# Flakey Eclipse debug (Caution: potentially difficult problem

**URL:** <https://community.sparkfun.com/t/flakey-eclipse-debug-caution-potentially-difficult-problem/6192>\
**Category:** MicroMod\
**Tags:** arm-lpc\
**Created:** [January 17, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/flakey-eclipse-debug-caution-potentially-difficult-problem/6192 "2008-01-17T23:35:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Luke\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/df788c/32.png) [@Luke\_T](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/Luke_T)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/flakey-eclipse-debug-caution-potentially-difficult-problem/6192/1 "2008-01-17T23:35:37Z")

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Hi,

I am attempting to RAM debug an LPC2294 on a custom board with OpenOCD / Eclipse. When I attempt to debug, I get occasional (appear to be totally random) error messages from OpenOCD:

“Error: arm\_jtag.c:38 arm\_jtag\_set\_instr\_error\_handler(): setting the new JTAG instruction failed, debugging is likely to be broken”

If I attmempt to step across a time-kill ‘for’ loop, I get the following error messages from OpenOCD:

"Error: armv4\_5.c:186 armv4\_5\_mode\_to\_number(): invalid mode value encountered

Error: arm7\_9\_common.c:1083 arm7\_9\_debug\_entry(): cpsr contains invalid mode value - communication failure

Error: gdb\_server.c:608 gdb\_get\_registers\_packet(): gdb requested registers but we’re not halted, dropping connection

Info: server.c:362 server\_loop(): dropped ‘gdb’ connection

Warning: arm7\_9\_common.c:682 arm7\_9\_poll(): DBGACK set while target was in unknown state. Reset or initialize target before resuming"

after which the Eclipse debugging is halted. I have tried jtag\_speed settings of 0, 5, 10 and 100. What is up with this flakey debugging?

Additional information:

- LPC2294 runs from a 12MHz crystal oscillator

- Using OLIMEX ARM-JTAG (20-pin header, parallele port connection to PC)

- PC is 3GHz CPU, Windows XP Pro

- On PCB: TRST, TDI, TMS, TDO have 10kohm pull-ups, TCK has 10kohm pull-down, RTCK has removable 10kohm pull-down.

- LPC2294 is unprogrammed (maybe?)

I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts in this matter.

Luke