The idf_monitor tool is a Python program which runs when the ``make monitor`` target is invoked in IDF.
It is mainly a serial terminal program which relays serial data to and from the target device's serial port, but it has some other IDF-specific xfeatures.
Interacting With idf_monitor
============================
-``Ctrl-]`` will exit the monitor.
-``Ctrl-T Ctrl-H`` will display a help menu with all other keyboard shortcuts.
- Any other key apart from ``Ctrl-]`` and ``Ctrl-T`` is sent through the serial port.
Automatically Decoding Addresses
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Any time esp-idf prints a hexadecimal code address of the form ``0x4_______``, idf_monitor will use addr2line_ to look up the source code location and function name.
By default, if an esp-idf app crashes then the panic handler prints registers and a stack dump as shown above, and then resets.
Optionally, the panic handler can be configured to run a serial "gdb stub" which can communicate with a gdb_ debugger program and allow memory to be read, variables and stack frames examined, etc. This is not as versatile as JTAG debugging, but no special hardware is required.
To enable the gdbstub, run ``make menuconfig`` and navigate to ``Component config`` -> ``ESP32-specific`` -> ``Panic handler behaviour``, then set the value to ``Invoke GDBStub``.
If this option is enabled and idf_monitor sees the gdb stub has loaded, it will automatically pause serial monitoring and run GDB with the correct arguments. After GDB exits, the board will be reset via the RTS serial line (if this is connected.)
Behind the scenes, the command idf_monitor runs is::
The keyboard shortcut ``Ctrl-T Ctrl-F`` will pause idf_monitor, run the ``make flash`` target, then resume idf_monitor. Any changed source files will be recompiled before re-flashing.
The keyboard shortcut ``Ctrl-T Ctrl-A`` will pause idf-monitor, run the ``make app-flash`` target, then resume idf_monitor. This is similar to ``make flash``, but only the main app is compiled and reflashed.
Quick Reset
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The keyboard shortcut ``Ctrl-T Ctrl-R`` will reset the target board via the RTS line (if it is connected.)
Simple Monitor
==============
Earlier versions of ESP-IDF used the pySerial_ command line program miniterm_ as a serial console program.
This program can still be run, via ``make simple_monitor``.
idf_monitor is based on miniterm and shares the same basic keyboard shortcuts.
