Black Magic Debug vs FLEX

Black Magic Debug is a free JTAG/SWD debugger for embedded microcontrollers, aimed at professional developers who want control over build systems and testing environments. Its firmware includes a GDB server that detects targets automatically, without target-specific configuration scripts. Debugging tools include watchpoints, flash memory breakpoints, memory and register examination, and flash programming. The project describes support for ARM Cortex-M and Cortex-A microcontrollers; its listed target platforms also include RISC-V, and remote debugging is supported. The probe connects as a standard USB CDC ACM virtual serial device, with no special driver needed for this interface on Linux or macOS. The debugger works with Linux, macOS, and Windows. The GDB server also supports semihosting and host I/O, Serial Wire Output, and USB DFU firmware upgrades. Documentation includes guides for PlatformIO and STM32CubeIDE. It can also be compiled as a desktop application and used with BMP, ST-Link, FTDI-MPSSE, SEGGER J-Link, or CMSIS-DAP adapters. Desktop-app programming is a little slower, though BMP development may be faster because firmware upload is unnecessary. Getting started requires a Black Magic Probe and a suitable target toolchain.

FLEX is a free, open-source debugging and exploration library for iOS applications. It runs inside the app and places a toolbar in a window above it, allowing developers to inspect and change application state without an LLDB or Xcode connection or a remote debugging server. The tool can inspect view hierarchies, find live heap objects, show and modify properties and ivars, and call methods. Its network history covers NSURLConnection and NSURLSession requests with timing, headers, and responses. Developers can browse app bundles and sandboxes, inspect SQLite and Realm databases, and view or edit NSUserDefaults values, including strings, numbers, arrays, and dictionaries. FLEX works in the iOS Simulator and on physical devices, supports Objective-C and Swift, and requires an iOS 9-or-later target. Installation options include CocoaPods, Carthage, Buck, manual Xcode integration, and Swift Package Manager.