Demystifying Common Microcontroller Debug Protocols

Explore the inner workings of microcontroller debugging protocols in this 44-minute conference talk from the 38th Chaos Communication Congress (38C3). Delve into the mechanics behind common debug interfaces like JTAG and SWD, understanding the journey from physical wire signals to advanced debugging capabilities. Learn about the minimal primitives required for interactive debugging sessions, the requirements for comfortable debugging environments, and examples of debug engines across various platforms. The presentation examines low-level protocols and their physical implementations, bridges the gap between protocols and practical memory manipulation, and covers essential debugging tasks like flash programming, watchpoints, and single-step debugging. Speaker Sean "xobs" Cross demystifies these often overlooked but crucial aspects of embedded development, showing how modern microcontrollers can maintain robust debugging capabilities despite their size constraints.