System and method for implementing software breakpoints

An embedded system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory accessible to the processor, the memory including:
• a breakpoint table including a set of entries, each entry of the set of entries identifying an instruction address and including a storage cell for a replaced instruction;
• and
• computer implemented instructions operable by the processor to access the breakpoint table and to insert a trap instruction associated with each of the set of entries included in the breakpoint table at the identified instruction addresses within a program page prior to loading the program page for execution.

A system comprising:

• a host computer including debugger software;
• and
• an embedded system accessible to the host computer, the embedded system including:
• a processor;
• and
• memory accessible to the processor, the memory including:
• a breakpoint table including a set of entries, each entry of the set of entries identifying an instruction address associated with an instruction included in a page of a program that is to be replaced by a trap instruction, each entry including a storage cell for storing the replaced instruction.