ESP32 Forum

I'm trying to get JTAG/OpenOCD working with an ESP32-WROOM-32 module, and variously Arduino-IDE, ESP32-IDE (/IDF) and VSCode / PlatformIO. I'm developing on an Apple Studio (M1 processor, not x86) - refusing to boot my Windows machine; I've tried a linux machine (x86) but quickly had similar problems to the M1...

I need to say early - I *have* had the gdb/OpenOCD work occasionally - using the 10-wire JTAG interface from the ESP-PROG programmer to a similar 10-pin connector on my target card - usually once it's working it works reasonably well, at least until GDB crashes. But then I have all sorts of problems with subsequent attempts resulting in error messages about libUSB access-denied. To that end I'm happy that the ESP-PROG is functional, and believe much of my problem lies in the software environment on the Mac. Google indicates issues with Macs, and FTDI drivers with various recommendation of turning off the OS security, replacing drivers etc, but these look to be on the x86 based hardware, not the Apple silicon. Other conflicting information suggests the FTDI drivers for apple silicon are much improved and don't need replacement, but I'm thinking that I'm chasing the wrong problem at this point. There is some information that chatGPT explained related to serial-device drivers being claimed automatically by the OS, requiring the KEXT to be unloaded prior to use... the problem being that I use the ESP-PROG serial UART for software loading (so I'd have to KEXT/unload /load depending if I'm flashing the device or attempting to JTAG debug... not brilliant).

Anyway, I've noticed that there is a ESP-PROG-2 device, that replaces the FTDI device for a ESP32 with built-in USB bridge. I'm minded to order a ESP-PROG-2 programmer/JTAG - but it's a two week delivery in any case. My QUESTION::: Has any-one any good experience with Apple-silicon based Macs flashing (not usually a problem) and JTAG debugging (definitely an issue for me!) and whether a USB-PROG-2 could remove the problem of FTDI based drivers. Particularly whether you've had success with this configuration? (I'm also struggling understanding the whole OpenOCD encapsulation - more straight forward for ESP-IDE than the others) - but want to take tiny steps (compatible hardware) in the right direction - hence the interest in the ESP-PROG-2.

OR, more succinctly, are there known operable JTAG debuggers for use with Mac / Apple Silicon?

I don't want to progress with Windows. I *could* tolerate a Linux box - if there's strong support/experience with that environment, however the Mac is where all my EDA/CAD software files are.

Hi,

First I want to say that when the Eclipse debugger works it is absolutely awesome. But..

I have been developing several products on esp32-s2 and esp32-s3. I however do my development on PC not on Mac. I use the Eclipse-plugin. I have a similar problem with debugging. I have been using the ESP-PROG with some success. When it works its great but sometimes it just doesn't connect. The driver for the FDTI chip fails. If some other putty app is listening to the serial port it won't load.
If I don't first flash my device using USB from the IDE (not from command line) and reboot the device it will not ever connect. If any of these things happen the IDE crashes and needs to be rebuilt. Frankly I am at my whit's end with this thing.

Then I read about the ESP-PROG-2 I have high hope it will solve most of these problems. I have flashed it with the latest firmware and it comes up cleanly in windows (all great!).

But I don't have a clue how to talk to it from eclipse. Does anybody out there know how?

I have been developing several products on esp32-s2 and esp32-s3. [ ... ]

Then I read about the ESP-PROG-2 I have high hope it will solve most of these problems.

I'm a Mac dev and have used a variety of JTAG products successfully on a variety of target architectures, for some qualified definition of "success."

PianoArcDave, you don't _have_ to let hopes of PROG-2 distract you. S2, S3, and, I think, all of the other Espressif models that came after the original ESP32 have JTAG integrated on the USB connection. Interface 1 is the serial port/console that you know and love/hate that used to require an external CH340/CP2102/FTDI USB/Serial bridge as well as a couple of smaller components like transistors and some passives. The newer parts provide a JTAG connection on Interface 0 of that same USB connection.

Sure, this may not be an option on a production product that doesn't _have_ a USB connection, but if you're able to work with a plain ole dev board (it's common to provide a USB connection and some additional creature comforts in low-volume debugging/development versions of a custom board) working with Power, Serial Console/Logging, and JTAG all over one cable is pretty darned awesome.

https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... nsole.html
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... index.html

As a UNIX guy, I tend to end up with tiny little scripts in each project that configure OpenOCD as described in:
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... up-openocd
and some little .gdbrc scripting that provide "load", "connect", "reboot", and other creature comforts. In the process, I invariably re-discover (the hard way) nearly every tip from:
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... uirks.html
(Even typing this, I'm still going to forget it by next week and will STILL learn all over again that these dumb parts only provide two watchpoints. I'll also independently relearn that the 'openocd' executable is different for every chip I use. Every. Darned. Time.)

Eclipse?
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... mples.html


Even as klunky as this is (most IDEs hide most of this scripting ugliness from you, but as I make software lovingly by hand, the hard way, just like Grandma used to do it...), the convenience of having the hardware as a part of the chip means it's ALWAYS there (for me...but even if I'd have to bribe my favorite hardware guy to hot glue down a connector and two USB signals (no ground needed—they're balanced), that'd be a great investment of a beer!) and is probably one of my favorite features of the newer Espressif parts. Even trying to remember that the S3 openocd and the P4 openocd are different, I'd still rather fight that than suffer my board seeming dead because one of the flying jumper cables to a processor pod came off. Sure, I _have_ a basket of Segger (nice stuff, but mostly useless on Espressif's XTensa parts), STLinkV2, STLinkV3, DAPLINK, BusPirate, BlackMagick, etc. probes, but IMO, the best satellite board is NO satellite board!

Is ESP-PROG going away?

It's a bummer that ESP-PROG-2 is limited to USB full speed but original ESP-PROG is USB high speed - handy for profiling.