Hi guys!

Thanks for the good feedback. I've updated the project description with prerequisites to make sure that everyone knows what's required to run the demo. I've also updated the downloadable zip-file to make sure it runs smoothly with the latest version of Simplcity Studio.

We will definitely publish these examples for other toolchains when they become part of the official SDK release.

@maf4946 Yes, this tool is absolutely awesome. Our engineers are already all over this!

-Alf

Hi guys, not sure what you're asking for. @x89300Are you looking for an example for the Keil toolchain? Of course we want to publish all demos available for "Your Favorite Toolchain" but sometimes we also want to get the information out when we have something cool to show, and then we picked Simplicity Studio.

@maf4946 Did you not get it to compile under Simplcity Studio?

Update: This article has been edited to better reflect the needed toolchains.

Ever wondered how to get started on your first RTOS project? Want to get a visual feel for how an RTOS operates and schedules events? This blog is a super-quick walkthrough on how to get started with μC/OS-III from Micrium on the Silicon Labs EFM32 Giant Gecko, using SystemView from SEGGER.

Prerequisites:

1. You need the latest version of Simplicity Studio to run this demo. You can download that here: www.silabs.com/simplicity
2. You need to update the kit firmware to the latest version to support Real-Time Trace (RTT). The "Update firmware"-button should be easily recognizable from the "Launcher" in Simplicity Studio.
3. You need the latest version of J-link software to support RTT. You can download that here: https://www.segger.com/downloads/jlink
4. You need IAR for compiling. This demo has only been ported to the IAR compiler, so you will need that. You can download a free trial here: https://www.iar.com/iar-embedded-workbench/#!?device=EFM32GG990F1024&architecture=ARM

Steps:

1. The SystemView application that runs on the host computer is available for Windows, Mac and Linux computers. Download and install the SystemView Installer for the host PC from one of the following links:

• Windows: https://www.segger.com/downloads/free_tools/Setup_SystemView_V240a.exe
• Mac OS X: https://www.segger.com/downloads/free_tools/SystemView_MacOSX_V240a.pkg

1. The zip file from this link https://www.dropbox.com/s/xvd9if3dqrjd64z/SystemView-uCOS-EFM32-GiantGecko.zip?dl=0 contains a Simplicity Studio project for the EFM32 Giant Gecko Starter Kit. Extract the zip file to a folder in your computer.

1. Open Simplicity Studio, click the button Simplicity IDE and switch to the Development perspective, click File -> Import…, select the option Existing Projects into Workspace under the General category and click Next to import the project.

1. Configure the root directory by browsing to the folder in your computer where you extracted the zip file in Step 2, select Copy projects into workspace and click Finish.

1. Click Project and then Clean… to rebuild the project.

1. Connect the Giant Gecko Starter Kit to your computer from the J-Link USB port.

1. Expand the node Binaries in the Project Explorer and select the ELF file (extension .out)

1. Create a new Debug Configuration, by dropping down the Debug button on the top toolbar and selecting Debug Configurations…

1. Select Silicon Labs ARM Program and click the New Launch Configuration button on the top toolbar of the dialog window.

1. Click the Debug button

1. Click F8 to resume execution

1. Halt the CPU by clicking the Pause button on the top toolbar of the IDE and then click the button right next to it to disconnect the debugger from the target.

1. Open SystemView and click Target from the menu options at the top.

1. Click Start Recording

1. Enter the device name EFM32GG990F1024 as shown below and click OK to start the streaming of events. 

And voilá: SystemView is streaming the RTOS-events directly to your computer:

When you want to understand more about system view, click here. 

This week, I’m blogging live from Arm TechCon, an event designed to connect the hardware and software communities. All of the industry pundits, engineers and makers here have been buzzing about ARM® mbed™, so I wanted to provide some insight.

You maybe wondering…what’s the deal? Is mbed hype or the next best thing? As an embedded engineer at Silicon Labs, I wanted to share my thoughts.

So, what is mbed?

First a little bit of background on mbed, which ARM created to simplify device development. In many ways, it’s similar to projects like Arduino. They both aim to simplify prototyping by giving you access to a library of hardware components and free, ready-made software. Additionally, mbed is compatible with all Cortex-M class processors.

Besides the tools created by ARM, mbed also has an awesome community of embedded enthusiasts that share code publically. The availability of these free snippets allows you to easily get started or expand your project. In the community, you can also find a free, fully-featured online IDE, tightly integrated with a revision control system.

All of the basic functionality outlined above is called ARM mbed 2.0. Recently, however, ARM launched mbed 3.0.

ARM mbed 3.0

The biggest difference between ARM mbed 2.0 and 3.0 is the amount of software integrated into it. With 3.0, ARM is also bringing technologies like Thread, TCP/IP and cloud connectivity directly to the user. mbed 3.0 also includes an operating system (OS), which is why the term “mbed OS” is often used interchangeably with ARM mbed 3.0. Since the OS-part is a defining facet of mbed 3.0, it can be found on https://www.mbed.com/en/ (note the change of .org -> .com at the end).

mbed OS contains unique features that enable it to be a basis for low-power systems, which is critical for IoT applications. It includes a scheduler for making sure that tasks get their appointed run-time. It also includes a hypervisor, called uVisor (micro-visor), to separate different task so that user-tasks cannot compromise the security of the complete system. This capability also opens the possibility of running user-generated, or insecure code on the devices, as the uVisior will make sure that it only takes the resources it is granted and cannot access secure information. It also protects against attacks. If you have a complicated RF stack and if someone breaks into it, they will find it very difficult to gain access to the rest of the system.

What’s in it for me?

Using mbed 3.0 gives you access to a good scheduler and an excellent framework to develop cloud-connected devices. Part of ARM’s mbed 3.0 offering is integrating a solution for you to easily manage your cloud-connected devices. You can easily see how they are performing, upgrade their software, and check their status. With mbed OS this is already integrated, allowing you to seamlessly transfer data from the device to the cloud and aggregate it using one of ARMs cloud partners.

So if you don’t want to spend time on all the nitty-gritty details of how to get your data from the device to the cloud or learn how to manage 10s of thousands of devices, ARM mbed is the way to go!

In related news, today at the conference, ARM also introduced its new wearables reference design featuring mbed OS. The design incorporates a lot of advanced power saving features, which is enhanced by the power-management APIs that my peers at Silicon Labs have co-developed with ARM. These low-power mbed APIs now provide a foundation for all peripheral interactions in mbed OS.

Want to get started?

To easily get you started, we’ve created a small-form-factor version board for developing both wearable design and IoT nodes with mbed OS. Called Thunderboard Wear, this demonstration board features our Giant Gecko MCU, Bluetooth Smart connectivity and myriad sensors, enabling you to evaluate optical heart rate monitoring and a lot of other fun stuff!

The board works seamlessly with mbed OS and the Simplicity Studio development platforms. For more details including pricing and pre-order form, visit www.silabs.com/thunderboardwear.

Give Feedback

So, what are your thoughts about mbed? Please share in the comments below. I would like to hear from you. 

My happy gecko hiding from John.

Hi guys!

Thanks for the good feedback. I've updated the project description with prerequisites to make sure that everyone knows what's required to run the demo. I've also updated the downloadable zip-file to make sure it runs smoothly with the latest version of Simplcity Studio.

We will definitely publish these examples for other toolchains when they become part of the official SDK release.

@maf4946 Yes, this tool is absolutely awesome. Our engineers are already all over this!

-Alf

Hi guys, not sure what you're asking for. @x89300Are you looking for an example for the Keil toolchain? Of course we want to publish all demos available for "Your Favorite Toolchain" but sometimes we also want to get the information out when we have something cool to show, and then we picked Simplicity Studio.

@maf4946 Did you not get it to compile under Simplcity Studio?

Update: This article has been edited to better reflect the needed toolchains.

Ever wondered how to get started on your first RTOS project? Want to get a visual feel for how an RTOS operates and schedules events? This blog is a super-quick walkthrough on how to get started with μC/OS-III from Micrium on the Silicon Labs EFM32 Giant Gecko, using SystemView from SEGGER.

Prerequisites:

1. You need the latest version of Simplicity Studio to run this demo. You can download that here: www.silabs.com/simplicity
2. You need to update the kit firmware to the latest version to support Real-Time Trace (RTT). The "Update firmware"-button should be easily recognizable from the "Launcher" in Simplicity Studio.
3. You need the latest version of J-link software to support RTT. You can download that here: https://www.segger.com/downloads/jlink
4. You need IAR for compiling. This demo has only been ported to the IAR compiler, so you will need that. You can download a free trial here: https://www.iar.com/iar-embedded-workbench/#!?device=EFM32GG990F1024&architecture=ARM

Steps:

1. The SystemView application that runs on the host computer is available for Windows, Mac and Linux computers. Download and install the SystemView Installer for the host PC from one of the following links:

• Windows: https://www.segger.com/downloads/free_tools/Setup_SystemView_V240a.exe
• Mac OS X: https://www.segger.com/downloads/free_tools/SystemView_MacOSX_V240a.pkg

2. The zip file from this link https://www.dropbox.com/s/xvd9if3dqrjd64z/SystemView-uCOS-EFM32-GiantGecko.zip?dl=0 contains a Simplicity Studio project for the EFM32 Giant Gecko Starter Kit. Extract the zip file to a folder in your computer.

3. Open Simplicity Studio, click the button Simplicity IDE and switch to the Development perspective, click File -> Import…, select the option Existing Projects into Workspace under the General category and click Next to import the project.

4. Configure the root directory by browsing to the folder in your computer where you extracted the zip file in Step 2, select Copy projects into workspace and click Finish.

5. Click Project and then Clean… to rebuild the project.

6. Connect the Giant Gecko Starter Kit to your computer from the J-Link USB port.

7. Expand the node Binaries in the Project Explorer and select the ELF file (extension .out)

8. Create a new Debug Configuration, by dropping down the Debug button on the top toolbar and selecting Debug Configurations…

9. Select Silicon Labs ARM Program and click the New Launch Configuration button on the top toolbar of the dialog window.

10. Click the Debug button

11. Click F8 to resume execution

12. Halt the CPU by clicking the Pause button on the top toolbar of the IDE and then click the button right next to it to disconnect the debugger from the target.

13. Open SystemView and click Target from the menu options at the top.

14. Click Start Recording

15. Enter the device name EFM32GG990F1024 as shown below and click OK to start the streaming of events. 

And voilá: SystemView is streaming the RTOS-events directly to your computer:

When you want to understand more about system view, click here. 

This week, I’m blogging live from Arm TechCon, an event designed to connect the hardware and software communities. All of the industry pundits, engineers and makers here have been buzzing about ARM® mbed™, so I wanted to provide some insight.

You maybe wondering…what’s the deal? Is mbed hype or the next best thing? As an embedded engineer at Silicon Labs, I wanted to share my thoughts.

So, what is mbed?

First a little bit of background on mbed, which ARM created to simplify device development. In many ways, it’s similar to projects like Arduino. They both aim to simplify prototyping by giving you access to a library of hardware components and free, ready-made software. Additionally, mbed is compatible with all Cortex-M class processors.

Besides the tools created by ARM, mbed also has an awesome community of embedded enthusiasts that share code publically. The availability of these free snippets allows you to easily get started or expand your project. In the community, you can also find a free, fully-featured online IDE, tightly integrated with a revision control system.

All of the basic functionality outlined above is called ARM mbed 2.0. Recently, however, ARM launched mbed 3.0.

ARM mbed 3.0

The biggest difference between ARM mbed 2.0 and 3.0 is the amount of software integrated into it. With 3.0, ARM is also bringing technologies like Thread, TCP/IP and cloud connectivity directly to the user. mbed 3.0 also includes an operating system (OS), which is why the term “mbed OS” is often used interchangeably with ARM mbed 3.0. Since the OS-part is a defining facet of mbed 3.0, it can be found on https://www.mbed.com/en/ (note the change of .org -> .com at the end).

mbed OS contains unique features that enable it to be a basis for low-power systems, which is critical for IoT applications. It includes a scheduler for making sure that tasks get their appointed run-time. It also includes a hypervisor, called uVisor (micro-visor), to separate different task so that user-tasks cannot compromise the security of the complete system. This capability also opens the possibility of running user-generated, or insecure code on the devices, as the uVisior will make sure that it only takes the resources it is granted and cannot access secure information. It also protects against attacks. If you have a complicated RF stack and if someone breaks into it, they will find it very difficult to gain access to the rest of the system.

What’s in it for me?

Using mbed 3.0 gives you access to a good scheduler and an excellent framework to develop cloud-connected devices. Part of ARM’s mbed 3.0 offering is integrating a solution for you to easily manage your cloud-connected devices. You can easily see how they are performing, upgrade their software, and check their status. With mbed OS this is already integrated, allowing you to seamlessly transfer data from the device to the cloud and aggregate it using one of ARMs cloud partners.

So if you don’t want to spend time on all the nitty-gritty details of how to get your data from the device to the cloud or learn how to manage 10s of thousands of devices, ARM mbed is the way to go!

In related news, today at the conference, ARM also introduced its new wearables reference design featuring mbed OS. The design incorporates a lot of advanced power saving features, which is enhanced by the power-management APIs that my peers at Silicon Labs have co-developed with ARM. These low-power mbed APIs now provide a foundation for all peripheral interactions in mbed OS.

Want to get started?

To easily get you started, we’ve created a small-form-factor version board for developing both wearable design and IoT nodes with mbed OS. Called Thunderboard Wear, this demonstration board features our Giant Gecko MCU, Bluetooth Smart connectivity and myriad sensors, enabling you to evaluate optical heart rate monitoring and a lot of other fun stuff!

The board works seamlessly with mbed OS and the Simplicity Studio development platforms. For more details including pricing and pre-order form, visit www.silabs.com/thunderboardwear.

Give Feedback

So, what are your thoughts about mbed? Please share in the comments below. I would like to hear from you. 

My happy gecko hiding from John.