chose good compiler

[imanpakii]

Posted on October 14, 2012 at 22:46

Hi all

I started program the stm32f4 with atollic true studio one month ago it's very good and powerful but right now i have problem with code size limit . I want to know is there any free compiler for stm32f4 ? I looking for this in net and i find coocox is free compiler but it hasn't debugger for stm32f4.and i think if i want to start with linux and gnu/gcc, it's take a long time. Are you think i have to buy compiler if yes which one do you suggest?

Thank you

I M A N  

[Tesla DeLorean]

Posted on October 14, 2012 at 23:11

On the cheaper side is Rowley

http://www.rowley.co.uk/arm/index.htm

Keil or IAR would be generally recommended, there are 256KB limited versions, and of course 32KB eval versions. The former being cheaper than an unlimited version.

GNU/ARM runs under Windows as well (Rowley, Atollic, Code Sourcery use it). No real issues building code, debugging will be more of a challenge.

[frankmeyer9]

Posted on October 15, 2012 at 11:05

I looking for this in net and i find coocox is free compiler but it hasn't debugger for stm32f4...

 

It certainly has a debugger. But you need to check if your JTAG adapter is supported.

The debug adapter support is basically the main problem with free toolchains. Like most other free toolchains, Coocox supports at least the ST-Link (SWD), as implemented in the discovery boards.

and i think if i want to start with linux and gnu/gcc, it's take a long time.

 

There are several free toolchains, if you don't insist on Windows.

[sgrunza]

Posted on October 15, 2012 at 14:45

I'm using CodeSourcery Lite on both Linux and WinXP.  For connecting to the target I'm using OpenOCD 0.6 and either using the built-in ST-LINK on the Discovery boards or the built-in debugger on Stellaris boards.  The debugger interface on WinXP is classic gdb (not GUI) but I've heard of people using Eclipse and NetBeans, I just haven't tried them yet.

I haven't used it but you might want to look at Yargarto.  The web page lists:

• not based on Cygwin
• working with Eclipse
• cheap for beginners

I found some native Windows toolchains based on MinGW, but the GDB of

these toolchains doesn't work properly under Eclipse. That's why I decide to

create a new toolchain suited for my requirements. YAGARTO was born.

[Tesla DeLorean]

Posted on October 15, 2012 at 15:26

Yagarto is certainly one of the simplest GNU/GCC release for Windows.

Definitely works under Eclipse, and can replace Code Sourcery in that respect.

There are blogs talking about how to use the Atollic debug drivers, although I'm not a huge fan of Eclipse and it's work spaces.

[leon355]

Posted on October 23, 2012 at 15:09

I'm using the Rowley tools with the STM32F4 Discovery, they work very well and the IDE is the nicest one I've used - far better than Eclipse. I had to use the unreleased V 2.3, which is still being developed.

Leon

[frankmeyer9]

Posted on October 23, 2012 at 15:35

I had to use the unreleased V 2.3, which is still being developed.

 

Why you HAD TO use V2.3 ?

I'm using CrossWorks, too.

...and the IDE is the nicest one I've used - far better than Eclipse...

 

Albeit I'm fully with you, I view this as mostly matter-of-taste.

But as an objection:

Crossworks is not a free IDE/compiler, i.e. there is no free version.

In this regard, it does not match the criteria of the original poster.

[leon355]

Posted on October 23, 2012 at 15:59

I got an error when I tried to connect to the ST-LINK/V2, with V 2.2.

Someone else suggested CrossWorks, as a cheap compiler.

Leon

[frankmeyer9]

Posted on October 23, 2012 at 16:08

Albeit that leads astray, I use Crossworks both under Linux and Windows, and 32 bit and 64-bit versions of the latter. I never had such problems with different F0, F4 and L15 discovery boards (STLink/V2).

If I remember correctly, you need to point the win installation to an existing driver DLL, but this is described at the Rowley helpdesk page.

And under Linux, you need to allow the user access to USB. The Linux version does not support the old STLink V1, by the way.

[leon355]

Posted on October 23, 2012 at 16:29

Other people have had similar problems:

https://rowley.zendesk.com/entries/20198631-stm32-st-link-how-to

Leon