µVision4 User's Guide

Debug Functions

Debug Functions are a powerful feature of µVision and help in debugging and testing an application. Debug functions can:

• Extend the capabilities of the µVision Debugger.
• Generate external interrupts.
• Log memory contents to a file.
• Update analog input values periodically.
• Input serial data to an on-chip serial port.

Debug functions use a subset of the C programming language. The basic capabilities and restrictions are:

• Flow control statements can be used in debug functions and operate as in ANSI C (if, else, while, do, switch, case, break, continue, and goto).
• Local scalar variables are declared as in ANSI C.
• Arrays are not allowed in debug functions.

This chapter contains the sections:

• Creating Functions describes the internal Debug Function Editor.
• Invoking Functions describes options to invoke debug functions.
• Predefined Functions lists the built-in debug functions provided with µVision.
• User Functions are created by developers to test or debug the application.
• Signal Functions execute repetitive operations in the background while the program is running.
• Differences Between µVision4 and C explains the syntax and semantic deviations between the µVision Debug Functions and ANSI C.

Note

• µVision Debug Functions and functions of the target program are different. µVision Debug Functions aid in debugging the application and are created in the Command window or with the Function Editor. They are not part of the target application.