Debugging with Hansel and Gretel - When Breadcrumbs are All You Have

Debugging new software in the world of embedded systems programming can pose special challenges to the programmer. When we see a new board become - as one programmer put it - "dark and quiet," we suddenly know one thing we have in common with poor Hansel and Gretel: We are lost. I will explain a few situations where we found ourselves lost, how a hint from Hansel and Gretel enabled us to find our way again, and how we might even improve a bit on their technique.