AVR Embedded Tutorial - Entry Lazarus and Arduino

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Build Lazarus with AVR crosscompiler for Arduino Nano/Uno

The tutorial was tested with:

Linux Mint 18.2 64bit
Arduino IDE 1.8.5
FPCUPdeluxe V1.6.6e (Should always be the newest!)
svn 1.9.3
FPC 3.1.1 (created with FPCUPdeluxe)
Lazarus 1.9 (created with FPCUPdeluxe)

The same tools are required under Windows , except the Linux Mint .

Tools required

Software

FPCUPdeluxe:

https://github.com/newpascal/fpcupdeluxe/releases - fpcupdeluxe for creating the AVR cross compiler. (Download: fpcupdeluxe- [OS]).

Arduino software:

https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software - Arduino software. Used for avrdude.

Subversion:

Ubuntu / Debian:

 sudo apt-get install subversion

SuSE:

 sudo zypper install subversion

Windows:

Should be installed automatically by FPCUPdeluxe, otherwise download and install from here.

Hardware

Arduino Uno or Nano, preferably with an ATmega328p.

Install FPCUPdeluxe

It is best to copy the download of FPCUPdeluxe into a new empty folder and then start the copied file in the file manager with a double click. Linux asks if the file should be made executable, answer yes. The FPCUPdeluxe GUI should then start.

Build Lazarus with FPCUPdeluxe

Build trunk

Set the top left list boxes FPC version and Lazarus version to trunk or embedded which are both in the Basic tab.
Build the Lazarus base trunk/embedded version with Install/update FPC+Laz.

If everything goes through without errors you get the current trunk from FPC and Lazarus. Normal desktop applications can now be created with this. There should be an icon for Lazarus_fpcupdeluxe on the Desktop.

  Note: Note: SVN repositories may experience difficulties. If so, don't give up, just try again later ;-) What also helps, run FPCUPdeluxe twice in a row. A non-current FPCUPdeluxe can also cause difficulties. If something doesn't work, you can ask in the Lazarus forum, the author is very helpful.

Build AVR Cross compiler

Press the Setup+ button in the Cross tab to open a dialog with further options. Set the following there:

CPU: avr
OS: embedded
Cross Build Options Overide: -Cpavr5
Cross SubArch Overide: avr5
Close dialog with Ok

Select the following check boxes in the Cross tab:

CPU: avr
OS: embedded

Press the Install compiler button and the cross compiler will be built. If everything went correctly, you can exit from FPCUPdeluxe.

Install drivers

Windows

For original Arduinos, the drivers are supplied with the Arduino IDE.
For clones it may be necessary to install drivers. Mostly this is the 340-341 driver. From Windows 10, these drivers are also included with the operating system.

Linux

With current Linux, eg Mint/Ubuntu/Debian the drivers are already installed. (SusE: someone would need to test.)

Most of the time, the COM ports (USB-UART) have to be accessible by users. This is done with the following command:

 sudo adduser $USER dialout

Prepare Lazarus

Start with `F9`

If you try to start with F9, you always get an error message. You can prevent this. Change the following in Lazarus:

"Tools -> Settings ... -> Keyboard layout -> Commands from the menu 'Start' -> Start program", set to Unknown .
"Tools -> Settings ... -> Keyboard layout -> Commands from the menu 'Start' -> Start without debugger", remove the ticks from Shift and Ctrl.

So you can upload and start normally with F9.

But you have to consider that the debugger is also disabled if you then write a normal PC program with Lazarus!

Code tools

It is possible that the code tools cannot find the Atmega328p unit. If this happens, then the following step is necessary:

"Tools -> Reread FPC source code directory"

Readable ASM code creation

If you want to see the source as assembler code, the following step is necessary:

Enter "Project -> Project Settings ... -> User-defined settings -> User-defined settings" -al , this creates an *.s file that contains the program as ASM code.

Faulty optimization

I have experienced a program not working properly because the compiler incorrectly optimised the code. So you should switch off code optimization with {$ O-} at the beginning of the program.

First project

Create a new project

"File -> New ... -> Simple Program" - create a new project.
"Project -> Project Settings ... -> Configuration and Goals" - set the following:
- Target operating system (-T): Embedded
- Target CPU family (-P): avr
- Target processor (-Cp): AVR5
"Project -> Project Settings ... -> Debug" : Remove the check mark "Generate debugger information for GDB" .
"Project -> Project settings ... -> User-defined settings -> User-defined settings still enter -WpATMEGA328P .
"Project -> Project Settings ... -> Compiler Commands -> Execute After"
- Remove the Compile and Recompile ticks.
- Enter the following into the command: /home/tux/Programme/arduino-1.8.5/hardware/tools/avr/bin/avrdude -C/home/tux/Programme/arduino-1.8.5/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf -v -patmega328p -carduino -P/dev/ttyUSB0 -b57600 -Uflash:w:Project1.hex:i
- When using a USB ISP-Programmer Stick for AVR and installing AVRdude WITHOUT Arduino, the command above is recommended as follows: /usr/bin/avrdude -cstk500v2 -pm16 -P/dev/ttyACM0 -b57600 -Uflash: w:$Path($(OutputFile))$NameOnly($(TargetFile)). hex ATTENTION - The µC used for the command above is an ATMega16
- or see Various programmers.

  Note: Note: Arduino nanos have been in circulation with new bootloaders since the beginning of 2018. It may be enough to change this parameter: -b115200

More information in the Arduino Forum.

  Note: Note: The paths still have to be adapted to your own installation.

Windows: It must be avrdude with ".exe", "avrdude" alone is not enough, even if it is with Arduino without .exe.

  Note: Note: The Com-Port is called differently under Linux and Windows:

Linux: /dev/ttyUSBx or /dev/ttyACMx
Windows: COMx

As a recommendation, I would take this project as a template and build all new projects on top of it. Setting the whole thing up for a new project each time is a bit tedious.

Start project

Nothing should now be standing in the way of your first blink program (source in the next section). Compile and upload the program with F9. If everything worked, the LED at pin 13 should flash about every second.

Different sources for getting started

Pin 13 blinker

program Project1;
 const
   BP5 = 5;      // Pin 13 of the Arduino
   dl = 250000;  // About 1/2 sec

   procedure delay(t : int32);
   var
     i : Int32;
   begin
     for i := 0 to t do begin
       asm
         nop;
       end;
     end;
   end;

 begin
   DDRB := DDRB or (1 shl BP5);      // switch port to output
   repeat
     PORTB := PORTB or (1 shl BP5);  // port to high
     delay(dl);                      // waiting

     PORTB := PORTB and not (1 shl BP5);  // port on low
     delay(dl);                           // waiting
   until 1 = 2;                           // infinite loop
 end.

Serial input/output

A terminal with the following settings is required for serial output:

Baud rate: 9600
Bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Parity: none

program Project1;
 const
   CPU_Clock = 16000000;  // Arduino clock frequency, default 16MHz.
   Baud = 9600;           // baud rate
   Divider = CPU_Clock div(16 * baud) - 1;

   procedure UARTInit;
   begin
     UBRR0 := divider ;

     UCSR0A := (0 shl U2X0);
     UCSR0B := (1 shl TXEN0) or (1 shl RXEN0);
     UCSR0C := (% 011 shl UCSZ0);
   end;

   procedure UARTSendChar(c : char);
   begin
     while UCSR0A and (1 shl UDRE0) = 0 do begin
     end;
     UDR0 := byte(c);
   end;

   function UARTReadChar : char;
   begin
     while UCSR0A and (1 shl RXC0) = 0 do begin
     end;
     Result := char(UDR0);
   end;

   procedure UARTSendString(s : ShortString);
   var
     i : integer;
   begin
     for i := 1 to length(s) do begin
       UARTSendChar(s[i]);
     end;
   end;

 begin
   UARTInit;
   repeat
     if UARTReadChar = #32 then begin
       UARTSendString('Hello World!'#13#10);
     end;
   until 1 = 2;
 end.

Simple timer interrupt

Pin 13 is switched to HIGH every second.

program Project1;
 const
   BP5 = 5;  // Pin 13 of the Arduino

   procedure sei;  assembler;
   asm
     Sei
   end;

   procedure Timer2_Interrupt;  alias : 'TIMER2_OVF_ISR';  interrupt;  public;
   const
     counter : integer = 0;
     cl = 16000000 div 1024 div 256 div 2;  // 16'000'000Hz / Clock / TCNT / 2 = 0.5sec
   begin
     Inc(counter);
     if count = cl then begin
       PORTB := PORTB or (1 shl BP5);
     end;
     if count > = cl * 2 then begin
       PORTB := PORTB and not (1 shl BP5);
       count := 0;
     end;
   end;

 begin
   DDRB := DDRB or (1 shl BP5) ;  // Pin 13 output

   TCCR2A := %00;             // Normal timer
   TCCR2B := % 111;           // clock / 1024
   TIMSK2 := (1 shl TOIE2);   // enable timer2 overflow interrupt
   sei();                     // turn on interrupts

   repeat
     // do something
   until 1 = 2;
 end.

Reinstalling the OS

Linux: If you reinstall the OS, it is not enough to back up the cross-compiler. Remedy: Run FPCUdeluxe again.
Windows: Unknown.

Conclusion

For those who have already programmed with the Arduino IDE, they will have certainly found that there are a lot of ready-made libraries. You can code something very easily and quickly, but there is a lot hidden there.

With Lazarus, you have to do everything yourself and thus deal with the registers of the AVR microcontroller. But this also has a big advantage, you know what you are doing. You can also generate more optimized code in this way.

Thank you

The most important thing at the end:

A big thank you to the developer of FPCUPdeluxe!
Without this ingenious tool, AVR with Lazarus would still be a forceps delivery!

AVR Embedded Tutorial - Entry Lazarus and Arduino

Contents

Build Lazarus with AVR crosscompiler for Arduino Nano/Uno

Tools required

Software

Hardware

Install FPCUPdeluxe

Build Lazarus with FPCUPdeluxe

Build trunk

Build AVR Cross compiler

Install drivers

Windows

Linux

Prepare Lazarus

Start with `F9`

Code tools

Readable ASM code creation

Faulty optimization

First project

Create a new project

Start project

Different sources for getting started

Pin 13 blinker

Serial input/output

Simple timer interrupt

Reinstalling the OS

Conclusion

See also

Navigation menu

Page actions

Page actions

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Tools

AVR Embedded Tutorial - Entry Lazarus and Arduino

Build Lazarus with AVR crosscompiler for Arduino Nano/Uno

Tools required

Software

Hardware

Install FPCUPdeluxe

Build Lazarus with FPCUPdeluxe

Build trunk

Build AVR Cross compiler

Install drivers

Windows

Linux

Prepare Lazarus

Start with F9

Code tools

Readable ASM code creation

Faulty optimization

First project

Create a new project

Start project

Different sources for getting started

Pin 13 blinker

Serial input/output

Simple timer interrupt

Reinstalling the OS

Conclusion

See also

Navigation menu

Search

Start with `F9`