pyavrocd 1.4.0

A cross-platform GDB server for AVR MCUs

PyAvrOCD

PyAvrOCD is a GDB server for 8-bit AVR MCUs (see list of supported MCUs and supported boards), enabling you to debug programs running on these MCUs using the GNU Project Debugger GDB. PyAvrOCD communicates with Microchip's debug probes, such as the very affordable MPLAB Snap, and it provides a pass-through service for the UNO-based debug probe dw-link and the simulation tool simavr (see list of supported debug probes).

So, why another open-source GDB server for AVR MCUs? The main intention is to provide a cross-platform AVR GDB server. In other words, it is the missing AVR debugging solution for the Arduino IDE 2 and PlatformIO. In particular, the integration with Arduino IDE 2 is pretty tight, allowing one to start debugging without much hassle (see quickstart guides). Additionally, PyAvrOCD excels in minimizing flash wear and protects single-stepping against interrupts.

What has been done so far, and what to expect in the future

PyAvrOCD v1.0.0 has been released. Interested in giving it a try? You are welcome to install it. Want to learn more about it? Read the docs. Any feedback, be it bug reports, crazy ideas, or praise, is welcome.

Meanwhile, PyAvrOCD has been extended to also cover the megaAVR 0-series and the modern ATtinys. Work is underway to handle the remaining UPDI MCUs, i.e., the AVR devices. I am unsure about Xmegas. One main point missing is an Arduino core for the MegaXU4 chips, similar to MCUdude's MiniCore. And then there is the idea of basing everything on more recent versions of the GCC toolchain because it probably will solve a number of problems on the debugging front. Finally, I am committed to fixing some of the more obvious bugs in the AVR part of the GDB debugger.