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Openocd

  • 415 installs
  • 534 repo stars
  • Updated June 29, 2026
  • zhinkgit/embeddedskills

openocd is an agent skill that runs OpenOCD for ARM probe bring-up, firmware flash, GDB/Telnet debugging, and Semihosting or ITM output capture.

About

openocd is an agent skill for solo hardware and firmware builders who need OpenOCD driven from the terminal without juggling opaque one-off scripts. It wraps probe detection, image programming, flash erase modes, GDB server startup, target reset, interactive Telnet debugging, structured GDB sessions, and Semihosting or ITM trace capture for ARM targets. Configuration splits environment-level skill/config.json (executable path, scripts directory, GDB and Telnet ports, gdb_exe, and operation_mode for direct run, risk summary, or confirm-before-execute) from per-project .e-style settings described in the skill. Prerequisites are a installed OpenOCD binary, Python 3 stdlib only, appropriate debugger drivers, and Arm GNU Toolchain when you use GDB subcommands. Use it while iterating firmware on real boards when you need repeatable flash-and-debug steps your coding agent can invoke instead of manual copy-paste of OpenOCD commands.

  • Probe connectivity, firmware program (.elf/.hex/.bin), and Flash erase (auto|mass|sector)
  • GDB Server on configurable port plus Telnet halt/resume/step, registers, memory, hardware breakpoints, run-to
  • GDB command sequences, backtrace and locals shortcuts via arm-none-eabi-gdb
  • Semihosting printf capture and ITM/SWO output observation
  • Supports ST-Link, CMSIS-DAP, DAPLink, FTDI with skill/config.json operation modes 1–3

Openocd by the numbers

  • 415 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • +23 installs in the week ending Jul 28, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
  • Ranked #131 of 550 CLI & Terminal skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Security screen: LOW risk (skills.sh audit)
  • Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
npx skills add https://github.com/zhinkgit/embeddedskills --skill openocd

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Listed on Skillselion
Installs415
repo stars534
Security audit3 / 3 scanners passed
Last updatedJune 29, 2026
Repositoryzhinkgit/embeddedskills

What it does

Flash firmware, start GDB/Telnet debug sessions, and capture Semihosting or ITM output on ARM boards via OpenOCD from your agent.

Who is it for?

Best when you're on STM32-class ARM boards using ST-Link, CMSIS-DAP, or DAPLink and want agent-assisted flash and debug.

Skip if: Pure web or mobile app developers with no on-target debugging, or teams forbidden from shell access to hardware tools.

When should I use this skill?

You need OpenOCD probe detection, firmware programming, flash erase, GDB server, target reset, Telnet or GDB interactive debug, or Semihosting/ITM output on ARM hardware.

What you get

Your agent executes configured OpenOCD operations—flash, erase, debug server, and trace capture—using paths and ports from config.json with optional safety confirmation modes.

  • Programmed firmware image on target flash
  • Running GDB/Telnet debug session or captured Semihosting/ITM log output

By the numbers

  • Default GDB port 3333 and Telnet port 4444 in config
  • Flash erase modes: auto, mass, and sector
  • Three operation_mode values: direct execute, risk summary, confirm before execute

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

OpenOCD 下载与调试

本 skill 提供 OpenOCD 的探针探测、固件烧录、Flash 擦除、GDB Server 启动、目标复位、 Telnet 在线调试、GDB 源码级调试和 Semihosting 输出捕获能力。

配置

环境级配置(skill/config.json)

skill 目录下的 config.json 包含环境级配置(工具路径、端口号等),首次使用前确认 exe 路径正确:

{
  "exe": "openocd",
  "scripts_dir": "",
  "gdb_port": 3333,
  "telnet_port": 4444,
  "gdb_exe": "",
  "operation_mode": 1
}
  • exe:openocd.exe 路径或命令名(必填)
  • scripts_dir:OpenOCD 配置脚本目录,为空时使用 OpenOCD 内置路径
  • gdb_port:GDB Server 端口,默认 3333
  • telnet_port:Telnet 端口,默认 4444
  • gdb_exe:arm-none-eabi-gdb 路径,GDB 调试子命令(run/backtrace/locals)需要
  • operation_mode1 直接执行 / 2 输出风险摘要但不阻塞 / 3 执行前确认

工程级配置(.embeddedskills/config.json)

board/interface/target 等工程参数统一在工作区的 .embeddedskills/config.json 中管理:

{
  "openocd": {
    "board": "",
    "interface": "interface/stlink.cfg",
    "target": "target/stm32f4x.cfg",
    "adapter_speed": "4000",
    "transport": "swd",
    "tpiu_name": "stm32f4x.tpiu",
    "traceclk": "168000000",
    "pin_freq": "2000000"
  }
}
  • board:board 配置(如 board/stm32f4discovery.cfg),优先级高于 interface+target
  • interface:interface 配置(如 interface/stlink.cfg
  • target:target 配置(如 target/stm32f4x.cfg
  • adapter_speed:调试速率 kHz
  • transport:传输协议(swd/jtag)
  • tpiu_name / traceclk / pin_freq:ITM/SWO 观测所需的 TPIU 参数

参数解析优先级:CLI 显式参数 > `.embeddedskills/config.json`(工程级)> `skill/config.json`(环境级)> `.embeddedskills/state.json` > 默认值/报错

成功执行后,确认过的参数会自动写回工程配置。

子命令

基础操作

子命令用途风险
probe验证 board 或 interface+target 组合,探测目标连通性
flash烧录固件(.elf / .hex / .bin)
erase擦除目标 Flash
reset / reset-init复位目标芯片
targets / flash-banks / adapter-info查询底层 target / flash / adapter 信息
raw执行受控 OpenOCD 原生命令

GDB Server

子命令用途风险
gdb-server启动 GDB Server,保持运行等待 GDB 连接
gdb backtrace/locals快捷获取调用栈和局部变量
gdb break/continue/next/step/finish/untilone-shot 执行流控制
gdb frame/print/watch/disassemble/threads/crash-reportone-shot 源码级诊断

Telnet 在线调试

子命令用途风险
halt暂停 CPU,返回 PC/xPSR
resume恢复 CPU 运行
step单步执行(支持 --count N
reg查看所有 CPU 寄存器
read-mem读内存(--width 8/16/32--length N
write-mem写内存(--width 8/16/32
bp设置硬件断点
rbp移除断点
run-to运行到指定地址(设置断点 + resume + 等待命中)

Semihosting

子命令用途风险
semihosting启用 ARM Semihosting 并捕获目标 printf 输出
itm基于 TPIU/ITM 读取 SWO/ITM 观测数据

执行流程

1. 读取 skill/config.json,确认 exe 路径有效 2. 读取 .embeddedskills/config.json 获取工程级配置(board/interface/target 等) 3. 读取 .embeddedskills/state.json 获取历史状态 4. 参数解析优先级:CLI 显式参数 > `.embeddedskills/config.json`(工程级)> `skill/config.json`(环境级)> `.embeddedskills/state.json` > 默认值/报错 5. 已知 board 时优先使用 -f board/*.cfg,否则组合 -f interface/*.cfg -f target/*.cfg 6. boardinterfacetarget 同时缺失时,不自动拼接组合,直接要求用户补充 7. 按 operation_mode 决定是否需要确认后执行 8. 根据子命令调用对应脚本 9. 统一解析输出中的 InfoError 和就绪日志,返回结构化结果 10. 成功执行后,将确认过的参数写回 .embeddedskills/config.json

脚本调用

skill 目录下有五个 Python 脚本,使用标准库实现,无额外依赖。

openocd_run.py — 探测 / 烧录 / 擦除 / 复位

# 探测连通性(使用 board)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py probe --board board/stm32f4discovery.cfg --json

# 探测连通性(使用 interface + target)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py probe --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 烧录 ELF 固件
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py flash --file build/app.elf --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 烧录 BIN 固件(必须提供地址)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py flash --file build/app.bin --address 0x08000000 --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 擦除 Flash(自动选择 mass/sector)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py erase --mode auto --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 复位目标
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py reset --mode halt --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 查询 target 列表
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py targets --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 查询 flash bank
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py flash-banks --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 执行受控 raw 命令
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_run.py raw --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --command "init" "targets" --json

通用可选参数:--board <cfg>--search <目录>--adapter-speed <kHz>--transport <swd|jtag>--exe <openocd路径>

openocd_gdb.py — GDB Server 启动与调试

# 启动 GDB Server(保持运行)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_gdb.py server --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 无子命令时默认 server(向后兼容)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_gdb.py --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 执行自定义 GDB 命令序列
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_gdb.py run --gdb-exe arm-none-eabi-gdb --elf build/app.elf --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --commands "break main" "continue" "backtrace" "info locals" --json

# 快捷获取调用栈
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_gdb.py backtrace --gdb-exe arm-none-eabi-gdb --elf build/app.elf --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 快捷查看局部变量
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_gdb.py locals --gdb-exe arm-none-eabi-gdb --elf build/app.elf --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

可选参数:--gdb-port--telnet-port--search--adapter-speed--transport--board

openocd_telnet.py — Telnet 在线调试

# 暂停 CPU
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py halt --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 恢复运行
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py resume --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 单步 5 次
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py step --count 5 --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 查看寄存器
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py reg --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 读内存(32bit x 16 个字)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py read-mem --address 0x20000000 --length 16 --width 32 --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 写内存
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py write-mem --address 0x20000000 --value 0xDEADBEEF --width 32 --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 设置硬件断点
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py bp --address 0x08001234 --bp-length 2 --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 移除断点
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py rbp --address 0x08001234 --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 运行到指定地址(设置断点 + resume + 等待)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_telnet.py run-to --address 0x08001234 --timeout-ms 3000 --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

通用可选参数:--board--search--adapter-speed--transport--gdb-port--telnet-port

openocd_semihosting.py — Semihosting 输出捕获

# 捕获 semihosting 输出(持续到 Ctrl+C)
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_semihosting.py --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 捕获 30 秒
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_semihosting.py --timeout 30 --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

openocd_itm.py — ITM/SWO 观测

# 使用配置中的 TPIU 参数持续读取 ITM
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_itm.py --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg --json

# 指定 TPIU 名称和端口
python <skill-dir>/scripts/openocd_itm.py \
  --interface interface/stlink.cfg --target target/stm32f4x.cfg \
  --tpiu-name stm32f4x.tpiu --traceclk 168000000 --pin-freq 2000000 \
  --itm-port 0 --itm-port 1 --json

openocd_itm.py 会启动独立 OpenOCD Server,打开 TPIU/ITM 配置后,把 trace 输出统一包装成 JSON Lines。

调试典型工作流

快速检查(Telnet)

halt -> reg -> read-mem 0x20000000 -> step -> resume

适合快速查看当前 CPU 状态和内存内容。

断点调试(Telnet)

run-to 0x08001234 -> reg -> read-mem -> resume

运行到指定地址后暂停,检查寄存器和内存。

源码级调试(GDB)

gdb run --elf app.elf --commands "break main" "continue" "backtrace" "info locals"

使用 ELF 文件提供符号信息,进行函数级断点和变量查看。

Semihosting 输出

semihosting

捕获目标通过 printf(SVC 指令)输出的调试信息,类似 J-Link RTT。

输出格式

所有脚本以 JSON 格式返回,基础字段为 status(ok/error)、actionsummarydetails,并可能附带 contextartifactsmetricsstatenext_actionstiming。流式观测命令使用 JSON Lines,并统一输出 sourcechannel_typestream_type

成功示例:

{
  "status": "ok",
  "action": "halt",
  "summary": "已暂停,PC=0x08000298",
  "details": {
    "pc": "0x08000298",
    "xpsr": "0x01000000",
    "msp": "0x20020000",
    "halted": true
  }
}

GDB 调用栈示例:

{
  "status": "ok",
  "action": "backtrace",
  "summary": "GDB backtrace 执行成功",
  "details": {
    "gdb_port": 3333,
    "frames": [
      {"frame": 0, "function": "main", "location": "src/main.c:42"}
    ]
  }
}

错误示例:

{
  "status": "error",
  "action": "halt",
  "error": {
    "code": "server_failed",
    "message": "OpenOCD 启动失败或超时"
  }
}

核心规则

  • 不自动猜测 boardinterfacetarget 的组合,缺失时必须询问用户
  • 已知 board 时优先使用 board 配置,不再需要 interface+target
  • 参数解析优先级为:CLI 显式参数 > `.embeddedskills/config.json`(工程级)> `skill/config.json`(环境级)> `.embeddedskills/state.json` > 默认值/报错
  • .bin 文件必须显式提供烧录地址,缺失时报错
  • STM32F4 等已映射 target 在 erase --mode auto 下会先 reset halt,再优先使用 mass erase
  • erase --mode mass 在未命中映射时直接返回 mass_erase_unsupported,避免误以为已做整片擦除
  • 检测到 Flash 锁保护时只提示,不自动解锁
  • 连接失败时给出排查建议(检查连线、供电、驱动、cfg 路径),不自动尝试更激进参数
  • 烧录、擦除、复位在参数完整且用户意图明确时直接执行
  • gdb-server 启动后返回端口和连接方式,进程保持运行
  • GDB 调试(run/backtrace/locals)需要配置 gdb_exe(arm-none-eabi-gdb 路径)
  • Telnet 调试命令每次启动独立的 OpenOCD Server,执行完自动关闭
  • Semihosting 通过 Telnet 启用后持续读取 OpenOCD stderr 输出
  • 结果回显中始终包含 cfg 组合、端口和执行动作
  • 产物路径(elf/file)不进入工程配置,仍只依赖 state.json
  • last_flash/last_debug/last_observe 等运行状态继续写入 state.json

参考

遇到 board/interface/target 配置问题时可查阅 references/common_targets.md

Related skills

How it compares

Hardware debug orchestration skill—not a cloud deploy or mobile navigation pattern pack.

FAQ

Who is openocd for?

Developers and small teams doing ARM firmware who already use OpenOCD and want Claude Code or similar agents to run flash, GDB server, and Telnet debug steps from SKILL.md.

When should I use openocd?

During Build integrations while bringing up boards, after each firmware build that needs programming, or when you need GDB backtraces, Semihosting printf, or ITM/SWO traces without leaving the agent session.

Is openocd safe to install?

It can erase flash and reset hardware; review the Security Audits panel on this page, set operation_mode to confirm-before-run in config.json, and never point it at production equipment you cannot recover.

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