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"Failed to load debugee"

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: CC2530

I'm getting a "Failed to load debugee" error whenever I try to debug my CC2530 device with IAR EW 7.60. Since the error message doesn't tell me a whole lot, I thought one of you might know more about this. What does this mean and what can I do?

 

The full error message is below:

 

Failed to load debugee: C:\Users\<snip>\Exe\SampleApp.d51 

Otherwise, the debug log is empty. I do not get this message when I download to a development kit device, only my own.

 

  • Could you please provide some more information aobut how you have connected the CC2530 device to the PC, i.e. what debugger are you using, how is it connected etc.

  • I'm using IAR EW 7.60's debugger. I am debugging through a SmartRF05 Evaluation Board by connecting my device to the EB through the Ext SoC debug connection. I can use this fine by conecting a SmartRF battery board by the Ext SoC connection instead of my board or by connecting an CC2530 evaluation module directly to the EB. Is there anything else relevant?

  • A few things to verify:

    1) Make sure you power your board correctly. The ExtSoc Debug plug does not supply any power to the connected device through pin 9 unless R30 is mounted.

    2) Make sure you connect pin 2 on the debug connecto to Vdd on your target board (for proper voltage sensing for the level converter).

    3) Verify signal integrity and avoid too long signals between the EB and the target. Check that the EB board is able to detect the CC2530 (indicated on the LCD) and use e.g. the Flash Programmer to check that the communication between the PC and device is working as expected.

    4) ... Shut down IAR, reset your target board, power-cycle the EB-board (in that order - the EB board will only do a device detect after a reset!), restart IAR and try again.

  • Thanks for the suggestions.

    I'm trying to verify the connection with the flash programmer and am getting strange results. When I try to read the hex file from the device, I usually get either a file full of 0xFF's or one where I get a two-letter combination such as 0xB0 repeated line after line until partway through the file where it switches to 0xFF's. However, I appeared to be successfully reading and writing earlier on the device without any obvious changes. Even then, though, the writes would always fail the verifications and when I read back the hex file it would have signfiicant differences from the hex file which I tried to write (I was using a hex file read from an evaluation module).

    None of the other suggestions seem to turn up anything unusual.

  • I'd still like some input as to what the above behavior indicates. I've checked various connections, etc. but can't find anything wrong other than this (rather large) problem. It almost works sporadically so it seems like the communication must be active, but the flash programmer still fails to verify downloads and IAR EW gives the failed to load debugee error.

     

    Edit: I'd like to add some additional information.

    The 32 Mhz oscillator doesn't seem to be working. Could this cause the problem?

    We have our debug connection pins attached as follows:

    Pin 1 to GND
    Pin 2 to Vdd
    Pin3 to P2_2 (Debug Clock)
    Pin 4 to P2_1 (Debug Data)
    Pin 5 no connection
    Pin 6 no connection
    Pin 7 to Reset_N
    Pin 8 (MOSI) no connection
    Pin 9 no connection
    Pin 10 (MISO) to ground

    Does that look correct?

  • Hello Thomas,

      I've been experiencing the same symptoms as you. Have you managed to get it to work?

      It's been ok for debugging with the kit parts, but not on our own prototype. RBIAS and DCOUPLING are ok and I don't believe I should need any more connections to make it work, right? Since I got green light from CC Debugger and the chip type is correctly displayed in SmartRF Flash Programmer I don't believe it's a communication problem.

      Another detail is that I can program and verify in Flash Programmer. But while I can read and write the secondary IEEE address, it's not really written (always FF FF).

     

    Is this the same problem? And is there any possible solution for this?

     

    Best Regards

  • One thing to check

     

    Is your board properly connected to the supply voltage from CC Debugger or a external supply?

     

    If CC Debugger is intended to supply your board pin9 and pin1 both need to be connected to VDD. Pin2 is used to sense voltage on target board to correctly translate signal levels in CC Debugger internal level converter.  

    If target is not properly connected to a supply, leakage through chip internal ESD protection circuitry originating from any high level pin can provide a weak supply to the circuit. i.e the RESETn=VDD=3.3V) might leak through ESD circuitry providing some reduced voltage on VDD pins. This supply might be sufficient to establish a connection (green light) but it is not capable to supply necessary power when trying to write to flash or enter transmit/receive.

     

    I am not certain if this is what happening on your board but it might be worth checking.

     

    Tor-Inge