Arm Debugger installs statistics

Arm Debugger

• Overview • Prerequisites • Install the Arm Debugger extension pack • Install the Arm Debugger engine and other tools with vcpkg • Define a run configuration and run a project on your board • Define and start a debug connection • Work with a physical target • Built-in platform option • CMSIS-Pack device option • Work with a virtual target • Attach to an existing connection • OS awareness • Limitations • Submit feedback or report issues

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Overview

The Arm® Debugger extension allows you to debug and optimize software running on Arm-based processors. You can use the extension as a standalone tool or integrate it into your existing toolchain. It is also compatible with other extensions included in the Arm® Keil® Studio Pack.

The extension provides access to the Arm Debugger engine (armdbg) by implementing the Microsoft Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP).

The Arm Debugger engine supports connections to the following targets:

• Physical targets: Either through external hardware, for example, Arm® Keil® ULINK™ or DSTREAM debug probes, or through low-cost on-board hardware, for example, ST-Link or CMSIS-DAP • Virtual targets: Using Fixed Virtual Platform (FVP) models

See the Arm Debugger Release Note for an overview of each Arm Debugger engine release.

Supported features

The Arm Debugger extension allows you to:

• Load images like .elf, .axf, or .bin files and debug information according to the DWARF Debugging Information Format Standard, up to and including version 5 • Run images • Set breakpoints • Do source and instruction stepping • Access variables and registers • View the contents of memory • Access the CLI using the Debug Console • Inspect OS threads, their call stacks, and execution context during a debug session with OS awareness

Supported debug connections

The Arm Debugger engine supports debug connections based on the following information:

• The debug setup included in the CMSIS-Packs of your project • The integrated configuration database (configdb). The configuration database is where Arm Debugger stores information about the processors, devices, and boards that it can connect to.

Supported technologies

For a complete list of supported architectures, processors, Fixed Virtual Platform (FVP) models, and debug probes see the Arm Debugger Release Note.

Prerequisites

You must install the Arm Debugger extension pack (identifier: arm.arm-debugger).

The Arm Debugger extension automatically installs the following extensions:

• Arm Tools Environment Manager (identifier: arm.environment-manager) • Arm Device Manager (identifier: arm.device-manager) • Arm Virtual Hardware (identifier: arm.virtual-hardware) • Peripheral Inspector (identifier: eclipse-cdt.peripheral-inspector) • Memory Inspector (identifier: eclipse-cdt.memory-inspector)

To work with CMSIS projects, you must install the Arm CMSIS Solution extension (identifier: arm.cmsis-csolution) separately.

To debug a program running on an FVP model, you must have FVPs installed locally. See Work with a virtual target for more details.

You must have an example project ready to use. You can create an example from scratch. Alternatively, if you are working with CMSIS, you can start from one of the official examples available on Arm Examples or keil.arm.com. These examples contain pre-configured vcpkg-configuration.json, tasks.json, and launch.json files.

Install the Arm Debugger extension pack

1. Open Visual Studio Code Desktop and click the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar to open the Extensions view.

1. Search for Arm Debugger and click the Install button.

The Arm Debugger extension installs all extensions in the extension pack at the same time.

Install the Arm Debugger engine and other tools with vcpkg

The Arm Tools Environment Manager extension downloads, installs, and manages software development tools, including the Arm Debugger engine, using Microsoft vcpkg artifacts. Arm Tools Environment Manager adds a vcpkg-configuration.json manifest file to your project and uses this file to acquire and activate the tools needed to set up your development environment.

Some tools, like the Arm Debugger engine, require a User-based Licensing (UBL) license. You must activate the license with the Arm License Management Utility available with Arm Tools Environment Manager.

See the Arm Tools Environment Manager README for more details.

To install the Arm Debugger engine and other tools:

1. Open the project that you want to work on.

1. Click the Arm Tools status bar indicator and select Add Arm Tools Configuration to Workspace in the drop-down list at the top of the window.

A visual editor opens where you can select the tools you need.

1. Select the latest version available for Arm Debugger and select the other tools you require.

The extension adds a vcpkg-configuration.json file to your project and includes the tools that you selected in the file. You can also update the file manually. Click the vcpkg-configuration.json tab to display the file contents.

For example, the following file activates the Arm Debugger engine. In this configuration, vcpkg resolves * to the latest Arm Debugger version available.

1. Save your changes.

The Arm Tools Environment Manager extension activates the workspace and downloads the tools specified in the vcpkg-configuration.json file. After installation, tools are available on the PATH for the activated workspace in Visual Studio Code.

1. The status bar shows No Arm License if no valid user-based license is active. In this case, click No Arm License and select Activate or manage Arm licenses in the drop-down list at the top of the window.

1. Manage your license with the Arm License Management Utility.

Define a run configuration and run a project on your board…

Description from the VS Code Marketplace listing.