At dinner on Sunday, an old friend and I were discussing recent issues and anomlies we’e encountered with the I2C bus.
I’ve made a note of them on my blog to help familiarize others with some of the more abstract and uncommon issues on I2C buses. … More Three, new to me, I2C issues!
Making time to learn while on the job is sometimes hard to justify. Not making time to learn is hard to defend.
There are two software tools I use frequently, but I know I am barely utilizing them to their full potential. I get good information from them to analyze problems and validate solutions. However, I know there is an additional level of capability that I haven’t had a chance to explore.
I’m making time to learn them better. Knowing my tools will help me speed up my debug efforts, and help me profile system performance. … More Slowing Down to Learn
The debug UART port is a critical tool in embedded systems for testing and monitoring. It relies on a solid serial connection for reliable operation. Implementing this port using a UART for serial communications is common, but it comes with challenges like TX/RX reversal and physical fitting issues. Using best practices can help ensure a reliable and effective debug UART port. … More The Perfect Debug UART port
A common debugging problem I have been wanting to write about happened during the course of my work today. I grabbed a few screen captures from my oscilloscope to share with you.
Serial Monitor and debug print statements. Why do the old timers tut-tut when you use them in embedded code? … More About that `printf()`
Today’s blog post discusses the use of a GPIO test point for debugging embedded systems. It explains the benefits of a dedicated GPIO test point, the selection criteria for the GPIO pin, and tips for placing and manipulating the test point. The post also emphasizes the importance of using a GPIO pin over a debugger and a terminal for system monitoring. … More GPIO test point
When someone tells you to “read the datasheet” for an MCU, they are actually referring to a family of documents. I asked ChatGPT to tell me all about it. This was their response. … More Unraveling the Tapestry of Microcontroller Documentation
We all have our horror stories of how a misconfigured oscilloscope can lead to hours of head-scratching frustration. My latest problem cost me about 30 minutes of troubleshooting. Just yesterday I was butting heads with a simple triggering issue on my new scope. … More My silly oscilloscope ( an RTFM adventure)
A few years ago, I encountered an issue in my project involving an I2C device that didn’t always work after a system reset.
In an ideal world, any reset should emulate a power-on reset, but we sometimes encounter warm start issues. The problem I was encountering certainly started feeling like a warm start problem, but I wasn’t sure what was going on. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin… … More An adventure in debugging an I2C bus hang
The book “Debugging” by David J. Agans offers nine principles to solve elusive software and hardware problems, containing anecdotes and sagely advice. Despite dating from 2002, its principles remain relevant. … More Debugging by David J. Agans
Glorified Plumbing 