A tutorial on implementing printf-style software tracing on embedded systems, specifically the TivaC Launchpad board. Covers setting up printf with microlib, implementing fputc to route output via UART or ITM, configuring a virtual serial port, using a serial terminal to view trace output, and creating conditional build configurations (spy vs debug). Also benchmarks printf's significant overhead: it extends ISR execution time by ~400x and adds 552+ bytes of code, with floating-point format pushing that to 3.5KB — teasing a more efficient tracing approach in the next lesson.
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