RTC during debugging

[Bert Baselmans]

My application uses the date_time library to keep track of time. This library is also used to generate alarms on a short, medium and long basis.

My problem is that the RTC continues when I'm debugging, thus interfering with the flow of the alarms.

In some other third-party MCUs, you can specify that the RTC will wait if the program stops during debugging.
Is there such a setting in the nRF9160?

Regards,

Bert

[Hieu]

Hi Bert,

Let me ask our toolchain team and get back to you. How are you doing the debugging, by the way? Are you using nRF Debug as described here?

Hieu

[Bert Baselmans]

Hi Hieu,
I am using the standard nRF Debug as described. I also use the Segger Debugger. Both in combination with J-Trace Pro Cortex-M

Bert

[Bert Baselmans]

Hi Hieu,

Ok, thanks. I will keep waiting

Bert

[Hieu]

Hi Bert,

A quick update. I was able to contact an IC engineer familiar with nRF51 and 52, and at least on those SoC series, RTC cannot be halt during debugging (but WDT can be).

I will continue my search for the nRF9160 person.

Hieu

[Hieu]

Hi, just want you to know I am still on this case and is pinging our IC team every other day.

[Bert Baselmans]

Thanks Hieu

[Hieu]

Hi Bert,

I got confirmation from a nRF9160 IC engineer. The RTC peripheral there also does not support stopping at PC breakpoint, only the WDT does.

I haven't looked into how to do it yet, but you can stop the RTC with the STOP task using the debugger by writing to the register. That said, I am not sure if this is helpful, since it is not an automatic halt of the RTC, and I don't know if you can bind such an action to a breakpoint stop.

Sorry I could not come back with better news.

Hieu

[Bert Baselmans]

Hi Hieu,

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, I was hoping for a different result. Now I will have to modify my code as soon as I start debugging.

Regards,

Bert

[Hieu]

Hi Bert,

Sorry again about the disappointment. If you have a strong need this feature, please mention it to Nordic's local sales representative. I will also submit this case as a feature request to our teams. If they find the request compelling, it might be added to future Nordic chips.

Regards,

Hieu