OpenOCD is a great tool. It allows debugging many modern ARM-based microcontrollers using multitudes of JTAG/SWD programmers: from the $50 FlySwatter to the $800 J-Link Pro. It allows customizing lots of settings and it’s open-source so if you encounter some problems with it, you can quickly pinpoint them by stepping through its code. Despite all those strong sides, it has one major drawback – it’s not easy to setup.

A typical OpenOCD debugging setup involves finding the correct initialization scripts, customizing them to match your device/interface and often manually preparing and installing USB drivers. Although generally doable, this looks like a major inconvenience for anyone who expects a “plug-and-play” experience.
Continue reading OpenOCD usability taken to a new level →