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 - Next: <a href="AVR.html#AVR" accesskey="n" rel="next">AVR</a>, Previous: <a href="OpenRISC-1000.html#OpenRISC-1000" accesskey="p" rel="prev">OpenRISC 1000</a>, Up: <a href="Embedded-Processors.html#Embedded-Processors" accesskey="u" rel="up">Embedded Processors</a>   [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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 - <a name="PowerPC-Embedded-1"></a>
 - <h4 class="subsection">21.3.8 PowerPC Embedded</h4>
 - 
 - <a name="index-DVC-register"></a>
 - <p><small>GDB</small> supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
 - implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">(gdb) watch <var>ADDRESS|VARIABLE</var> \
 -   if  <var>ADDRESS|VARIABLE</var> == <var>CONSTANT EXPRESSION</var>
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>The DVC register will be automatically used when <small>GDB</small> detects
 - such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
 - debug register (either the <code>exact-watchpoints</code> option is on and the
 - variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte).  This feature
 - is available in native <small>GDB</small> running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
 - or newer.
 - </p>
 - <p>When running on PowerPC embedded processors, <small>GDB</small> automatically uses
 - ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the <code>exact-watchpoints</code> option is on,
 - in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
 - watching variables of scalar types.
 - </p>
 - <p>You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
 - region using one of the following commands (see <a href="Expressions.html#Expressions">Expressions</a>):
 - </p>
 - <div class="smallexample">
 - <pre class="smallexample">(gdb) watch *((char *) <var>address</var>)@<var>length</var>
 - (gdb) watch {char[<var>length</var>]} <var>address</var>
 - </pre></div>
 - 
 - <p>PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints.  See the discussion
 - about the <code>mask</code> argument in <a href="Set-Watchpoints.html#Set-Watchpoints">Set Watchpoints</a>.
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-ranged-breakpoint"></a>
 - <p>PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
 - <em>ranged breakpoints</em>.  A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
 - the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
 - the range it specifies.  To set a ranged breakpoint in <small>GDB</small>,
 - use the <code>break-range</code> command.
 - </p>
 - <p><small>GDB</small> provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
 - </p>
 - <dl compact="compact">
 - <dd><a name="index-break_002drange"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>break-range <var>start-location</var>, <var>end-location</var></code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Set a breakpoint for an address range given by
 - <var>start-location</var> and <var>end-location</var>, which can specify a function name,
 - a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
 - location, or an address of an instruction (see <a href="Specify-Location.html#Specify-Location">Specify Location</a>,
 - for a list of all the possible ways to specify a <var>location</var>.)
 - The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
 - executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
 - (including <var>start-location</var> and <var>end-location</var>.)
 - </p>
 - <a name="index-set-powerpc"></a>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>set powerpc soft-float</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>show powerpc soft-float</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Force <small>GDB</small> to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
 - convention.  By default, <small>GDB</small> selects the calling convention based
 - on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>set powerpc vector-abi</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>show powerpc vector-abi</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Force <small>GDB</small> to use the specified calling convention for vector
 - arguments and return values.  The valid options are ‘<samp>auto</samp>’;
 - ‘<samp>generic</samp>’, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
 - ‘<samp>altivec</samp>’, to use AltiVec registers; and ‘<samp>spe</samp>’ to use SPE
 - registers.  By default, <small>GDB</small> selects the calling convention
 - based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - <dt><code>set powerpc exact-watchpoints</code></dt>
 - <dt><code>show powerpc exact-watchpoints</code></dt>
 - <dd><p>Allow <small>GDB</small> to use only one debug register when watching a variable
 - of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
 - address of its first byte.
 - </p>
 - </dd>
 - </dl>
 - 
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 - Next: <a href="AVR.html#AVR" accesskey="n" rel="next">AVR</a>, Previous: <a href="OpenRISC-1000.html#OpenRISC-1000" accesskey="p" rel="prev">OpenRISC 1000</a>, Up: <a href="Embedded-Processors.html#Embedded-Processors" accesskey="u" rel="up">Embedded Processors</a>   [<a href="index.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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