Cygwin + ecos + ARM7 +LV

[Michael.Phillips]

Marcin,

We do recommend having at minimum 256 KB of RAM (enough for runtime libraries as well as decent-sized executable). The only way to change this is to NOT link in the unused runtime libraries, which will reduce the functionality available. Figuring out which libraries you can remove and removing them is complicated process that I would recommend avoiding. You would be better off adding external RAM to your device.

[tkreider]

Marcin/PJ

I've been following this thread due to my own efforts to build a LV Embedded/ARM platform.  I just picked up the Beta 2 kit, and it is installing as I type.  My thoughts on the target board seem to be moving to the LPC2294 board from Olimex, available at SparkFun http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=268.

This board has 1MB RAM, 4 MB Flash and enough other IO to make it interesting, at $99.  Marcin, would you be interested in moving to that device, and if so could we concider sharing progress on this forum?

PJ, what real-world device did NI test their examples against to show that they indeed work?  If you have a working platform, could you divulge it in the interest of the community not having to bang around finding one that works, or devining the magic switches/linker incantations?

Thanks!

Thom

[pjtanz]

Sorry Thom,

I thought that I had replied to this, but apparently I closed the window without posting the bulliten.  Darn technology...

That really looks like a nice little platform.  The one that we've done our ARM development on is the Phytec 229x.  We have also developed some pretty nice I/O drivers for the mini I/O expansion board.  Currently, we have an eCos board support package for this board that supports most of the peripherals.  One of our developers is currently trying to integrate an ethernet stack, but that is currently ony 50/50 to make it into the shipping procuct.

The platform that you mentioned looks really nice.  I especially like all the little plug-in boards that they have like the Roomba plugin. Are you planning on running an O/S?  All of our ARM targets to date have been running eCos or Linux I believe...

Thanks,
P.J.

[tkreider]

PJ,

  The Phytec 229x looks a little big for my application (micro air vehicle).  I was thinking of porting the example you have in the Beta kit to the Olimex board from SparkFun, since it's a bit smaller (weight/size is king).  If that meant eCos because it's the base of the example, then eCos it is.

Thom

[MarM]

Tkreider,

Sorry for May delayed answer bu currently oi was doing some travelling and dind hav much time tu take a look into this forum.

YES. I would like very very much to switch my platform since I miss debugging in my port very much. Well to me its already a lot that I could really run som small LV app on 32k of ram but for my colleagues (which are mostly LabVIEW speaking) live form panels and breakpoints and so on are so obvious for debugging that they don’t see possibility to use it (they don’t like to use “printf” for debugging).

Therefore I decided to switch to LPC22xx with external ram, the platform You pointed is just perfect to me! I have also questions for PJ:

What technology would You recommend for debugging on platform, maybe instead of redboot it would be better to use jtag? Would there be some support on that form NI too? Second doubt is: The size of my executable I built with “debug” option is about 700kB while release version is about 180kB is that completely correct??? If I will load this simple app to new’s platform ram for debugging with redboot(1MB) there will be not much space left, and application is very very simple…

Marcin

[walshj]

Hi all, just joining this group...

I was hoping to use an LPC chip with Labview Embedded.  The board I have been poking around with outside of Labview is similar to the Olimex ones, but based on the 2119 (from Futurlec actually) which I'm beginning to realize may not cut it.  It's sounding like Labview Embedded needs 256k of RAM, not flash, or can things be split up (I guess I need to look at linker or loader options et al, I would think you could load the image into flash, which should make the 2148 viable, though I obviously haven't tried).

Anyway, since it's looking like I need to get something else to work here, the Olimex board looks nice.  If there are several others planning on using that board and we can all share notes on getting it going, I'd love to participate and contribute!

My current hope is to use it in a small robotics demo, probably doing the PID, servo control and sensing.  Still working out the details there.  So the small size of the header board would be an advantage.

I've only just gotten LVEmb installed, so I'm just starting to see what it does.

In attempting to find some shoulders to stand on (at least initially) it appears that the group here is looking at using ecos and the GNU stuff for development?  I had been looking at WinARM and it's Eclipse related plugins, at least for the C stuff.  That's still GNU, but I don't know, yet, if that's too different from Cygwin and will cause confusion.  I would use the same environment as others if it aids in communication.  I have not used ecos, and was considering FreeRTOS ( http://www.freertos.org/ ) but I'm not married to an OS.  In fact all my previous embedded work has been without an OS, so...

Well, I look forward to a fruitful development project!

Jim

[tkreider]

All,

   Dispite my issues with getting the Beta 2 to install (looks like only a portion of the embedded tools came in on the install, odd), I think the most progress could be made by getting the tool to work with the OS that NI already built LVE for.  I think that is Ecos, but have to ask the group if that is all included in the Beta, or do we have to go get it and the build tools on our own?

Thom

[Michael.Phillips]

Thom,

There are two example targets that come with LabVIEW Embedded that use eCos, and you can use one of those as a starting point to begin the porting process. The toolchain will have to be provided by you; you use LabVIEW Embedded to script that toolchain.

[zinga]

can u help me, I am not getting cygwin installation in vista-operating system. I am ne to this site. I am not getting where I have to send my query. please help me.

? . while installing cygwin-NT-5.1 I am getting failed to install. It is stucking middle. I dont know and some time it is not loading with full packeges.

What I tried.
First time I already installed. some problem I deleted. while it is deleting. It asked some system file it is going to delete. I thought it may be cygwin files.
After this i tried to install, it is not getting install..Please help me

[zinga]

can u help me, I am not getting cygwin installation in vista-operating system. I am ne to this site. I am not getting where I have to send my query. please help me.

? . while installing cygwin-NT-5.1 I am getting failed to install. It is stucking middle. I dont know and some time it is not loading with full packeges.

What I tried.
First time I already installed. some problem I deleted. while it is deleting. It asked some system file it is going to delete. I thought it may be cygwin files.
After this i tried to install, it is not getting install..Please help me