[SOLVED] Debug session unexpectedly silently fails to flash target (STM32H7) ("RAM check failed")

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  • [SOLVED] Debug session unexpectedly silently fails to flash target (STM32H7) ("RAM check failed")

    Hi all!

    I are developing software for an ST STM32H7* based MCU.

    Unfortunately flashing the target using a J-Link Ultra+ debugger probe fails to flash the target.

    I don't think it's relevant but I am using the CLion IDE and have added the GDB server from STM32CubeIDE:

    GDB Server: C:\ST\STM32CubeIDE_1.8.0\STM32CubeIDE\plugins\com.st.stm32cube.ide.mcu.externaltools.jlink.win32_2.1.0.202204211145\tools\bin\JLinkGDBServerCL.exe

    GSB Server args: -device "STM32H7[...]" -if swd -speed 24000 -port 45102 -nogui -singlerun


    Here's the command line output (marked as source code for bette readability):

    Source Code

    1. C:\ST\STM32CubeIDE_1.8.0\STM32CubeIDE\plugins\com.st.stm32cube.ide.mcu.externaltools.jlink.win32_2.1.0.202204211145\tools\bin\JLinkGDBServerCL.exe -device STM32H7[...] -if swd -speed 24000 -port 45102 -nogui -singlerun
    2. SEGGER J-Link GDB Server V7.66 Command Line Version
    4. JLinkARM.dll V7.66 (DLL compiled May 18 2022 15:52:58)
    6. Command line: -device STM32H7[...] -if swd -speed 24000 -port 45102 -nogui -singl
    7. erun
    8. -----GDB Server start settings-----
    9. GDBInit file: none
    10. GDB Server Listening port: 45102
    11. SWO raw output listening port: 2332
    12. Terminal I/O port: 2333
    13. Accept remote connection: localhost only
    14. Generate logfile: off
    15. Verify download: off
    16. Init regs on start: off
    17. Silent mode: off
    18. Single run mode: on
    19. Target connection timeout: 0 ms
    20. ------J-Link related settings------
    21. J-Link Host interface: USB
    22. J-Link script: none
    23. J-Link settings file: none
    24. ------Target related settings------
    25. Target device: STM32H7[...]
    26. Target interface: SWD
    27. Target interface speed: 24000kHz
    28. Target endian: little
    30. Connecting to J-Link...
    31. J-Link is connected.
    32. Firmware: J-Link Ultra V5-1 compiled May 2 2022 09:00:17
    33. Hardware: V5.10
    34. S/N: [...]
    35. Feature(s): RDI, FlashBP, FlashDL, JFlash, GDB
    36. Checking target voltage...
    37. Target voltage: 3.36 V
    38. Listening on TCP/IP port 45102
    39. Connecting to target...
    40. Connected to target
    41. Waiting for GDB connection...Connected to 127.0.0.1
    42. Reading all registers
    43. Reading 64 bytes @ address 0x080352C0
    44. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x08035574 (Data = 0xE000ED00)
    45. Read 2 bytes @ address 0x08035448 (Data = 0xF7DB)
    46. Read 2 bytes @ address 0x080362A4 (Data = 0xB508)
    47. Read 2 bytes @ address 0x08057DE4 (Data = 0x4770)
    48. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x0802B814 (Data = 0xD1E12B00)
    49. Downloading 664 bytes @ address 0x08000000
    50. Downloading 16000 bytes @ address 0x080002A0
    51. Downloading 16048 bytes @ address 0x08004120
    52. Downloading 16048 bytes @ address 0x08007FD0
    53. Downloading 15792 bytes @ address 0x0800BE80
    54. Downloading 16080 bytes @ address 0x0800FC30
    55. Downloading 16064 bytes @ address 0x08013B00
    56. Downloading 15920 bytes @ address 0x080179C0
    57. Downloading 16112 bytes @ address 0x0801B7F0
    58. Downloading 16032 bytes @ address 0x0801F6E0
    59. Downloading 15936 bytes @ address 0x08023580
    60. Downloading 15888 bytes @ address 0x080273C0
    61. Downloading 15856 bytes @ address 0x0802B1D0
    62. Downloading 15888 bytes @ address 0x0802EFC0
    63. Downloading 15952 bytes @ address 0x08032DD0
    64. Downloading 16000 bytes @ address 0x08036C20
    65. Downloading 16128 bytes @ address 0x0803AAA0
    66. Downloading 16160 bytes @ address 0x0803E9A0
    67. Downloading 16032 bytes @ address 0x080428C0
    68. Downloading 16096 bytes @ address 0x08046760
    69. Downloading 16112 bytes @ address 0x0804A640
    70. Downloading 16048 bytes @ address 0x0804E530
    71. Downloading 15920 bytes @ address 0x080523E0
    72. Downloading 10288 bytes @ address 0x08056210
    73. Downloading 16352 bytes @ address 0x08058A40
    74. Downloading 16272 bytes @ address 0x0805CA20
    75. Downloading 8196 bytes @ address 0x080609B0
    76. Downloading 3932 bytes @ address 0x080629B4
    77. Downloading 3344 bytes @ address 0x08063910
    78. Downloading 36 bytes @ address 0x08064620
    79. Downloading 4 bytes @ address 0x08064644
    80. Downloading 1296 bytes @ address 0x08064648
    81. ERROR: Failed to prepare for programming.
    82. RAM check failed @ addr 0x24000F78.
    83. RAM check failed while testing 0x1FF0 bytes @ addr 0x240007C4.
    84. Writing register (PC = 0x 8033da8)
    85. Reading 64 bytes @ address 0x080352C0
    86. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x08035574 (Data = 0xE000ED00)
    87. Read 2 bytes @ address 0x08035448 (Data = 0xF7DB)
    88. Read 2 bytes @ address 0x080362A4 (Data = 0xB508)
    89. Read 2 bytes @ address 0x08057DE4 (Data = 0x4770)
    90. Received monitor command: reset
    91. Resetting target
    92. Resetting target
    93. Debugger connected to tcp::45102
    94. Setting breakpoint @ address 0x08035448, Size = 2, BPHandle = 0x0001
    95. Starting target CPU...
    96. ...Breakpoint reached @ address 0x08035448
    97. Reading all registers
    98. Removing breakpoint @ address 0x08035448, Size = 2
    99. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x08035448 (Data = 0xFE08F7DB)
    100. Reading 64 bytes @ address 0x2405FBC0
    101. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x08033DDE (Data = 0xFC004770)
    102. Reading 64 bytes @ address 0x08033D80
    103. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x08033DE0 (Data = 0x2405FC00)
    Display All
    (I've manually removed the specific STM32H7 model and my J-Link debugger probe's S/N.)



    The relevant part:

    J-Link GDB wrote:

    ERROR: Failed to prepare for programming.
    RAM check failed @ addr 0x24000F78.
    RAM check failed while testing 0x1FF0 bytes @ addr 0x240007C4.
    GDB the continues to start the debug session. So it kind of fails silently without having flashed my new code.


    I want to use the J-Link for both debug-stepping and tracing (using RTT and Percepio Tracealyzer).


    My current workaround:
    • flash using an ST-Link debugger probe
    • debug & trace using the J-Link debugger probe.
    That's quite tedious and I'd like to fix this.


    Unfortunately, I've no idea what could go wrong - I don't really think that the MCU's internal RAM is broken. I'd like to believe that flashing using the J-Link Ultra+ and the same GDB server has worked previously -- but I am not too sure at the moment.

    Please let me know if I can/should provide any further details.

    Cheers,
    mwb

  • It doesn't really help but I was experiencing similar issues with an STM32F4:
    [ABANDONED] JlinkExe erase Command fails with RAM check

    I couldn't solve this. Flashing worked for me (with the automatically included page erases). However, a manual dedicated flash erase always failed. I also don't think anything is wrong with your controller. We initially thought that too and conducted some memory tests on the STM with no result of an corrupt memory cell.

  • Hi Shino,

    thanks for your post.

    The following setting in the CLion GDB run/debug configuration seems to do the trick:



    From the console:

    Brainfuck Source Code

    1. Waiting for GDB connection...Connected to 127.0.0.1
    2. Reading all registers
    3. Reading 64 bytes @ address 0x080352C0
    4. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x08035574 (Data = 0xE000ED00)
    5. ...
    6. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x0802B730 (Data = 0xD9072B01)
    7. Reading 64 bytes @ address 0x24002F40
    8. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x0802F25C (Data = 0xB082B580)
    9. Received monitor command: reset
    10. Resetting target
    11. Resetting target
    12. Downloading 664 bytes @ address 0x08000000
    13. Downloading 16000 bytes @ address 0x080002A0
    14. ...
    15. Downloading 36 bytes @ address 0x08064620
    16. Downloading 4 bytes @ address 0x08064644
    17. Downloading 1296 bytes @ address 0x08064648
    18. Comparing flash [....................] Done.
    19. Writing register (PC = 0x 8033da8)
    20. Reading 64 bytes @ address 0x080352C0
    21. Read 4 bytes @ address 0x08035574 (Data = 0xE000ED00)
    22. ...
    Display All

    HTH,
    mwb