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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -27,7 +27,26 @@ Debugging is an essential skill for anyone working with technology, whether you'
- [Arduino IDE](https://www.arduino.cc/en/software)
- [Arduino ESP32 Core](https://github.com/arduino/arduino-esp32) installed (2.0.12 or newer)

## IDE Setup
***It's important to use the "Arduino ESP32 Boards" core by "Arduino" and not the "esp32" core by "Espressif Systems". For Windows users this is paramount, otherwise no drivers will be ever installed and no debugging can be performed.***

## System Setup

### Debugging on Linux

When debugging on a Linux machine you may encounter the following error, due to your user not having the authorization to connect:

```
Error: libusb_open() failed with LIBUSB_ERROR_ACCESS
Error: esp_usb_jtag: could not find or open device!
```

To fix this, you can copy [this file](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/openocd-esp32/master/contrib/60-openocd.rules) in your `/etc/udev/rules.d/` folder (as root).

### Debugging on Windows

On Windows machines it's important to accept the driver installation when prompted during the core installation.

### IDE Setup

To use the debugging feature on the Nano ESP32, you need to have the IDE 2.2.0 or a newer version installed. After you install it, you have to configure the IDE as follows:

Expand All @@ -47,45 +66,69 @@ To use the debugging feature on the Nano ESP32, you need to have the IDE 2.2.0 o

If this is your first time debugging your code we recommend starting with the classic Blink example. It's a simple sketch but works great for understanding the basics of debugging.

Before starting a debug session make sure to always do one of the following:
Before starting a debug session you need to upload your sketch using one of the following methods:

### Method 1

- Connect a jumper cable between the **GND** and the **B1** pins and press the reset button **once**. The RGB LED will turn on with a green or blue color.

- Remove the jumper cable and you should see the RGB LED light up in a purple or yellow color, which means you successfully entered the **ROM Boot mode**.

***Some boards from the first limited production batch were assembled with a different RGB LED which has the green and blue pins inverted. For more information read our full Help Center article [here](https://support.arduino.cc/hc/en-us/articles/9589073738012).***

- Either connect a jumper cable between the **GND** and the **B1** pins and press the reset button **once**. The RGB LED will turn on with a green or blue color. Remove the jumper cable and you should see the RGB LED light up in a purple or yellow color. Then inside **Tools**, the board will be shown as a random ESP32 board.
Note that inside **Tools**, the board will be shown as a random ESP32 board.

***This is because in this mode all ESP32 chips share the same identifier assigned to USB devices, therefore the IDE selects a random ESP32 board.***

Continue to select **Tools** > **Board** > **Arduino Nano ESP32** as well as the correct **Port**.
- Continue by clicking on the drop-down menu.

After that select **Sketch** > **Upload Using Programmer**.
![Drop-Down Menu](./assets/drop-down-menu.png)

- Or double-tap the reset button. You will see the RGB LED fading slowly which means you correctly entered the recovery / Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode. You should see two ports in the drop-down menu, one showing a USB symbol and another one showing a cube.
- Then type "Arduino ESP32" and select the correct Port. Make sure to select the option by Arduino!

![Change Board](./assets/changeBoard.png)

- After that select **Sketch** > **Upload Using Programmer**.

### Method 2

- Slowly double-tap the reset button to enter the Arduino bootloader mode.

***Performing the double press can be a little tricky. Press it once, wait until you see the RGB LED flashing in different colours, then press again. If done correctly the RGB LED will start fading slowly.***

![Arduino bootloader mode](./assets/arduinoBootloaderMode.gif)

- You should see two ports in the drop-down menu, one showing a USB symbol and another one showing a cube.

![DFU Mode](./assets/dfuMode.png)

**After the upload completes** either way, make sure to also **manually reset** the board by pressing the reset button **once**. Otherwise, it may not properly connect via USB and not show up inside the IDE.
- Select the port next to the **USB symbol** and upload a sketch like normal.

### Manual Reset

After uploading a sketch using **either** Method 1 or Method 2 make sure to also **manually reset** the board by pressing the reset button **once**. Otherwise, it may not properly connect via USB and not show up inside the IDE.

Finally, after completing all steps above the last step is to start the debugging sessions via the **Start Debugging** button found at the top of the IDE next to the Upload button.
### Start Debugging

Finally, after completing all necessary steps above the last step is to start the debugging sessions via the **Start Debugging** button found at the top of the IDE next to the Upload button.

![Start Debugging](./assets/startDebugging.png)

***Note: During the upload you will see a debug_custom.json appear in the file view. If you want to debug using another board it's important that you delete this file otherwise the IDE will use the wrong debugger and fail. You can find the file inside your sketch folder, typically at `~/documents/Arduino/<yoursketch>`***

After starting the debugging session you have to press the continue button **several times** until you reach your main sketch and the breakpoints you set. This is due to how the recovery system works is expected behavior.
After starting the debugging session you have to press the continue button **several times** until you reach your main sketch and the breakpoints you set. This is due to how the recovery system works and is expected behavior.

![Continue Button](./assets/continueBtn.png)

## Restore Normal Upload Functionality

Debug-enabled sketches will only accept updates with the above instructions. To restore normal upload functionality, set **Tools** > **USB Mode** to "**Normal mode (Tiny USB)**". You can also uncheck "**Optimize for Debugging**" to increase compilation speed.

Then repeat the steps described above:

- Either connect a jumper cable between the **GND** and the **B1** pins press the reset button **once** and upload using programmer.

- Or **double-tap** the reset button to enter **DFU mode** and perform a normal upload using the upload button.
Then **either** repeat [Method 1](#method-1) or [Method 2](#method-2).

## Summary

In this article we covered the basic steps for debugging the Arduino Nano ESP32 using the Arduino IDE. We have learned how to select the debug mode, how to place the board in the right mode, and how to test out the Arduino IDE's debugging features.
In this article, we covered the basic steps for debugging the Arduino Nano ESP32 using the Arduino IDE. We have learned how to select the debug mode, how to place the board in the right mode, and how to test out the Arduino IDE's debugging features.

## Learn More
This article only covers how to configure the Nano ESP32 for debugging, and how to get things working. To learn more about how to use the debugging features in the IDE, see the [Debugging with the Arduino IDE 2](/software/ide-v2/tutorials/ide-v2-debugger) article, which covers things in more detail.