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OpenOCD

· 2 min read
Cesar Bautista
Cesar Bautista
Embedded Software Engineer

This tutorial will guide you through the process of flashing a firmware to a development board using OpenOCD.

Introduction​

OpenOCD (Open On-Chip Debugger) is an open-source software that provides debugging and in-system programming for embedded target devices. It supports a wide range of hardware interfaces and target devices, making it a versatile tool for embedded development.

In this tutorial, we will use OpenOCD to flash a firmware to a development board. We will cover the installation of OpenOCD, configuration of the target device, and flashing of the firmware.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • A development board with an appropriate hardware interface (e.g., JTAG, SWD).
  • A firmware file in a supported format (e.g., ELF, HEX).
  • A computer with OpenOCD installed.

Installation​

To install OpenOCD, follow the instructions for your operating system:

  • Linux: OpenOCD is available in most package managers. You can install it using the following command:

    sudo apt-get install openocd

  • Windows: Download the latest OpenOCD binary from the [official website](

  • macOS: OpenOCD can be installed using Homebrew. Run the following command:

    brew install openocd

Once OpenOCD is installed, you can verify the installation by running the following command:

openocd --version

You should see the version number of OpenOCD displayed in the terminal.