lentychang / vscodeproj-stm32-cpp

Basic CMake and intellisense setup for vscode

This repo is a basic example configuring CMake and intellisense on vscode. The code itself is blinking LED and tested with STM32F446RE-nucleo

Required VS Code extensions

• CMake-Tools
• Cortex-Debug

Required Tools and their default location in this repository

Please modify according to the path you installed these tools

• ObKo/stm32-cmake(git repo): /usr/local/src/stm32-cmake
• openocd(apt): /usr/local/share/openocd
• gcc-arm-none-eabi toolchain(download): /usr/local/gcc-arm-none-eabi-9-2020-q2-update
• stlink-tools
• STM32CubeMX package: /opt/STM32Cube/Repository/STM32Cube_FW_F4_V1.26.1

0. Installation

1. Install openocd, stm32-cmake, this repo

    sudo apt install openocd

    git clone https://github.com/stlink-org/stlink.git
    cd stlink && mkdir build && cd build
    cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release
    sudo make install && cd ../../

    git clone https://github.com/ObKo/stm32-cmake.git
    sudo mv stm32-cmake /usr/local/src/

    git clone https://github.com/lentychang/vscodeProj-stm32-cpp.git
    sudo mv vscodeProj-stm32-cpp /usr/local/src/
    cp /usr/local/src/vscodeProj-stm32-cpp/gen_stm32_cppproj.sh ~/.local/bin/gen_stm32_cppproj  

2. Install gcc-arm-none-eabi

   • Download desired version
   • Extract to /usr/local/

3. Install STM32 Libraries from STM32CubeMX

   • Home(Main Page)/ Install or remove embedded software packages/ STM32Cub MCU Package / STM32F4 / Install
   • Where can we find the installed package? Dropdown Menu / Help / Update Settings / Repository Folder

4. Modify the configuration files for VS Code
   All json files are in /usr/local/src/vscodeProj-stm32-cpp/.vscode

1. VS Code Configuration

1. settings.json
   Please update the shown values below. Example below is only partly shown.
   Here we configure CMakeTools and cortex-debug extension.

   (optional) Custom linker script
   Add "STM32_LINKER_SCRIPT":"${workspaceFolder}/STM32F446RETX_FLASH.ld" to "cmake.configureSettings" But it will produce warning, which is not yet solved.

   {
   "cmake.generator": "Unix Makefiles",
   "cmake.configureSettings": {
       "CMAKE_MODULE_PATH":"/usr/local/src/stm32-cmake/cmake",
       "STM32_TOOLCHAIN_PATH":"/usr/local/gcc-arm-none-eabi-9-2020-q2-update",
       "STM32_TARGET_TRIPLET":"arm-none-eabi",
       "STM32_CHIP": "STM32F446RE",
       "STM32Cube_DIR":"/opt/STM32Cube/Repository/STM32Cube_FW_F4_V1.26.1",
       "STM32_CUBE_F4_PATH":"/opt/STM32Cube/Repository/STM32Cube_FW_F4_V1.26.1"
   },
   "cortex-debug.armToolchainPath": "/usr/local/gcc-arm-none-eabi-9-2020-q2-update/bin",
   "cortex-debug.openocdPath": "/usr/local/bin/openocd"
   }

2. cmake-kits.json
   Configuration of vscode extension cmake-tools where is toolchain file from stm32-cmake. Since we use toolchain file here, please do not specified compliers here, which leads to confliction.

   [{
   "name": "C/C++ CMake-Kit for arm-none-eabi 9.3.1",
   "toolchainFile":"/usr/local/src/stm32-cmake/cmake/gcc_stm32.cmake",
   "compilers": {      
     "CC":"/usr/local/gcc-arm-none-eabi-9-2020-q2-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-gcc-9.3.1",
     "C": "/usr/local/gcc-arm-none-eabi-9-2020-q2-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-gcc-9.3.1",
     "CXX":"/usr/local/gcc-arm-none-eabi-9-2020-q2-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-g++"
     }
   }]  

3. c_cpp_properties.json
   Configuration for intellisense. Please update includePath, defines, c/cppStandards, compilerPath
   ps. for cStandard, you should always use gnu standard instead of c standard, since STM32Cube HAL is written with gnu11, not c11 standard.

   {
   "configurations": [
       {
           "name": "Linux-arm-cross-platform",
           "includePath": [
               "${workspaceFolder}/**",
               "/opt/STM32Cube/Repository/STM32Cube_FW_F4_V1.26.1/**"
           ],
           "defines": ["STM32F446xx","USE_HAL_DRIVER"],
           "compilerPath": "/usr/local/gcc-arm-none-eabi-9-2020-q2-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-g++",
           "cStandard": "gnu11",
           "cppStandard": "gnu++14",
           "compileCommands": "${workspaceFolder}/build/compile_commands.json",
           "intelliSenseMode": "gcc-arm",
           "configurationProvider": "ms-vscode.cmake-tools"
       }
   ],
   "version": 4
   }

4. launch.json for debugger
   Please update armToolchainPath, configFiles, searchDir, svdFile
   Example below is only partly shown

   {
       "armToolchainPath": "/usr/local/gcc-arm-none-eabi-9-2020-q2-update/bin",
       "configFiles": ["/usr/local/share/openocd/scripts/board/st_nucleo_f4.cfg"],
       "searchDir":["/usr/local/share/openocd/scripts/board/"],
       "svdFile": "${workspaceFolder}/etc/STM32F446.svd"
   }

2. Update CMakeLists.txt

1. Add corresponded targets from HAL and CMSIS that need to be linked.

Semihosting

If you want to use printf to print message on host's terminal, or scanf from host's keyboard.

0. enabling semihosting in openocd has been done in the launch.json (line25: monitor arm semihosting enable). You can remove it if you don't need semihosting.
1. uncomment target_link_options in CMakeLists.txt
2. comment target_sources with syscall.c in CMakeLists.txt
3. Include header stdio.h in the source file and add initialize_monitor_handle(); before while loop
4. Now printf should work. The printed out message is shown in OUTPUT panel

ps. If you enable semihosting here, be aware that, the device will hang due to monitor_handle and will not start at all, unless you use debugger to run. So, if you want to test you program without debugger, remember to remove initialize_monitor_handle(); and printf as well as revert the CMakeLists.txt

For CMake version before 3.14 use the following setting in CMakeLists.txt

set_property(TARGET ${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME} APPEND_STRING PROPERTY LINK_FLAGS " -specs=rdimon.specs -lc -lrdimon")  

---

Old Configuration - If you config with STM32CubeMX

Convert STM32CubeIDE project to VS Code CMake project

1. Use STM32CubeMX to generate STM32CubeIDE proejct
   If you select other type of projects, you have to modify gen_stm32_cppproj.sh to remove corresponding project files.

2. Now you can execute gen_stm32_cppproj from CLI at the root directory of your STM32CubeMX_generated_project. It renames directories and removes unnecessary files.

   $ gen_stm32_cppproj
   

   ps. If your gen_stm32_cppproj is not found, please check /home/<username>/.local/bin is in environment variable PATH

3. Relauch vscode, open Command Pallette, choose CMake: Select a kit, then it should automatically configure.

4. After flashing the code and restart your target, LED should blink after press user_button.

Manually Setup from stm32-cmake

If you don't want to use this repository, here are some steps to use stm32-cmake directly

0. Install required tools and VS Code extensions
1. Configure and generated code from STM32CubeMX.
2. Copy all files in <STM32CubeMX_generated_project>/Src to ./src except system_stm32f4xx.c
3. Copy all header in <STM32CubeMX_generated_project>/Inc to ./include
4. Copy linker script to ./. (XXX_FLASH.ld)
5. Finish the configuration below.
6. Relauch vscode, open Command Pallette, choose CMake: Select a kit, then it should automatically configure.
7. After flashing the code and restart your target, LED should blink after press user_button.

Note

• C/C++ intellisense (ms-vscode.cpptools) v0.30.0-insider Bug #5906 It will fail autocomplete, you can use disable extension autoupdate and use version 0.29.0. It might be bug from CMakeTool.

TODO

• Using STM32Programmer to flash