1 Topic by cephdon

  • cephdon
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Topic: Firmware Compiling with Eclipse

I don't know how many of you happen to be using the Arduino editor when making changes to the firmware, but I find it limiting.
After looking around for a bit, I discovered this link:

http://playground.arduino.cc/Code/Eclip … _toolchain

It took me a little bit to get it operational on OSX, but I have to say that it is *much* better.

As a tip, for anyone else who attempts this and has the same issue, the AVR-Eclipse plugin seems to have a known defect (it was put there intentionally by the creator) where it will not display the different MCUs supported.  I modified it to display the currently known list for systems which have this problem (but I have not submitted those changes back to the originator for inclusion yet).  I may fork his version and just maintain it myself.  Anyway, if you run into this problem, let me know and I will send out my versions of this plugin.  Took me a few hours to get the code, figure out where it was defective and nearly 3 days to figure out how to get it built so that Eclipse Juno would accept it as a valid plugin.

When the Arduino editor compiles the Solidoodle-lawsy code, it claims a binary size of 59166 out of 63488 for the 644p MCU.  The eclipse configuration using the 4.6.2 version of avr-gcc gets a compiled size of 58250, a difference of 960 bytes.  So far, no issues getting it to compile and upload, the SD2 seems to work perfectly with the new binary as well.

So, just in case any of you are feeling constrained by the Arduino environment, just know that there is another one out there.

2 Reply by adrian

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Re: Firmware Compiling with Eclipse

I much prefer Baeyens Arduino Eclipse Plugin... http://www.baeyens.it/eclipse/

It just works wink

3 Reply by cephdon

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Re: Firmware Compiling with Eclipse

adrian wrote:

I much prefer Baeyens Arduino Eclipse Plugin... http://www.baeyens.it/eclipse/

It just works wink

Yeah, I saw that too.  However, it seems to just be his fork/version of the AVR-Eclipse plugin, but renamed.  Its nearly a complete copy, with some slight menu name changes and the added Arduino preference for setting the path to the Arduino folder.  It also doesn't seem to work for OSX users, since applications are somewhat wrapped (the Arduino tools and everything are packaged up in what is called a 'bundle').

I say, tools are tools.. so if that works for you, that's great.  I mostly just posted because I hadn't seen anything about it yet and thought that someone might be interested.  Eclipse gives a much better user experience for me than the "native" Arduino environment.

--Tim.

4 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-06-23 06:48:40)

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Re: Firmware Compiling with Eclipse

Nope, not at all. It has incorporated lots of the plugin because of issues with internal pointers, his tried getting it sorted upstream.
But its the original plugin with all the shortcomings fixed and a heap more simplicity on the integration.

I offered it simply as a simpler alternative coming from someone that uses eclipse and avr stuff daily... Apologies for apparently it seems inferring it was some sort of competition - I just suggested an alternative that 'just works' out of the box smile

Anyway, tools are tools as you said

5 Reply by cephdon (edited by cephdon 2013-06-23 07:26:33)

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Re: Firmware Compiling with Eclipse

adrian wrote:

Nope, not at all. It has incorporated lots of the plugin because of issues with internal pointers, his tried getting it sorted upstream.
But its the original plugin with all the shortcomings fixed and a heap more simplicity on the integration.

I offered it simply as a simpler alternative coming from someone that uses eclipse and avr stuff daily... Apologies for apparently it seems inferring it was some sort of competition - I just suggested an alternative that 'just works' out of the box smile

Anyway, tools are tools as you said

hehe. No competition. I have nothing to compete with, no stake in anything.  ;-)  I have been told that my writing style is "dry"..sounds like I am mad or something all the time.  The advice I got was "Add smileys or something to let people know you aren't upset about everything."  lol. 

And believe me, during the time I was trying to get the Avr-Eclipse plugin to work (I had it fixed, but couldn't install it), I had *choice* words to say about the implementation (It was more my ignorance of Eclipse Plugin construction and how to get them "deployed" than anything).  However, I am now happy that I have it running.

When I tried the Arduino Eclipse plugin it just didn't work on my OSX box. Couldn't get it to accept my Arduino app location and the interface kept getting wonky (menu options disappeared and stuff when trying to configure it).  I don't know how much he copied, but the interface actually says "Avr-Eclipse" in at least one location.

Got to say, though, that I am loving the Eclipse interface for programming this.  Wish I had seen this earlier. Now I just need to get debugging configured and test that out. 

I have lots of experience with desktops, but I am very new to embedded.  Since you do lots of stuff with AVRs, is there a better way to do "in-circuit debugging" using the JTAG pins?  I thought that I could use OpenOCD, but it doesn't apparently support AVRs.  Looks like the tool to use is Avarice. Is that about right?

--Tim.

6 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-06-23 07:39:53)

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Re: Firmware Compiling with Eclipse

Avr Studio with an ICE debugger still 'the best way'  overall... But you can load the output of eclipse into it.

I've just never managed to get all I want via the eclipse plugins

Avarice works for the most part... Depends what you need I guess

And yes - proper IDEs are nice. The function lookup, search functions etc, variable decleration locating makes it all a lot lot easier

7 Reply by cephdon

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Re: Firmware Compiling with Eclipse

OK, Thanks Adrian.

Avr Studio is apparently windows only, so I am happy with the next best thing.

--Tim.