Programming ARM microcontrollers under FreeBSD

So the ST tools use the bootloader they provide.

What about RTEMS or FreeRTOS. How would they fit in?

You would write software under their toolchains and deploy to board? Different workflow? The RTOS provides the bootloader?

Do STM32 boards have a POST routine?
 
I am happy to see u-boot in there. I might try RTEMS first. I like the license.
docs.rtems.org

8. Board Support Packages

A Board Support Package or BSP is the software that glues a specific target or board or piece of hardware to RTEMS so it’s services are available to applications. RTEMS contains a large number of B...
docs.rtems.org docs.rtems.org

How can I backup my Nucleo flash with dfu-util.....

docs.rtems.org

8.2.20. stm32h7

This BSP supports the STM32H7 Series. The BSP is known to run on these boards on specified core with using specified BSP variant.,,, Board name, Core name, BSP variant name,,, STM32H743I-EVAL 2, M7...
docs.rtems.org docs.rtems.org
Designware for ethernet. Much like ARM64.
 
Call me ignorant but they make the flashing seem real hard.
Although we will not used full fledged IDE here, the package provides ST-Link GDB Server which will be used for uploading RTEMS binaries to the board memory.
Click to expand...

Can't you just use DFU mode on the board and dfu-utils for flashing? That is the route resora showed me with STM32 flight controllers.
I guess that only works for proven images. For development you need GDB?

So you need to get a board up and booting RTOS then develope software. Right?
That or use ST tools which abstracts the booting?
 
I have two BSP I could chose from.

Zephyr
github.com

zephyr/boards/st/nucleo_h753zi/nucleo_h753zi.dts at main · zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr

Primary Git Repository for the Zephyr Project. Zephyr is a new generation, scalable, optimized, secure RTOS for multiple hardware architectures. - zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr
github.com github.com

RTEMS
gitlab.rtems.org

bsp/stm32h7: Add nucleo-h753zi BSP variant (!401) · Merge requests · RTEMS / RTOS / RTEMS · GitLab

Summary
gitlab.rtems.org gitlab.rtems.org

Why do I need Cube-programmer? A build environment.

This is what I would like to learn to build:
A helper micro-HAL for your platform
mongoose.ws

Mongoose :: Examples :: Nucleo STM32Cube FreeRTOS

Tutorial demonstrating how to build a Mongoose Library-based Web UI dashboard on a NUCLEO development board using the STM32CubeIDE development environment.
mongoose.ws mongoose.ws
 
STM32F7 are microcontrollers. Powerful ones, yet still microcontrollers.
You seem to want to do things intended for application processors (libgpiod, fltk, u-boot).
You're going to be very disappointed, after furiously banging you head against the walls for some time.
What you probably want are the STM32MP series - application processors.
 
This was more or less a purchase to explore ArduPilot and STM32. No disappointment possible. Sixty bucks for a dev board from digikey.
Worst cast scenario I run ArduPilot on it.

I want to backup the bootloader on it before proceeding.

Gee this looks awlful faimilar: 0x08000000
Sorta like u-boot's starting address...
 
myuserid said:
You seem to want to do things intended for application processors (libgpiod, fltk, u-boot).
Click to expand...
I am really exploring what is different between Arm32 microcontrollers and Arm64. What works on STM32.
FLTK libraries would not fit into 2MB. So I am sure alternatives exist.
There seems to be about a dozen RTOS to choose from. I have probably 4 different alternatives.

I don't like signing up for software that is closed source. So I need to move past that. This is why I am asking so many questions.
 
Zephyr really seems nice but lot of negatives comments being associated with BORG.
I saw the DTS file for my board and got all excited thinking it used u-boot.
The HelloWorld looks like an easy tutorial.

So I have two USB jacks. One with STLink and one for user.
From what I can gander I hold down the reset button on Nucleo to enter DFU mode. Then plug into to usb and backup SRAM and flash with dfu-utils.
STlink is in ports... Is STLink-3 a help or hindrance? Do you use it?

I would have preferred to have an actual microSD socket instead of pinouts.
Same with QSPI. Pins but no flash.
Dang I though dev boards had all the bells and whistles.
 
Phishfry said:
For development you need GDB?
Click to expand...
gdb is the debugger. Some (many?) developers like to be able to view the running code, set break points, analyze state, registers and so on.
Others just use printf() (or something equivalent), figures out what's wrong, and flashes a new version.
For flashing, ports also have cad/stm32flash if your mcu falls into that bucket. (No, I have no idea why stm32flash is under the "cad" category)
 
Thanks for that link kpedersen nearly exactly what I needed. Reading datasheets alone is useless without background.

The second chart is really helpful. Seeing the representation of how the Flash .data get copied to SRAM is excellent.

Building thier own bootloader? Still reading what is start.c

So we have STLink, DFU Utils and now another. stm32flash

I can confirm dfu-utils should work for me.
micropython.org

MicroPython - Python for microcontrollers

MicroPython is a lean and efficient implementation of the Python 3 programming language that includes a small subset of the Python standard library and is optimised to run on microcontrollers and in constrained environments.
micropython.org micropython.org
 
I have to ask this probably dumb question:

WHY: Zero-fill the .bss section when device is booting? Shouldn't it be zeros already or is it NUL?
Reason why you zero-it is to have known state?

kleinembedded.com

STM32 without CubeIDE (Part 1): The bare necessities - Klein Embedded

Ever since I started programming microcontrollers, I have almost exclusively done so using a vendor-provided (usually Eclipse-based) IDE, which does a lot of stuff automagically behind the scenes. But since I like to know how stuff works I figured I would ditch the IDE and try starting from...
kleinembedded.com kleinembedded.com
 
Noob question: is there an IDE for code development on ‘nix platforms.

I grew up in the Borland IDE environment which I FAR prefer over Visual Studio.

I remain on Delphi 7 even though Embarcadero now offers a freebie Delphi which is FAR over complicated and incompatible with my huge library of Delphi functions, same problem with Lazarus.
 
The ST documentation is very sparse for the STM H7 Line compared to reference manual for STM F410.

My board has 2048K SRAM and 2048K Flash. I have no idea what address they use so I am going to work off the F410 sample from above.
I have a feeling starting addresses will be the same. Need to figure out final addresses.

Very nice example of bare bones booting. Just one file. startup.c
That is amazing.

ST documentation is lacking.
community.st.com

stm32h753 NUCLEO board manual not have details about CN2 dfu connector | Community

stm32h753 nucleo manual not have details about CN2 dfu connector
community.st.com community.st.com
 
This link is about a custom SRAM board migration but the base details are there. Specifically differences between F4 and H7.
The memory starting locations are still the same on H7. I am not sure what all the different RAM components are.
microcontrollerstech.com

STM32H753 External SRAM Setup and Code Walkthrough

Learn how to interface external SRAM with STM32H753 using FMC. This tutorial covers the setup, code, and hardware for STM32H753 external SRAM integration.
microcontrollerstech.com microcontrollerstech.com

Code: 
MEMORY
{
  FLASH (rx)     : ORIGIN = 0x08000000, LENGTH = 2048K
  DTCMRAM (xrw)  : ORIGIN = 0x20000000, LENGTH = 128K
  RAM_D1 (xrw)   : ORIGIN = 0x24000000, LENGTH = 512K
  RAM_D2 (xrw)   : ORIGIN = 0x30000000, LENGTH = 288K
  RAM_D3 (xrw)   : ORIGIN = 0x38000000, LENGTH = 64K
  ITCMRAM (xrw)  : ORIGIN = 0x00000000, LENGTH = 64K
 
I started out on MSDOS command line and EDLIN as an editor.

I have zero desire to return to that.

I understand FBSD has all the tools one needs in the terminal but it holds zero interest for me.

I will probably skip C entirely and work in Lazarus and Object Pascal. At my late stage of life I have zero desire to return to the primitive.
 
bgavin said:
I have zero desire to return to that.
Click to expand...
The best approach is to blend the GUI and the command line, using each where it shines. At least, that's how I'm happy to work.

For a C/C++ IDE, you have the choice between Eclipse CDT, VSCode, Code::Blocks and CodeLite. Try them all and keep the one you prefer.
 
In embedded systems, if you don't master your build system, you don't master your system at all.

For me, Geany with plugins + make + git + compiler/linker + loader strikes the right balance between "not too old" and "not too modern," while remaining efficient for embedded.
 
doul said:
For me, Geany with plugins + make + git + compiler/linker + loader strikes the right balance between "not too old" and "not too modern," while remaining efficient for embedded.
Click to expand...
It's the exact tool set I'm using and I'm happy with it.
That said, the biggest benefits a true IDE offers over Geany are Ctrl-Click on symbols to open their definition and an integrated, graphical front-end for GDB.
On Geany, Ctrl-Click only works on open files (Geany doesn't have a project database) and its GDB front-end is very limited.
 
myuserid said:
On Geany, Ctrl-Click only works on open files (Geany doesn't have a project database)
Click to expand...
If you add the Code Navigation, GeanyCtags, Git Change Bar, and Project Organizer plugins to Geany, you can navigate the code easily and get a source file tree view; pressing Ctrl-T opens the definition, even if it is in another file that isn't currently open, then you can come back.

Geany plugins
pkg install geany-plugins

Menu Project -> New form folder ...
Menu Project -> Generate tags

That's all, if you already like Geany you will enjoy 😎
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top