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DBGBCR<n>_EL1: Debug Breakpoint Control Registers, n = 0 - 63

Purpose

Holds control information for a breakpoint. Forms breakpoint n together with value register DBGBVR<n>_EL1.

Configuration

External register DBGBCR<n>_EL1 bits [31:0] are architecturally mapped to AArch64 System register DBGBCR<n>_EL1[31:0].

External register DBGBCR<n>_EL1 bits [63:32] are architecturally mapped to AArch64 System register DBGBCR<n>_EL1[63:32] when FEAT_Debugv8p9 is implemented.

External register DBGBCR<n>_EL1 bits [31:0] are architecturally mapped to AArch32 System register DBGBCR<n>[31:0].

DBGBCR<n>_EL1 is in the Core power domain.

If breakpoint n is not implemented then accesses to this register are:

Attributes

DBGBCR<n>_EL1 is a 64-bit register.

Field descriptions

6362616059585756555453525150494847464544434241403938373635343332
313029282726252423222120191817161514131211109876543210
RES0
LBNXSSCEMASKBTLBNSSCHMCRES0BASRES0BT2PMCE

When the E field is zero, all the other fields in the register are ignored.

Bits [63:32]

Reserved, RES0.

LBNX, bits [31:30]

When FEAT_Debugv8p9 is implemented:

Linked Breakpoint Number.

For Linked address matching breakpoints, with DBGBCR<n>_EL1.LBN, specifies the index of the breakpoint linked to.

For all other breakpoint types, this field is ignored and reads of the register return an UNKNOWN value.

This field extends DBGBCR<n>_EL1.LBN to support up to 64 implemented breakpoints.

The reset behavior of this field is:



Otherwise:

Reserved, RES0.

SSCE, bit [29]

When FEAT_RME is implemented:

Security State Control Extended.

The fields that indicate when the breakpoint can be generated are: HMC, PMC, SSC, and SSCE. These fields must be considered in combination, and the values that are permitted for these fields are constrained.

The reset behavior of this field is:



Otherwise:

Reserved, RES0.

MASK, bits [28:24]

When FEAT_BWE is implemented:

Address Mask. Only address ranges up to 2GB can be watched using a single mask.

MASKMeaning
0b00000

No mask.

0b00011..0b11111

Number of address bits masked.

All other values are reserved.

Indicates the number of masked address bits, from 0b00011 masking 3 address bits (0x00000007 mask for address) to 0b11111 masking 31 address bits (0x7FFFFFFF mask for address).

If DBGBCR<n>_EL1.MASK is programmed with a reserved value, then the breakpoint behaves as if either:

The reset behavior of this field is:



Otherwise:

Reserved, RES0.

BT, bits [23:20]

Breakpoint Type.

With DBGBCR<n>_EL1.BT2 when implemented, specifies breakpoint type.

BTMeaningApplies when
0b0000

Unlinked instruction address match. DBGBVR<n>_EL1 is the address of an instruction.

0b0001

Linked instruction address match. As 0b0000, but linked to a breakpoint that has linking enabled.

0b0010

Unlinked Context ID match. If the Effective value of HCR_EL2.E2H is 1 and either the PE is executing at EL0 with HCR_EL2.TGE set to 1 or the PE is executing at EL2, then DBGBVR<n>_EL1.ContextID is compared against CONTEXTIDR_EL2. Otherwise, DBGBVR<n>_EL1.ContextID is compared against CONTEXTIDR_EL1.

When breakpoint n is context-aware
0b0011

As 0b0010, with linking enabled.

When breakpoint n is context-aware
0b0100

Unlinked instruction address mismatch. DBGBVR<n>_EL1 is the address of an instruction.

When FEAT_BWE is implemented or EL1 is using AArch32
0b0101

Linked instruction address mismatch. As 0b0100, but linked to a breakpoint that has linking enabled.

When FEAT_BWE is implemented or EL1 is using AArch32
0b0110

Unlinked CONTEXTIDR_EL1 match. DBGBVR<n>_EL1.ContextID is a Context ID compared against CONTEXTIDR_EL1.

When FEAT_VHE is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b0111

As 0b0110, with linking enabled.

When FEAT_VHE is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b1000

Unlinked VMID match. DBGBVR<n>_EL1.VMID is a VMID compared against VTTBR_EL2.VMID.

When EL2 is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b1001

As 0b1000, with linking enabled.

When EL2 is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b1010

Unlinked VMID and Context ID match. DBGBVR<n>_EL1.ContextID is a Context ID compared against CONTEXTIDR_EL1, and DBGBVR<n>_EL1.VMID is a VMID compared against VTTBR_EL2.VMID.

When EL2 is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b1011

As 0b1010, with linking enabled.

When EL2 is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b1100

Unlinked CONTEXTIDR_EL2 match. DBGBVR<n>_EL1.ContextID2 is a Context ID compared against CONTEXTIDR_EL2.

When FEAT_VHE is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b1101

As 0b1100, with linking enabled.

When FEAT_VHE is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b1110

Unlinked Full Context ID match. DBGBVR<n>_EL1.ContextID is compared against CONTEXTIDR_EL1, and DBGBVR<n>_EL1.ContextID2 is compared against CONTEXTIDR_EL2.

When FEAT_VHE is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware
0b1111

As 0b1110, with linking enabled.

When FEAT_VHE is implemented and breakpoint n is context-aware

The reset behavior of this field is:

LBN, bits [19:16]

Linked Breakpoint Number.

For Linked address matching breakpoints, with DBGBCR<n>_EL1.LBNX when implemented, specifies the index of the breakpoint linked to.

For all other breakpoint types, this field is ignored and reads of the register return an UNKNOWN value.

The reset behavior of this field is:

SSC, bits [15:14]

Security state control. Determines the Security states under which a Breakpoint debug event for breakpoint n is generated. This field must be interpreted along with the HMC and PMC fields, and there are constraints on the permitted values of the {HMC, SSC, PMC} fields. For more information, including the effect of programming the fields to a reserved set of values, see 'Reserved DBGBCR<n>_EL1.{SSC, HMC, PMC} values'.

For more information on the operation of the SSC, HMC, and PMC fields, see 'Execution conditions for which a breakpoint generates Breakpoint exceptions'.

The reset behavior of this field is:

HMC, bit [13]

Higher mode control. Determines the debug perspective for deciding when a Breakpoint debug event for breakpoint n is generated. This field must be interpreted along with the SSC and PMC fields, and there are constraints on the permitted values of the {HMC, SSC, PMC} fields. For more information see DBGBCR<n>_EL1.SSC description.

For more information on the operation of the SSC, HMC, and PMC fields, see 'Execution conditions for which a breakpoint generates Breakpoint exceptions'.

The reset behavior of this field is:

Bits [12:9]

Reserved, RES0.

BAS, bits [8:5]

When AArch32 is supported:

Byte address select. Defines which half-words an address-matching breakpoint matches, regardless of the instruction set and Execution state.

The permitted values depend on the breakpoint type.

For Address match breakpoints in either AArch32 or AArch64 state, the permitted values are:

BASMatch instruction atConstraint for debuggers
0b0011DBGBVR<n>_EL1Use for T32 instructions.
0b1100DBGBVR<n>_EL1 + 2Use for T32 instructions.
0b1111DBGBVR<n>_EL1Use for A64 and A32 instructions.

All other values are reserved.

For more information, see 'Using the BAS field in Address Match breakpoints'.

For Address mismatch breakpoints in an AArch32 stage 1 translation regime, the permitted values are:

BASMatch instruction atConstraint for debuggers
0b0000-Use for a match anywhere breakpoint.
0b0011DBGBVR<n>_EL1Use for stepping T32 instructions.
0b1100DBGBVR<n>_EL1 + 2Use for stepping T32 instructions.
0b1111DBGBVR<n>_EL1Use for stepping A64 and A32 instructions.

All other values are reserved.

For more information, see 'Using the BAS field in Address Match breakpoints'.

For Context matching breakpoints, this field is RES1 and ignored.

The reset behavior of this field is:



Otherwise:

Reserved, RES1.

Bit [4]

Reserved, RES0.

BT2, bit [3]

When FEAT_ABLE is implemented and breakpoint n supports address breakpoint linking:

Breakpoint Type 2. With DBGBCR<n>_EL1.BT, specifies breakpoint type.

BT2Meaning
0b0

As DBGBCR<n>_EL1.BT.

0b1

As DBGBCR<n>_EL1.BT, but with linking enabled.

This value is only defined for the following DBGBCR<n>_EL1.BT values:

0b0000, 0b0001, 0b0100, and 0b0101.

All other values are reserved.

The reset behavior of this field is:



Otherwise:

Reserved, RES0.

PMC, bits [2:1]

Privilege mode control. Determines the Exception level or levels at which a Breakpoint debug event for breakpoint n is generated. This field must be interpreted along with the SSC and HMC fields, and there are constraints on the permitted values of the {HMC, SSC, PMC} fields. For more information see the DBGBCR<n>_EL1.SSC description.

For more information on the operation of the SSC, HMC, and PMC fields, see 'Execution conditions for which a breakpoint generates Breakpoint exceptions'.

The reset behavior of this field is:

E, bit [0]

Enable breakpoint n.

EMeaning
0b0

Breakpoint n disabled.

0b1

Breakpoint n enabled.

This field is ignored by the PE and treated as zero when all of the following are true:

The reset behavior of this field is:

Accessing DBGBCR<n>_EL1

Note

SoftwareLockStatus() depends on the type of access attempted and AllowExternalDebugAccess() has a new definition from Armv8.4. Refer to the Pseudocode definitions for more information.

When FEAT_Debugv8p9 is not implemented, this register is 32-bits wide and offset 0x40C + (16 * n) is reserved.

DBGBCR<n>_EL1 can be accessed through the external debug interface:

ComponentOffsetInstance
Debug0x408 + (16 * n)DBGBCR<n>_EL1

This interface is accessible as follows: