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The Freescale D-Bug12 monitor communicates with a PC via a simple ASCII based serial interface, so it only requires a terminal program, like AsmIDE, MiniIDE or Hyperterm, installed on a PC to communicate with the D-Bug12 monitor.  You can enter an ASCII command, such as DM (display memory) or MM (modify memory), and it will be recognized by the D-Bug12 monitor. If you have worked on 68HC11 programming before, you would be familiar with the BUFFALO monitor.  The D-Bug12 monitor for the HCS12 works in a way like the BUFFALO monitor for the 68HC11.

The Freescale serial monitor communicates with a PC via a proprietary binary code based serial interface, so it requires a special program, such as CodeWarrior installed on a PC to communicate with the serial monitor.  If you enter an ASCII command it will be translated by the CodeWarrior to binary code that will be recognized by the serial monitor.  An ASCII command entered in a terminal program will not be recognized by the serial monitor.

The advantage of using CodeWarrior is that it includes a C source level debugger which allows you single step through your code in assembly or C language.  In order to use this feature you need Dragon12 boards to be installed with serial monitor.

The advantage of using a terminal program with the D-Bug12 monitor is that it's easier to use than the CodeWarrior with the serial monitor.  If you are new to CodeWarrior it will require a considerable amount of time to learn how to configure and use the CodeWarrior.

You probably should order the board pre-loaded with Freescale D-Bug12 monitor:

  1. If your professor teaches your course using the D-Bug12 monitor.
     
  2. If you bought Prof. Tom Almy's textbook and want to learn HCS12 programming with his book
     
  3. If you do not use CodeWarrior's debugger, but only use CodeWarrior IDE to create and assemble or compile source code using the assembler or C compiler included in CodeWarrior to generate an s19 hex file and finally use a terminal program to download the s19 file into RAM , run it from  RAM. In this case, you need the board installed with the D-Bug12 monitor, not the serial monitor. You debug your C program by inserting "printf" statements within your program.
     
  4. If your programs is very small.  It's not worth spending time to learn the CodeWarrior for blinking a few Christmas lights.  The D-Bug12 monitor will be good enough for you.
     
  5. If you only use a HCS12 board occasionally for small projects. It's not worth spending time to learn the CodeWarrior and you will probably forget how to use CodeWarrior in a few months anyway if you don't keep using it continuously.
     
  6. If you are new to the Microcontroller programming field.  It's easy to start with the D-Bug12 monitor.
 

You probably should order the board pre-loaded with Freescale serial monitor:

  1. If your professor teaches your course using the serial monitor.
     
  2. If you bought Prof. Richard Haskel's textbook and want to learn HCS12 programming with his book
     
  3. If you want to learn how to use a modern professional IDE and prepare yourself for working in the industry.
     
  4. If you want to use CodeWarrior's True-Time debugger for debugging your code. You want to be able to single step through your C program in debugging.
     
  5. If you want to use a HCS12 board as a port of MATLAB and Simulink with CodeWarrior IDE in Mechatronic.
     
  6. If your program is complex and debugging your code will be easier with CodeWarrior.
     
  7. After school if you are going to use a HCS12 board continuously for some large projects.