Debug asserts on the MSP430

You can use something like this (defined in a header file). (Note I took this from DriverLib for F5xx-6xx)

//*****************************************************************************
//
//Prototype for the function that is called when an invalid argument is passed
//to an API. This is only used when doing a DEBUG build.
//
//*****************************************************************************

extern void __error__ (char *pcFilename, unsigned long ulLine);

//*****************************************************************************
//
//The ASSERT macro, which does the actual assertion checking. Typically, this
//will be for procedure arguments.
//
//*****************************************************************************
#ifdef DEBUG
#define ASSERT(expr) { \
        if (!(expr)) \
        { \
            __error__(__FILE__, __LINE__); \
        } \
}
#else
#define ASSERT(expr)
#endif

Hi Corey,

I've just been looking into this myself. I found that the CCS debugger uses the opcode 0x4343 to place software breakpoints, and configures an EEM trigger to halt the cpu and clocks when that opcode is fetched.

If you put an _op_code(0x4343) in your program and run it with the debugger attached and software breakpoints enabled it should cause the program to pause on the following line. Otherwise the opcode represents a NOP, so it won't do anything unpleasant (other than using up two bytes and wasting a cycle).

This works on the MSP430 G-series, but I think it should work on the other families as long as they have an EEM.

Rob

Robert,

That's also good information to have. I wonder if it works in IAR debugger as well....

Seems like the two "answers" could be combined into an ASSERT macro for CCS. The code I posted is from the DriverLib_5xx-6xx in MSP430Ware, which compiles under both CCS and IAR.

~Brian

Great information guys!  I'm currently working under IAR Workbench since we are still undecided about using the MSP430.  I'll try out the options provided below on IAR Workbench (and possibly the 30 day trial of CCS) and let you know what I figure out.