INF: WDEB386 Debugger's Use of COM Port

ID Number: Q58010

3.00 3.10

WINDOWS

Summary:

The only COM port setting for the Windows 80386 Debugger (WDEB386)

that can be altered through the /C: command-line switch is the

specification for which COM port to use. (The COM port and the baud

rate can also be changed through a debugger command.) Unlike CodeView,

WDEB386 runs outside the Windows environment and does not use WIN.INI

or SYSTEM.INI settings to store its configuration.

WDEB386 reprograms the COM port before it sends each character. This

feature prevents other programs or parts of programs that use or abuse

the COM port, such as the MS-DOS MODE command, from influencing the

operation of WDEB386. This prevents misbehaving applications from

affecting communication with the debugger.

WDEB386 is a systems-level debugger for the Windows version 3.0

protected mode environment (enhanced mode and standard mode). Because

it can debug the initialization portion of device drivers that run

under protected mode Windows, WDEB386 is often used during device

driver development. However, for most uses, CodeView is the preferred

protected mode debugger.

In Windows version 3.1, WDEB386 adds the /R: command-line switch to

specify the baud rate.

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.10