Hardware debugging involves monitoring signals, checking connections between components, and testing circuit continuity on a target board. This process identifies issues like dry soldering, missing connections, or unnoticed PCB errors that could prevent firmware from functioning properly. Key tools for hardware debugging include a magnifying glass for visual inspection of soldering and tracks, a multimeter for checking continuity and signal values, an oscilloscope for analyzing waveforms and noise, a logic analyzer for capturing digital data, and a function generator for simulating input signals.

2. TARGET HARDWARE DEBUGGING
 Even though firmware is bug free embedded product
need not function as per expected behaviour.
 This is because of dry soldering, missing connections,
un-noticed errors in PCB etc.
 Debugging the target board is the only way to sort out
these issues.

3. Contd..
Hardware debugging involves
 Monitoring various signals of target board.
 Checking connection between components.
 Circuit continuity checking.

4. Hardware debugging tools
Hardware debugging tools are
 Magnifying Glass(Lens)
 Multimeter
 Digital CRO
 Logic Analyzer
 Function Generator

5. Magnifying Glass(lens)
 It is a visual inspection tool.
 Surface of target board can be examined for dry
soldering, improper soldering, track damage etc..
 Magnifying station incorporates magnifying glass
attached to CFL tubes.
 The station may incorporate multiple lens.
 Main lens acts as visual inspection tool.
 Other small lens is used for magnifying small area of
the board for thorough inspection.

6. Multimeter
 Mutimeter is used for measuring various electrical
quantities.
 Primary debugging tool for physical contact based
hardware debugging.
 Mainly used for checking circuit continuity, signal
value, polarity, measuring supply voltage.
 Both analog and digital versions are available.
 Digital versions have better readability and accuracy.

7. Digital CRO
 CRO is used for waveform capturing and analysis,
measurement of signal strength etc.
 It is a very good tool in analysing interference noise in
power line and other signal lines.
 They are available in both analog and digital form
 Digital CROs are suitable for high frequency support
and best suited or target board debugging.

8. Logic analyzer
 Used for capturing digital data from digital circuitry.
 It contains special connectors and clips attached to
target board.
 It captures states of various port pins, address bus and
data bus of target processor.
 Logic analyzers give exact reflection of what happens
when the firmware is running.

9. Function generator
 It is an input signal simulator tool.
 It is capable of producing various periodic waveforms
like sine, square, sawtooth waves.
 The waveforms are of different frequencies and
amplitudes.
 In debugging environment, the function generator
serves the purpose of generating and supplying
required signals