DB11 Manual
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NAME
db11 - Load and debug programs on Motorola 68HC11 micro
processor
SYNOPSIS
db11 [-cfjmnrst] [scriptfile...]
DESCRIPTION
db11 loads programs, performs terminal emulation, and
implements a remote debugger for a Motorola 68HC11 micro
processor.
It can load programs from S19 files into EPROM/OTPROM,
EEPROM, internal or external RAM, and will shortly support
FLASH programming as well.
Terminal emulation modes include direct or hexadecimal
output and/or input (with or without local echo) and MIDI
(Music Instrument Digital Interface) protocol interpreta
tion into readable text. Options may be changed interac
tively during a session.
As a debugger, db11 communicates through a small "talker"
program to implement memory read and examine, breakpoints,
single stepping, and code disassembly. db11 is fully
scriptable - all commands and commandline options may be
embedded in scripts.
OPTIONS
Command line options may occur in any order, but boot
(-b), jump (-j), scriptfiles, and connect (-c) will be
executed in that order after any other options have taken
effect.
-c baudrate
Set the connect baud rate. May be different from
the bootstrap baud rate. Same as the script
instructions baud followed by connect.
-f Connect even if the bootload or other startup
options seem to have failed. Same as the force
script instruction.
-j addr
Bootload a jump to the specified address. Same as
the jump script instruction.
-m mode
Set specified mode. Same as the mode script
instruction.
-n Display bootup actions but don't perform them.
Same as the pretend script instruction.
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-r baudrate
Set the bootup baud rate (often 1200, depending on
CPU speed). Same as the bootbaud script instruc
tion.
-s file.s19
Load the specified S19 file into memory. Same as
the boot script instruction.
-t tty The MC68HC11 is attached to tty (or /dev/, or
/dev/tty). Same as the tty script instruc
tion.
-? Print a command-line usage message only.
MODES
Modes are flags that affect the way other features work.
Additionally, the debug flag connects you to the debugger
rather than directly to the MC68HC11. Mode keywords may be
abbreviated to one character, as shown by the square
brackets below, and are case-insensitive.
d[ebug]
Debug mode. Should only be activated after starting
the talker program.
e[cho] Local echo mode. Keystrokes in connect mode will be
echoed locally, perhaps because the program is not
echoing them. Local echo always applies to Hexadec
imal input mode regardless.
i[nputhex]
Hexadecimal input mode. Two digits of hexadecimal
data must be typed to define each byte of data to
be sent to the MC68HC11.
h[ex] Hexadecimal output mode. All data received from the
MC68HC11 will be displayed as hexadecimal, binary
and, if printable, ASCII.
m[idi] MIDI interpret mode. The data received from the
MC68HC11 is expected to be valid MIDI data, and
will be interpreted into readable ASCII.
q[uiet]
Be less talkative.
CHANGING MODES WHILE CONNECTED
Modes may be changed while connected by typing ~ after a
newline. This displays a command prompt, and the following
commands are available:
e Toggle local echo
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hi Toggle hex input mode
ho Toggle hex output mode
m Toggle MIDI mode
~ Send a tilde
q quit the program.
STARTING THE DEBUGGER
To debug, you should either jump (or -j) to a preloaded
talker program, or boot the RAM-based talker using the -s
command-line option or the boot script command. The RAM
talker is shipped as talker.s19.
DEBUG COMMANDS
Most debug commands can be abbreviated from long-form to
short-form, as shown by square brackets in the list below.
Commands are case-independent. Addresses may be entered
in decimal, octal (with preceeding digit 0), or hexadeci
mal (preceeded by 0x), as in the C language. Multiple com
mands may specified on one line, separated by ; (semi
colon). The # character causes the remainder of the line
to be ignored; this is useful in script files.
b[reak]
List all breakpoints.
b[reak] addr
Set breakpoint at address. Address may be . which
means current program counter. It is perfectly
valid to have multiple breakpoints at the same
address, but only the lowest numbered enabled one
will be acknowledged.
c[ontinue]
Run or continue the program from the current loca
tion (pc). This enters db11's connect mode, so
normal connect mode commands are available. Beware
however that if your program sends control-C, DB11
will think that a breakpoint has been hit because
that's the alert character. There is so far no way
to change the alert character.
d[isable] [num]
Disable specified breakpoint or all breakpoints.
e[nable] [num]
Enable specified breakpoint or all breakpoints.
f[ile] file
Load an S19 file into memory. This doesn't set the
program counter pc to the entry point specified in
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the file; you must do that using the set pc com
mand.
g[et] [addr][,count|-addr2]
Display memory in hex and ASCII. With no count,
displays 16 bytes.
include scriptfile
Process commands from scriptfile. This command is
also available when the debugger is not active.
l[ist] [addr][,count]
Disassemble code. The count specifies how many
bytes of code to disassemble, not how many instruc
tions. If the addr-addr2 form is used, disassemble
code in that address range.
n[ext] Execute next instruction.
o[ver] Next, but step over a subroutine call.
q[uit] Quit db11.
r[eg] Display current register frame.
s[et] [a|b|ccr|d|pc|sp|x|y|*addr]=value
Set register or memory. When setting memory, the
value may end in w, which indicates that a 2-byte
value is to be written even if the value fits in
one byte. Setting the pc is like an unconditional
branch; it specifies from where the next instruc
tion will be fetched. Setting the stack pointer sp
is special, as the other registers are fetched from
an interrupt frame at the stack location, so chang
ing the stack pointer changes all the other regis
ters also. This is not a feature for beginners!
z[ero] [addr][,count|-addr2]
Zero memory. With no count, zeroes one byte.
EXAMPLES
Here is a script file example:
#
# This db11 script sets baud rates etc,
# loads and starts the talker, then issues
# a disassemble command that disassembles
# the BOOT ROM.
#
bootbaud 2400
baud 19200
tty S1
boot talker.s19
mode d
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list 0xbf00-0xbfff
quit
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