Techniques for the design and use of a digital signal processor, including (but not limited to) for processing transmissions in a communications (e.g., CDMA) system. The method and system improve software instruction debugging operations by capturing real-time information relating to software execution flow and include and instructions and circuitry for operating a core processor process within a core processor. A non-intrusive debugging process operates within a debugging mechanism of a digital signal processor. Non-intrusively monitoring in real time predetermined aspects of software execution occurs with the core processing process and occurs in real-time on the processor. An embedded trace macrocell records selectable aspects of the non-intrusively monitored software execution and generates at least one breakpoint in response to events arising within the selectable aspects of the non-intrusively monitored software execution. The present disclosure controls aspects of the non-intrusive debugging process in response to at least one breakpoint.