Conditional Break Instruction Debugging for Processor Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional debugging methods interrupt program execution unnecessarily when setting breakpoints at conditional instructions, leading to inefficiencies in the debugging process.
Innovation Solution
An instruction execution device that identifies and evaluates conditional expressions within debug instructions, allowing it to suppress execution of debug instructions when the condition is false, thereby reducing the need for external debugging device intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a break instruction is executed at a conditional instruction, then program execution is interrupted for debugging, but unnecessary interruptions occur when the execution condition is not satisfied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of the break instruction by embedding a conditional expression within it. The break instruction is transformed from a simple interruption command into a conditional break instruction that includes execution conditions. This allows the instruction to evaluate whether to interrupt based on the conditional expression result, thereby preventing unnecessary interruptions while maintaining reliable debugging when conditions are met.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor itself performs the judgment of whether to interrupt execution by evaluating the conditional expression embedded in the break instruction. Instead of requiring external debugging device intervention to judge conditions, the processor autonomously determines whether to suspend execution based on the embedded conditional logic. This self-service mechanism eliminates unnecessary interruptions and reduces debugging time.
2Reliability
If a debugging device intervenes each time execution is stopped at a breakpoint, then interruption control is achieved, but debugging efficiency is reduced due to external intervention overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The processor autonomously evaluates the conditional expression embedded in the break instruction and determines whether to interrupt execution without requiring external debugging device intervention. The processor itself performs the judgment logic that previously required external device involvement, thereby eliminating the overhead of continuous external intervention while maintaining reliable interruption control.
Solution Approach 2:
The conditional expression is embedded in the break instruction beforehand, preparing the execution conditions in advance. When the break instruction is encountered during execution, the processor can immediately evaluate the pre-prepared conditional expression and decide whether to interrupt, eliminating the need for real-time external judgment and improving debugging efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If conventional break instructions are used at conditional instructions, then simple interruption is achieved, but conditional execution logic is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the break instruction functionality with the conditional expression logic into a single unified instruction. The break instruction is combined with the conditional execution logic, creating a conditional break instruction that simultaneously provides interruption capability and condition evaluation. This merging preserves execution condition information while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The break instruction is transformed by adding a conditional expression parameter to it. This parameter change enables the instruction to carry both the interruption function and the conditional logic, preventing loss of execution condition information while maintaining the simplicity of a single instruction format.
Data Source
AI summary
In executing debugging of an executable program in which a breakpoint is set at a conditional instruction using a software break technique, judgment of whether or not to stop the debugging is made, without use of a debugging device, in accordance with whether an execution condition expression of the conditional instruction is true or false. A processor capable of decoding and executing a program that includes conditional instructions executes debugging of the program. When a decoded instruction is a conditional break instruction (S201: YES, S202: YES), the processor identifies the type of the execution condition of the conditional break instruction (step S203), and refers to a status register to check a status flag of the execution condition (S204). If the execution condition is satisfied (S205: YES), the processor executes interrupt processing to suspend debugging (S206), and if the execution condition is not satisfied (S205: NO), the processor continues debugging.