NXP has released an updated of their Eclipse based IDE for ARM Cortex-M (Kinetis and LPC) microcontroller: the version v10.0.2 build 411:
MCUXpresso v10.0.2 build 411
MCUXpresso IDE v10.0.2 – Updated Eclipse based IDE for LPC and Kinetis
25
Getting Started: ROM Bootloader on the NXP FRDM-KL03Z Board
A bootloader on a microcontroller is a very useful thing. It allows me to update the firmware in the field if necessary. There are many ways to use and make a bootloader (see “Serial Bootloader for the Freedom Board with Processor Expert“). But such a bootloader needs some space in FLASH, plus it needs to be programmed first on a blank device, so a JTAG programmer is needed. That’s why vendors have started including a ROM bootloader into their devices: the microcontroller comes out of the factory with a bootloader in FLASH. So instead writing my bootloader, I can use the one in the ROM.
FRDM-KL03Z with ROM Bootloader
And as with everything, there are pros and cons of that approach.
Karwendel
Image
The Karwendel is a mountain range on the border between Germany and Austria.
View down to Mittenwald from Karwendel (click to enlarge)
Compiler Explorer
If you are like me – someone who always wants to know what the compiler generates for a piece of source code – then have a look at the Compiler Explorer: A web-based compiler code comparison tool:
Compiler Comparison
Thanks to Matt Godbolt, I can select different compilers and compare their output for a given source code. Very useful to see the impact of a compiler optimization or to compare different GCC compiler versions.
Happy Comparing 🙂
McuOnEclipse Components: 09-July-2017 Release
I’m pleased to announce that a new release of the McuOnEclipse components is available in SourceForge, with the following major changes and updates:
- Complete refactoring for 1-Wire stack and DS18B20 temperature sensor components
- Added HID Joystick device class to the FSL_USB_Stack
- New SDK_Timer component to work with Kinetis SDK
- New ST756P LCD driver component
- New TSL2561 digitial temperature sensor driver
- Added ReadByte() and WriteByte() GenericI2C functions
- Added 64bit mapping functions to Utility
- added configUSE_NEWLIB_REENTRANT and newlib reentrancy support to FreeRTOS
- Pull resistor support for SDK_BitIO
- Many smaller bug fixes and enhancements
SourceForge
Three more Reasons to Commute by Train in Switzerland
Video
Commuting to work can be boring. I’m gifted that I can use the Swiss train system, and I wrote about the “10 Reasons Why I Love my Train Commute“.
Train at Immensee Station
Brendon asked if I need more reasons. I don’t. But there are indeed three more reasons I can share from my work commute today: Three lakes in three minutes. First Lake Lucerne on the right side, then Lake Zug on the left and finally Lake Lauerz on the right. Enjoy the ride:
Happy Commuting 🙂
Using FreeRTOS with newlib and newlib-nano
For reliable applications, I avoid using functions of the standard libraries. They are banned for most safety related applications anyway. I do not use or avoid malloc(), printf() and all the other variants, for many reasons including the ones listed in “Why I don’t like printf()“. Instead, I’m using smaller variants (see “XFormat“). Or I’m using only the thread-safe FreeRTOS heap memory allocation which exist for many good reasons.
Things get problematic if malloc() still is pulled in, either because it is used by a middleware (e.g. TCP/IP stack) or if using C++. Dave Nadler posted a detailed article (http://www.nadler.com/embedded/newlibAndFreeRTOS.html) about how to use newlib and newlib-nano with FreeRTOS.
FreeRTOS Newlib Memory Allocation Scheme
Sleeping Stone Giant
Image
Mountains look very different, depending on view angle and place. And as with watching clouds, they can build funny sculptures. This one is made of limestone: can you spot the sleeping giant?
Sleeping Stone Giant
Happy spotting 🙂
Transforming Eclipse Linked Projects into Standalone Projects
Some silicon vendors provide their Eclipse example and SDK projects using linked files and folders. For example a bootloader demo application is provided in the context of an SDK or library. That’s fine until the time I want to transform such an example into a real project or if I want to have it without the hundreds of files for all the other devices I don’t need or use. I cannot take the project and put it into a version control system as the linked files won’t be in my VCS. I cannot move the project to another place as the links are pointing to many places. What I need is a ‘standalone’ project: a project which has all the needed files in it and is self-containing.
Eclipse Project with Linked Files and virtual groups
Hiding Inactive Code In Eclipse
In many sources I have ‘inactive’ code: source code which is disabled by some macros or defines. Eclipse is great to ‘gray’ out the inactive parts using its Indexer, but they still need screen real estate:
inactive Code in Eclipse Source View
MCU on Eclipse 