoints

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to allow C-SPY to use emulated breakpoints.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Breakpoints>Use software

breakpoints>Emulated breakpoints

267

UCS430-1
Descriptions of C-SPY command line options

--use_virtual_breakpoints
Syntax --use_virtual_breakpoints

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to allow C-SPY to use virtual breakpoints.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Breakpoints>Use software

breakpoints>Virtual breakpoints

--vccvoltage
Syntax --vccvoltage=volts

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to specify the voltage provided by the USB interface. Give the value in
Volts with one decimal’s precision in the range 1.0-4.0 V. This option can only be used
with a USB connection.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Setup>Target VCC>Target VCC (in

Volt)

--verify_all
Syntax --verify_all

Applicability The C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Description Use this option to verify that the downloaded code image can be read back from target
memory with the correct contents.

Project>Options>Debugger>FET Debugger>Download>Verify download

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

268 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Debugger options
This chapter describes the C-SPY® options available in the IAR Embedded
Workbench® IDE. More specifically, this means:

● Setting debugger options

● Reference information on general debugger options

● Reference information on C-SPY driver options.

Setting debugger options

Before you start the C-SPY debugger you must set some options—both C-SPY generic
options and options required for the target system (C-SPY driver-specific options). This
section gives detailed information about the options in the Debugger category.
To set debugger options in the IDE:
1 Choose Project>Options to display the Options dialog box.
2 Select Debugger in the Category list.
For reference information on the generic options, see:
● Setup, page 270
● Images, page 272
● Extra Options, page 273
● Plugins, page 273.
3 On the Setup page, select the appropriate C-SPY driver from the Driver drop-down
list.
4 To set the driver-specific options, select the appropriate driver from the Category list.
Depending on which C-SPY driver you are using, different sets of option pages appear.

C-SPY driver Available options pages

FET Debugger Setup for FET Debugger, page 275
Download, page 277
Breakpoints, page 278
Simulator Setup for simulator, page 279.
Table 40: Options specific to the C-SPY drivers you are using

269

UCS430-1
Reference information on general debugger options

5 To restore all settings to the default factory settings, click the Factory Settings button.
6 When you have set all the required options, click OK in the Options dialog box.

Reference information on general debugger options

This section gives reference information on general C-SPY debugger options, located
on these option pages:
● Setup, page 270
● Images, page 272
● Extra Options, page 273
● Plugins, page 273.

Setup
The Setup options select the C-SPY driver, the setup macro file, and device description
file to use, and specify which default source code location to run to.

Figure 96: Debugger setup options

Driver
Selects the C-SPY driver for the target system you are using:

FET Debugger
Simulator

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

270 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Debugger options

Run to
Specifies the location C-SPY runs to when the debugger starts after a reset. By default,
C-SPY runs to the main function.
To override the default location, specify the name of a different location you want
C-SPY to run to. You can specify assembler labels or whatever can be evaluated as such,
for example function names.
If the option is deselected, the program counter will contain the regular hardware reset
address at each reset.

Setup macros
Registers the contents of a setup macro file in the C-SPY startup sequence. Select Use
macro file and specify the path and name of the setup file, for example
[Link]. If no extension is specified, the extension mac is assumed. A
browse button is available for your convenience.

Device description file

A default device description file is selected automatically based on your project settings.
To override the default file, select Override default and specify an alternative file. A
browse button is available for your convenience.
For details about the device description file, see Modifying a device description file,
page 40.
Device description files for each MSP430 device are provided in the directory
430\config and have the filename extension ddf.

271

UCS430-1
Reference information on general debugger options

Images
The Images options control the use of additional debug files to be downloaded.

Figure 97: Debugger images options

Download Extra Image

Enables the options for the additional debug file to be downloaded:

Path Specify the debug file to be downloaded. A browse

button is available for your convenience.
Offset An integer that specifies the destination address for the
downloaded image.
Debug info only Makes the debugger download only debug information,
and not the complete debug file.

If you want to download more than three images, use the related C-SPY macro, see
__loadImage, page 225.
For more information, see Loading multiple images, page 39.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

272 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Debugger options

Extra Options
The Extra Options page provides you with a command line interface to C-SPY.

Figure 98: Debugger extra options

Use command line options

Specify additional command line arguments to be passed to C-SPY (not supported by
the GUI).

Plugins
The Plugins options select the C-SPY plugin modules to be loaded and made available
during debug sessions.

Figure 99: Debugger plugin options

273

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY driver options

Select plugins to load

Selects the plugin modules to be loaded and made available during debug sessions. The
list contains the plugin modules delivered with the product installation.

Description
Describes the plugin module.

Location
Informs about the location of the plugin module.
Generic plugin modules are stored in the common\plugins directory. Target-specific
plugin modules are stored in the 430\plugins directory.

Originator
Informs about the originator of the plugin module, which can be modules provided by
IAR Systems or by third-party vendors.

Version
Informs about the version number.

Reference information on C-SPY driver options

This section gives reference information on C-SPY driver options, located on these
option pages:
● Setup for FET Debugger, page 275
● Download, page 277
● Breakpoints, page 278
● Setup for simulator, page 279.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

274 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Debugger options

Setup for FET Debugger

The FET Debugger Setup options control the C-SPY FET Debugger driver.

Figure 100: FET Debugger setup options

Connection
Controls the communication between C-SPY and the target device.
The C-SPY FET Debugger can communicate with the target device via a number of
different emulators. Select the emulator you are using.
If your emulator is connected to the host computer via a parallel port, you must also
specify which parallel port to use: Parallel port 1, Parallel port 2, or Parallel port 3. If
your emulator is connected to the host computer via a USB port, the debugger will
automatically connect to the correct port.
Some emulator drivers support multiple emulators connected to the same host computer.
Each emulator requires its own instance of IAR Embedded Workbench and each
instance must identify its emulator. To identify an emulator, click the browse button to
display a list of all detected emulators. To identify a connection, click the port in the list
and the Mode LED on the attached emulator will light up.

Debug protocol
Determines the debug interface to use:

Automatic selection Selects the debug interface automatically. (If Connection is set
to Automatic, C-SPY correctly determines which interface to
use.)

275

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY driver options

Manual selection Overrides the default debug interface. Choose between:

Spy-Bi-Wire to select the 2-wire JTAG (Spy-Bi-Wire)
interface. Works with emulators from Elprotronic, Olimex,
and Texas Instruments that connect via USB.
4-wire JTAG to select the standard 4-wire JTAG interface.

Attach to running target

Makes the debugger attach to a running application at its current location, without
resetting the target system.
Note: Attach to running target must be deselected when you download the
application for the first time.
To avoid unexpected behavior when using this option:
1 Deselect the option Attach to running target.
2 Click the Download and debug button to start the debugger.
3 Make sure that the command Leave target running is selected on the Emulator
menu.
4 Start the execution.
5 Stop the debugger.
6 Select the option Attach to running target.
7 Choose Project>Options>Debugger>Setup and deselect the Run to main option.
8 Click the Debug without downloading button to start the debugger.

Disable memory cache

Disables the memory cache in the FET debugger.

Target VCC
Specify the voltage provided by the USB interface:

Override default Overrides the default voltage. To see what the default voltage
is, see Device Information window, page 50.
Target VCC Specify the voltage with one decimal’s precision in the range
1.0–4.0 V. This option can only be used with a USB
connection.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

276 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Debugger options

Settling time Specify a delay that will be used between switching on the
target VCC and starting the identification of the MSP430
device.

Debug LPMx5
Enables debugging of applications that use the LPMx5 low-power mode.

Download
By default, C-SPY downloads the application to RAM or flash when a debug session
starts. The Download options let you modify the behavior of the download.

Figure 101: FET Debugger download options

Verify download
Use this option to verify that the downloaded code image can be read back from target
memory with the correct contents.

Allow erase/write access to locked flash memory

Enables erase/write access to Info Segment A. This option can only be used with an
MSP430F2xx device.

Allow erase/write access to BSL flash memory

Enables erase/write access to BSL flash memory. This option can only be used with an
MSP430F5xx device.

External code download

Saves user code to external SPI memory.

277

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY driver options

Erase main memory

Erases only the main flash memory before download. The Information memory is not
erased.

Erase main and Information memory

Erases both flash memories—main and Information memory—before download.

Retain unchanged memory

Reads the main and Information memories into a buffer. Only the flash segments that
are needed are erased. If data that is to be written into a segment matches the data on the
target, the data on the target is left as is, and nothing is downloaded. The new data
effectively replaces the old data, and unchanged old data is retained.

JTAG password
If a JTAG device is password-protected, supply the needed password here.

Breakpoints
The Breakpoints options control the use of breakpoints.

Figure 102: FET Debugger breakpoints options

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

278 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Debugger options

Use software breakpoints

Allows C-SPY to use software breakpoints when all available hardware breakpoints
have been used. Choose between:

Virtual breakpoints Makes C-SPY use virtual breakpoints.

Emulated breakpoints Makes C-SPY use emulated breakpoints: the instruction
where the breakpoint is set will be replaced by a special
instruction that the debugger recognizes.

For information, see Breakpoints in the C-SPY FET Debugger driver, page 90.

System breakpoints on
Controls the use of system breakpoints in the CLIB runtime environment. If the C-SPY
Terminal I/O window is not required or if you do not need a breakpoint on the exit
label, you can save hardware breakpoints by not reserving system breakpoints. Select or
deselect the options exit, putchar, and getchar respectively, if you want, or do not want,
C-SPY to use system breakpoints for these. For more information, see Breakpoint
consumers, page 91.
In the DLIB runtime environment, C-SPY will always set a system breakpoint on the
__DebugBreak label. You cannot disable this behavior.

Setup for simulator

The simulator Setup options control the behavior of the C-SPY Simulator.

Figure 103: Simulator setup options

279

UCS430-1
Reference information on C-SPY driver options

Peripheral simulation
These options set up peripheral simulation, which requires a plug-in from a third-party
vendor. For information, see the PDF EW_PeripheralSimulationGuide.pdf in the
EW_DIR\430\doc\ directory and the examples in the
EW_DIR\430\plugins\simulation directory.

Check for word access on odd address

Makes the simulator issue a warning if there is a word access to an odd address.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

280 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Additional information on
C-SPY drivers
This chapter describes the additional menus and features provided by the
C-SPY® drivers. More specifically, this means:

● Reference information on the C-SPY simulator

● Reference information on the C-SPY FET Debugger driver

● Resolving problems.

Reference information on the C-SPY simulator

This section gives additional reference information the C-SPY simulator, reference
information not provided elsewhere in this documentation.
More specifically, this means:
● Simulator menu, page 281.

Simulator menu
When you use the simulator driver, the Simulator menu is added to the menu bar.

Figure 104: Simulator menu

281

UCS430-1
Reference information on the C-SPY FET Debugger driver

These commands are available on the menu:

Interrupt Setup Displays a dialog box where you can configure C-SPY
interrupt simulation; see Interrupt Setup dialog box, page
198.
Forced Interrupts Opens a window from where you can instantly trigger an
interrupt; see Forced Interrupt window, page 202.
Interrupt Log Opens a window which displays the status of all defined
interrupts; see Interrupt Log window, page 203.
Memory Access Setup Displays a dialog box to simulate memory access checking
by specifying memory areas with different access types; see
Memory Access Setup dialog box, page 137.
Trace Opens a window which displays the collected trace data; see
Trace window, page 146.
Function Trace Opens a window which displays the trace data for function
calls and function returns; see Function Trace window, page
148.
Function Profiler Opens a window which shows timing information for the
functions; see Function Profiler window, page 163.
Breakpoint Usage Displays a dialog box which lists all active breakpoints; see
Breakpoint Usage dialog box, page 100.
Timeline Opens a window which displays trace data for interrupts and
for the call stack as graphs; see Timeline window, page 149.

Reference information on the C-SPY FET Debugger driver

This section gives additional reference information on the C-SPY FET Debugger driver,
reference information not provided elsewhere in this documentation.
More specifically, this means:
● Emulator menu, page 283
● General Clock Control dialog box, page 285
● Extended Clock Control dialog box, page 286.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

282 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Additional information on C-SPY drivers

Emulator menu
When you are using the C-SPY FET Debugger driver, the Emulator menu is added to
the menu bar.

Figure 105: The Emulator menu

These commands are available on the menu:

Connected device The name of the device used for debugging.

Device information Opens the Device Information window with information
about the device used for debugging, see Device
Information window, page 50.
Release JTAG on Go Sets the JTAG drivers in tri-state so that the device is
released from JTAG control—TEST pin is set to GND—when
Go is activated.
Resynchronize JTAG Regains control of the device.
It is not possible to resynchronize JTAG while the device is
operating.

283

UCS430-1
Reference information on the C-SPY FET Debugger driver

Init New Device Initializes the device according to the settings in the
Projects>Options>FET Debugger category. The current
program file is downloaded to the device memory, and the
device is then reset. This command can be used to program
multiple devices with the same program from within the
same C-SPY session.
It is not possible to choose Init New Device while the device
is operating, thus the command will be dimmed.
Secure - Blow JTAG Blows the fuse on the target device. After the fuse is blown,
Fuse no communication with the device is possible.
Only available if you are using a USB-connected debug
probe.
Breakpoint Usage Displays a dialog box which lists all active breakpoints; see
Breakpoint Usage dialog box, page 100.
Advanced> Lets you control the clocks on the device. Depending on the
Clock Control hardware support, either the General Clock Control dialog
box or the Extended Clock Control dialog box is
displayed; see General Clock Control dialog box, page 285
and Extended Clock Control dialog box, page 286,
respectively.
Advanced> Specifies the device to be emulated. The device must be
Emulation Mode reset (or reinitialized by using the menu command Init New
Device) following a change to the emulation mode.
Advanced> Displays the Memory Dump dialog box, which lets you
Memory Dump write device memory contents to a file; see Memory Dump
dialog box, page 140.
Advanced> Displays the Breakpoint combiner dialog box, which lets
Breakpoint Combiner you combine two already defined breakpoints; see
Breakpoint combiner dialog box, page 115.
State Storage Control Opens the State Storage Control window, which lets you
define the use of the state storage module; see State Storage
Control window, page 174.
State Storage Window Opens the State Storage window which contains state
storage information according to your definitions; see State
Storage window, page 175.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

284 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Additional information on C-SPY drivers

Sequencer Control Opens the Sequencer Control window, which lets you define
a state machine; see Sequencer Control window, page 181.
“Power on” Reset The device is reset by cycling power to the device.
GIE on/off Clears the General Interrupt Enable bit (GIE) in the
Processor Status register.
Cycle Counter for 5xx Opens the Cycle Counter 5xx Control window, where you
can define and use the advanced cycle counter on the
MSP430x5xx devices; see Cycle Counter 5xx Control
window, page 187.
Leave Target Running Leaves the application running on the target hardware after
the debug session is closed.
Force Single Stepping Forces single step debugging.

Force hardware Forces an RST/NMI clear reset when the Reset button is
RST/NMI pressed.

Note: Not all Emulator>Advanced submenus are available on all MSP430 devices.

General Clock Control dialog box

The General Clock Control dialog box is available from the Emulator menu.

Figure 106: General Clock Control dialog box

Use this dialog box to control the clocks of the device.

Select the clock modules you want to stop when the execution stops. The other clocks
will keep running.
Which clock modules that are displayed depends on the available clocks on the
connected device.

285

UCS430-1
Resolving problems

Extended Clock Control dialog box

The Extended Clock Control dialog box is available from the Emulator menu.

Figure 107: Extended Clock Control dialog box

Use this dialog box for module level control over the clocks of the device.
Select the clock modules you want to stop when the execution stops. The other clocks
will keep running.
Which clock modules that are displayed depends on the available clocks on the
connected device.

Resolving problems
Debugging using the C-SPY hardware debugger systems requires interaction between
many systems, independent from each other. For this reason, setting up this debug
system can be a complex task. If something goes wrong, it might at first be difficult to
locate the cause of the problem.
This section includes suggestions for resolving the most common problems that can
occur when debugging with the C-SPY hardware debugger systems.
To troubleshoot the Flash Emulation Tool, see appendix A in the document
MSP-FET430 Flash Emulation Tool User’s Guide at the Texas Instruments web site,
[Link]. The document has the literature number SLAU138K.

THE DEVICE PORT PINS DO NOT WORK

On some MSP430 devices, the device port pins are shared with the JTAG pins that
C-SPY uses to debug the device. Normally, C-SPY maintains the pins in JTAG mode so
that the device can be debugged. During this time the port functionality of the shared
pins is not available.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

286 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Additional information on C-SPY drivers

To release the JTAG pins:

Choose Emulator>Release JTAG on Go to set the JTAG drivers to tri-state and release
the device from JTAG control (the TEST pin is set to GND) when Go is activated. Any
active on-chip breakpoints are retained and the shared JTAG port pins revert to their port
functions.
Note: Be aware of the following:
● The JTAG pins will only be released if there are N or fewer active breakpoints.
● When you measure the electrical current of the device, the JTAG control signals
must be released, otherwise the device will be powered by the signals on the JTAG
pins and the measurements will be incorrect.
● If you release the JTAG pins, C-SPY has no access to the device and cannot
determine if an active breakpoint has been triggered. C-SPY must be manually told
to stop the device, at which time the state of the device will be determined (that is,
has a breakpoint been reached?).

WRITE FAILURE DURING LOAD

There are several possible reasons for write failure during load. The most common is
that your application has been incorrectly linked:
● Check the contents of your linker configuration file and make sure that your
application has not been linked to the wrong address
● Check that you are using correct linker configuration file.
If you are using the IAR Embedded Workbench, the linker configuration file is
automatically selected based on your choice of device.
To choose a device:
1 Choose Project>Options.
2 Select the General Options category.
3 Click the Target tab.
4 Choose the appropriate device from the Device drop-down list.
To override the default linker configuration file:
1 Choose Project>Options.
2 Select the Linker category.
3 Click the Config tab.
4 Choose the appropriate linker configuration file in the Linker configuration file area.

287

UCS430-1
Resolving problems

NO CONTACT WITH THE TARGET HARDWARE

There are several possible reasons for C-SPY to fail to establish contact with the target
hardware. Do this:
● Check the communication devices on your host computer
● Verify that the cable is properly plugged in and not damaged or of the wrong type
● Make sure that the evaluation board is supplied with sufficient power
● Check that the correct options for communication have been specified in the IAR
Embedded Workbench IDE; see Setup for FET Debugger, page 275.
Examine the linker configuration file to make sure that the application has not been
linked to the wrong address.

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

288 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Index

Index
assembler symbols, using in C-SPY expressions . . . . . . . . 73
A assembler variables, viewing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Abort (Report Assert option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 assumptions, programming experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Absolute address (Type setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 --attach (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
absolute location, specifying for a breakpoint . . . . . . . . . . 114 Attach to running target (C-SPY FET option). . . . . . . . . . 276
Access type (Advanced Trigger breakpoints option) . . . . . 113 Auto Scroll (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . . . . 151
Access Type (Data breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Auto window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Access type (Edit Memory Access option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Autostep settings dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Access Type (Immediate breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . 106 Autostep (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Access (Conditional breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Action (Advanced Trigger breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . 113
Action (Code breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
B
Action (Conditional breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 -B (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Action (Data breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 --backend (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Action (Immediate breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 backtrace information
Action (Sequencer option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 generated by compiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Add to Watch Window viewing in Call Stack window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
(Symbolic Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . 132 batch mode, using C-SPY in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Add (Watch window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Big Endian (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . 125
Address Range (Find in Trace option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 blocks, in C-SPY macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Advanced Trigger breakpoints dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 bold style, in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
advanced trigger breakpoints, overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Break At (Advanced Trigger breakpoints option) . . . . . . . 112
Advanced (Sequencer option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Break At (Code breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Advanced>Breakpoint Combiner (Emulator menu) . . . . . 284 Break At (Conditional breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Advanced>Clock Control (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Break At (Data breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Advanced>Emulation Mode (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . 284 Break At (Immediate breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Advanced>Memory Dump (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . 284 Break At (Log breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Allow erase/write access to locked Break (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
flash memory (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 Breakpoint combiner dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Allow erase/write access to breakpoint condition, example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
BSL flash memory (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 Breakpoint Usage dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
--allow_access_to_BSL (C-SPY command line option) . . 255 Breakpoint Usage (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
--allow_locked_flash_access Breakpoint Usage (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
(C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 breakpoints
Ambiguous symbol (Resolve Symbol Ambiguity option) . . 85 advanced trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
AND (Operation setting). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
application flow, monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Applications (Cycle Counter 5xx option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
application, built outside the IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
assembler labels, viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

289

UCS430-1
 conditional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Immediate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
using . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
connecting a C-SPY macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Trace Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
consumers of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Trace Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Breakpoints window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Breakpoints (FET debugger options) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
description of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Browse (Trace toolbar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
disabling used by Stack window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
emulated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
configuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 C
icons for in the IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 C function information, in C-SPY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
immediate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 C symbols, using in C-SPY expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
in Memory window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 C variables, using in C-SPY expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
listing all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 call chain, displaying in C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Call stack information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Call Stack Log (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . . 151
range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Call Stack window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 for backtrace information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
reasons for using . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 call stack, monitoring in Timeline window . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
setting __cancelAllInterrupts (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . 221
in memory window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 __cancelInterrupt (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
using system macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Check for word access on odd address
using the dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 (C-SPY simulator option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
single-stepping if not available. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Clear All (Debug Log window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . 67
toggling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Clear trace data (Trace toolbar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
trace start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Clear (Cycle Counter 5xx option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 __clearBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
trace stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 CLIB, documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 __closeFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
types of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 code breakpoints, overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
useful tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Code Coverage window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
virtual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Code Coverage (Disassembly window context menu) . . . . 60
configuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 code execution, tracking progress of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Breakpoints dialog box --code_coverage (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . 257
Advanced Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 command line options
Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 for batch operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Conditional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 interface in IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 typographic convention for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

290 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Index

command prompt icon, in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 C-SPY drivers

computer style, typographic convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 FET Debugger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Condition (Conditional breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . 111 simulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
conditional breakpoints specifying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 C-SPY expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
triggering state storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 evaluating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Conditional breakpoints dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 in C-SPY macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
conditional statements, in C-SPY macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Tooltip watch, using . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Conditions (Code breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Watch window, using . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Conditions (Data breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 C-SPY macro "__message"
Conditions (Log breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 style (Log breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
--connection (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . 256 C-SPY macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Connection (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 blocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
context menu, in windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 conditional statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
conventions, used in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 C-SPY expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Copy Window Contents dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
(Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 using . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Copy (Debug Log window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Copy (Operation setting). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 checking status of register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
copyright notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 checking the status of WDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
--core (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 creating a log macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
CPU cycles, counting (MSP430F5xx devices) . . . . . 184, 186 executing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
cspybat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 connecting to a breakpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
current position, in C-SPY Disassembly window . . . . . . . . 59 using Quick Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Current state (Sequencer option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 using setup macro and setup file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
cursor, in C-SPY Disassembly window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 213
Cycle Counter for 5xx (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 loop statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Cycle counter values (Cycle Counter 5xx option) . . . . . . . 188 macro statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Cycle Counter 5xx Control window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 setup macro file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
--cycles (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 executing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
C-SPY setup macro functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
batch mode, using in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
command line options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 system macros, summary of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
debugger systems, overview of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 using . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
differences between drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 214
environment overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 C-SPY options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
plugin modules, loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
setting up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35–36 Download. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
starting the debugger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Extra Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

291

UCS430-1
 Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Device description file (Use ranges based on setting) . . . . 137
Setup (FET) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 device description files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Setup (general) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Setup (simulator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 memory zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
C-SPYLink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 modifying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
C++ terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 register zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
specifying interrupts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

D Device Information window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Device information (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
-d (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Disable All (Breakpoints window context menu) . . . . . . . . 99
data breakpoints, overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Disable memory cache (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . 276
Data Coverage (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . 126 Disable (Breakpoints window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . 99
data coverage, in Memory window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 __disableInterrupts (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . 222
ddf (filename extension), selecting a file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 --disable_interrupts (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . 259
Debug file segment information --disable_memory_cache (C-SPY command line option) . 259
(Use ranges based on setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Disassembly window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Debug info only (Download Extra Image setting) . . . . . . . 272 context menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Debug Log window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Debug Log window context menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 DLIB, documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Debug LPMx5 (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 DMA load, measuring (MSP430F5xx devices) . . . . . . . . . 185
Debug menu (C-SPY main window) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 do (macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Debug protocol (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 document conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Debug (Report Assert option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 documentation
debugger concepts, definitions of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 overview of guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
debugger drivers overview of this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
FET Debugger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
simulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Download Extra Image (debugger option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
debugger system overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Download (FET debugger options) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
debugging projects --download_only (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . 259
externally built applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Driver (debugger option). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
loading multiple images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 __driverType (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
debugging, RTOS awareness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
__delay (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Delay (Autostep Settings option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 E
Delete (Breakpoints window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Edit Expressions (Trace toolbar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
--derivative (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Edit Interrupt dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Description (Edit Interrupt option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Edit Memory Access dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
description (interrupt property) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Edit Settings (Trace toolbar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Device description file (debugger option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Edit (Breakpoints window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

292 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Index

edition, of this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 executed code, tracking progress of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

--eem (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 execution history, tracing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Embedded C++ Technical Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 execution, stopping using the sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
emulated breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Expression (Type setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
configuring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 expressions. See C-SPY expressions
Emulator menu (reference information) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Extended Clock Control dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Enable All (Breakpoints window context menu) . . . . . . . . . 99 External code download (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . 277
Enable interrupt simulation (Interrupt Setup option) . . . . . 199 Extra Options (C-SPY) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Enable Log File (Log File option). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Enable (Breakpoints window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Enable (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 F
__enableInterrupts (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 FET Debugger (C-SPY driver) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Enable/Disable Breakpoint communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
(Call Stack window contex rmenu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Enable/Disable Breakpoint hardware installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
(Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 FET Debugger (debugger option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Enable/Disable (Trace toolbar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 File format (Memory Save option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
End address (Edit Memory Access option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 file types
Enter Location dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 device description, specifying in IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Erase main and Information memory macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 271
(C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
filename extensions
Erase main memory (C-SPY FET option). . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
ddf, selecting device description file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
--erase_main (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . 260
mac, using macro file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
--erase_main_and_info (C-SPY command line option) . . 260
sfr, register definitions for C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
--erase_retain (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . 261
Filename (Memory Restore option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
__evaluate (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Filename (Memory Save option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
examples
Fill dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
C-SPY macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Find in Trace dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
interrupts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Find in Trace window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
macros
Find (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
checking status of register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Find (Trace toolbar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
checking status of WDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
first activation time (interrupt property)
creating a log macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
using Quick Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 First activation (Edit Interrupt option). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
performing tasks and continue execution . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 flash memory, load library module to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
timer interrupt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 flash memory, single-stepping in C-SPY emulator . . . . . . . 54
execUserExit (C-SPY setup macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 for (macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
execUserPreload (C-SPY setup macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Force hardware RST/NMI (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . 285
execUserReset (C-SPY setup macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Force Single Stepping (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
execUserSetup (C-SPY setup macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

293

UCS430-1
 Forced Interrupt window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Init New Device (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Forced Interrupts (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 input formats, C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
formats, C-SPY input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Input Mode dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Function Profiler window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 input, special characters in Terminal I/O window . . . . . . . . 64
Function Profiler (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 installation directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Function Trace window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Instruction Profiling (Disassembly window context menu) . 60
Function Trace (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Intel-extended, C-SPY input format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 30
functions, C-SPY running to when starting . . . . . . . . . 36, 271 Interrupt Log window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
fuse, blowing on the target device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Interrupt Log (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Interrupt Setup dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

G Interrupt Setup (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

interrupt system, using device description file . . . . . . . . . 195
General Clock Control dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 Interrupt (Edit Interrupt option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
GIE on/off (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 Interrupt (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Go to Source (Breakpoints window context menu) . . . . . . . 99 interrupts
Go to Source (Call Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . 63 adapting C-SPY system for target hardware . . . . . . . . 195
Go To Source (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . . . 152 monitoring in Timeline window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Go (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 54 options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
simulated, definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
timer, example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
H using system macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
__isBatchMode (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
hardware breakpoints in FET debugger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
--hardware_multiplier (C-SPY command line option) . . . 261 italic style, in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
highlighting, in C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Hold time (Edit Interrupt option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
hold time (interrupt property), definition of . . . . . . . . . . . 193
J
--hwmult_type (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . 262 JTAG password (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
JTAG pins, shared with port pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

I L
icons, in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
if else (macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 labels (assembler), viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
if (macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 LCD Settings dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Ignore (Report Assert option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 LCD window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
illegal memory accesses, checking for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Leave Target Running (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Images window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Length (Fill option). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Images, loading multiple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 lightbulb icon, in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
immediate breakpoints, overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Little Endian (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . 125
Include (Log File option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Live Watch window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

294 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Index

__loadImage(C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Memory Restore (Memory window context menu). . . . . . 126
loading multiple images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Memory Save dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
list of currently loaded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Memory Save (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . 126
Locals window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Memory window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
log breakpoints, overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 memory zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Log File dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 in device description file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Logging>Set Log file (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 __memoryRestore (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Logging>Set Terminal I/O Log file (Debug menu) . . . . . . . 46 __memorySave (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
loop statements, in C-SPY macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Memory>Restore (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
--lpt1 (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Memory>Save (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
--lpt2 (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 menu bar, C-SPY-specific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
--lpt3 (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Message (Log breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
migration, from earlier IAR compilers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

M Mixed Mode (Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . . 61

Mode (Cycle Counter 5xx option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
mac (filename extension), using a macro file . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Motorola, C-SPY input format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 30
--macro (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Move to PC (Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . . . 60
Macro Configuration dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 MSP430F5xx, extra cycle counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
macro files, specifying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 271
macro statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Macros (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 N
macros. See C-SPY macros naming conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
main function, C-SPY running to when starting . . . . . 36, 271 Navigate (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . 151
--mapu (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 New Breakpoint (Breakpoints window context menu) . . . 100
Mask (Advanced Trigger breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . 113 Next Statement (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Mask (Conditional breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Next Symbol (Symbolic Memory window context menu) 131
Match Case (Text search setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Match whole word (Text search setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
memory access checking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122, 138 O
Memory access checking (Memory Access Setup option) 138 --odd_word_check (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . 264
Memory Access Setup dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Offset (Download Extra Image setting). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Memory Access Setup (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Only search in one column (Text search setting) . . . . . . . . 156
memory accesses, illegal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 __openFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
memory contents, writing to a file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Operation (Fill option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Memory Dump dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Operator (Advanced Trigger breakpoints option) . . . . . . . 113
Memory Fill (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . 126 Operator (Conditional breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
memory map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 operators, sizeof in C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Memory range (Edit Memory Access option) . . . . . . . . . . 139 optimizations, effects on variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Memory Restore dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

295

UCS430-1
 options profiling information, on functions and instructions . . . . . 159
in the IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 program execution, in C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
on the command line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 program flow, monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Options (Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 program states, monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
OR (Operation setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 programming experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
__orderInterrupt (C-SPY system macro). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 projects, for debugging externally built applications . . . . . . 38
--protocol (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

P publication date, of this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

-p (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264

parameters Q
tracing incorrect values of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Quick Watch window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
typographic convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 executing C-SPY macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
part number, of this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Path (Download Extra Image setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Peripheral simulation (C-SPY simulator option) . . . . . . . . 280 R
peripheral units Range breakpoints dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
device-specific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 range breakpoints, overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
in Register window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Reaction trigger (Cycle Counter 5xx option) . . . . . . . . . . 189
simulating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 __readFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Please select one symbol __readFileByte (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
(Resolve Symbol Ambiguity option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 reading guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
--plugin (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 __readMemoryByte (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . 231
plugin modules (C-SPY) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 __readMemory8 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 __readMemory16 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Plugins (C-SPY options) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 __readMemory32 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
__popSimulatorInterruptExecutingStack (C-SPY reference information, typographic convention . . . . . . . . . . 23
system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Refresh (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
--port (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 register groups (predefined), enabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
port pins, shared with JTAG pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 Register window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
prerequisites, programming experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 registered trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Previous Symbol __registerMacroFile (C-SPY system macro). . . . . . . . . . . 232
(Symbolic Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . 131
registers, displayed in Register window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
probability (interrupt property) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Release JTAG on Go (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Remove (Watch window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Probability % (Edit Interrupt option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
repeat interval (interrupt property), definition of. . . . . . . . 193
profiling
Replace (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
on function level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Report Assert dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
on instruction level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Reset Counter (Cycle Counter 5xx option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
using MSP430F5xx cycle counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

296 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Index

Reset States (Sequencer option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 __setSimBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Reset Trigger (Sequencer option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Settling time (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Reset (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 --settlingtime (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . 266
__resetFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 __setTraceStartBreak (C-SPY system macro). . . . . . . . . . 242
Resolve Source Ambiguity dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 __setTraceStopBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . 243
Restore (Memory Restore option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 setup macro functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Resynchronize JTAG (Emulator menu). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 reserved names. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Retain unchanged memory (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . 278 Setup macros (debugger option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
return (macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Setup (C-SPY simulator options) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
ROM-monitor, definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Setup (FET debugger options) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
RTOS awareness debugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Setup (general C-SPY options) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
RTOS awareness (C-SPY plugin module) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Setup (simulator options) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Run to Cursor (Call Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . 63 --set_exit_breakpoint (C-SPY command line option) . . . . 266
Run to Cursor (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 --set_getchar_breakpoint (C-SPY command line option) . 266
Run to Cursor (Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . 60 --set_putchar_breakpoint (C-SPY command line option) . 266
Run to Cursor, command for executing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 SFR, using as assembler symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Run to (C-SPY option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 271 Show all images (Images window context menu) . . . . . . . . 48
Show all variables with
static storage duration (Select Statics option) . . . . . . . . . . . 82
S Show Arguments (Call Stack window context menu) . . . . . 63
Save (Memory Save option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Show As (Watch window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Save (Trace toolbar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Show offsets (Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Secure - Blow JTAG Fuse (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Show only (Image window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Select All (Debug Log window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . 67 Show selected variables only (Select Statics option) . . . . . . 83
Select Graphs (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . . . 152 Show variables (Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . . 134
Select plugins to load (debugger option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 --silent (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Select Statics dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 simulating interrupts, enabling/disabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Sequencer Control window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 simulator driver, selecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Sequencer Control (Emulator menu). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 Simulator menu, reference information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
sequencer, setting up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Simulator (debugger option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Set Data Breakpoint (Memory window context menu) . . . 126 simulator, introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Set Next Statement (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Size (Code breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Set Next Statement (Disassembly window context menu) . 61 Size (Data breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
__setAdvancedTriggerBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . 233 sizeof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
__setCodeBreak (C-SPY system macro). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 software breakpoints in FET debugger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
__setConditionalBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . 236 Source location (Type setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
__setDataBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 __sourcePosition (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
__setLogBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 special function registers (SFR)
__setRangeBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 description files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
using as assembler symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

297

UCS430-1
 stack usage, computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Terminal IO Log Files (Terminal IO Log Files option) . . . . 65
Stack window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Terminal I/O Log Files dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
standard C, sizeof operator in C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Terminal I/O window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56, 63
Start address (Edit Memory Access option) . . . . . . . . . . . 139 terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Start address (Fill option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Text search (Find in Trace option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Start address (Memory Save option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Time Axis Unit (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . 152
Start (Cycle Counter 5xx option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Timeline window (trace) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
state storage Timeline (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
setting up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 --timeout (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
starting using the sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 timer interrupt, example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
State Storage Control window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Toggle Breakpoint (Code)
State Storage Control (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 (Call Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
State Storage window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Toggle Breakpoint (Code)
State Storage Window (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 (Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Statics window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Toggle Breakpoint (Log)
stdin and stdout, redirecting to C-SPY window . . . . . . . . . 63 (Call Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Step Into (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Toggle Breakpoint (Log)
Step Into, description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 (Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Step Out (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Toggle Breakpoint (Trace Start)
(Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Step Out, description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Toggle Breakpoint (Trace Stop)
Step Over (Debug menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
(Disassembly window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Step Over, description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Toggle source (Trace toolbar) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
step points, definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
__toLower (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Stop address (Memory Save option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
tools icon, in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Stop Debugging (Debug menu). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
__toString (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Stop (Cycle Counter 5xx option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
__toUpper (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
stopping execution using the sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
trace data
__strFind (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
__subString (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
searching in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Symbolic Memory window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Trace Expressions window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Symbols window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
trace start and stop breakpoints, overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
symbols, using in C-SPY expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Trace Start breakpoints dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
System breakpoints on (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . 279
Trace Stop breakpoints dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Trace window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
T Trace (Simulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
trace, state storage being variant of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
target system, definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Target VCC (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 Type (Advanced Trigger breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . 112
__targetDebuggerVersion (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . 245 Type (Conditional breakpoints option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

298 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Index

typographic conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Watch window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

using . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

U web sites, recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

while (macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
UBROF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 windows, specific to C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Unavailable, C-SPY message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 With I/O emulation modules (linker option), using . . . . . . . 63
Universal Binary Relocatable Object Format. See UBROF __writeFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
__unloadImage(C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 __writeFileByte (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Use command line options (debugger option) . . . . . . . . . . 273 __writeMemoryByte (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . 248
Use manual ranges (Memory Access Setup option) . . . . . 138 __writeMemory8 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Use ranges based on (Memory Access Setup option) . . . . 137 __writeMemory16 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Use software breakpoints (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . 279 __writeMemory32 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
user application, definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
--use_emulated_breakpoints
(C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 X
--use_virtual_breakpoints (C-SPY command line option). 268 XOR (Operation setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

V Z
Value (Advanced Trigger breakpoints option). . . . . . . . . . 113 zone
Value (Fill option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 defined in device description file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
variables in C-SPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
effects of optimizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Zone (Edit Memory Access option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
information, limitation on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Zone (Fill option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
using in C-SPY expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Zone (Memory Restore option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
variance (interrupt property), definition of . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Zone (Memory Save option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Variance % (Edit Interrupt option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Zone (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
--vccvoltage (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . 268 Zoom (Timeline window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Verify download (C-SPY FET option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
--verify_all (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
version, of IAR Embedded Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Symbols
virtual breakpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 __cancelAllInterrupts (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . 221
configuring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 __cancelInterrupt (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
visualSTATE, C-SPY plugin module for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 __clearBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
__closeFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

W __delay (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

__disableInterrupts (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . 222
warnings icon, in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 __driverType (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
__enableInterrupts (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

299

UCS430-1
 __evaluate (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 __writeMemory8 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
__fmessage (C-SPY macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 __writeMemory16 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
__isBatchMode (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 __writeMemory32 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
__loadImage (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 -B (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
__memoryRestore (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 -d (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
__memorySave (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 -p (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
__message (C-SPY macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 --allow_access_to_BSL (C-SPY command line option) . . 255
__openFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 --allow_locked_flash_access
__orderInterrupt (C-SPY system macro). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
__popSimulatorInterruptExecutingStack (C-SPY --attach (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 --backend (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
__readFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 --code_coverage (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . 257
__readFileByte (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 --connection (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . 256
__readMemoryByte (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . 231 --core (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
__readMemory8 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 --cycles (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
__readMemory16 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 --derivative (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
__readMemory32 (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 --disable_interrupts (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . 259
__registerMacroFile (C-SPY system macro). . . . . . . . . . . 232 --disable_memory_cache (C-SPY command line option) . 259
__resetFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 --download_only (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . 259
__setAdvancedTriggerBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . 233 --eem (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
__setCodeBreak (C-SPY system macro). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 --erase_main (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . 260
__setConditionalBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . 236 --erase_main_and_info (C-SPY command line option) . . 260
__setDataBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 --erase_retain (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . 261
__setLogBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 --hardware_multiplier (C-SPY command line option) . . . 261
__setRangeBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 --hwmult_type (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . 262
__setSimBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 --lpt1 (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
__setTraceStartBreak (C-SPY system macro). . . . . . . . . . 242 --lpt2 (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
__setTraceStopBreak (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . 243 --lpt3 (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
__smessage (C-SPY macro statement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 --macro (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
__sourcePosition (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 --mapu (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
__strFind (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 --odd_word_check (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . 264
__subString (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 --plugin (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
__targetDebuggerVersion (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . 245 --port (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
__toLower (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 --protocol (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
__toString (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 --settlingtime (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . 266
__toUpper (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 --set_exit_breakpoint (C-SPY command line option) . . . . 266
__unloadImage (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 --set_getchar_breakpoint (C-SPY command line option) . 266
__writeFile (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 --set_putchar_breakpoint (C-SPY command line option) . 266
__writeFileByte (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 --silent (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
__writeMemoryByte (C-SPY system macro) . . . . . . . . . . 248 --timeout (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

C-SPY® Debugging Guide

300 for MSP430

UCS430-1
 Index

--use_emulated_breakpoints
(C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
--use_virtual_breakpoints (C-SPY command line option). 268
--vccvoltage (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . 268
--verify_all (C-SPY command line option) . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
"Power on" Reset (Emulator menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Numerics
1x Units (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
1x Units (Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
1x Units (Symbolic Memory window context menu) . . . . 131
2x Units (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
2x Units (Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
2x Units (Symbolic Memory window context menu) . . . . 131
4x Units (Memory window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
4x Units (Stack window context menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
4x Units (Symbolic Memory window context menu) . . . . 132

301

UCS430-1