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Troubleshooting an EEPROM Write Issue in a Microcontroller – A Real-World Debugging Experience

 Troubleshooting an EEPROM Write Issue in a Microcontroller—A Real-World Debugging Experience



🔧 Problem Statement

While working on an embedded system at an R&D firm, I encountered a puzzling problem with EEPROM data writing. The EEPROM write operation was perfectly simulated, but when the compiled HEX file was uploaded to the actual microcontroller, the written data became unrecognizable.

🧪 Initial Assumptions

At first, I assumed there might be a logical bug in my code. However, after carefully reviewing my EEPROM write functions and re-running simulations multiple times, everything appeared to be correct.

🛠 Step-by-Step Debugging Process

1. Verification via Custom Tool

To confirm whether the EEPROM was actually writing incorrect data, I built a simple tool that could:

  • Read the EEPROM data from the microcontroller

  • Convert and display the raw bytes into human-readable formats like integer and character

Upon reading the EEPROM content using this tool, I confirmed that the written and read data did not match.

2. Suspicion of Power Issue

I started suspecting a hardware-level issue. So I monitored the microcontroller's VDD and VSS terminals using a Tektronix oscilloscope, especially during EEPROM write operations.

3. Root Cause Identified

To my surprise, I noticed a voltage drop during the EEPROM write process. This explained the unreliable write behavior: the microcontroller was not getting sufficient voltage, which led to EEPROM corruption.

✅ Solution Applied

To stabilize the voltage supply during write operations, I placed a bypass capacitor (decoupling capacitor) very close to the VCC and GND pins of the microcontroller. After that:

  • No further EEPROM corruption was observed

  • Write and read operations became consistent

  • The issue was resolved within 3 hours of in-depth debugging

💡 Lesson Learned

Hardware issues can sometimes mimic software bugs. Power stability, especially during write or flash operations, is critical. A small decoupling capacitor can prevent hours of debugging!

My LinkedIn:reponsheikh

🏷 Tags:

#EmbeddedSystems #EEPROM #Microcontroller #Debugging #HardwareDesign #R&D #Electronics


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