1 // This file is part of the Doyxgen Developer Manual
2 /** @page tasks Pending and Open Tasks
4 This page lists pending and open tasks being considered or worked upon
5 by the OpenOCD community.
7 @section thelist The List
9 Most items are open for the taking, but please post to the mailing list
10 before spending much time working on anything lists here. The community
11 may have evolved an idea since it was added here.
13 Feel free to send patches to add or clarify items on this list, too.
15 @section thelisttcl TCL
17 This section provides possible things to improve with OpenOCD's TCL support.
19 - Fix problem with incorrect line numbers reported for a syntax
20 error in a reset init event.
22 - organize the TCL configurations:
23 - provide more directory structure for boards/targets?
24 - factor configurations into layers (encapsulation and re-use)
26 - Fix handling of variables between multiple command line "-c" and "-f"
27 parameters. Currently variables assigned through one such parameter
28 command/script are unset before the next one is invoked.
30 - Isolate all TCL command support:
31 - Pure C CLI implementations using --disable-builtin-tcl.
32 - Allow developers to build new dongles using OpenOCD's JTAG core.
33 - At first, provide only low-level JTAG support; target layer and
34 above rely heavily on scripting event mechanisms.
35 - Allow full TCL support? add --with-tcl=/path/to/installed/tcl
36 - Move TCL support out of foo.[ch] and into foo_tcl.[ch] (other ideas?)
37 - See src/jtag/core.c and src/jtag/tcl.c for an example.
38 - allow some of these TCL command modules to be dynamically loadable?
40 @section thelistjtag JTAG
42 This section list issues that need to be resolved in the JTAG layer.
44 @subsection thelistjtagcore JTAG Core
46 The following tasks have been suggested for cleaning up the JTAG layer:
48 - use tap_set_state everywhere to allow logging TAP state transitions
49 - rename other tap_states to use standard JTAG names (suggested by ML)
50 - Encapsulate cmd_queue_cur_state and related varaible handling.
51 - add slick 32 bit versions of jtag_add_xxx_scan() that avoids
52 buf_set_u32() calls and other evidence of poor impedance match between
53 API and calling code. New API should cut down # of lines in calling
54 code by 100's and make things clearer. Also potentially be supported
55 directly in minidriver API for better embedded host performance.
57 The following tasks have been suggested for adding new core JTAG support:
59 - autodetect devices present on the scan chain
60 - implement 'discover_taps' command
62 - (ab)use bit-banging JTAG interfaces to emulate SPI/UART
63 - allow SPI to program flash, MCUs, etc.
65 @subsection thelistjtaginterfaces JTAG Interfaces
67 There are some known bugs to fix in JTAG adapter drivers:
69 - For JTAG_STATEMOVE to TAP_RESET, all drivers must ignore the current
70 recorded state. The tap_get_state() call won't necessarily return
71 the correct value, especially at server startup. Fix is easy: in
72 that case, always issue five clocks with TMS high.
83 The following tasks have been suggeted for improving OpenOCD's JTAG
86 - rework USB communication to be more robust. Two possible options are:
87 -# use libusb-1.0.1 with libusb-compat-0.1.1 (non-blocking I/O wrapper)
88 -# rewrite implementation to use non-blocking I/O
90 - fix to work with long scan chains, such as R.Doss's svf test.
92 - make performance comparable to alternatives (on Win32, D2XX is faster)
93 - make usability comparable to alternatives
95 The following tasks have been suggested for adding new JTAG interfaces:
97 - TCP driver: allow client/server for remote JTAG interface control.
99 @section thelistswd Serial Wire Debug
101 - implement Serial Wire Debug interface
103 @section thelistbs Boundary Scan Support
108 A few possible options for the above:
109 -# Fake a TCL equivalent?
110 -# Integrate an existing library?
111 -# Write a new C implementation a la Jim?
113 Once the above are completed:
114 - add support for programming flash using boundary scan techniques
115 - add integration with a modified gerber view program:
116 - provide means to view the PCB and select pins and traces
117 - allow use-cases such as the following:
119 -# Double-click on a pin (or trace) with the mouse.
121 -# The trace starts blinking, and
122 -# OpenOCD toggles the pin(s) 0/1.
124 @section thelisttargets Target Support
126 - general layer cleanup: @par
127 https://lists.berlios.de/pipermail/openocd-development/2009-May/006590.html
128 - regression: xscale does not place debug_handler.bin into the right spot. workaround:
129 use -s option on command line to place xscale/debug_handler.bin in search path @par
130 https://lists.berlios.de/pipermail/openocd-development/2009-July/009338.html
131 - bug: either USBprog is broken with new tms sequence or there is a general
132 problem with XScale and the new tms sequence. Workaround: use "tms_sequence long"
134 https://lists.berlios.de/pipermail/openocd-development/2009-July/009426.html
135 - regression: "reset halt" between 729(works) and 788(fails): @par
136 https://lists.berlios.de/pipermail/openocd-development/2009-July/009206.html
138 - add reset option to allow programming embedded ice while srst is asserted.
139 Some CPUs will gate the JTAG clock when srst is asserted and in this case,
140 it is necessary to program embedded ice and then assert srst afterwards.
142 - reset run/halt/step is not robust; needs testing to map out problems.
143 - ARM11 improvements (MB?)
144 - fix single stepping (reported by ØH). Need to automatically
145 use hardware stepping if available.
146 - hunt down and add timeouts to all infinite loops, e.g. arm11_run_instr_no_data would
147 lock up in infinite loop if e.g. an "mdh" command tries to read memory from invalid memory location.
148 Try mdh 0x40000000 on i.MX31 PDK
149 - mdb can return garbage data if read byte operation fails for
150 a memory region(16 & 32 byte access modes may be supported). Is this
151 a bug in the .MX31 PDK init script? Try on i.MX31 PDK:
152 mdw 0xb80005f0 0x8, mdh 0xb80005f0 0x10, mdb 0xb80005f0 0x20. mdb returns
154 - implement missing functionality (grep FNC_INFO_NOTIMPLEMENTED ...)
155 - thumb support is missing: ISTR ARMv6 requires Thumb.
156 ARM1156 has Thumb2; ARM1136 doesn't.
157 - Cortex A8 support (ML)
158 - add target implementation (ML)
159 - Generic ARM run_algorithm() interface
160 - tagged struct wrapping ARM instructions and metadata
161 - not revision-specific (current: ARMv4+ARMv5 -or- ARMv6 -or- ARMv7)
162 - usable with at least arm_nandwrite() and generic CFI drivers
163 - MC1322x support (JW/DE?)
164 - integrate and test support from JW (and DE?)
165 - get working with a known good interface (i.e. not today's jlink)
167 - improvements for unknown-board-atmel-at91sam9260.cfg (RD)
169 - improvements to str912.cfg to be more general purpose
171 - independently verify implementation
172 - incrementally improve working prototype in trunk. (SQ)
173 - work out how to debug this target
174 - AVR debugging protocol.
176 - Altera Nios Soft-CPU support
177 - Coldfire (suggested by NC)
178 - can we draw from the BDM project? @par
179 http://bdm.sourceforge.net/
181 or the OSBDM package @par
182 http://forums.freescale.com/freescale/board/message?board.id=OSBDM08&thread.id=422
184 @section thelistsvf SVF/XSVF
186 - develop SVF unit tests
187 - develop XSVF unit tests
189 @section thelistflash Flash Support
191 - finish documentation for the following flash drivers:
198 @subsection thelistflashcfi CFI
200 - finish implementing bus width/chip width handling (suggested by NC)
201 - factor vendor-specific code into separate source files
202 - add new callback interface for vendor-specific code
203 - investigate/implement "thin wrapper" to use eCos CFI drivers (ØH)
205 @section thelistdebug Debugger Support
207 - breakpoints can get lost in some circumstances: @par
208 https://lists.berlios.de/pipermail/openocd-development/2009-June/008853.html
209 - integrate Keil AGDI interface to OpenOCD? (submitted by Dario Vecchio)
211 @section thelisttesting Testing Suite
213 This section includes several related groups of ideas:
214 - @ref thelistunittests
215 - @ref thelistsmoketests
216 - @ref thelisttestreports
217 - @ref thelisttestgenerichw
219 @subsection thelistunittests Unit Tests
221 - add testing skeleton to provide frameworks for adding tests
222 - implement server unit tests
223 - implement JTAG core unit tests
224 - implement JTAG interface unit tests
225 - implement flash unit tests
226 - implement target unit tests
228 @subsection thelistsmoketests Smoke Test Tools
230 -# extend 'make check' with a smoketest app
231 - checks for OOCD_TEST_CONFIG, etc. in environment (or config file)
232 - if properly set, runs the smoke test with specified parameters
233 - openocd -f ${OOCD_TEST_CONFIG}
234 - implies a modular test suite (see below)
235 - should be able to run some minimal tests with dummy interface:
236 - compare results of baseline sanity checks with expected results
238 -# builds a more complete test suite:
239 - existing testing/examples/ look like a great start
240 - all targets should be tested fully and for all capabilities
241 - we do NOT want a "lowest common denominator" test suite
242 - ... but can we start with one to get going?
243 - probably requires one test configuration file per board/target
244 - modularization can occur here, just like with targets/boards/chips
245 - coverage can increase over time, building up bundles of tests
247 -# add new 'smoketest' Makefile target:
248 - calls 'make check' (and the smoketest app)
249 - gather inputs and output into a report file
251 @subsection thelisttestreports Test Feedback Tools
253 These ideas were first introduced here: @par
254 https://lists.berlios.de/pipermail/openocd-development/2009-May/006358.html
256 - provide report submission scripts for e-mail and web forms
257 - add new Makefile targets to post the report:
258 - 'checkreportsend' -- send to list via e-mail (via sendmail)
259 - 'checkreportpost' -- send web form (via curl or other script)
261 @subsection thelisttestgenerichw Generic Hardware Tester
263 - implement VHDL to use for FPGA-based JTAG TAP testing device
264 - develop test suite that utilizes this testing device
266 @section thelistautotools Autotools Build System
268 - make entire configure process require less user consideration:
269 - automatically detect the features that are available, unless
270 options were specifically provided to configure
271 - provide a report of the drivers that will be build at the end of
272 running configure, so the users can verify which driverswill be
273 built during 'make' (and their options) .
274 - eliminate sources of confusion in @c bootstrap script:
275 -# Make @c bootstrap call 'configure --enable-maintainer-mode \<opts\>'?
276 -# Add @c buildstrap script to assist with boostrap and configure steps.
277 - automatically build tool-chains required for cross-compiling
278 - produce mingw32, arm-elf, others using in-tree scripts
279 - build all required target code from sources
280 - make JTAG and USB debug output a run-time configuration option
282 @section thelistarchitecture Architectural Tasks
284 The following architectural tasks need to be accomplished and should be
285 fairly easy to complete:
287 - clean-up code to match style guides
288 - factor code to eliminate duplicated functionality
289 - rewrite code that uses casts to access 16-bit and larger types
290 from unaligned memory addresses
291 - libopenocd support: @par
292 https://lists.berlios.de/pipermail/openocd-development/2009-May/006405.html
293 - review and clean up interface/target/flash APIs
295 The following strategic tasks will require ambition, knowledge, and time
298 - overhaul use of types to improve 32/64-bit portability
299 - types for both host and target word sizes?
300 - can we use GDB's CORE_TYPE support?
301 - Allow N:M:P mapping of servers, targets, and interfaces
302 - loadable module support for interface/target/flash drivers and commands
303 - support both static and dynamic modules.
304 - should probably use libltdl for dynamic library handing.
306 @section thelistadmin Documentation Tasks
308 - Develop milestone and release guidelines, processes, and scripts.
309 - Develop "style" guidelines (and scripts) for maintainers:
311 - committing to Subversion
312 - Review The Guide for OpenOCD Users for documentation errors or omissions
313 - Update The Manual for OpenOCD Developerrs:
314 - Add documentation describing the architecture of each module
315 - Provide more Technical Primers to bootstrap contributor knowledge
319 This file contains the @ref thelist page.