Providing MDK-ARM V6 support

[RajeevAroraCrcEvans]

Dear @Khouloud ZEMMELI , @Imen.D , @TDK ,

Please help add support for MDK-ARM version 6. Currently highest selectable Min Version is V5.32

Also help add GCC folder instead of RVDS folder when MDK-ARM version 6 is selected.

Currently I need to execute below steps manually. The downside is that whenever I regenerate the code, I loose the GCC folder and compiler setting.

Steps:
I first have to generate a MDK-ARM V5.32 project, then open it in Keil IDE, then change the compiler to be used from Version 5 to Version 6 (via the Options for Target... -> Target -> Code Generator: Arm Compiler)

Then I need to save and close project.
I then go inside ../Middlewares/Third_Party/FreeRTOS/Source/portable/ and delete RVDS folder and instead copy the GCC (folder which the IOC file generates for STM32CubeIDE).

Finally I open up the UVPROJX file in Notepad++ and change RVDS in strings/paths to GCC, so that the new strings look similar to below:
../Middlewares/Third_Party/FreeRTOS/Source/portable/GCC/ARM_CM4F

../Middlewares/Third_Party/FreeRTOS/Source/portable/GCC/ARM_CM4F/port.c

I am unaware of whether I also need to update below, but the code compiles without issue:

<RvdsVP>3</RvdsVP>
<RvdsMve>0</RvdsMve>
<RvdsCdeCp>0</RvdsCdeCp>

Please share your inputs.

Thanks!

Rajeev

[TDK]

Interesting, apparently MDK-ARM v6 is a free "community edition" that uses GCC.

Unlikely ST is going to support other free compilers apart from STM32CubeIDE besides maybe a token effort. No real support for VSCode despite its popularity. Could be wrong.

[Pavel A.]

Free MDK with compiler v6 and RTX on vscode? Very interesting.

[RajeevAroraCrcEvans]

We are using the paid (MDK-PLUS) version of Keil Compiler version (MDK539.EXE). We get a paid license yearly from ARM.

[RajeevAroraCrcEvans]

Hi @TDK , @Pavel A. ,

We are using the paid (MDK-PLUS) version of Keil Compiler version (MDK539.EXE). We get a paid license yearly from ARM.

[TDK]

Ah, okay, so "community edition" is a parallel product. Wasn't immediately clear when I searched.

[TLin.5]

Isn't the free MDK 6 basically VSCode + extensions? 

I use MDK5.39 myself for now as that is the commercial offering. 

It's not perfect, but the VSCode+extensions variant I feel is not very useful yet from a commercial perspective. Had they focused on integrating with Visual Studio instead, it would have been more interesting.

[Pavel A.]

@TLin.5 The big Visual Studio does not run on Linux and MAC (MAC version is retiring). Being Windows-only is not modern these days.

[TLin.5]

It's not about what is modern. It's about what's actually usable from my perspective as professional developer.

VSCode is a glorified editor at best in that regard. Not an IDE focused on productivity even with the keil studio pack added.

Even the Eclipse based STM32CubeIDE is easier to work with, imo.

[RajeevAroraCrcEvans]

Hi @Khouloud ZEMMELI , @Imen.D ,

Please share you inputs on the shared concern.

Thanks!

Rajeev