Chapter 104. Debug and Test

104.1. Debugging

104.1.1. Asserts

If the target platform resources allow, then the first step in debugging should be to enable ASSERTs. The inclusion of assert checking will increase the code footprint and lower the performance, but does allow the code to catch internal errors from unexpected data values. e.g. when the application/client is not able to guarantee the validity of data passed into the CCB code.

The CCB asserts are controlled via the standard eCos Infrastructure CYGPKG_INFRA package CYGDBG_USE_ASSERTS option. If enabled then run-time assertion checks are performed by the CCB package.

If assertions are enabled and a debugger is being used, it is normally worthwhile setting a breakpoint at start-up on the cyg_assert_fail symbol. The debugger will then stop prior to entering the default busy-loop assert processing.

104.1.2. Diagnostic Output

In conjuction with the CYGDBG_COHERENT_CCB_DEBUG CDL configuration setting and its sub-options, the header-file src/ccb_diag.h implements the CCB I/O package specific debug control.

When CYGDBG_COHERENT_CCB_DEBUG is enabled a set of individually selectable sub-systems are available to control the diagnostic output generated.

However, when developing or debugging the CCB implementation it may be simpler (with less build side-effects) to control the debugging output via direct uncommenting of the necessary manifests at the head of the src/ccb_diag.h source file, than re-configuring the complete eCos configuration via the CDL. This approach will limit rebuilding to just the CCB package.

[Note]Note

When enabled, some diagnostic output may adversely affect the operation of the CCB support as seen by 3rd-party code. For example, “slow” serial diagnostic output of the packet parsing and response generation could mean that a significant amount of time passes, such that the CCB support no longer adheres to the timeout limits imposed by external code.

104.2. Testing

The configuration option CYGPKG_IO_CCB_TESTS defines a set of tests that are built.

By default the package will only build the deterministic, automatic, tests. However, the option CYGPKG_IO_CCB_TESTS_MANUAL can be defined to build extra tests that may require manual user-intervention, or are more realistic real-world example applications.

104.2.1. ccb_ut

The ccb_ut test application performs some unit-testing of the CCB implementation. The test assumes specific features of the tests/ccb_master.c example client-application to perform a variety of fixed tests.

The ccb_ut implements a software driver which can be used to simulate a bus, without the requirement for the configuration to have access to a physical RS-485 bus. This is used to test core MASTER CCB client-application functionality.

[Note]Note

It is recommended that before executing this test that you disconnect any physical hardware.

Currently not all aspects of the CCB protocol are exercised by the test.

104.2.2. ccb_master

The ccb_master is a simple example client-application that could form the basis of an actual customer implementation. The test does not automatically exit (and hence is unsuitable for the eCosCentric automated test farm).

The application currently just waits for a slave to connect, and then issues a fixed set of queries to the slave.