Intel 253668-032US User Manual
16-10 Vol. 3
DEBUGGING, PROFILING BRANCHES AND TIME-STAMP COUNTER
See also: Chapter 6, “Interrupt 1—Debug Exception (#DB),” in the Intel® 64 and
IA-32 Architectures Software Developer’s Manual, Volume 3A.
IA-32 Architectures Software Developer’s Manual, Volume 3A.
16.3.1.1 Instruction-Breakpoint Exception Condition
The processor reports an instruction breakpoint when it attempts to execute an
instruction at an address specified in a breakpoint-address register (DB0 through
DR3) that has been set up to detect instruction execution (R/W flag is set to 0). Upon
reporting the instruction breakpoint, the processor generates a fault-class, debug
exception (#DB) before it executes the target instruction for the breakpoint.
Instruction breakpoints are the highest priority debug exceptions. They are serviced
before any other exceptions detected during the decoding or execution of an instruc-
tion. However, if a code instruction breakpoint is placed on an instruction located
immediately after a POP SS/MOV SS instruction, the breakpoint may not be trig-
gered. In most situations, POP SS/MOV SS will inhibit such interrupts (see
“MOV—Move” and “POP—Pop a Value from the Stack” in Chapters 3 and 4 of the
Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer’s Manual, Volumes
2A & 2B).
instruction at an address specified in a breakpoint-address register (DB0 through
DR3) that has been set up to detect instruction execution (R/W flag is set to 0). Upon
reporting the instruction breakpoint, the processor generates a fault-class, debug
exception (#DB) before it executes the target instruction for the breakpoint.
Instruction breakpoints are the highest priority debug exceptions. They are serviced
before any other exceptions detected during the decoding or execution of an instruc-
tion. However, if a code instruction breakpoint is placed on an instruction located
immediately after a POP SS/MOV SS instruction, the breakpoint may not be trig-
gered. In most situations, POP SS/MOV SS will inhibit such interrupts (see
“MOV—Move” and “POP—Pop a Value from the Stack” in Chapters 3 and 4 of the
Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer’s Manual, Volumes
2A & 2B).
Because the debug exception for an instruction breakpoint is generated before the
instruction is executed, if the instruction breakpoint is not removed by the exception
handler; the processor will detect the instruction breakpoint again when the instruc-
tion is restarted and generate another debug exception. To prevent looping on an
instruction breakpoint, the Intel 64 and IA-32 architectures provide the RF flag
instruction is executed, if the instruction breakpoint is not removed by the exception
handler; the processor will detect the instruction breakpoint again when the instruc-
tion is restarted and generate another debug exception. To prevent looping on an
instruction breakpoint, the Intel 64 and IA-32 architectures provide the RF flag
Table 16-2. Debug Exception Conditions
Debug or Breakpoint Condition
DR6 Flags
Tested
DR7 Flags
Tested
Exception Class
Single-step trap
BS = 1
Trap
Instruction breakpoint, at addresses
defined by DRn and LENn
Bn = 1 and
(Gn or Ln = 1)
R/Wn = 0
Fault
Data write breakpoint, at addresses
defined by DRn and LENn
Bn = 1 and
(Gn or Ln = 1)
R/Wn = 1
Trap
I/O read or write breakpoint, at
addresses defined by DRn and LENn
Bn = 1 and
(Gn or Ln = 1)
R/Wn = 2
Trap
Data read or write (but not instruction
fetches), at addresses defined by DRn
and LENn
Bn = 1 and
(Gn or Ln = 1)
R/Wn = 3
Trap
General detect fault, resulting from an
attempt to modify debug registers
(usually in conjunction with in-circuit
emulation)
BD = 1
Fault
Task switch
BT = 1
Trap