US 2017/0322865 A1Published application

Debugging code controlling resource-constrained intelligent devices contemporaneously with executing object code

AssigneeLandis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.

InventorsJohn Bettendorff, Tribhuwan Chandra Kandpal

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

This disclosure involves debugging code for resource-constrained intelligent devices contemporaneously with executing object code on the intelligent device. For example, object code is transmitted to a radio device. A program counter entry is provided from the radio device to a computer via a communication link contemporaneously with a pause in execution of the object code at the radio device. A correspondence between the program counter entry and a portion of assembly code, which was used to generate the object code, is identified and is used to generate a list of additional program counter entries for pausing the object code's execution. The list is provided from the computer to the radio device and is used to pause the object code's execution at the radio device. Log data is provided from the radio device to the computer for display after pausing the object code's execution at one of these program counter entries.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for real-time debugging of code for controlling radio devices, the method comprising:

a plurality of radio devices included in or communicatively coupled to utility meters, each radio device comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having firmware installed thereon, each utility meter configured for communicating with another utility meter in a mesh network for monitoring consumption of a resource at a building or structure;
and
a computing device communicatively coupled to at least one of the radio devices, wherein the computing device is configured for:
transmitting, to the radio device, object code generated from assembly code,
obtaining a program counter entry via a communication link with the radio device, wherein the program counter entry indicates that an execution of the object code at the radio device has paused and identifies an operation performed by the execution of the object code at the radio device prior to or after the execution of the object code at the radio device being paused,
identifying a correspondence between the program counter entry and a portion of the assembly code,
generating a list of additional program counter entries at which the execution of the object code is to be paused,
transmitting the list of additional program counter entries, and
displaying, by the computing device, electronic log data obtained from the radio device after a pause in the execution of the object code at one of the additional program counter entries;
wherein the at least one of the radio devices is configured for:
executing, by the firmware, the object code,
pausing, by the firmware, the execution of the object code,
transmitting, after pausing the execution, the program counter entry to the computing device,
receiving the list of additional program counter entries,
resuming, by the firmware, the execution of the object code,
pausing, by the firmware, the execution responsive to encountering one of the additional program counter entries specified by the list, and
transmitting the electronic log data to the computing device after a pause in the execution at one of the additional program counter entries.

14 more elements

A method for real-time debugging of code for controlling radio devices, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a radio device, object code generated from assembly code and executable by firmware installed on the radio device;
receiving, by a computing device separate from the radio device, a program counter entry via a communication link with the radio device, wherein receiving the program counter entry indicates that an execution of the object code at the radio device has paused;
identifying, by the computing device, a correspondence between the received program counter entry and a portion of the assembly code;
generating, by the computing device and based on the correspondence, a list of additional program counter entries at which the execution of the object code is to be paused;
transmitting, from the computing device to the radio device, the list of additional program counter entries;
and
displaying, by the computing device, electronic log data obtained from the radio device after a pause in the execution of the object code at one of the additional program counter entries.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.