This application provides an example of Azure RTOS NetX/NetXDuo stack usage . It shows how to develop a NetX UDP server to communicate with a remote client using the NetX UDP socket API.
The main entry function tx_application_define() is called by ThreadX during kernel start, at this stage, all NetX resources are created.
- A NX_PACKET_POOL_is allocated
- A NX_IP instance using that pool is initialized
- The ARP, ICMP, UDP and protocols are enabled for the NX_IP instance
- A DHCP client is created.
The application then creates 2 threads with the same priorities:
- AppMainThread (priority 10, PreemtionThreashold 10) : created with the TX_AUTO_START flag to start automatically.
- AppUDPThread (priority 10, PreemtionThreashold 10) : created with the TX_DONT_START flag to be started later.
The AppMainThread starts and perform the following actions:
- starts the DHCP client
- waits for the IP address resolution
- resumes the AppUDPThread
The AppUDPThread, once started:
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creates an UDP server socket
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listen indefinitely on new client connections.
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As soon as a new connection is established, the UDP server socket starts receiving data packets from the client.
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At each received message the server:
- extracts the Client IP address and remote port
- retrieve the data from the received packet
- prints the info above on the HyperTerminal
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Once the data exchange is completed the UDP server enters in an idle state an toggles the green led.
- The board IP address is printed on the HyperTerminal
- The response messages sent by the server are printed on the HyerTerminal
- If the echotool utility is used the message sent by the client are displayed on the PC console.
- A summary message similar to the following is printed on the HyperTerminal and the green LED is toggling.
SUCCESS : 10 / 10 packets sent
- the Red LED is toggling to indicate any error that have occurred.
- In case the message exchange is not completed the Hyperterminal is not printing the received messages.
- The Application is using the DHCP to acquire IP address, thus a DHCP server should be reachable by the board in the LAN used to test the application.
- The application is configuring the Ethernet IP with a static predefined MAC Address, make sure to change it in case multiple boards are connected on the same LAN to avoid any potential network traffic issues.
- The MAC Address is defined in the
main.c
void MX_ETH_Init(void)
{
/* USER CODE BEGIN ETH_Init 0 */
/* USER CODE END ETH_Init 0 */
static uint8_t MACAddr[6];
/* USER CODE BEGIN ETH_Init 1 */
/* USER CODE END ETH_Init 1 */
heth.Instance = ETH;
heth.Init.AutoNegotiation = ETH_AUTONEGOTIATION_ENABLE;
heth.Init.Speed = ETH_SPEED_100M;
heth.Init.DuplexMode = ETH_MODE_FULLDUPLEX;
heth.Init.PhyAddress = LAN8742A_PHY_ADDRESS;
MACAddr[0] = 0x00;
MACAddr[1] = 0x80;
MACAddr[2] = 0xE1;
MACAddr[3] = 0x00;
MACAddr[4] = 0x00;
MACAddr[5] = 0x00;
None
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ThreadX uses the Systick as time base, thus it is mandatory that the HAL uses a separate time base through the TIM IPs.
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ThreadX is configured with 100 ticks/sec by default, this should be taken into account when using delays or timeouts at application. It is always possible to reconfigure it in the "tx_user.h", the "TX_TIMER_TICKS_PER_SECOND" define,but this should be reflected in "tx_initialize_low_level.s" file too.
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ThreadX is disabling all interrupts during kernel start-up to avoid any unexpected behavior, therefore all system related calls (HAL, BSP) should be done either at the beginning of the application or inside the thread entry functions.
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ThreadX offers the "tx_application_define()" function, that is automatically called by the tx_kernel_enter() API. It is highly recommended to use it to create all applications ThreadX related resources (threads, semaphores, memory pools...) but it should not in any way contain a system API call (HAL or BSP).
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Using dynamic memory allocation requires to apply some changes to the linker file. ThreadX needs to pass a pointer to the first free memory location in RAM to the tx_application_define() function, using the "first_unused_memory" argument. This require changes in the linker files to expose this memory location.
- For EWARM add the following section into the .icf file:
place in RAM_region { last section FREE_MEM };
- For MDK-ARM:
either define the RW_IRAM1 region in the ".sct" file or modify the line below in "tx_low_level_initilize.s to match the memory region being used LDR r1, =|Image$$RW_IRAM1$$ZI$$Limit|
- For STM32CubeIDE add the following section into the .ld file:
._threadx_heap : { . = ALIGN(8); __RAM_segment_used_end__ = .; . = . + 64K; . = ALIGN(8); } >RAM_D1 AT> RAM_D1
The simplest way to provide memory for ThreadX is to define a new section, see ._threadx_heap above. In the example above the ThreadX heap size is set to 64KBytes. The ._threadx_heap must be located between the .bss and the ._user_heap_stack sections in the linker script. Caution: Make sure that ThreadX does not need more than the provided heap memory (64KBytes in this example). Read more in STM32CubeIDE User Guide, chapter: "Linker script".
- The "tx_initialize_low_level.s" should be also modified to enable the "USE_DYNAMIC_MEMORY_ALLOCATION" flag.
RTOS, Network, ThreadX, NetXDuo, UDP, UART
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This application runs on STM32F429xx devices
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This application has been tested with STMicroelectronics STM32F429ZI Nucleo boards Revision MB1137 B-01 and can be easily tailored to any other supported device and development board.
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This application uses USART3 to display logs, the hyperterminal configuration is as follows:
- BaudRate = 115200 baud
- Word Length = 8 Bits
- Stop Bit = 1
- Parity = None
- Flow control = None
In order to make the program work, you must do the following :
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Open your preferred toolchain
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Optionally edit the file
NetXDuo/App/app_netxduo.h
and update the DEFAULT_PORT to connect on. -
run the echotool utility on a windows console as following:
c:\> echotool.exe <board IP address> /p udp /r <DEFAULT_PORT> /n 10 /d "Hello World" example : c:\> echotool.exe 192.168.1.2 /p udp /r 6000 /n 10 /d "Hello World"
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Rebuild all files and load your image into target memory
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Run the application