Not able to debug ESP32

PlatformIO IDE
1

Trying to debug ESP32

The Setup:

  • Linux - yes the udev rules are present
  • CLion
  • Topology: Esp32 → esp-prog → pc
  • Blink.cpp

platformio.ini:

[env:esp-wrover-kit]
platform = espressif32
framework = arduino
board = esp-wrover-kit
monitor_speed = 115200
build_flags = 
	-D LED_BUILTIN=2

debug_tool = esp-prog
debug_init_break = tbreak setup

It compiles and uploads as it should.
When debug is selected the console has no errors, states [SUCCESS], but is not connected to the esp

Screenshot_20250412_143129
Screenshot_20250412_143129887×351 41.2 KB

Am I missing something?

2

Open a new terminal and execute

pio debug --interface=gdb -- -x .pioinit

what is the output?

3 
Preparing firmware for debugging...
Processing esp-wrover-kit (platform: espressif32; framework: arduino; board: esp-wrover-kit)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verbose mode can be enabled via `-v, --verbose` option
CONFIGURATION: https://docs.platformio.org/page/boards/espressif32/esp-wrover-kit.html
PLATFORM: Espressif 32 (6.10.0) > Espressif ESP-WROVER-KIT
HARDWARE: ESP32 240MHz, 320KB RAM, 4MB Flash
DEBUG: Current (esp-prog) On-board (ftdi) External (cmsis-dap, esp-bridge, esp-prog, iot-bus-jtag, jlink, minimodule, olimex-arm-usb-ocd, olimex-arm-usb-ocd-h, olimex-arm-usb-tiny-h, olimex-jtag-tiny, tumpa)
PACKAGES: 
 - framework-arduinoespressif32 @ 3.20017.241212+sha.dcc1105b 
 - tool-esptoolpy @ 1.40501.0 (4.5.1) 
 - toolchain-xtensa-esp32 @ 8.4.0+2021r2-patch5
LDF: Library Dependency Finder -> https://bit.ly/configure-pio-ldf
LDF Modes: Finder ~ chain, Compatibility ~ soft
Found 33 compatible libraries
Scanning dependencies...
No dependencies
Building in debug mode
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/src/Blink.cpp.o
Building .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/bootloader.bin
Generating partitions .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/partitions.bin
esptool.py v4.5.1
Creating esp32 image...
Merged 1 ELF section
Successfully created esp32 image.
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/Esp.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/FirmwareMSC.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/FunctionalInterrupt.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/HWCDC.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/HardwareSerial.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/IPAddress.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/IPv6Address.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/MD5Builder.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/Print.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/Stream.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/StreamString.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/Tone.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/USB.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/USBCDC.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/USBMSC.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/WMath.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/WString.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/base64.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/cbuf.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-adc.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-bt.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-cpu.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-dac.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-gpio.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-i2c-slave.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-i2c.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-ledc.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-matrix.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-misc.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-psram.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-rgb-led.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-rmt.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-sigmadelta.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-spi.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-time.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-timer.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-tinyusb.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-touch.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/esp32-hal-uart.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/firmware_msc_fat.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/libb64/cdecode.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/libb64/cencode.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/main.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/stdlib_noniso.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/wiring_pulse.c.o
Compiling .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/FrameworkArduino/wiring_shift.c.o
Archiving .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/libFrameworkArduino.a
Indexing .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/libFrameworkArduino.a
Linking .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/firmware.elf
Retrieving maximum program size .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/firmware.elf
Checking size .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/firmware.elf
Advanced Memory Usage is available via "PlatformIO Home > Project Inspect"
RAM:   [=         ]   6.4% (used 21112 bytes from 327680 bytes)
Flash: [==        ]  18.3% (used 239793 bytes from 1310720 bytes)
Building .pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/firmware.bin
esptool.py v4.5.1
Creating esp32 image...
Merged 2 ELF sections
Successfully created esp32 image.
=================================================================================================== [SUCCESS] Took 2.51 seconds ===================================================================================================
/home/keri/.platformio/packages/toolchain-xtensa-esp32/bin/xtensa-esp32-elf-gdb: error while loading shared libraries: libpython2.7.so.1.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Installed the missing libpython2.7.so.1.0 library, the additional output:

...

Reading symbols from /home/keri/Documents/PlatformIO/Projects/250412-103842-arduino-blink/.pio/build/esp-wrover-kit/firmware.elf...
PlatformIO Unified Debugger -> https://bit.ly/pio-debug
PlatformIO: debug_tool = esp-prog
PlatformIO: Initializing remote target...
Open On-Chip Debugger  v0.11.0-esp32-20220706 (2022-07-06-15:48)
Licensed under GNU GPL v2
For bug reports, read
        http://openocd.org/doc/doxygen/bugs.html
adapter speed: 20000 kHz

WARNING: boards/esp32-wrover.cfg is deprecated, and may be removed in a future release.
         If your board is ESP32-WROVER-KIT, use board/esp32-wrover-kit-1.8v.cfg instead.
adapter speed: 5000 kHz

Info : tcl server disabled
Info : telnet server disabled
Info : clock speed 5000 kHz
Error: JTAG scan chain interrogation failed: all ones
Error: Check JTAG interface, timings, target power, etc.
Error: Trying to use configured scan chain anyway...
Error: esp32.cpu0: IR capture error; saw 0x1f not 0x01
Warn : Bypassing JTAG setup events due to errors
Error: Unexpected OCD_ID = ffffffff
Warn : target esp32.cpu0 examination failed
Error: Unexpected OCD_ID = ffffffff
Warn : target esp32.cpu1 examination failed
Info : starting gdb server for esp32.cpu0 on pipe
Info : accepting 'gdb' connection from pipe
Error: Target not examined yet
Error executing event gdb-attach on target esp32.cpu0:

Warn : No symbols for FreeRTOS!
Error: Target not halted
Error: auto_probe failed
Error: Connect failed. Consider setting up a gdb-attach event for the target to prepare target for GDB connect, or use 'gdb_memory_map disable'.
Error: attempted 'gdb' connection rejected
Ignoring packet error, continuing...
warning: unrecognized item "timeout" in "qSupported" response
Ignoring packet error, continuing...
(gdb) .pioinit:11: Error in sourced command file:
Remote replied unexpectedly to 'vMustReplyEmpty': timeout
4

That usually means that your wiring is wrong, too long, or the debug_speed is set too high, or that your application is using one of the JTAG pins. Please double check with

https://medium.com/@manuel.bl/low-cost-esp32-in-circuit-debugging-dbbee39e508b

https://docs.platformio.org/en/latest/projectconf/sections/env/options/debug/debug_speed.html

5

With new jumper cables it’s working, thank you for the help.