Perl Debugger vs pyOCD

Perl Debugger is an interactive debugger included with Perl, not a separate program. Running Perl with the `-d` flag loads the debugger and adds source information, allowing users to inspect code, set breakpoints, view stack backtraces, and change variable values. The program must compile correctly before debugging.

Debugger commands support stepping into subroutine calls, stepping over them, and tracing execution. Conditional breakpoints and watches on global expressions can pause a run when specified conditions or changes occur. The `x` command can pretty-print nested data; displaying lexical variables requires PadWalker version 0.08 or higher. Options can be set interactively, through `PERLDB_OPTS`, or in `.perldb` files. Documentation also describes a GUI option through Devel::ptkdb. The debugger does not provide stack-frame information for functions not compiled by Perl, such as C or C++ extension functions, and compile-time executable statements are not stopped, though some can be traced with AutoTrace. Perl is listed for Linux, macOS, and Windows, and the debugger is free.

pyOCD is a Python tool and API for debugging, programming, and exploring Arm Cortex microcontrollers. Its GDB server supports command-line debugging and IDE workflows, including Arm CMSIS Debugger, Cortex-Debug, and Eclipse Embedded CDT. It can program firmware and data images into internal or external flash, or load images into RAM. The Python API controls target devices and can support CI setups and custom test or debug tools. More than 70 common Arm Cortex-M devices have built-in support, with CMSIS Device Family Packs available for additional devices. Features include semihosting, SWV, and CMSIS-Pack support. Built-in probe plug-ins include CMSIS-DAP, Raspberry Pi Picoprobe, SEGGER J-Link, STLink, and pyOCD remote; PE Micro Cyclone and Multilink require a separate plug-in. A server and client can share probes over TCP/IP. pyOCD requires Python 3.9 or later and runs on macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows. It is free, with code licensed under Apache 2.0. Unlocking a supported locked device can require a mass erase, which erases its data.