During debug, I often get the softdevice calling app_error_fault_handler

[David Fernandez]

This keeps happening every time I stop the program for a while and then resume execution.

Breakpoint 2, app_error_fault_handler (id=1, pc=76354, info=0) at ./HAPPlatformAbort.c:79
(gdb) bt
#0  app_error_fault_handler (id=1, pc=76354, info=0) at ./HAPPlatformAbort.c:79
#1  0x00023684 in ?? ()
Backtrace stopped: previous frame identical to this frame (corrupt stack?)
(gdb) info reg
r0             0x1      1
r1             0x12a42  76354
r2             0x0      0
r3             0x27cf5  163061
r4             0x20000918       536873240
r5             0x14eb18 1370904
r6             0x8e0    2272
r7             0x200000d4       536871124
r8             0x1      1
r9             0x200000b9       536871097
r10            0x40008544       1073775940
r11            0x40001504       1073747204
r12            0x3      3
sp             0x2000fe38       0x2000fe38
lr             0x23685  145029
pc             0x27cf4  0x27cf4 <app_error_fault_handler>
xpsr           0x61000003       1627389955
msp            0x2000fe38       536935992
psp            0x0      0
primask        0x0      0
basepri        0x0      0
faultmask      0x0      0
control        0x0      0

N.B. I did put a breakpoint trying to catch the problem.

Softdevice s132 6.0.0 using SDK 15.0.0.

I wonder what is it about and how can I avoid this when debugging stuff not related to the bluetooth comms...

Regards

[awneil]

It's because the SoftDevice has timing requirements, and stopping the CPU with the debugger breaks them - so the SoftDevice crashes.

You need to use Monitor Mode debugging:

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/23657/improved-softdevice-debugging/148486#148486

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/38438/a-working-demo-of-monitor-mode-debug-mmd-on-sdk-15-please 

https://www.segger.com/products/debug-probes/j-link/technology/monitor-mode-debugging/ 

[David Fernandez]

Hi Owneil,

Thanks for clarifying.

I'll try to add that to my project.

My most immediate problem is that I am running low on memory until I get the new hardware, o I am wondering if there is a way to tell the softdevice to not assert on that, as the problem I am debugging won't care if the cooms get disrupted due to expired timers that did not run or missing events.

Regards

[Vidar Berg]

Hi,

It's not possible to disable the assert checks inside the Softdevice unfortunately. But you can overcome this limitation by using monitor mode debugging as Awneil suggested. Daniel who is one of our FAEs has written a blog post on how to set it up for GDB/Eclipse: https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/b/blog/posts/monitor-mode-debugging-with-j-link-and-gdbeclipse. You can use it with just GDB as well; the difference is that you run the monitor commands directly in GDB. 

Best regards,

Vidar

[David Fernandez]

OK, thanks.