Getting Started

Minimum Required Versions of Dependencies

Name	Version
CMake	3.13
Python	3.8

Install Dependencies

Take Ubuntu as example

Install Tools

sudo apt install build-essential cmake ninja-build libc6-i386 libc6-i386-cross libstdc++6-i386-cross

Install Python 3 (3.8.5 minimum) and pip
```
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip
```

Install Chocolatey
- Chocolatey is a package manager for Windows that simplifies the installation of native Windows dependencies.
- Install Chocolatey by following the instructions on the Chocolatey Install page.
- Open “cmd.exe” as “Administrator”.
- Disable global confirmation to avoid having to confirm the installation of individual programs:
```
choco feature enable -n allowGlobalConfirmation
```

Install CMake

choco install cmake --installargs 'ADD_CMAKE_TO_PATH=System'

Install Other Tools
```
choco install git python ninja
```
Close the Administrator Command Prompt Window

Prepare Toolchain & Environment Variables

Supported Toolchains

gnu-gcc (default toolchain)
nds-gcc
zcc

Toolchain Setup

Download and Unzip the Toolchain
- Download the RISC-V GNU toolchain from the HPMicro official GitHub releases.
- Unzip the toolchain package to a specific path (e.g., TOOLCHAIN_PATH). The executable riscv32-unknown-elf-gcc should be located in TOOLCHAIN_PATH/bin.

Set Environment Variables

Assume using zsh

export GNURISCV_TOOLCHAIN_PATH=TOOLCHAIN_PATH
export HPM_SDK_TOOLCHAIN_VARIANT=

set GNURISCV_TOOLCHAIN_PATH=TOOLCHAIN_PATH
set HPM_SDK_TOOLCHAIN_VARIANT=

Download and Unzip the Toolchain
- Unzip the toolchain package to a specific path (e.g., TOOLCHAIN_PATH). The executable riscv32-elf-gcc should be located in TOOLCHAIN_PATH/bin.
Set Environment Variables
Assume using zsh
export GNURISCV_TOOLCHAIN_PATH=TOOLCHAIN_PATH export HPM_SDK_TOOLCHAIN_VARIANT=nds-gcc
set GNURISCV_TOOLCHAIN_PATH=TOOLCHAIN_PATH set HPM_SDK_TOOLCHAIN_VARIANT=nds-gcc
Note

For Windows, the Andes compiler requires the following libraries: - cygwin1.dll - cygncursesw-10.dll Ensure their paths are appended to the system environment variable PATH.

Download and Unzip the Toolchain
- Unzip the toolchain package to a specific path (e.g., TOOLCHAIN_PATH).

Set Environment Variables

export GNURISCV_TOOLCHAIN_PATH=TOOLCHAIN_PATH
export HPM_SDK_TOOLCHAIN_VARIANT=zcc

set GNURISCV_TOOLCHAIN_PATH=TOOLCHAIN_PATH
set HPM_SDK_TOOLCHAIN_VARIANT=zcc

Environment Variables

source env.sh

env.cmd

Manually declare an environment variable HPM_SDK_BASE pointing to the SDK root path.

using zsh, assuming SDK is located at $HOME/hpm_sdk

export HPM_SDK_BASE=$HOME/hpm_sdk

assuming SDK is located at c:\hpm_sdk

set HPM_SDK_BASE=c:\hpm_sdk

Install Python Dependencies

pip3 install --user -r "$HPM_SDK_BASE/scripts/requirements.txt"

By default, python3/pip3 is not available after installing Python 3.x on Windows. Only python/pip is available.

pip install --user -r "%HPM_SDK_BASE%/scripts/requirements.txt"

CMake Build System

The HPM SDK provides a comprehensive CMake-based build system that offers:

Cross-platform compatibility across Windows, macOS, and Linux
Multiple toolchain support including GNU GCC, NDS GCC, and ZCC
Flexible board configuration with custom board support
IDE integration for various development environments
SOC-agnostic application development with automatic dependency management

For detailed information about using the CMake build system, including advanced configuration options, custom board setup, and best practices, please refer to the SDK CMake User Guide.

Build an Application with GNU GCC Toolchain

After completing the steps above, SDK projects can be generated and built. The following steps describe how to build a demo (e.g., hello_world):

Navigate to the Application Directory

cd samples/hello_world

Create a Build Directory

mkdir build

md build

Change Directory to “build”

cd build

Generate Build Files for Ninja

cmake -GNinja -DBOARD=hpm6750evkmini ..
Note

If it complains about “CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM is not set,” append -DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM=YOUR_MAKE_EXECUTABLE_PATH to the previous command. (Replace NINJA_PATH with the folder where ninja is located):
cmake -GNinja -DBOARD=hpm6750evkmini -DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM=NINJA_PATH/ninja ..

Build the Project

ninja
When the build is complete, the ELF file and other application-related files (e.g., map file, assembly source, or binary file) can be found in the output directory.

Quick Guide to Run/Debug an Application (hello_world)

Wire Up the Board

Include the debug probe (by default, it supports JLink) and serial port.

Power Up the Board
Open a Console

Connect to the debug console (target serial port) with a baud rate of 115200.

Install OpenOCD

Download OpenOCD from the HPMicro official GitHub releases, or compile the riscv-hpmicro branch from the repository. This repository only adds flash operation algorithms compared to the upstream OpenOCD.

Set Environment Variables

source env.sh
env.cmd
Alternatively, set the OPENOCD_SCRIPTS environment variable manually:
set OPENOCD_SCRIPTS=%HPM_SDK_BASE%\boards\openocd

Start OpenOCD

Use several configuration files in the order of probe type, core type, and board type. For example, the following command sets up an OpenOCD GDB server with an FT2232 probe for a single core on the HPM6750EVKMini:
openocd -f probes/ft2232.cfg -f soc/hpm6750-single-core.cfg -f boards/hpm6750evkmini.cfg
Note

If using an FTDI debugger and encountering the error Error: libusb_open() failed with LIBUSB_ERROR_NOT_FOUND, check the FTDI USB driver. If it is not installed correctly, use zadig to update:

Open zadig, click Options -> List All Devices.

Select Dual RS232-HS (Interface 0).

Click Install Driver or Replace Driver.

Navigate to the hello_world Directory

cd samples/hello_world

Start a GDB Client in Another Terminal

TOOLCHAIN_PATH/bin/riscv32-unknown-elf-gdb

TOOLCHAIN_PATH/bin/riscv32-elf-gdb

Connect the GDB Client to the GDB Server

gdb> file build/output/demo.elf
gdb> target remote localhost:3333
gdb> load
gdb> b main
gdb> c

Verify the Output

On the debug console, “hello_world” should be printed.

Build an Application with Segger Embedded Studio

Download Segger Embedded Studio for RISC-V
- It can be downloaded from Segger.
Generate Project File
- The project file for Segger Embedded Studio will be generated while generating build files for Ninja (as mentioned in Build an Application with GNU GCC Toolchain -> “4. Generate Build Files for Ninja”).
- The project file (.emProject) can be found at build/segger_embedded_studio/.
Note

The openocd executable needs to be found in the PATH variable of the current console. Otherwise, the debug configuration will not be generated in the project file and needs to be configured manually in Segger Embedded Studio later.