Sophie

Sophie

distrib > Mandriva > 2010.2 > i586 > media > contrib-backports > by-pkgid > 8a7aa8b4eb044def48a55448a77937f9 > files > 9

meka-0.73-1mdv2010.2.i586.rpm

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 MEKA - Debugger / Hacking tools
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 Note: this documentation is yet incomplete.
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 1. Debugger
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To enable the debugger, set 'debug_mode' to 1 in the configuration file. 
Else, you can enable the debugger for a session by executing MEKA with the 
'-DEBUG' command-line parameter.
  
In debug mode, an additionnal menu is added to the top, with access to the 
debugger and data dumping facilities. The debugger can also be switched on 
and off using the Scroll Lock key.

You can configure some part of the debugger from the configuration file,
search for the following variables:

  debug_mode                            (enable debug mode)
  debugger_console_lines                (number of console lines)
  debugger_disassembly_lines            (number of disassembly lines)
  debugger_disassembly_display_labels   (enable label display)
  debugger_log                          (enable log of debugger output)
  
All debugger output are logged by default. 
The log is located in the 'DEBUG/DEBUGLOG.TXT' file.


Symbols Loading
---------------

The debugger attempt to load symbols in NO$GMB format, as generated by
the WLA DX linker (-s option). 

The filename must be the same as the ROM image filename, replaced by 
or post pended with the ".SYM" extension.
 - eg: ROM is "PsychoFox.sms", 
    -> MEKA will look for symbols in "PsychoFox.sym" or "PsychoFox.sms.sym"


Completion
----------

Pressing TAB in the debugger command line performs contextual completion.
If more than one item matches, possible matches are displayed.


History
-------

Command are logged into an history buffer.
Pressing Up/Down allows navigating in the history buffer.
Additionnally, the HI/HISTORY allows listing or searching for a given 
word in the history buffer.


Expression evaluator
--------------------

Mathematical expression can be evaluated by the debugger.
Supported features are:
 - Values:
   - Immediate hexadecimal integer 
     (eg: 1234, or $1234 or 0x1234)
   - Immediate binary integer 
     (eg: %00101010)
   - Immediate decimal integer
     (eg: #256)
   - Symbols gets replaced by their address.
     (eg: function_label)
   - Z80 registers names gets replaced by their current value.
     (eg: PC, SP, AF, A, BC, B, C, DE, D, E, HL, H, L, IX, IY)
     Pay attention that some registers names are ambiguous with hexadecimal
     constants ('A' is a 10 in hexadecimal). Z80 registers name are always
     given priority over hexadecimal constants. 
     Uses the 'Ox' or '$' prefixes to resolve ambiguity.
 - Operators:
   - Integer operators: + - / *
     (eg: 1+2*3 returns 7)
   - Binary operators: & | ^
     (eg: 0xF0 | 0x0F returns 0xFF)
   - Parenthesis: (), forcing priority
     (eg: (1+2)*3 returns 9)


Known problems
--------------

- Beware of clashes between Z80 registers names and hexadecimal constants.
  'AF','BC','DE','A','B','C','D','E' by default refers to Z80 registers.
  Uses $ or 0x hexadecimal prefixes to resolve ambiguities.

- Reseting or loading save states may trigger strange behavior, such as
  breakpoints being ignored for a frame or so.

- Execution breakpoints only function for the leading byte of the opcode.
  eg:
    1234 - C3 00 20 - JP $2000
  Adding an X breakpoint at $1234 will work, but not at $1235 or $1236.
  However, adding a R breakpoint will work.
  So usually, you end just adding default RWX or RW breakpoints.


Debugger commands summary
-------------------------

-- Flow:
 <CR>                           : Step into
 S                              : Step over
 C                              : Continue
 C addr                         : Continue up to <addr>
 J addr                         : Jump to <addr>
-- Breakpoints:
 B [access] [bus] addr [=value] : Add breakpoint
 W [access] [bus] addr [=value] : Add watchpoint
 B LIST                         : List breakpoints
 B REMOVE id                    : Remove breakpoint
 B ENABLE id                    ; Enable breakpoint
 B DISABLE id                   : Disable breakpoint
 B CLEAR                        : Clear breakpoints
-- Inspect/Modify:
 R                              : Dump Z80 registers
 P expr                         : Print evaluated expression
 M [addr] [len]                 : Memory dump at <addr>
 D [addr] [cnt]                 : Disassembly at <addr>
 SYM [name]                     : Find symbols by name
 SYM @addr                      : Find symbols by address
 SET register=value             : Set Z80 register
 RMAP addr                      : Reverse map Z80 address
 CLOCK [RESET]                  : Display Z80 cycle counter
-- Miscellaenous:
 MEMEDIT [lines] [cols]         : Spawn memory editor
 HISTORY [word]                 : Print/search history
 H,? [command]                  : Help


Debugger command - H
--------------------
H/HELP: Online help
Usage:
 H             ; Get general help
 H command     ; Get detailed help on a command


Debugger command - S
--------------------
S: Step over
Usage:
 S             ; Step over current instruction
Examples:
 0000: CALL $0100
 0003: LD HL, $1FFF
 S             ; Resume execution after the call


Debugger command - C
--------------------
C/CONT: Continue execution
Usage:
 C             ; Continue
 C address     ; Continue up to reaching <address>


Debugger command - J
--------------------
J/JUMP: Jump
Usage:
 J address     ; Jump to <address>
Examples:
 J 0           ; Jump back to $0000 (reset)
 J 1000        ; Jump to $1000
Note:
 Equivalent to SET PC=address


Debugger command - B
--------------------
B/BREAK: Manage breakpoints
Usage:
 B address [..address2]         ; Add CPU breakpoint
 B [access] [bus] address [=xx] ; Add breakpoint
 B LIST                         ; List breakpoints
 B REMOVE id                    ; Remove breakpoint <id>
 B ENABLE id                    ; Enable breakpoint <id>
 B DISABLE id                   ; Disable breakpoint <id>
 B CLEAR                        ; Clear breakpoints
Parameters:
 address : breakpoint address, can be a range
 access  : access to trap, any from r/w/x (rwx)
 bus     : bus/event, one from cpu/io/vram/pal/line (cpu)
 xx      ; byte to compare to, for conditionnal break
 id      : breakpoint identifier
Examples:
 B 0038          ; break when CPU access $0038
 B w io 7f       ; break on IO write to $7F
 B rx e000..ffff ; break on CPU read/exec from $E000+
 B x =0,0,C9     ; break on CPU execution of NOP NOP RET
 B w vram 3f00.. ; break on VRAM write to SAT
 B w pram 0 =03  ; break on PRAM write of color 0 as $03
 B line #13      ; break on display line 13
 
You can add a description to breakpoints, by ending the
command line with a string:
 B 0038 "interrupt"

As a shortcut:
 B nopnop
Is equivalent to:
 B x=0,0 "NOP NOP"


Debugger command - W
--------------------
W/WATCH: Manage watchpoints
Usage:
 Same as B/BREAK.
 Watchpoints will display value but won't break.
Examples:
 W r io dd      ; watch and log all IO read from DDh
 W w pal 0..    ; watch and log all palette write


Debugger command - P
--------------------
P/PRINT: Print expression
Usage:
 P expr
 P expr[,expr,...]
Examples:
 P IX,IY       ; print IX and IY registers
 P 1200+34     ; print $1234
 P %00101010   ; print 42
 P HL+(BC*4)   ; print HL+BC*4
 P label       ; print label


Debugger command - SET
----------------------
SET: Set Z80 register
Usage:
 SET register=value [,...]
Parameters:
 register : Z80 register name
 value    : value to assign to register
Examples:
 SET BC=$1234    ; set BC register to $1234
 SET DE=HL,HL=0  ; set DE=HL, then zero HL


Debugger command - RMAP
-----------------------
RMAP: Reverse map Z80 address
Usage:
 RMAP address
Parameters:
 address : address in Z80 space
Examples:
 RMAP $8001      ; eg: print 'ROM $14001 (Page 5 +0001)'
 RMAP $E001      ; eg: print 'RAM $C001'


Debugger command - CLOCK
------------------------
CLOCK: Display Z80 cycle accumulator
Usage:
 CLOCK         ; Display cycle accumulator
 CLOCK R[ESET] ; Reset cycle accumulator


Debugger command - SYM
----------------------
SYM/SYMBOLS: Fins symbols
Usage:
 SYM [name]
 SYM @addr
Parameters:
 name : symbol name to search for
 addr : symbol address to search for
Examples:
 SYM vdp         ; search for symbol matching 'vdp'
 SYM @HL         ; search for symbol at address of HL

    
Debugger command - M
--------------------
M/MEM: Dump memory
Usage:
 M [address] [len]
Parameters:
 address : address to dump memory from (PC)
 len     : length to dump, in byte (128)
Examples:
 M             ; dump 128 bytes at PC
 M HL BC       ; dump BC bytes at HL
 

Debugger command - D
--------------------
D/DASM: Disassemble instructions
Usage:
 D [address] [cnt]
Parameters:
 address : address to disassemble from (PC)
 cnt     : number of instruction to disassemble (10)


Debugger command - R
--------------------
R/REGS: Dump Z80 registers
Usage:
 R


Debugger command - MEMEDIT
--------------------------
MEMEDIT: Spawn memory editor
Usage:
 MEMEDIT [lines] [cols]
Parameters:
 lines : number of lines
 cols  : number of columns


Debugger command - HISTORY
--------------------------
HI/HISTORY: Print/search history
Usage:
 HISTORY        ; Print history
 HISTORY word   ; Search history


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 2. Palette
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 ...

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 3. Tile Viewer
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 ...
 
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 4. Tilemap Viewer
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 ...
 
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 5. Technical Information
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 6. Memory Editor
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 Allows viewing and writing to memory:
 - Z80 memory map
 - ROM
 - RAM
 - VRAM
 - VREG
 - PAL (if any)
 - SaveRAM (if any)
 
 Tips:
 - Use mouse wheel, arrow keys or cursor to navigate.
 - Using the address box, you can jump to a given address.
 - In some case, you may want to pause the game (F12) while editing,
   in some other case you may want it running.
 - Z80 memory map is what the Z80 CPU sees and accesses thru its buses.
   Refer to technical documentation about the machine memory map to know 
   how this works. Understand the difference:
   - Writing to Z80 $FFFC-$FFFF trigger mapping + write to RAM.
     But writing to RAM $FFFC-$FFFF only write to RAM.
   - Writing to Z80 $0000-$3FFF is ignored (by most mappers).
     But writing to ROM $0000-$3FFF works and modify loaded ROM image.
 - Beware that pressing "BackSpace" may reset the game. Use the "Delete" 
   key instead. (I should hack a way so that BackSpace is disabled 
   but other controller keys still enabled).

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 7. Data Dumping
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 ...

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 8. Patching
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 Refer to MEKA.PAT file.

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 8. Links
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 SMS Power! Development
 http://www.smspower.org/dev/
 
 SMS Power! Development Forum
 http://www.smspower.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=3
 
 WLA DX
 http://users.tkk.fi/~vhelin/wla.html
 
 Maxim's "Getting started with SMS programming" pages
 http://www.smspower.org/maxim/howtoprogram

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 9. More ?
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 Please suggest features you may want to help development/hacking activity!
 Please report bugs!
 
 I can also point out that in the absence of a given feature, you can always
 hack into MEKA source code and add custom code/printing/hacks to help you. :)
 
 The TODO.TXT file provided along with the source code list several notes
 and ideas related to future development of debugging/hacking features.

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