Troubleshooting and Limits

Contents

• 1. Initial Data Transfer Setup Hints
• 2. Short Trouble Shooting Hints
• 3. Cycle Counter
• 4. Permanent Limitations
  • 4.1. Limitation TRICE in TRICE not possible
• 5. Source syntax and workflow limits
• 6. Argument limits

Start with the UM’s first checks. For generated-header errors use Bind diagnostics. This chapter covers deeper transfer checks and shared call limitations.

1. Initial Data Transfer Setup Hints

For a raw-byte diagnostic, the following uses a deliberately fixed numeric ID. Collect this explicit-ID specimen into a matching TIL with trice add; it is not the normal Bind application pattern. Do not add it to an already bound source file.

triceConfig.h:

#define TriceStamp32 0x44434241 // a fixed value

#define TRICE_DIRECT_OUT_FRAMING TRICE_FRAMING_NONE   // disable framing for this diagnostic
#define TRICE_DEFERRED_OUT_FRAMING TRICE_FRAMING_NONE // no framing to interpret the byte stream manually

main.c:

int main( void) {
    // system init...
    TriceInit();
    TRice(iD(170), "Fun %x!\n", 0xadded ); // with "fixed" iD(170), 32-bit stamp, and with `\n`
    TriceTransfer(); // call cyclically for deferred mode
    // system run ...
}

• Command line with expected output (-s shows the Trice ID):

trice log -s -port com1 -pf none -v -ts32="att:%08x fix" # enter this (adapted)
#       /-------------------------------------- ID low byte (170)
#       |  /----------------------------------- ID high byte (6 bits=0) with 2 most significant bits set (32-bit stamp follows)
#       |  |       /--------------------------- 32-bit (time) stamp
#       |  |       |      /-------------------- initial cycle counter: 192
#       |  |       |      |  /----------------- payload size
#       |  |       |      |  |       /--------- payload (0x00added) 
#       |  |       |      |  |       |      / - 0-delimiter or next Trice
#       |  |       |      |  |       |      |
#       v  v  vvvvvvvvvvv v  v  vvvvvvvvvvv v
# Input(aa c0 41 42 43 44 c0 04 ed dd 0a 00 ... ) # expected byte stream
# ...
#              main.c    84 44434241 fix   170 Fun added!
# ...

• If you receive something different, you have to debug your system.
• To interpret the bytes see Trice Binary encoding chapter.
  • 33 ff ID as 16-bit little endian
    • 33 low part of ID 0x3333
    • ff high part if ID 0x3333 - the 6 least significant bits ored with 0b11000000 to signal a 32-bit timestamp
  • 41 42 43 44 32-bit timestamp, usually as little endian
  • c0 cycle counter, initial value is 192
  • 04 parameter size
  • 22 22 22 22 4 parameter bytes

2. Short Trouble Shooting Hints

Problem	Hint
Missing objcopy in macOS	brew install binutils
Small GUI Editor for macOS	brew install cotedit Usage: cot (not as root)
Small In-Terminal Editor Linux	https://cte.e10labs.com/, tilde, micro, joe, https://craigbarnes.gitlab.io/dte/ (also as root)
Nothing shown with trice log -s	Check that format strings end with \n and/or use -addNL

3. Cycle Counter

• The trice tool expects the first cycle counter to start with 0xC0 (=192). If the target is already running and you connect the trice tool then, the first message is marked with “CYCLE: ? not equal expected value 192 - adjusting. Now 1 CycleEvents”.
• If the target is resetted asynchronous, the trice tool receives a cycle counter 192. Most probably the last cycle counter was not 191, so this triggers also a message  with “CYCLE: 192 not equal expected value ?- adjusting. Now n CycleEvents”.
• In the Trice tool is some heuristics to suppress such obvious false positives.

4. Permanent Limitations

4.1. Limitation TRICE in TRICE not possible

• No-Good Example:

int f0( void ){ TRICE( "msg:f0\n"); return 0; }
void f1( void ){ TRICE( "No; %d", f0() ); }

• This will compile normally but corrupt TRICE output.

f1() creates the “No” record header, then evaluates f0(), which emits another record before the “No” tail is written. The interleaved records corrupt the output despite successful compilation.

• Workaround:

int f0( void ){ TRICE( "msg:f0\n"); return 0; }
void f1( void ){ int x = f0(); TRICE( "Yes: %d", x ); }

5. Source syntax and workflow limits

Bind, Insert and CE have different rules for several calls on one line and calls inside wrappers. Use the support tables rather than assuming one rule for all workflows. Bind limits also cover compiler requirements and generated includes.

Trice scans source text rather than running the C preprocessor. Write a complete supported literal format at the log site; do not rely on token pasting to build it. For example, TRICE("msg:" ## "Hello\\n") is not a supported way to specify a format. Historical Insert parser examples are retained in the legacy reference.

6. Argument limits

Scalar calls have at most twelve values of one selected width. For larger data use buffer macros. Floats need aFloat(); doubles need aDouble() and a 64-bit macro. Runtime strings use triceS or triceN. Full examples and supported formats are in Writing Trice Messages.