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Computer program debugging system and method

Patent 5533192 Issued on July 2, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject April 21, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Patent References

Computer program debugging system
Patent #: 4755997
Issued on: 07/05/1988
Inventor: Takahashi

Debugging microprocessor capable of switching between emulation and monitor without accessing stack area
Patent #: 4924382
Issued on: 05/08/1990
Inventor: Shouda

Debug routine accessing system
Patent #: 4937864
Issued on: 06/26/1990
Inventor: Caseiras, et al.

High speed microcomputer in-circuit emulator
Patent #: 5321828
Issued on: 06/14/1994
Inventor: Phillips, et al.

Debug circuit of a signal processor
Patent #: 5361348
Issued on: 11/01/1994
Inventor: Nakamoto

Microprocessor for debugging programs Patent #: 5379301
Issued on: 01/03/1995
Inventor: Sato, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

Application

No. 230798 filed on 04/21/1994

US Classes:

714/28, Substituted emulative component (e.g., emulator microprocessor)714/35Substituted or added instruction (e.g., code instrumenting, breakpoint instruction)

Examiners

Primary: Beausoliel, Robert W. Jr.
Assistant: Tu, Trinh L.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

G06F 011/34

Abstract

A program debugging system has a core unit that includes a plurality of debugger memory areas, each uniquely associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of debuggers. The core unit responds to an exception condition by selecting one debugger from the plurality of debuggers, selection being made by determining which one of the debuggers is associated with the program exception. Then, computer state information and debugger state information are stored into a selected one of the debugger memory areas that is exclusively associated with the selected debugger, and the selected debugger is activated. A new debugger may register with the core unit, so that the new debugger is added to the plurality of debuggers. The activated debugger may send a debugging command to the core unit, which responds by updating debugger state information based on the received debugging command, and storing the updated debugger state information into the selected debugger memory area. When a debugger relinquishes control of the computer, the core unit retrieves the updated debugger state information from the selected debugger memory area, and controls the hardware resources in accordance therewith. If the updated debugger state information includes an indication that a breakpoint is set, the core unit sets a breakpoint that includes information associating the set breakpoint with the selected debugger. When the breakpoint is triggered, the core unit identifies from the breakpoint information which of the debuggers the breakpoint is associated with, and activates the identified debugger.

Other References

  • Apple Computer, Feb., 1990, "A/UX Programmer's Reference-Sections 2 and 3(A-L)" (pages pertaining to ptrace(2) and sigvec(2))
  • Robert D. Gronlund et al., "The HP 64700 Embedded Debug Environment: A New Paradigm for Embedded System Integration and Debugging," Hewlett-Packard Journal, pp. 90-106, vol. 44, No. 2, Apr. 1993, Palo Alto, U.S
  • John May & Francine Berman, "Panorama: A Portable, Extensible Parallel Debugger", ACM Sigplan Notices, pp. 96-106, vol. 28 No. 12, Dec. 1993, New York, U.
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