MPLAB X IDE Debug Code

1. In the Project window, select the project or make it the main project (right-click the project and select “Set as main”).
2. Click the “Debug Project” icon (or select Debug>Debug Project or Debug>Step Into) to start a debug run.
To pause the application code:
• Click the “Pause” icon (or select Debug>Pause) to pause program execution.
To run the code again:
• Click the “Continue” icon (or select Debug>Continue) to start program execution again.
To end execution of the code:
• Click the “Finish Debugger Session” icon (or select Debug>Finish Debugger Session) to
end program execution.
The difference between Run and Debug Run will become apparent when using the debugging features (starting with Section 4.18, “Controlling Program Execution with Breakpoints”).
To launch the debugger:
If your code was compiled for debugging and you just want to launch the debugging tools, you can do so by selecting the down arrow next to the “Debug Project” icon and selecting “Launch Debugger”.

Setting or Clearing Simple Breakpoints
To set a breakpoint on a line of code, do one of the following:
• Click the left margin of the line of code in the Source Editor
• Press Ctrl+F8
To clear a breakpoint, do one of the following:
• Repeat the steps for setting the breakpoint
• Select Debug>Toggle Breakpoint.

Stepping Through Code
Use one of the single-step functions on the Debug menu and Debug toolbar to step through code from the beginning of the code or after pausing at a breakpoint. Check for changes in variable values ​​(see the next section) or determine if the program flow is correct.
There are several ways to step through code:
Step Over - Executes a line of program source code. If the line is a function call, the entire function is executed and then stops.
Step Into - Executes a line of program source code. If the line is a function call, the program executes to the first statement of the function and then stops.
Step Out - Executes a line of program source code. If the line is a function call, the function is executed and control returns to the caller.
Run to Cursor - Runs the current project to the cursor position in the file and stops program execution.
Animate - Performs single-step operations at run time and updates register values ​​at run time. Continuous single-stepping runs slower than the Run function, but allows you to view changing register values ​​in the Special Function Register window or in the Watches window.

Watch symbol values ​​change
Watch the values ​​of selected symbols change in the Watches window. Determining whether these values ​​are what you expect during program execution can help you debug your code.

To view the Watches window, do one of the following:
• Select Window>Debugging>Watches to open the window.
• If the Output window is already open, click the Watches tab in the window.
To create a new watch directly:
You can add symbols directly to the Watches window by doing one of the following:
• Double-click in the Name column and enter a global symbol, SFR, or absolute address (0x300).
• Right-click a global symbol or SFR in the Editor window and select New Watch.
• Select a global symbol or SFR in the Editor window and drag and drop it into the Watches window.
To create a new watch using the New Watch dialog:
You can add symbols or SFRs to the Watches window by using the New Watch dialog:
• Right-click in the Watches window and select New Watch or select Tools>New Watch. Click the Select button to view Global Symbols or SFRs. Click a
name and click OK.
• Select the symbol or SFR name in the Editor window and select New Watch from the right-click menu.
The name populates in the window. Click OK.

To create a new runtime watch:
Before adding a runtime watch to the Watches window, you need to set the clock:
1. Right-click the project name and select “Properties”.
2. Click the debug tool name (for example, REAL ICE) and select the option category “Clock”.
3. Set the runtime instruction speed.

To add a global symbol or SFR as a runtime watch, follow the instructions under "Creating a new watch using the New Watch dialog box," except this time select "New Runtime Watch" instead of "New Watch."

Symbols used in runtime observations must be resized to match the device memory, that is, 8-bit symbols are required when using an 8-bit device.

To watch a symbol change:
1. Perform a debug run, then pause the program.
2. Click the Watches tab to make the window active.
3. For a watch symbol, continue the debug run and pause to watch the value change. For a run-time watch symbol, continue the debug run and watch the value change as the program executes.

You can only see the value of symbols (global symbols, SFRs, arrays, register bit fields, etc.) when you are in a debugging session.
To change the cardinality of the symbol you are watching:
• Right-click on the symbol's row and select "Display Value As"

To view the Variables window, do one of the following:
• Select Window>Debugging>Variables to open the window.
• If the Output window is open, click the Variables tab in the window.

To view variable changes:
1. Perform a debug run and pause the program.
2. Click the Variables tab to view window and local variable values.

To change the cardinality of a variable:
• Right-click the variable's row and select Display Value As.