dbprint

DeBugPrint is a homebrew minimal low-level println/printf replacement. It can be used to to print text/values to UARTwithout a lot of external libraries. The end goal was to use no exernal libraries (with methods like itoa) apart from the ones specific to the microcontroller.

DeBugPrint was originally designed for use on the Silicon Labs Happy Gecko EFM32 board (EFM32HG322 -- TQFP48) (SLSTK3400A) and was developed on Simplicity Studio v4 on Ubuntu 19.04.

• There are a lot of useful yet simple code-examples at https://github.com/SiliconLabs/peripheral_examples
• Click here to find a lot of useful information (general info, info about keywords and datatypes, ...) about the project and C in general.
• Click here to find detailed information about all available methods.

Table of contents

• dbprint
  • Table of contents
  • 1 - Installation instructions
    • 1.1 - Add dbprint folder to your project
    • 1.2 - Add em_usart.c to your project (if not already added)
    • 1.3 - Include debug_dbprint.h in your project's main.c (or another) file
    • 1.4 - Start adding dbprint functionality
    • 1.5 - Clean & Build
  • 2 - Enable/disable dbprint using definition in debug_dbprint.h
  • 3 - VCOM
  • 4 - Energy profiler and dbprint
  • 5 - Methods
    • 5.1 - Definitions
    • 5.2 - Usage examples
      • 5.2.1 - Basic functions
      • 5.2.2 - More advanced functions
      • 5.2.3 - Interrupt functionality
  • 6 - Alternate locations of pins

1 - Installation instructions

1.1 - Add dbprint folder to your project

Copy the dbprint folder containing the header and source files from this repository to your project folder.

Open the project settings using File > Properties (or right click on your project in the Project Explorer and choose Properties).

In the opened window choose C/C++ General > Paths and Symbols on the left.

In the tab "Includes":

1. Click Add... > Workspace...
2. Browse to the "dbprint" folder in your project folder and press OK.
3. Check the boxes "Add to all languages" and "Is a workspace path" and press OK.

1.2 - Add em_usart.c to your project (if not already added)

In any Simplicity Studio example project (like blink) all of the header files (.h) for emlib are included but the source files (.c) are sometimes not. This needs to be done manually:

1. In the Project Explorer on the left, rightclick on the emlib folder under your project and select New > File from Template
2. Click on Advanced>>and check "Link to file in the file system".
3. Click Browse..., go to SimplicityStudio_v4/developer/sdks/gecko_sdk_suite/v2.4/platform/emlib/src, select the the em_usart.c file and press OK.
4. Press FINISH.

1.3 - Include debug_dbprint.h in your project's main.c (or another) file

#include "debug_dbprint.h"

1.4 - Start adding dbprint functionality

It's advised to surround dbprint statements in your code with IF ... ENDIF so they can be enabled/disabled by setting the definition DEBUG_DBPRINT in debug_dbprint.h to 1 or 0:

#if DEBUG_DBPRINT == 1 /* DEBUG_DBPRINT */

dbprint_INIT(USART1, 4, true, false); /* Initialize dbprint for use with VCOM */

dbprintln("Hello world!"); /* An example of a dbprint statement */

#endif /* DEBUG_DBPRINT */

More information about this can be found in "2 - Enable/disable dbprint using definition in debug_dbprint.h".

1.5 - Clean & Build

Perform a clean and build action to fix errors that would occur when the project would just get build after the dbprint files are added.

1. Click Project > Clean...
2. Select "Clean projects selected below" and check the current project.
3. Check "Start a build immediately" while "Build only the selected projects" is selected.
4. Press OK.

2 - Enable/disable dbprint using definition in debug_dbprint.h

In the file debug_dbprint.h dbprint UART functionality can be enabled/disabled with the definition #define DEBUG_DBPRINT. If it's value is 0, all dbprint functionality is disabled. This means that the only header file to include in your projects for dbprint to work is #include debug_dbprint.h

Again, it's advised to surround dbprint statements in your code with IF ... ENDIF so they can be enabled/disabled by setting the definition DEBUG_DBPRINT in debug_dbprint.h to 1 or 0:

#if DEBUG_DBPRINT == 1 /* DEBUG_DBPRINT */

dbprintln("Hello world!"); /* An example of a dbprint statement */

#endif /* DEBUG_DBPRINT */

3 - VCOM

When using dbprint functionality, the following settings are used and can't be changed without editing the source code:

• Baudrate = 115200
• 8 databits
• 1 stopbit
• No parity

VCOM is an on-board (on the SLSTK3400A) UART to USB converter alongside the Segger J-Link debugger. It's connected with microcontroller pins PA0 (RX) and PF2 (TX). This converter can then be used with Putty or another serial port program.

When you want to debug using VCOM with interrupt functionality disabled, you can use the following initialization settings:

dbprint_INIT(USART1, 4, true, false);

Setting the third argument to true indicates to the code that PA9(EFM_BC_EN) should be set high to enable the isolation switch on the PCB of the Happy Gecko to link PA0 (RX) and PF2 (TX) to the debugger. Don't use this pin yourself if you want to make use of the on-board UART to USB converter!

4 - Energy profiler and dbprint

The Energy profiler in Simplicity Studio seems to use VCOM somehow. Use an external UART adapter if both the energy profiler and UART debugging are necessary at the same time!

Don't forget to change the INIT arguments to select the correct pins if necessary! (see section "6 - Alternate locations of pins").

If the energy profiler was used and the code functionality was switched, physically re-plug the board to make sure VCOM UART starts working again!

5 - Methods

5.1 - Definitions

This is a list of all available methods. Detailed documentation about them can be found here.

void dbprint_INIT(USART_TypeDef* pointer, uint8_t location, bool vcom, bool interrupts);
 
void dbAlert(void);
void dbClear(void);

void dbprint(char *message);
void dbprintln(char *message);

void dbprintInt(int32_t value);
void dbprintlnInt(int32_t value);

void dbprintInt_hex(int32_t value);
void dbprintlnInt_hex(int32_t value);

void dbprint_color(char *message, dbprint_color_t color);
void dbprintln_color(char *message, dbprint_color_t color);

void dbinfo(char *message);
void dbwarn(char *message);
void dbcrit(char *message);

void dbinfoInt(char *message1, int32_t value, char *message2);
void dbwarnInt(char *message1, int32_t value, char *message2);
void dbcritInt(char *message1, int32_t value, char *message2);

void dbinfoInt_hex(char *message1, int32_t value, char *message2);
void dbwarnInt_hex(char *message1, int32_t value, char *message2);
void dbcritInt_hex(char *message1, int32_t value, char *message2);

char dbReadChar(void);
uint8_t dbReadInt(void);
void dbReadLine(char *buf);

bool dbGet_RXstatus(void);
void dbGet_RXbuffer(char *buf);

5.2 - Usage examples

5.2.1 - Basic functions

dbprint_INIT(USART1, 4, true, false); /* Initialize UART1 on VCOM, no interrupts*/

dbprint("Hello World");    /* Print text to uart */
dbprintln("");             /* Go to next line */
dbprintln("Hello World");  /* Print text to uart and go to the next line */

dbinfo("Info.");           /* Print an info message (prefix "INFO: ") */
dbwarn("Warning.");        /* Print a warning message in yellow (prefix "WARN: ") */
dbcrit("Critical error."); /* Print a critical error message in red (prefix "CRIT: ") */

uint32_t value = 42;

/* Print "unsigned int" value in decimal notation */
dbprintInt(value);       /* Stay on the current line */
dbprintlnInt(value);     /* Go to next line */

/* Print "unsigned int" value in hexadecimal notation */
dbprintInt_hex(value);   /* Stay on the current line */
dbprintlnInt_hex(value); /* Go to next line */

/* The methods above also work for printing "signed int" values like: */
int32_t intValue = -42;

/* Read a character and check wich one it is */
dbprint("Type 'y' or 'n': ");
char test = dbReadChar();
if (test == 'y') dbprintln("Yes");
if (test == 'n') dbprintln("No");

/* Read a character and convert it to a uint8_t value, print it afterwards */
dbprint("Type a number (1 character): ");
uint8_t test2 = dbReadInt();
dbprintlnInt(test2);

/* Read a line and print it, press enter to stop typing.
 * It also stops when DBPRINT_BUFFER_SIZE is reached. */
dbprint("Type a line: ");
char testArray[DBPRINT_BUFFER_SIZE];
dbReadLine(testArray);
dbprintln(testArray);

5.2.2 - More advanced functions

dbAlert(); /* Let the console make an "alert" (bell) sound */
dbClear(); /* Clear the console window */

dbprint_color("Hello World", RED);   /* Print red text to uart */
dbprintln("");                       /* Go to next line */
dbprintln_color("Hello World", RED); /* Print red text to uart and go to the next line */

uint32_t value = 42;

/* Print an info message with prefix "INFO: " where a value
   in decimal notation is enclosed between two strings */
dbinfoInt("Info = ", value, " [unit of value]");

/* Print an info message with prefix "INFO: " where a value
   in hexadecimal notation is enclosed between two strings */
dbinfoInt_hex("Info = ", value, " [unit of value]");

/* Print a warning message in yellow with prefix "WARN: " where a value
   in decimal notation is enclosed between two strings */
dbwarnInt("Warning = ", value, " [unit of value]");

/* Print a warning message in yellow with prefix "WARN: " where a value
   in hexadecimal notation is enclosed between two strings */
dbwarnInt_hex("Warning = ", value, " [unit of value]");

/* Print a critical error message in red with prefix "CRIT: " where a value
  in decimal notation is enclosed between two strings */
dbcritInt("Critical error = ", value, " [unit of value]");

/* Print a critical error message in red with prefix "CRIT: " where a value
  in hexadecimal notation is enclosed between two strings */
dbcritInt_hex("Critical error = ", value, " [unit of value]");

5.2.3 - Interrupt functionality

Dbprint can also be put in interrupt mode by using the INIT arguments below, using VCOM for this example. Then, received characters will be automatically stored in an internal buffer for later use.

dbprint_INIT(USART1, 4, true, true); /* Initialize dbprint on VCOM, interrupt mode */

A getter (dbGet_RXstatus();) can be used to check if there is received data in this internal buffer and another getter (dbGet_RXbuffer();) can be used to copy the data from this internal buffer to another one.

An example using these two getters is depicted below and can be put in, for example, the main.c file.

bool received = dbGet_RXstatus(); /* Check if there is data received in the buffer */

/* If we received data do the following */
if (received)
{
  char buf[DBPRINT_BUFFER_SIZE]; /* Create a temporary buffer to store the received data in */
  dbGet_RXbuffer(buf); /* Copy the received data to this temporary buffer */
  dbprintln(buf); /* Print the contents of this temporary buffer in the terminal */
}

6 - Alternate locations of pins

In C, pin selection/routing happens at the end of initialization methods using statements like:

USART1->ROUTE |= USART_ROUTE_TXPEN | USART_ROUTE_RXPEN | USART_ROUTE_LOCATION_LOC0;

If you use dbprint you don't really need to worry about this but you need to make sure you select the correct location when calling the dbprint_INIT method.

The location numbers and corresponding RXand TXpins for USART0and USART1 (EFM32HG322) are given below.

Location	#0	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6
US0_RX	PE11		PC10	PE12	PB8	PC1	PC1
US0_TX	PE10			PE13	PB7	PC0	PC0
US1_RX	PC1		PD6	PD6	PA0	PC2
US1_TX	PC0		PD7	PD7	PF2	PC1

VCOM:

• USART1 #4 (USART0 can't be used)
• RX - PA0
• TX - PF2
• Isolation switch - PA9 (EFM_BC_EN)
  Don't use this pin yourself when using the on-board UART to USB converter!