Once the tool window appears, you have two primary methods to enter trace mode:
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | SP Flash Tool UI Frontend | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | v [Triggers] +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Runtime Trace Mode Debug Engine | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | v v v [Hexadecimal Log Stack] [Driver State Hooking] [DA Verification] | | | +------------------------+------------------------+ | v [Communicates via] +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MediaTek BROM / Preloader USB Interface | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ 1. Verbose Event Logging
is an advanced operational state within the SP Flash Tool that forces the application to output granular, millisecond-by-millisecond debugging logs.
Before enabling Trace Mode, ensure your environment is ready: MTK Drivers VCOM drivers so the PC recognizes the device in Preloader mode. : Have the correct Scatter file for your specific phone model. Admin Rights : Always run flash_tool.exe Administrator to allow log creation. 🚀 How to Enable Runtime Trace Mode
Pinpoints exactly which block or partition causes a flashing process to fail. Smartphone Flash Tool -runtime Trace Mode-l
Despite its power, Runtime Trace Mode has constraints. First, it requires physical access to the device and often to test points on the circuit board (e.g., TX/RX UART pads) or a specially modified USB cable. Second, the volume of data can be overwhelming—a trace of just the first two seconds of boot might generate tens of megabytes of raw logs. Third, enabling trace mode may slightly alter timing, potentially masking race conditions (the observer effect). Finally, using trace mode incorrectly—such as setting an invalid memory address watchpoint—can crash the preloader, turning a repairable device into a hard brick.
Always attempt to backup your firmware before using advanced modes, as flashing the wrong preloader can hard-brick the device.
Activating Runtime Trace Mode forces the software to output a granular, line-by-line trace of the execution thread. It exposes low-level commands, memory address registers, and hardware handshake statuses, allowing users to see exactly at which millisecond the flashing process failed. Why Use Runtime Trace Mode?
Load your Scatter file, choose your flashing mode (e.g., Download Only), and click Download . Once the tool window appears, you have two
No tool is without its drawbacks. Be aware of these when working with -runtime Trace Mode-l :
: Pinpoint exactly why a device disconnects three seconds into a flash loop.
Once the main dashboard loads, press on your keyboard.
: It provides granular visibility into the flashing process, allowing developers or technicians to see exactly where a failure occurs. : Have the correct Scatter file for your
: It enables automated screenshots to capture the exact UI state when a memory conflict or transfer failure occurs.
is a specialized debugging framework built into the official MediaTek flashing utility that captures real-time data packets, bootloader states, and hardware handshakes during a low-level firmware rewrite. When a MediaTek (MTK) Android device becomes unbootable or hard-bricked, standard recovery interfaces fail. SP Flash Tool acts as a bridge to the processor's Read-Only Memory (ROM) bootloader, but when the flashing sequence stalls, the standard graphical interface rarely pinpoints the exact hardware or protocol failure. Enabling Runtime Trace Mode changes the application from a passive flashing progress bar to an active diagnostic protocol analyzer.
If the trace log terminates immediately after the COM port opens with a timeout on BROM_CMD , the device is failing to enter the low-level boot mode.
Your scatter file memory addresses are wrong for this specific device variant. Compare the trace's detected base address with your scatter file.