Black Magic Debug vs RenderDoc

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.

RenderDoc is a frame-capture graphics debugger for graphics development, released under the MIT license and available free. It supports Vulkan, D3D11, D3D12, OpenGL, and OpenGL ES, with HLSL, GLSL, and SPIR-V listed among supported languages. Its listed platforms are Windows, Linux, and Android; Nintendo Switch support is noted for authorized developers using NintendoSDK. The API support table marks OpenGL 1.0–2.0 compatibility as supported, while D3D9/10 and Metal are unavailable. Linux support is limited to 64-bit x86. Windows users can choose 32-bit or 64-bit builds or a portable ZIP, and the 64-bit build can capture 32-bit programs. Stable and nightly binary releases are available; stable builds are recommended for new users because nightlies may be less stable. Documentation is online for the latest stable version and included as a CHM file in builds, with introductory videos also linked. The project lists GitHub issues, email, IRC, and Discord for questions and problems. RenderDoc is intended for debugging programs users created; its public support channels do not allow discussion of capturing programs they did not create.