ARM interest?

[robban]

Hi!
I find it discouraging that so few of You find interest in the ARM architecture. I know that it's difficult to startup, but nowadays You can really getaway with the free GNU ARM compilers which are almost industry standard. Remember that ARM probably gonna phase out PIC, AVR and the rest in the future.
Stay tuned with the future and spend a few hours configuring Your choice of compiler toolchain, IDE and MCU manufacturers.

[microkid]

I am now working with AVR and interested in learning a new micro.

Can you help me getting started with ARM?

It will be helpful for me and other newbies to ARM.

MicroKid

[robban]

Hi!

I suggest You download "Yagarto" (arm-elf- gcc)unless You are working with ARM Cortex-M3(not supported yet). It's GNU. It's FREE rtoolchain and and I chose "Programmer's NotePad",or "Eclipse Java-based" (also free). All compiler (arm-elf-gcc, arm-elf-as, arm-elf-gdb(ocd debugger). Don't forget to install and all else ARM compilers are available. In that case You can coose Yr. best enironment for Yr needs. Even Makefiles which You can turn into a batch-file if You feel more comfy. Remember that the makefile is only there fot translating Linux code into windows
Take a look at OLIMEX,FUTURLEC, IAR, KEIL or ROWLEY'S

Revert if You find it dificult...

[visn]

Getting a hold of them chips ?
buying + digikey/mouser = shipping costs makes things too expensive to get started. I guess buying Futurlec development board is cheapest all round.

NXP/Philips = no success for samples , extremely popular  +  positive purchasing options from many suppliers in low volume from Digikey/mouser
Atmel = no or poor success for samples - extremely popular  + positive purchasing options from many suppliers in low volume
Freescale = arm samples not readily available
TI = very little popularity AFAIK + easy to get samples
STMicro =  very popular + flaky to get samples
Analog=  samples easy to get hold of but not as active as NXP/Atmel/STM
Luminary= ?

[robban]

Hi!
I suggest You buy Olimex Breadboards. It's cheap and they offer several breadboards for all that You mention.

I use Yagato(GNU) toolchain(arm-elf-gcc). A lot of people think that GNU is diffcult to setup, but You have to set the different toolchains in Yr. PATH.

As I mentioned before, I use Programmer's Notepad, but You can always use Keil IDE (found elswhere in this forum). I know it's difficult to set up the different directories, but if You ask me how do it, I'll be glad do it.
Feel free...

Posted on: November 20, 2008, 09:45:33 21:45 - Automerged

Hi!
I find it discouraging that so few of You find interest in the ARM architecture. I know that it's difficult to startup, but nowadays You can really getaway with the free GNU ARM compilers which are almost industry standard. Remember that ARM probably gonna phase out PIC, AVR and the rest in the future.
Stay tuned with the future and spend a few hours configuring Your choice of compiler toolchain, IDE and MCU manufacturers.

[robban]

Getting a hold of them chips ?
buying + digikey/mouser = shipping costs makes things too expensive to get started. I guess buying Futurlec development board is cheapest all round.

NXP/Philips = no success for samples , extremely popular  +  positive purchasing options from many suppliers in low volume from Digikey/mouser
Atmel = no or poor success for samples - extremely popular  + positive purchasing options from many suppliers in low volume
Freescale = arm samples not readily available
TI = very little popularity AFAIK + easy to get samples
STMicro =  very popular + flaky to get samples
Analog=  samples easy to get hold of but not as active as NXP/Atmel/STM
Luminary= ?

I just visited Futurlec, and I must say that the STM32F103 Development Board is really cheap(40 bucks). Do You think that Olimex JTAG/parallell port downloader will fit that board?

[digitalmg]

I use Wiggler (Olimex JTAG/parallel)  with H-JTAG driver for STM32,in IAR and Keil and work for debugger and programing flash.
I test for compiler IAR,KEIL and Yagato(GNU) and the Keil is the best,is simple to learn,and have the best debugger,for micro the STM32 Cortex M3 is the last architecture for ARM,in this moment is the best ARM on the market.

[robban]

Hi!

Since I just got aquainted with the free Eclipse IDE and the free GNU toolchain(CygWin,WinARM, but not Yagarto(since it doesn't support Cortex-M3 MCU. I just wait for the Futurlec Cortex-M3 dev.board and a wiggler from OLIMEX and a couple of books, I'm soon good to go...

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Hi,
after using PICs for a while I just moved to ARM (SAM9260).
I've downloaded ARM toolchain Sourcery G++ Lite for ARM (http://www.codesourcery.com/sgpp/lite/arm). I'm stuck with integration to Eclipse (I don't wanna spend $400 for Personal version when I'm just learning).
Any advice, please?

[pjve64]

Since you are a new user why don't you switch to KEIL. On the KEIL web site lots of info can be found and example code
Debugging within KEIL is great and it integrates into Proteus (schematics/pcb/simulation)

MKD340 the keil package
RL-ARM Version 3.40 RTOS

Both of them can be found elsewhere in this forum, just look for MDK340 and RL-ARM
Proteus also can be found elsewhere in this forum.

Just have a look

[robban]

Hi,
after using PICs for a while I just moved to ARM (SAM9260).
I've downloaded ARM toolchain Sourcery G++ Lite for ARM (http://www.codesourcery.com/sgpp/lite/arm). I'm stuck with integration to Eclipse (I don't wanna spend $400 for Personal version when I'm just learning).
Any advice, please?

Have You tried this attached instruction? It uses the GNU ARM toolchain, so everything is free. I guess that the SAM9260 eval.board has a serial download port and a downloading software at the SAM site, so You can inspect the innards of Yr. ARM, but for debugging purposes, You need the Wiggler. Just look at the attached .pdf instructions. I got this configuration up and running.
Good luck...

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Thanks a 1,000,000 robban, that's exactly what I've been looking for. There is quite a lot of web pages talking about how to get or make own ARM cross-compiler toolbox, but none of them describes how to properly integrate it to an IDE. I've been using NetBeans instead of Eclipse for many years and it makes it for me even harder.
P.S.: My dev. board is OLIMEX SAM9-L9260 (http://www.olimex.com/dev/sam9-L9260.html).

To pjve64: Thanks for the advice but I want to stay with Linux which I'm familiar with.

[robban]

Glad to be of service. I always nowadays try to use the free development tools. Not for short funds, but more and more pro's use the free dev.tools.
Did You manage to integrate the JTAG(try the OLIMEX) parport dongle interface correctly(with the Zylin plugin)?

I use a ST Cortex-M3 dev.board, and the major difference between PIC and ARM is that You have to use a startup-code in assembler just to tell the core where to put ROM,SRAM, stack size and peripheral adderesses(just like a Intel bootstrap). Some compilers will do that for You, but where's the fun then? The rest is quite straightforward.

[cat53]

I'm using Keil MCB2300 (with NXP LPC2378) + GNU compiler (yagarto) + Olimex OpenOCD USB.  It's very powerful MCU.  You can use Eclipse IDE. 

Currently, yagarto GNU compiler supports Cortex-M3.

[Codeman]

What about friendly arm?

http://www.friendlyarm.net/ The mini2440 seems a very good choice at a very good price (around 130 USD).

There is also a 7'' version a little bit more expensive.


What do you think?

[robban]

I'm using Keil MCB2300 (with NXP LPC2378) + GNU compiler (yagarto) + Olimex OpenOCD USB.  It's very powerful MCU.  You can use Eclipse IDE.  

Currently, yagarto GNU compiler supports Cortex-M3

What is the Yagarto version no. that supports Cortex-M3?
Thanx in advance...