Source Level / Hardware Debugging: Its time.

Community Suggestions for the Arduino Project
1

I just got a JTAGICE3 working with an UNO under AS6.2.
Its awesome to have source debugging- finally!
But AS6.2 isn't for everyone. Its not for most of the Arduino fan base.
Source debugging belongs in the Arduino IDE!

Its such a shame that after all this time folks are still running around in circles about debugging
on Arduino. Serial.Println has its place, its OK, but source debugging and SINGLE STEPPING is so much more powerful. Hobbyists are venturing into AS6.2 land and getting discouraged.
Visual Micro is there, and is clever, but it is not easy to get working and understand, and last I tried
it does not single step. Beginners would learn so much by watching single step. They need it.
And again, debugging for Arduno belongs in the Arduino IDE, not AS6.2

Arduino.cc would do the hobby base a big service if you could add a really SIMPLE, SOLID source debug feature to the Arduino IDE. It would be KILLER.
The enhancement that breakpoints run-to-cursor, single stepping, and variable viewing would bring
to the educational value Arduino would be dramatic. It would SHOW the hobbyists whats going on.
Advanced hobbyists need that, and beginners might advance faster. It would be quite a coup.

Some ideas:

It would take some thinking about what a "beginners/hobbyist" debugger might be like. Perhaps it means that all in-scope variables are in view all the time on the right margin, for example- to make it really clear and hassle free.

Perhaps to start with, put out variants of the "debugWIRE capable" boards (UNO or Leonardo?) that would work with debugWIRE without RESET mods. (Not sure how to do that- maybe a jumper, maybe higher value resistor, or some kind of soft disable)

And offer an Arduino debugger. Perhaps you could get a deal on JTAGICE3's and rebrand them.

2

Arduino.cc would do the hobby base a big service if you could add a really SIMPLE, SOLID source debug feature to the Arduino IDE. It would be KILLER.

How are you going to do this? It's open source, after all. If debugging the code running on another computer was so easy, don't you think it would have been incorporated by now?

3

I'm not going to do it. Never said I was. I'm suggesting they do it. Not saying its easy but its certainly the norm today in embedded systems. Maybe not tremendously more difficult than it was to set up the build method and the IDE to begin with.

4

I believe that the Arduino Zero will have a new IDE and source level debugging. I say "believe" because I don't have any hard evidence. Arduino/Atmel are not very forthcoming with info, unless you can get into the Secret Club.

So maybe Arduino will blow or minds with a new IDE and source level debugger which is also easy to use for beginners. Maybe it will be announced at CES Las Vegas? Or maybe it will be same old thing. We will have to wait.

5

Since 2011, Arduino has announced new products at the Maker Faires in San Mateo USA (mid-May), New York USA (late September) and more recently in Rome Italy (early October), and/or "Makercon" conventions which are held in the few days before each Maker Faire.

Likewise, they've tended to actually release products (as in, actually selling them to anyone) at those Maker Faire events, usually with a pretty limited quantity, and unlimited numbers online within a few weeks.

6

I just got a JTAGICE3 working with an UNO under AS6.2.
Its awesome to have source debugging- finally!

JTAGICE3 is only $99 from Atmel. What part(s) should Arduino give free?

I think that there is at least one free AVR simulator out there.