How can you debug an ARM-based system using an emulator?

1 Choose an emulator

The first step is to choose an emulator that suits your needs and supports your target ARM architecture and system configuration. There are many emulators available, both free and commercial, with different levels of functionality and compatibility. Some examples are QEMU, ARM Fast Models, Renode, and SkyEye. You should compare the features, performance, documentation, and support of each emulator before deciding which one to use.

2 Install and configure the emulator

The next step is to install and configure the emulator on your host machine, which can be a PC, a laptop, or a cloud server. You will need to download the emulator software and any dependencies, such as libraries, drivers, or plugins. You will also need to set up the emulator settings, such as the processor model, memory size, clock frequency, and device models. You may also need to create or modify a configuration file that specifies the system parameters and options.

3 Load the system image and the code

The third step is to load the system image and the code that you want to debug into the emulator. The system image is a binary file that contains the operating system, the drivers, and the applications that run on the target system. The code is the source code or the executable file that you have written or compiled for the target system. You will need to copy or transfer these files to the emulator directory or use a command-line tool or a graphical user interface to load them.

4 Start and control the emulation

The fourth step is to start and control the emulation process. You can use the emulator commands or buttons to start, stop, pause, resume, or reset the emulation. You can also use the emulator features to monitor the system status, such as the processor registers, the memory contents, the device states, and the output messages. You can also use the emulator features to change the system behavior, such as injecting interrupts, faults, or inputs.

5 Debug the code

The fifth step is to debug the code using the emulator tools or an external debugger. You can use the emulator tools to set breakpoints, watchpoints, or tracepoints, to inspect or modify the code or the data, and to execute the code step by step or in full speed. You can also use an external debugger, such as GDB, Eclipse, or Visual Studio, to connect to the emulator via a debug interface, such as TCP/IP or JTAG, and to perform the same debugging operations.

6 Test and validate the code

The final step is to test and validate the code using the emulator tools or an external tester. You can use the emulator tools to measure the code performance, such as the execution time, the memory usage, the power consumption, or the code coverage. You can also use an external tester, such as a unit tester, a functional tester, or a stress tester, to verify the code functionality, reliability, or robustness. You can also compare the emulator results with the real hardware results to check the accuracy and compatibility of the emulator.