[Coco] NoICE debugging for the Coco

[Roger Taylor]

At 07:41 AM 3/5/2006, you wrote:
>Robert/Boisy,
>
>I was waiting to see how many responded to this. Zero. :(
>
>This is a hardware/software dream! A tool that we have never had for the 
>CoCo. Truly a GIANT step forward.
>
>I have seen people in the past compare us to the Commodore group. Why 
>don't we have this, they do, etc. Well they might have a larger following? 
>I don't know. What I do know is that they must be using the current tools 
>that are available to be creating these projects.
>
>My point, we need to have more people using these tools, creating hardware 
>and software for the CoCo. Instead most sit and talk about what it was 
>like 20 years ago. Mosts of the posts are off topic, which is fine if that 
>is what you use this list for. I do not. Seriously, the best time to 
>own/develop for a CoCo is now.
>
>Great work by all on this project. Tip of the hat.....
>
>Regards,


I agree with you.  I had a comment but I've been busy and also waiting to 
see who else would bite.  I think given a few more days and a few more 
replies :) this topic may fire up.  So let me help...

I spoke with Boisy about his X-Bug protocol and he mentioned that it would 
be abondoned or put on hold since there was already a duplicated effort 
that's tried and true and freely available (I think).  I downloaded that 
tool but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet.

Just think, if your assembler or IDE can automatically insert NoICE debug 
stops and other protocol functions in the code for testing purposes, this 
could help a lot in debugging your CoCo programs as they run.  Using your 
PC, a special serial cable, and the remote monitoring software, a lot could 
be done... not just debugging but using the protocol's memory transfer 
commands, you could even direct the CoCo to receive raw programs to run, 
etc.  I think the NitrOS-9 ROM Kit would be a nice system to include the 
NoICE protocol.


-- 
Roger Taylor