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User manual
Getting started with .NET Micro Framework on
the STM32F429 Discovery kit
Introduction
This document describes how to get started using the .NET Micro Framework (alias
NETMF) on the STM32F429 Discovery board (32F429IDISCOVERY). It presents the
software and hardware environment required to build a .NET Micro Framework application.
A set of C# example projects are provided within the STM32F429I_Discovery_NETMF_
Package (STSW-STM32141) allowing fast exploration of this environment.
NETMF is a developer platform for small embedded devices that gives C#, Visual Basic, or
Visual Studio programmers access to a subset of the NET framework programming
libraries. It is assumed the reader is already proficient in one of these programming
languages.
This document is structured as follows:
Chapter 1 presents the required software and hardware environment to get started with
.NET Micro Framework:
– Microsoft® Visual Studio®
– Microsoft .NET Micro Framework Software Development Kit
– STM32F429I_Discovery_NETMF_Package
– STM32 ST-LINK Utility
– STM32F429I_DISCOVERY NETMF USB driver
Chapter 2 describes how to build and deploy applications on the hardware.
Chapter 3 describes how to remove applications.
Chapter 4 contains links to useful web sites.
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Contents
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Contents
1
Software environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2
Create first NETMF application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3
Erase deployment section using MFDeploy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4
Useful links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5
Revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Software environment
Software environment
The following software is needed to develop a .NET Micro Framework (NETMF) application.
It should be installed if it is not already on your PC.
1.
Microsoft Visual Studio 2012: You can use the Express edition, a time-limited free
evaluation version, downloadable from
http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/products/visual-studio-express-products.
2.
Microsoft .NET Micro Framework SDK version 4.3 downloadable from
http://netmf.codeplex.com/downloads/get/500745.
3.
STM32F429I_Discovery_NETMF_Package: Contains binaries, NETMF USB driver,
libraries and examples required to develop and run a .NETMF application on the
STM32F429 Discovery board. It is available from www.st.com/stm32f4-discovery by
selecting the product 32F429IDISCOVERY.
Figure 1. STM32F429I_Discovery_NETMF_Package
Examples: Visual Studio NETMF projects (C#)
NETMF Binary image
STM32F429I-Discovery managed library
NETMF USB Driver
MS33234V2
4.
STM32 ST-LINK Utility: You can use this utility to load the NETMF binary core into the
STM32F429 Discovery. It can be downloaded from www.st.com/stlinkv2.
ST-LINK Utility automatically installs the ST-LINK/V2 USB driver.
The STM32F429I_Discovery_NETMF_Package\NETMF_Binary_Image contains the
NETMF binary image which consists of three hex files that should be loaded using STLINK Utility into the STM32F429 Discovery board.
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Software environment
5.
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STM32F429I_DISCOVERY NETMF USB driver: USB USER (CN6) is used to deploy
and debug a NETMF application on the STM32F429 Discovery. After loading the
NETMF binary into the STM32F429 Discovery, install the NETMF USB driver.
a)
Connect the STM32F429 Discovery to the computer using USB USER connector.
A device called "STM32F429 DISCOVERY" will be detected.
b)
When windows asks for the driver, browse to the STM32F429I_DISCOVERY
NETMF driver in the STM32F429I_Discovery_NETMF_Package.
c)
Once installation is done, an STM32F429I_DISCOVERY NETMF will be displayed
in the device manger as displayed in Figure 2.
You are now ready to start your first NETMF application on the STM32F429 Discovery
board.
Figure 2. Windows Device manager
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Create first NETMF application
Create first NETMF application
A good way to get familiarized with the NETMF Development Environment is to create a
simple LED toggle program to run on the STM32F429 Discovery board.
1. Start Microsoft Visual Studio.
2. From the main menu, select File > New Project…
3. Click Visual C# > Micro Framework, select Console Application then click the OK button.
Figure 3. New project window
4. Our first NETMF project is created with only one C# source file named "Program.cs". This
program displays a "Hello World!" message in the output window of Visual Studio.
Program.cs contains only one class, Program, and one method, Main(), which is the first
method called when the program is run.
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Figure 4. First NETMF project
6.
7.
Note:
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To toggle an LED, the "Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware" component must be added to the
project:
a)
Right click on the References in the solution explorer.
b)
Select Add Reference.
c)
Select Microsoft.SPOT.Hardware from the Add Reference window.
Add "STM32F429I_Discovery.Netmf.Hardware.cs" library to the project, it contains
necessary classes and methods to use features like LEDs:
a)
Right click on the MFConsoleApplication1 in the solution explorer.
b)
Select Add > Existing Item…
c)
Browse to the "STM32F429I_Discovery.Netmf.Hardware" folder in the
STM32F429I_Discovery_NETMF_Package.
You can Add As link to avoid copying the source file into the project folder.
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Create first NETMF application
Figure 5. Add Reference window
8.
Modify the generated Program.cs file (displayed in Figure 4) as shown in bold below:
using System;
using Microsoft.SPOT;
using STM32F429I_Discovery.Netmf.Hardware;
// Needed for LED toggling
using System.Threading;
// Needed for Sleep() function
namespace MFConsoleApplication1
{
public class Program
{
public static void Main()
{
LED.LEDInit();
//LED
initialization
while (true)
{
LED.GreenLedToggle();
// Tooggle green led
Thread.Sleep(500);
// wait 500 ms
}
}
}
}
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In this code, you added "STM32F429I_Discovery.Netmf.Hardware" namespace which is
declared in the STM32F429I_Discovery.Netmf.Hardware.cs file to be able to use the LED
class.
LED.Init() configures the LEDs GPIO port and LED.GreenLedToggle() toggles the
green LED.
Note:
Click on the method call and press F12 to go to its implementation.
9.
Click on Build > Build Solution from the main menu (alternatively, click F7).
Figure 6. Build output window
10. Once the project is built successfully, the application must be loaded into the
STM32F429 Discovery booard. By default, a new project is configured to work with the
Emulator. It must be changed to use USB as deployment transport from the Properties
in the Solution Explorer (See Figure 7). The board should be connected to the
computer and "STM32F429I_DISCOVERY_a7e70ea2" should be displayed in the
Device name.
Figure 7. Properties window
11. Click on Debug > Start Debugging from main menu to load application and enter debug
session.
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Figure 8. Debugging in Visual Studio
The green LED on the STM32F429 Discovery board should now be toggling.
Visual Studio offers many debug features like breakpoints, watch, view memories and step
by step execution, that allow easy debug of your application and step by step execution.
To speed up NETMF development on the STM32F429 Discovery board, several C#
example programs are available in the STM32F429I_Discovery_NETMF_Package under
the "Examples" folder. For more information about the examples, a readme file is provided
with each example describing its behavior and hardware requirements.
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Erase deployment section using MFDeploy
The NETMF SDK has a useful tool called MFDeploy. it provides many helpful features such
as erasing the deployment sectors. A C# application in the deployment section alters the
debug communication and Visual Studio cannot override it.
To erase the deployment section:
1.
Reset the board while pressing the USER button, to enter TinyBooter mode.
2.
Open the MFDeploy from windows Start menu > Microsoft .NET Micro Framework 4.3.
3.
Select USB as debug channel, "STM32F429I_DISCOVERY_a7e70ea2" should be
displayed in the Device name. Make sure that there's no ongoing Visual Studio debug
session.
4.
Click on Erase button to open the erase window.
5.
Select Deployment and click on Erase button.
Figure 9. Erasing deployment section using MFDeploy
After erasing the deployment section and resetting the board, you can launch a new debug
session using Visual Studio.
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Useful links
Useful links
The following links provide inspiration and many more examples:
NETMF community development site: www.netmf.com
Codeplex STM32 NETMF project: netmf4stm32.codeplex.com
STM32 NETMF solutions by Mountaineer: http://www.mountaineer.org/netmf-for-stm32
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Revision history
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Revision history
Table 1. Document revision history
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Date
Revision
13-Jan-2014
1
Changes
Initial release.
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