For an university research project, I need to write some console output and the same time write a file with data from the embedded board to the host. A logical choice for this is using semihosting.
Semihosting with LinkServer in VS Code
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Tag Archives: software project
Build and Debug QEMU in Docker
For an university research project we are implementing a software simulator for the EZH (or SmartDMA) co-prozessor present on some NXP MCUs.
This article describes how to setup and build QEMU in a docker container, including debugging QEMU with VS Code.
Continue readingTutorial: Creating Self-Contained MCUXpresso SDK Projects
In Tutorial: Getting Started with MCUXpresso SDK – Repositories with VS Code and Tutorial: Getting Started with MCUXpresso SDK – west I showed how to get the MCUXpresso SDK. In this article it is about tweaking and streamlining the project.
The result is a clean, portable and self-contained MCUXpresso SDK project.
Boost Windows 11 Dev Performance with Docker Volumes
I recently upgraded from Win10 to Win11. Windows 10 was not great for building performance compared to Linux. And I feel that with Windows 11 things got worse too.
Dev Container in VS Code uses docker-based environments. This enables me using a full-featured development environment, with isolated dependencies. This is especially very useful for development in the embedded systems space. There I have to use many different SDKs, toolchains and libraries. Using Dev Containers is super easy. But file I/O operations with building etc/is not that great.
The solution is to use a Docker Volume with VS Code and Dev Container:
Optimizing CI/CD with RAM Target Applications
Usually, I run applications in the micro-controller FLASH memory. But for a CI/CD or testing environment that is not the best choice.
It is possible to have a ‘RAM target’, where the application is running in RAM instead of FLASH memory. This has the advantage not to ‘wear-out’ the FLASH memory. Plus loading and running in RAM is faster. This makes having RAM targets especially useful for testing.
In this article I’m using the NXP LPC55S16-EVK board, but any other target or board is applicable.
Using Semihosting and File I/O in DevContainers
With Optimizing Embedded Development with VS Code and DevContainer I showed the benefits of using development containers. And with Remote Debugging with DevContainer and VS Code I explained ways use hardware debugging using that concept.
One topic is still open: how to use semihosting with file I/O using development container? The challenge here is that we need to work with two different file systems.
In this article I show how semihosting file I/O can be used with DevContainer.
Continue readingSharing Standalone NXP SDK Projects in VS Code
The NXP SDK is git based which is great. If I create a project with VS code, it references the SDK cloned locally.
A standalone project structure is needed if you want to easily share a project with your team. It’s also necessary for sharing inside a classroom environment. This article shows how to use an NXP SDK project in standalone mode.
Continue readingGitLab Automated CI/CD Embedded Multi-Project Building using Docker
In CI/CD for Embedded with VS Code, Docker and GitHub Actions, I used GitHub to build a pipeline. This setup supports continuous integration within a CI/CD environment.
This time, let’s do a similar thing. But instead of GitHub, I use GitLab with VS Code. And I use it for a project where three different MCUs are used: the Raspberry Pi Pico-W, an Espressif ESP32 plus the NXP K22FX512 on the Sumo robot:
Automated On-Target Testing with J-Run’s –args Feature
SEGGER has released a new version of their J-Link tools suite. That suite includes the J-Run utility which loads, executes and monitors the output of the target. Output can be with RTT (Real-Time Transfer) or semihosting. This makes it useful for automated tests with CMake and CTest:
What has been added from the V7.98g release is the ability to send arguments to the running application using the --args command, for example with CMake/CTest:
set (RUNNER_CTEST_COMMAND "$ENV{SEGGER_PATH}/JRun" --verbose --device LPC55S16 --silent --rtt -if SWD)
add_test(
NAME Led_1
COMMAND ${RUNNER_CTEST_COMMAND} --args "Led_1" ${TEST_EXECUTABLE}
)
Like applications running on the host, I can now pass arguments to the running application. This is useful to set up the target, or to tell which kind of tests to run.
Continue readingHow to Use SystemView Data Plot Feature for Real-time Data Visualization
There is a new feature in the SEGGER SystemView: the ability to plot any data provided by the application, for example sensor data or any other useful data:
MCU on Eclipse 