Difference between revisions of "Using Visual Studio Code for ARM Development – Build Tasks"

Revision as of 15:13, 22 March 2022

Using Visual Studio Code for ARM Development – Build Tasks

We are going to use CMake with Make to build the project. CMake needs some information where to find the tools. A simple and easy way is to to add a the following file to the project. I have named it arm-toolchain.cmake and placed it in the project root folder.

Toolchain CMake File

```
# Toolchain file for arm-none-eabi-gcc
```
```
#
```
```
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Generic)
```
```
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR ARM)
```
```
set(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING "TRUE")
```
```
 
```

set(ARM_TOOLCHAIN_DIR "C:/ProgramData/chocolatey/bin")

set(BINUTILS_PATH ${ARM_TOOLCHAIN_DIR})

```
 
```

set(TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX ${ARM_TOOLCHAIN_DIR}/arm-none-eabi-)

```
 
```

set(CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE STATIC_LIBRARY)

```
 
```

set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER "${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}gcc.exe")

set(CMAKE_ASM_COMPILER ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER})

set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}g++.exe")

```
 
```

set(CMAKE_OBJCOPY ${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}objcopy CACHE INTERNAL "objcopy tool")

set(CMAKE_SIZE_UTIL ${TOOLCHAIN_PREFIX}size CACHE INTERNAL "size tool")

```
 
```

set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH ${BINUTILS_PATH})

set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM NEVER)

set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_LIBRARY ONLY)

set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_INCLUDE ONLY)

ARM_TOOLCHAIN_DIR specifies the compiler to be used. Additionally it defines extra tools as size and objcopy.

CMake CMakeLists.txt

To tell CMake what to do, create a file name CMakeList.txt in the project root.

```
# CMake file for tm4c123gxl
```
```
#
```
```
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.15.3)
```
```
 
```

# Optional: print out extra messages to see what is going on. Comment it to have less verbose messages

```
set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE ON)
```
```
 
```

# Path to toolchain file. This one has to be before 'project()' below

set(CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/arm-toolchain.cmake)

```
 
```
```
# Setup project, output and linker file
```
```
project(blinky VERSION 0.1)
```
```
set(EXECUTABLE ${PROJECT_NAME}.elf)
```

set(LINKER_FILE ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/ld/tm4c123gh6pm.ld)

```
 
```
```
enable_language(C ASM)
```
```
set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD 99)
```
```
set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
```
```
set(CMAKE_C_EXTENSIONS OFF)
```
```
 
```

# Optional: issue a message to be sure it uses the correct toolchain file.

message(STATUS "CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE is: ${CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE}")

```
 
```
```
# List of source files
```
```
set(SRC_FILES
```
```
        src/main.c
```
```
        src/tm4c_startup.c
```
```
        inc/tm4c_startup.h
```
```
        )
```
```
 
```

# Build the executable based on the source files

add_executable(${EXECUTABLE} ${SRC_FILES})

```
 
```

# List of compiler defines, prefix with -D compiler option

target_compile_definitions(${EXECUTABLE} PRIVATE

```
        -DPART_TM4C123GH6PM
```
```
        )
```
```
 
```
```
# List of include directories
```

target_include_directories(${EXECUTABLE} PRIVATE

```
        src 
```
```
        inc
```

        "E:/ti/TivaWare_C_Series-2.2.0.295"

```
        )
```
```
 
```
```
# Compiler options
```

target_compile_options(${EXECUTABLE} PRIVATE

```
        -mcpu=cortex-m4
```
```
        -mthumb
```
```
        -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16
```
```
        -mfloat-abi=hard
```
```
 
```
```
        -fdata-sections
```
```
        -ffunction-sections
```
```
 
```
```
        -Wall
```
```
        -O0
```
```
        -g3
```
```
        )
```
```
 
```
```
# Linker options
```

target_link_options(${EXECUTABLE} PRIVATE

```
        -T${LINKER_FILE}
```
```
        -mcpu=cortex-m4
```
```
        -mthumb
```
```
        -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16
```
```
        -mfloat-abi=hard
```
```
        -specs=nano.specs
```
```
        -specs=nosys.specs
```
```
        -lc
```
```
        -lm
```

        -Wl,-Map=${PROJECT_NAME}.map,--cref

```
        -Wl,--gc-sections
```

        -Xlinker -print-memory-usage -Xlinker

```
        )
```
```
 
```

# Optional: Print executable size as part of the post build process

```
add_custom_command(TARGET ${EXECUTABLE}
```
```
        POST_BUILD
```

        COMMAND ${CMAKE_SIZE_UTIL} ${EXECUTABLE})

```
 
```

# Optional: Create hex, bin and S-Record files after the build

```
add_custom_command(TARGET ${EXECUTABLE}
```
```
        POST_BUILD
```

        COMMAND ${CMAKE_OBJCOPY} -O srec --srec-len=64 ${EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_NAME}.s19

        COMMAND ${CMAKE_OBJCOPY} -O ihex ${EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_NAME}.hex

        COMMAND ${CMAKE_OBJCOPY} -O binary ${EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_NAME}.bin)

The most important sections/entries are:

project(<your project name here>): Give your project a name
set(LINKER_FILE <your linker file here>): specify the linker file name
set(SRC_FILES <your source files here>): list of source files to compile
target_compile_definitions(${EXECUTABLE} PRIVATE <compiler defines here>): list of compiler #defines
target_include_directories(${EXECUTABLE} PRIVATE <list of include dir>): list of include directories
target_compile_options(${EXECUTABLE} PRIVATE <compiler options>): list of compiler options
target_link_options(${EXECUTABLE} PRIVATE <linker options>): list of linker options

This completes setting up the configuration for the build.

CMake Build Output

[variant] Loaded new set of variants
[kit] Successfully loaded 2 kits from C:\Users\shankarappa\AppData\Local\CMakeTools\cmake-tools-kits.json
[proc] Executing command: C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin\arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe -v
[main] Configuring folder: blinky 
[proc] Executing command: E:\msys64\mingw64\bin\cmake.EXE --no-warn-unused-cli -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS:BOOL=TRUE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Debug -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER:FILEPATH=C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin\arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:FILEPATH=C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin\arm-none-eabi-g++.exe -Se:/tm4c123gxl/blinky -Be:/tm4c123gxl/blinky/build -G "Unix Makefiles"
[cmake] Not searching for unused variables given on the command line.
[cmake] -- CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE is: E:/tm4c123gxl/blinky/arm-toolchain.cmake
[cmake] -- Configuring done
[cmake] -- Generating done
[cmake] -- Build files have been written to: E:/tm4c123gxl/blinky/build
[main] Configuring folder: blinky 
[proc] Executing command: E:\msys64\mingw64\bin\cmake.EXE --no-warn-unused-cli -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS:BOOL=TRUE -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Debug -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER:FILEPATH=C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin\arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:FILEPATH=C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin\arm-none-eabi-g++.exe -Se:/tm4c123gxl/blinky -Be:/tm4c123gxl/blinky/build -G "Unix Makefiles"
[cmake] Not searching for unused variables given on the command line.
[cmake] -- CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE is: E:/tm4c123gxl/blinky/arm-toolchain.cmake
[cmake] -- Configuring done
[cmake] -- Generating done
[cmake] -- Build files have been written to: E:/tm4c123gxl/blinky/build