Table of Contents

CMake file for building ChibiOS from sources

About this document

This document describes the purpose and workflow for the CMake configuration files to build ChibiOS from the repository sources. Building ChibiOS from sources might be needed when debugging a .NET nanoFramework feature that interacts with it.

Purpose

The purpose of the configuration files collections is to create a CMake package for ChibiOS and build it.

Reasoning

The sources from ChibiOS can be downloaded from their GitHub mirror repository or, if already available in the build machine, can be copied to the build folder. When invoking CMake these options are passed specifying RTOS=CHIBIRTOS and CHIBI_SOURCE=path-to-the-local-repository-folder.

Note: when specifying the location of a local clone make sure that the correct branch is checked out.

Workflow

ChibiOS HAL is based on boards. The collection of supported boards and the respective configurations live in hal/boards directory. .NET nanoFramework includes an 'overlay' for ChibiOS were supported boards can be added. This collection is also checked for the target board. The collection of supported boards and the respective configurations implemented in the 'overlay' live in /targets/CMSIS-OS/ChibiOS/nf-overlay/os/hal/boards directory.

A .NET nanoFramework target can also include the ChibiOS board definitions. This is the advisable approach for OEM boards. In this case the board.c and board.h files have to be included right in the target directory.

Support for each board in .NET nanoFramework is required. This is were the configuration details and components/features are specified and/or configured. CMakes checks if the target board is available in the targets collection. The collection of board support is at /targets/CMSIS-OS/ChibiOS.

After successfully finding the board support in both ChibiOS and .NET nanoFramework targets, CMake checks the TARGET_SERIES in the list of supported series in order to figure out the series for later use. Please check the code at FindCHIBIOS.cmake for details. (NOTE: the current code has been validated for STM boards only)

The FindCHIBIOS.cmake includes the specifics for the target series and the respective GCC options. The file naming logic is:

  • CHIBIOS_STM32F0xx_sources.cmake: common source files for the series (with the series name in bold)
  • CHIBIOS_STM32F0xx_GCC_options.cmake: GCC options for the series (with the series name in bold)

When adding a new vendor/series/board follow these general guidelines:

  1. When in doubt try to follow the make files of the repo. They'll give you all the details that you need in order to replicate that in the CMake files.
  2. Check if the series file exists. If not, create it and add the source files and include directories.
  3. Check if the target series name is contained in the CHIBIOS_SUPPORTED_SERIES list. If not add the series name there.
  4. Check if the linker file name is listed in the series file. If not, add it.
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