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Debug a multi core application

CodeFusion Studio provides debugging for supported microcontrollers with multiple cores.

The multi-core architecture of the MAX32xxx and MAX78xxx microcontrollers requires secondary images contained within the image for the primary core. This means only a single image is required to boot and run a mulit-core microcontroller.

The secondary core is enabled with a code sequence on the primary core. Debugging the secondary core is available after MXC_SYS_RISCVRun() has been called on the primary core.

Note

Not all of the dual core evaluation boards have external debug ports for the secondary core. Care should be taken when selecting a board to work with.

See Supported processors for a full list of supported processors.

Create a multi-core workspace

To get started, you need to create a multi-core workspace. There are two options:

  1. Create a multi-core workspace using the Workspace Creation Wizard
  2. Create a multi-core workspace by combining two SDK examples

Option 1: Create a multi-core workspace using the Workspace Creation wizard

  1. Click the CodeFusion Studio icon CodeFusion Studio Icon CodeFusion Studio Icon in the VS Code activity bar.
  2. Click New Workspace.
  3. Select the MAX78002 processor and EvKIT_V1 board.
  4. Choose Select a workspace template and select the MSDK multi-core example.
  5. Click Continue.
  6. Enter a name for your workspace and click Create Workspace.

Option 2: Create a multi-core workspace by combining SDK examples

The MAX78002 RV_ARM_Loader example is located within the CodeFusion Studio installation at <CodeFusion Studio Install>/SDK/MAX/Examples/MAX78002/RV_ARM_Loader. This example uses the Arm processor to load and prepare the RISC-V processor to run a chosen program.

Note

By default, the example runs the MAX78002 Hello_World example on the RISC-V processor, found at <CodeFusion Studio Install>/SDK/MAX/Examples/MAX78002/Hello_World. To run a different program on the RISC-V processor, change the RISCV_APP variable in RV_ARM_LOADER/project.mk to point to the root directory of the program to build and run:

project.mk 

# This file can be used to set build configuration
# variables.  These variables are defined in a file called
# "Makefile" that is located next to this one.

# For instructions on how to use this system, see
# https://analogdevicesinc.github.io/msdk/USERGUIDE/#build-system

# **********************************************************

# Enable the RISC-V loader
RISCV_LOAD = 1

# The RISCV application can be changed.
# It defaults to Hello_World
RISCV_APP=../Hello_World

  1. Create a new directory, such as MAX78002_Multicore, outside of the SDK examples folder.

  2. Copy the MAX78002 Hello_World example (or the example you'd like to run on the RISC-V processor) and the MAX78002 RV_ARM_Loader example into the MAX78002_Multicore directory.

    Note

    If the Hello_World project isn't located at ../Hello_World relative to RV_ARM_Loader, or if you are using a different project, you will need to update the RISCV_APP path in RV_ARM_Loader/project.mk.

  3. Click File > Open Folder to open the copied RV_ARM_Loader folder as single-folder workspace.

  4. Click File > Add Folder to Workspace to add the copied Hello_World folder.

    Note

    Convert the projects to CodeFusion Studio workspaces if required. See Open and Migrate Example for more info.

Build the projects

Run the CFS: build to create the build directory and generate the ELF files needed for debugging.

  • Click the CFS icon cfs-icon cfs-icon in the Activity Bar.
  • Select Build (m4) or Build (RV_ARM_Loader) in the Actions view.

This action creates the following files:

  • build/m4.elf or build/RV_ARM_Loader.elf
  • build/buildrv/riscv.elf

Debug settings

  1. Select the Run and Debug icon on the activity bar.
  2. Select the CFS: Debug with GDB and OpenOCD (Arm Embedded) from the dropdown menu.
  3. Click on the Start Debugging icon (green play button) to the left of your selection or press F5.

  4. Select configuration or image files if prompted.

    Note

    If prompted to specify the Arm ELF binary, the path depends on your project layout:

    • If you are using the m4 core directory from the template use:
      <workspace-folder>/m4/build/m4.elf

    • If you are using the RV_ARM_Loader example use:
      <workspace-folder>/RV_ARM_Loader/build/RV_ARM_Loader.elf.

  5. When the Arm debug session reaches the breakpoint in the main.c code, press Continue on the debugging tool bar or F5.

  6. Confirm RISC-V is running by observing LED0 blinking, or pause the Arm core to check it has passed the call to MXC_SYS_RISCVRun();
  7. Launch the RISC-V debug instance using the CFS: Debug with GDB and OpenOCD (RISC-V) debug configuration.

  8. Select configuration/image files if prompted.

    Note

    If prompted to specify the RISC-V ELF binary, the path depends on your project layout:

    • If you are using the m4 core directory from the template use:
      <workspace-folder>/m4/build/buildrv/riscv.elf

    • If you are using the RV_ARM_Loader example use:
      <workspace-folder>/RV_ARM_Loader/build/buildrv/riscv.elf

Control the session

The Call Stack can be used to navigate between each debug instance. This provides quick access to the debugging taking place on each processor.