gbadev.org forum archive

This is a read-only mirror of the content originally found on forum.gbadev.org (now offline), salvaged from Wayback machine copies. A new forum can be found here.

DS development > WiFi debugging

#142550 - Vich - Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:31 am

I was fiddling with the thought of making a remote debugging tool that allows you to actually debug the Nintendo DS without having to buy a devkit.
The WiFi connection isn't fast, but it should be fast enough for you to do some basic debugging. That is:

- Putting breakpoints: sends the line and breakpoint signal to a PC over the network. Then you can resume/step from that PC to a next breakpoint. Of course there wouldn't be real stepping(line per line) as this would become a lot more complex.

Something like this:
Code:

void Funcion()
{
    printf("blaat");
    triggerBreakpoint(); // regular breakpoint
    printf("blaat");
    debug_TriggerBreakpoint(some_value > other_value); // conditional breakpoint
}


- Simple variable content watching: when a breakpoint is triggered, you can see the content of certain 'marked' variables.

Code:

void Funcion()
{
    int i = 2;
    debug_WatchVariable(i); // update i through wifi
    triggerBreakpoint(); // trigger breakpoint so you can see the content of i
}


Watching a variable could be buffered of course, since you probably don't want to send packages for each variable change. Eg. you could send them when you trigger a breakpoint or when this send buffer reaches its max.

Is there any interest in such a library?
_________________
[project website] [personal website]

#142551 - simonjhall - Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:41 am

I already wrote one of these back in the day, as did Masscat. I'm thinking about re-releasing it since I don't care about the legal any more. Have a search for "wireless debugger" and "a debugger reborn" to find our previous adventures with debugging over wifi.
_________________
Big thanks to everyone who donated for Quake2

#142552 - Vich - Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:09 am

simonjhall wrote:
I already wrote one of these back in the day, as did Masscat. I'm thinking about re-releasing it since I don't care about the legal any more. Have a search for "wireless debugger" and "a debugger reborn" to find our previous adventures with debugging over wifi.


Ah that would be nice :)
Thanks, I searched for "wireless debugger" before but couldn't find anything. The second search helped me find Masscat's topic:
http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=10765
_________________
[project website] [personal website]

#142556 - simonjhall - Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:41 am

Oops, 'wireless debugging' instead!
http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=9657&highlight=wireless+debugging
and then
http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=10332&highlight=debugger

Probably the single most useful thing I've ever written for the DS ;-)
The reason it got pulled in the end was because my contract says programming outside of work is a no-no. However, I've been Quaking (heh) for a year now and no-one seems to care.
_________________
Big thanks to everyone who donated for Quake2

#142559 - Vich - Wed Oct 10, 2007 11:17 am

simonjhall wrote:
Oops, 'wireless debugging' instead!
http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=9657&highlight=wireless+debugging
and then
http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=10332&highlight=debugger

Probably the single most useful thing I've ever written for the DS ;-)
The reason it got pulled in the end was because my contract says programming outside of work is a no-no. However, I've been Quaking (heh) for a year now and no-one seems to care.


Thanks for the link! (I'll read it after going out for lunch)

Stupid contract ... it's possibly not even legal to have that item in the contract.
Officially my contract says that all code written in my spare time is property of the company, but that's (legally) bullshit too afaik. I had a talk with my boss about that and there's no problem at all. I can even start commercialising my projects, as long as I always pass by his office first.
If this wasn't possible, I'd be looking for another job right now.
_________________
[project website] [personal website]

#142560 - keldon - Wed Oct 10, 2007 11:23 am

simonjhall wrote:

The reason it got pulled in the end was because my contract says programming outside of work is a no-no. However, I've been Quaking (heh) for a year now and no-one seems to care.

My contract says I'm not allowed to sneeze outside of the work premises, but I checked with our MD and he says it's okay so long as I promise to sneeze towards pedestrians ^_^ (darn caffeine)

#142561 - OOPMan - Wed Oct 10, 2007 11:23 am

Yeah, contracts can be a pain that way...

I asked my employers if they'd mind me doing any DS stuff prior to getting employed and they said: "Only if it impacts on our market space", which was nice of them :-)
_________________
"My boot, your face..." - Attributed to OOPMan, Emperor of Eroticon VI

You can find my NDS homebrew projects here...

#142563 - kusma - Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:01 pm

Vich wrote:

Officially my contract says that all code written in my spare time is property of the company, but that's (legally) bullshit too afaik. I had a talk with my boss about that and there's no problem at all.

I have the same, and I have checked up a bit on it. Apparently, that clause of my contract isn't strictly legally valid - at least not in Norway - unless (of course) I use company IP or reveal trade secrets. But that's already covered in other (and stricter) ways in my contract. I also checked up with some of the guys "further up" (my bosses, HR, and the legal department), and I've gotten a written permission for some of my hobby-projects, and a verbal guarantee (with witnesses, so I'm not worried about potential denial) that virtually nothing I do on my spare-time can or will be claimed by the company. I even got permission to use company code as long as I don't disclose it.

#142567 - Vich - Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:46 pm

keldon wrote:
simonjhall wrote:

The reason it got pulled in the end was because my contract says programming outside of work is a no-no. However, I've been Quaking (heh) for a year now and no-one seems to care.

My contract says I'm not allowed to sneeze outside of the work premises, but I checked with our MD and he says it's okay so long as I promise to sneeze towards pedestrians ^_^ (darn caffeine)

LOL!
(ps. caffeine for the frikkin' win! :D)

OOPMan wrote:
Yeah, contracts can be a pain that way...

I asked my employers if they'd mind me doing any DS stuff prior to getting employed and they said: "Only if it impacts on our market space", which was nice of them :-)

In practice, it's the same where I work. They told me that too during the interview, but the contract states differently. It's not that I didn't read my contract before signing by the way, I just believed their words :) - plus I was more than happy to get that job so I didn't want to start argueing there :P

kusma wrote:
I have the same, and I have checked up a bit on it. Apparently, that clause of my contract isn't strictly legally valid - at least not in Norway - unless (of course) I use company IP or reveal trade secrets. But that's already covered in other (and stricter) ways in my contract. I also checked up with some of the guys "further up" (my bosses, HR, and the legal department), and I've gotten a written permission for some of my hobby-projects, and a verbal guarantee (with witnesses, so I'm not worried about potential denial) that virtually nothing I do on my spare-time can or will be claimed by the company. I even got permission to use company code as long as I don't disclose it.

That's nice of them :)
Same with company IP here, that's what they're afraid of to 'lose' and I definitely understand that.
We can use the company code too, but we can't publish anything made with that as far as I know.
_________________
[project website] [personal website]

#142598 - Jevin - Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:32 pm

simonjhall wrote:
I already wrote one of these back in the day, as did Masscat. I'm thinking about re-releasing it since I don't care about the legal any more. Have a search for "wireless debugger" and "a debugger reborn" to find our previous adventures with debugging over wifi.

That would be really handy! Please do it!

#142603 - Vich - Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:46 pm

Such a debugger should be in the devkitPro package.
_________________
[project website] [personal website]