https://readthedocs.org/projects/microbit-v2-debugging/badge/?version=latest

BBC Micro:Bit v2 Debugging¶

This repository shall explore the possibilities to debug the BBC microbit v2.

Overview of the hardware capabilities¶

Schema of a CMSIS-DAP debugger setup¶

Debugging with CODAL¶

Get the sources:

git clone https://github.com/chatelao/microbit-v2-samples-vagrant

Build the software (Standard):

cd microbit-v2-samples
python build.py

In utils/python/codal_utils.py about the build logic called is found here:

cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -G \"Unix Makefiles\"

So a manual run can be started this way:

cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -G "Unix Makefiles"
make clean
make -j 10 VERBOSE=1

Debugging with PlatformIO¶

PlatformIO supports the debugging over the “DAP-Link” interface from * https://docs.platformio.org/en/latest/boards/nordicnrf51/bbcmicrobit.html

Install all tools you can grab from PlatformIO :-):

platformio platform install nordicnrf52 --with-package tool-openocd

Debugging with Arduino¶

Debugging with OpenOCD on a Virtualbox¶

Because “normal” users don’t have enough USB permissions, it is easier to run OpenOCD with sudo or as root.

sudo openocd -f interface/cmsis-dap.cfg -f target/nrf52.cfg

HEX-Format¶

Appendix¶

Virtualbox USB filter¶

Block Overview¶

The target of all debugging is the central MCU NRF52833 running the software. The main CPU is debugged using a SWD/CMSIS-DAP/JLink connection controlled by the KL27Z chip communication itself over USB to the PC/OpenOCD/GDB.

Source: https://tech.microbit.org/hardware/#hardware-block-diagram

Adding to UDEV (untested)¶

I had the same problem (under Ubuntu 14.04). After much googling, I found this: openocd.udev, which shows the following udev rules for the CMSIS-DAP device:

::: # mbed CMSIS-DAP ATTRS{idVendor}==”0d28”, ATTRS{idProduct}==”0204”, MODE=”664”, GROUP=”plugdev” KERNEL==”hidraw*”, ATTRS{idVendor}==”0d28”, ATTRS{idProduct}==”0204”, MODE=”664”, GROUP=”plugdev”

After ensuring that my userid was a member of the plugdev group, I created a new udev rules file, /etc/udev/rules.d/98-blenano.rules, with these rules; then reloaded with $ sudo udevadm control –reload-rules, plugged in the MK20 device, and it worked.