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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:
- If your professor teaches your course using the D-Bug12 monitor.
- If you bought Prof. Tom Almy's textbook and want to learn HCS12
programming with his book
- 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.
-
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.
-
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.
- 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:
- If your professor teaches your course using the serial
monitor.
- If you bought Prof. Richard Haskel's textbook and want to
learn HCS12 programming with his book
- If you want to learn how to use a modern professional IDE
and prepare yourself for working in the industry.
-
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.
-
If you want to use a HCS12 board as a port of MATLAB and
Simulink with CodeWarrior IDE in Mechatronic.
-
If your program is complex and debugging your code will be
easier with CodeWarrior.
- After school if you are going to use a HCS12 board
continuously for some large projects.