GNUARM for ARM microcontrollers

In this article, you’ll find some information about how to configure the GNUARM toolset for compiling ARM7 microcontrollers.
GNUARM is the open-source toolset for ARM7 MCUs. It has a GCC compiler and debugger. Our purpose now is to set up tools in a Windows environment and compile one project.
First of all download the compiled toolset from https://www.gnuarm.com:

Select the newest [GCC-4.0 toolchain] located below Cygwin.
After it is downloaded, start the installation:

• Start window

• Accept license agreement.

• Select folder where do you want GNUARM to be installed:

• Select the components. You can select all of them.

• Chose Start menu folder name – just leave as it is.

• Select the desktop shortcut to be placed. I highly recommend checking Cygwin DLL because I had to copy DLLs to copy manually despite I had Cygwin installed. If this option is checked, DLL files will be copied without bothering you.

• And press install..

• Select checkbox in order to create system variable: PATH=c:\gnuarm\bin

After we have GNUARM installed, download Binutils from https://optimize.ath.cx/ARM7/src/utils.zip, download this archive and unpack all contents c:\gnuarm\bin folder. Also, download https://optimize.ath.cx/ARM7/src/cygncurses-8.dll and put it in c:\gnuarm\bin folder. Now we are set to start compilation.

Let’s try the test compilation. Just download the project from https://optimize.ath.cx/ARM7/src/lpc2214_blink.zip and extract it in any folder. Here you’ll find a few files:

lpc2214.h	LPC2214 header. You can also download from the www.gnuarm.com page where support files are.
blink.c	LED blink example program.
boot.s	The startup routine first is executed after the resetting CPU. From among these C main function is called.
makfile	makefile
lpc2214-rom.ld	The load script file in which the linker uses the start address size and the like of ROM/RAM is described. The necessity of the ROM conversion binary is drawn up.
setenv.cmd	The configuration file, where you have to show the path to C:\GNUARM\bin and bin C:\GNUARM\bin\utils
jtag_flash.exe	The tool, which writes the flash by way of jtag. Writing the hex file, which it appoints, it executes. When ‘N’ is appointed in the 2nd parameter, after the writing in, it does not execute.
jtag_stub.exe	The JTAG debugger for GDB/Insight.

Because setenv.cmd is used to show the path to C: when GCC is installed in different locations, you have to edit it. If you left default settings, then don’t edit this file.
Let’s try to compile this program. Start DOS console window:

Let’s create a hex file. I leave makefile not edited. So I will have to use commands: make and once again make.hex. That’s it hex is done.
Here is a table with the most common make commands:

Command	Target (function)
Make	Compiling & linking and forming the elf file
Make clean	The formation file (o lst elf hex bin) it deletes
Make hex	Hex (forming the hexa-) file
Make bin	Bin (binary) forming the file
Make lst	Listing (assembling) formation of file
Make run	Compiling & linking and it writes in to the flash, starts the program
Make debug	Compiling & linking, and it writes into the flash, starts Insight/GDB. Because it does not start the program automatically, you indicate with the debugger

If you have a programmer adapter, you can flash your ARM7 microcontroller with only one command – make a run.
Good luck!