Lesson 07: Create an ARM C Application with Keil μVision MDK-ARM

Startup Keil μVision 5

• Launch Keil µVision5 by clicking on the icon  from the desktop or find this program from the "Start" menu, "All Programs" on your computer. You will see the following screen.
  

Create a new Project for the Tiva LaunchPad Board

Next, you will use Keil μVision to create a C project and execute this program on your target Tiva board.

Before you create a new project, it is recommended that you create a folder to store all your projects and files. For example, you can have a folder EE3450 ready beforehand.

Let's create your first ARM μVision project now.

1. In the main μVision menu, select Project ➤ New µVision Project. The Create New Project window opens up.
2. Select the project folder you have prepared, assign this project the following name: MyFirstARMC, and then click on the Save button.
   
3. The Select Device for Target 'Target1'...  window opens, and you have to select which processor family will be usedEK-TM4C123GXL board: from the list of devices select "Texas Instruments ➤ Tiva C Series ➤ TM4C123x Series" and from the new list select TM4C123GH6PM. Click OK
   1. EK-TM4C1294XL board: from the list of devices, select "Texas Instruments➤Tiva C Series➤TM4C129x Series", and from the new list, select TM4C1294NCPDT. Click OK
   
4. Click OK, and the Manage Run-Time Environment window opens and shows the related software components for the device.
   Two components must be selected for the Tiva LaunchPad board in your C project. In the Manage Run-Time Environment window, select the following components for your project:
   
   • Expand ::CMSIS and enable: :CORE
     CMSIS:CORE — Defines the API for the Cortex-M processor core and peripherals and includes a consistent system startup code.
   • Expand ::Device and enable :Startup
     Device:Startup — System startup and low-level device drivers must be used with the CMSIS:CORE.
   
5. Click "OK" to close this window.
6. Two files are added to your project:
   • startup_<device>.s
     This file has reset handler and exception vectors (including stack and heap configuration)
   • system_<device>.c
     This is a configuration file for basic device setup (clock and memory bus)

You can select the Simulator-based debugging or a target firmware level debugging from the Debug option.

• If the Use Simulator is selected (left-hand side), the firmware does not need to be downloaded into the target machine. The IDE provides an application firmware debugging environment by simulating the target hardware in a software environment. It is most suitable for offline analysis and rapid code development.
• If the Target Debugging is selected (right-hand side), the binary file created by the cross-compilation process needs to be downloaded into the target hardware, and the debugging is done by single-stepping the firmware. A physical link should be established between the target hardware and the PC on which the IDE is running for target-level debugging.

Make sure you enable the following selections on both debug methods:

• Enable Load Application at Startup for loading the application into the μVision debugger whenever a debugging session is started.
• Enable Run to main() for executing the instructions up to the first executable statement of the main() function. The instructions are executed upon each reset.

3.1 Create MyDefines.h

If you have already created the MyDefines.h file in the Common folder, you can skip this part and continue to step 3.2.

1. Using Notepad++ or other text editors to create a text document and type the following content to the file:
   

   #ifndef __MYDEFINES_H
   #define __MYDEFINES_H
   
   #endif
   

2. Save the file inside the Common folder, and name it to "MyDefines.h". Later, we will add new definitions to the MyDefines.h file.

3.2 Add MyDefines.h and Common folder to the project.

1. In the Keil main window. Right-click on Source Group 1 and click Add Existing Files to Group 'Source Group 1'...
   
2. In the open window, change the location to the Common folder, then change the file type to a Text file (*.txt; *.h; *.inc). Select MyDefines.h file, or enter the File name "MyDefines".
   
   Click Add, and then click Close to close the window.
3. Now you have already added MyDefines.h file to your project.
   
4. Add the Common folder to the Include Paths. So the compiler will know where to find the MyDefines.h file.
   Open the Option for Target window, change the tab to C/C++, and add the Common folder to the Include Paths field.
    
   Click OK to close the Options window.

Add the main.c file

Next, you will create a C source file for your first project.

1. Expand Target 1 on the Project Window, right-click "Source Group 1" and select "Add New Item to Group 'Source Group 1'..."
   
2. In the open window, select the file type to C File (.c), and enter the Name "main.c". Click on "Add".
   
3. You have created a C project for Tiva LauncdPad, and you will see the "main.c" edit window on the main screen. This is the place where you will write your C language program. In the next step, copy and paste this lesson's C Sample Firmware code into your main.c file.
   

Now you have already added a C source code to your project. You can write your embedded C code or copy the following example code into your project.

The embedded system does not have console mode, which means you cannot directly use "printf" function to print a message in the console.

/* This is the first C language program for Tiva LaunchPad that you see in the lab
 This program template was created by Airs Lin @ 2017 California State University of Los Angeles.
 When you write your program, you could have your info at the top document block
 For Example:  Your Name, Student Number, purpose of the program, etc.
*/

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
#include <stdint.h>

#include "TM4C123GH6PM.h"
#include "MyDefines.h"

int main(void)
{
    // Place your initialization/startup code here (e.g. Setup_GPIO())

    while(1) {
        // Place your application code here.

    }
}

/* This is the first C language program for Tiva LaunchPad you see in the lab
 This program template was created by Airs Lin @ 2017 California State University of Los Angeles.
 When you write your program, you could have your info at the top document block
 For Example:  Your Name, Student Number, what the program is for, and what it does etc.
*/
 
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
#include <stdint.h>
 
#include "TM4C1294NCPDT.h"
#include "MyDefines.h"

int main(void)
{
    // Place your initialization/startup code here (e.g. Setup_GPIO())

    while(1) {
        // Place your application code here.

    }
}

Build the Application

1. Build the application using the toolbar button  Rebuild, or from the menu Project ➤ Build Target.
2. The Build Output window shows information about the build process. An error-free build shows information about the program size.

Download and Run the Application

1. Connect the target hardware to your computer using a debug adapter that typically connects via USB. TI Tiva LaunchPad boards provide an on-board debug adapter.
2. Now, review the settings for the debug adapter.
   Click  Options for Target on the toolbar and select the Debug tab. Verify that the correct debug adapter of the evaluation board you are using is selected and enabled
3. Click  Download on the toolbar to load the application to your target hardware.
   The Build Output window shows information about the download progress.
4. Press the RESET button on the target board to run the application.

Debug the Application

1. Click Debug ➤ Start/Stop Debug Session, or  button on the toolbar to start debugging the application by the simulator or on hardware.
2. Click Debug ➤ Run, or click  button on the Debug toolbar, or [F5] key to start executing the application.
3. If Keil is already in debug mode, clicking the  button again will cause Keil to jump back from the debug mode to the edit mode.

The debug menu and commands are listed as below:

Debug Menu	Toolbar	Shortcut	Description
Start/Stop Debug Session		Ctrl+F5	Starts or stops a debugging session.
Start/Stop Energy Measurement Session			Starts or stops an energy measurement-only session.
Reset CPU			Sets the CPU to RESET state.
Run		F5	Continues executing the program until the next active breakpoint is reached.
Stop			Stops the program execution immediately.
Step		F11	Executes a single-step into a function; Executes the current instruction line.
Step Over		F10	Executes a single-step over a function.
Step Out		Ctrl+F11	Finishes executing the current function and stops afterward.
Run to Cursor Line		Ctrl+F10	Executes the program until the current cursor line is reached.
Show Next Statement			Shows the next executable statement/instruction.
Breakpoints		Ctrl+B	Opens the dialog Breakpoints.
Insert/Remove Breakpoint		F9	Toggles the breakpoint on the current line.
Enable/Disable Breakpoint		Ctrl+F9	Enables/disables the breakpoint on the current line.
Disable All Breakpoints			Disables all breakpoints in the program.
Kill All Breakpoints in Current Target		Ctrl+Shift+F9	Removes all breakpoints in the current target.
Kill All Breakpoints in Active Project			Removes all breakpoints in the active project.
Kill All Breakpoints in Multi-Project Workspace			Removes all breakpoints in all projects of the workspace.

When you click the Debug button on Keil, the debugger immediately exits upon entering. Keil can still download the code to target but will not run the debugger. Please check the [KB 03: Keil Debugging Issue] to solve the problem.