Great updates for Processor Expert!

Yes

Just to refresh your mind, is a development system to create, configure, optimize, migrate, and deliver software components that generate source code for Freescale silicon, supporting S08/RS08, S12(X), Coldfire, Coldfire+, Kinetis, DSC 56800/E, QorIQ and some other Power Architecture processors. And well, what's the such new great thing in it? Take a look:

Microcontroller Driver Suite v10.0 is a software management system to perform Processor Expert's tasks and provide a low-cost, efficient solution for your designs. Just recently a great update has been made into it: the driver suite is delivered and installed as a comprehensive product with the Eclipse 3.7 (Indigo) IDE. It is also available as an Eclipse 3.7 plug-in. This extends Processor Expert software functionality to non-CodeWarrior IDE users for the supported platforms.

The cool, useful part of all this is that Processor Expert technology packaged in the driver suite makes it much easier to optimize the low-level intricacies of a hardware platform. It also eliminates the necessity for one-size-fits-all drivers, therefore the driver suite allows you to design custom peripheral drivers ideally suited to your needs, without the need for extensive hardware knowledge!

And just as aesy as that, you get a whole new set of possibilities to empower your design!

You can try the software by just clicking here Microcontrollers Driver Suite v10.0

And you can also get the Driver Suite for Eclipse by clicking on here Microcontroller Driver Suite v10.0, for Eclipse 3.7 (Indigo)

roycepereira · ‎12-25-2012

Hello,

I downloaded the Processor Expert + Eclipse combo (10.0) & installed.

I downloaded the latest ARM-none-EABI-gcc package & installed (adding the path to the environment).

But once one has done this, the steps are not clear as to what to do to get a project up & running.

I have warnings like:

Error launching external scanner info generator", and

"program gcc is not found in $PATH"

The PDF that came with the Processor expert package is very cursory & assumes prior knowledge of eclipse environment & settings.

I'm a newbie to ARM, having just purchased the FRDM-KL25Z board.

I am aware of Codewarrior 10.3 suite, but I believe the above approach is an alternative ?

Thanks

injunear1 · ‎12-26-2012

Hi Royce,

If I understand your question and what you did correctly, I think you are right that there is a difference between downloading Eclipse with the extra stuff and downloading and installing CodeWarrior 10.3 as a stand alone IDE. It may be easier to just use CW 10.3, but others can probably give you better advice about that.

If you are not familiar with IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) don't panic. Everyone who ever used one, at some time had no idea what they were either. ;-)

I have been using Eclipse now for nearly two years and had to figure it out on my own. It is complicated if one has not used anything like it previously. (And even if one has, it is still complicated. ;-) )

I strongly encourage you to spend at least 20 hours watching and following the video tutorials on it. There are bunches. I suggest initially just casually watching through one without trying to follow it. Then watch again following along with the exercises. Once you get a handle on Eclipse, then work out how to make the FRDM bd do nifty things with it.

Programming the FRDM board will be a lot easier once you can navigate around Eclipse a bit.

Good luck.

roycepereira · ‎12-26-2012

Yes, I eventually plan to become familiar with Eclipse.

But right now, I would be grateful if someone would help out with setting up the 'Tool chain' for ARM GCC, what settings etc are required so the tools can find the files generated by Processor Expert, and any thing else I may need to do..

BTW, has anyone actually tried this approach / got it to work ?

Thank You.

BlackNight · ‎12-27-2012

Hello,

the easiest thing for you will be using CodeWarrior for MCU10.3, as it comes with Processor Expert and ARM gcc integrated and installed.

If you are looking for Processor Expert tutorials for the Freedom board: have a look at the articles in

KL25Z Freedom Board | MCU on Eclipse

roycepereira · ‎12-28-2012

Thanks Erich,
Yes I have been using CW 10.3 beta 2 for a while and I have been following your blog.
Recently I have been getting a window that some licenses were expiring in xx days.
I'm not sure what this means... Will CW stop working, or will it be somewhat limited ?
So I was looking for an alternative, and thought that the PEX 10.0 (as it is free) plugin with eclipse would be an alternative, provided I know how to set up the tool chain to compile /link the PEX generated code.

Regards!

BlackNight · ‎12-29-2012

At installation time of MCU10.3, it has installed a temporary (expiring) license (<install>\MCU\license.dat). After expiring, the tool chain will work in special edition mode. This is basically a code size limitation. For 10.3beta and using GNU gcc (both for Kinetis L and K), this means no limitation. This might not be the case any more for the 10.3 production. So in essence: altough it is beta, 10.3 beta is unlimited and free for gcc and ARM development.

roycepereira · ‎12-29-2012

Good to hear that ...

In your blog, however, you did advise to move from the beta to the 'real' Special Edition, because of the 'memory segmentation' issue ?

So-

beta is unlimited, *but* has the segmentation issue + no Micro Trace Buffer.

Special Edition has no segmentation issue + has MTB, *but* is codelimited.

Is this correct ?

BlackNight · ‎12-29-2012

Yes, that's correct. The memory segment issues is something you could work-around manually (change the linker file, and disable the linker file generation in Processor Expert). But you will not have MTB in 10.3 beta.