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 messages similar to the shown below can be seen on the console:
Reply from 192.168.1.2:6000, time 47 ms OK
Reply from 192.168.1.2:6000, time 42 ms OK
Reply from 192.168.1.2:6000, time 44 ms OK
Reply from 192.168.1.2:6000, time 46 ms OK
Reply from 192.168.1.2:6000, time 47 ms OK
- 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.
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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.
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The application does not support Ethernet cable hot-plug, therefore the board should be connected to the LAN before running the application.
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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.
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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 */
/* USER CODE BEGIN ETH_Init 1 */
/* USER CODE END ETH_Init 1 */
heth.Instance = ETH;
heth.Init.MACAddr[0] = 0x00;
heth.Init.MACAddr[1] = 0x11;
heth.Init.MACAddr[2] = 0x83;
heth.Init.MACAddr[3] = 0x45;
heth.Init.MACAddr[4] = 0x26;
heth.Init.MACAddr[5] = 0x20;
None
- Some code parts can be executed in the ITCM-RAM (64 KB up to 256kB) which decreases critical task execution time, compared to code execution from Flash memory. This feature can be activated using '#pragma location = ".itcmram"' to be placed above function declaration, or using the toolchain GUI (file options) to execute a whole source file in the ITCM-RAM.
- If the application is using the DTCM/ITCM memories (@0x20000000/ 0x0000000: not cacheable and only accessible by the Cortex M7 and the MDMA), no need for cache maintenance when the Cortex M7 and the MDMA access these RAMs. If the application needs to use DMA (or other masters) based access or requires more RAM, then the user has to:
- Use a non TCM SRAM. (example : D1 AXI-SRAM @ 0x24000000).
- Add a cache maintenance mechanism to ensure the cache coherence between CPU and other masters (DMAs,DMA2D,LTDC,MDMA).
- The addresses and the size of cacheable buffers (shared between CPU and other masters) must be properly defined to be aligned to L1-CACHE line size (32 bytes).
- It is recommended to enable the cache and maintain its coherence:
- Depending on the use case it is also possible to configure the cache attributes using the MPU.
- Please refer to the AN4838 "Managing memory protection unit (MPU) in STM32 MCUs".
- Please refer to the AN4839 "Level 1 cache on STM32F7 Series"
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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.
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The ETH TX And RX descriptors are accessed by the CPU and the ETH DMA IP, thus they should not be allocated into the DTCM RAM "0x20000000".
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Make sure to allocate them into a "Non-Cacheable" memory region to always ensure data coherency between the CPU and ETH DMA.
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Depending on the application scenario, the total TX and RX descriptors may need to be increased by updating respectively the "ETH_TX_DESC_CNT" and "ETH_RX_DESC_CNT" in the "stm32h7xx_hal_conf.h", to guarantee the application correct behaviour, but this will cost extra memory to allocate.
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The NetXDuo application needs to allocate the NX_PACKET pool in a dedicated section that is configured as either "Cacheable Write-through" for STM32H72XX and STM32H73XX , STM32H7AXX and STM32H7BXX or non-cacheable for other STM32H7 families. Below is an example of the section declaration for different IDEs.
- For EWARM ".icf" file
define symbol __ICFEDIT_region_NXDATA_start__ = 0x24018200; define symbol __ICFEDIT_region_NXDATA_end__ = 0x24027FFF; define region NXAppPool_region = mem:[from __ICFEDIT_region_NXDATA_start__ to __ICFEDIT_region_NXDATA_end__]; place in NXAppPool_region { section .NXAppPoolSection};
- For MDK-ARM
RW_NXDriverSection 0x24030200 0x20000 { *(.NetXPoolSection) }
- For STM32CubeIDE ".ld" file
.nx_section 0x24018200 (NOLOAD): { *(.NXAppPoolSection) } >RAM_D1
this section is then used in the
app_azure_rtos.c
file to force thenx_byte_pool_buffer
allocation.
/* USER CODE BEGIN NX_Pool_Buffer */
#if defined ( __ICCARM__ ) /* IAR Compiler */
#pragma location = ".NetXPoolSection"
#elif defined ( __CC_ARM ) /* MDK ARM Compiler */
__attribute__((section(".NetXPoolSection")))
#elif defined ( __GNUC__ ) /* GNU Compiler */
__attribute__((section(".NetXPoolSection")))
#endif
/* USER CODE END NX_Pool_Buffer */
static UCHAR nx_byte_pool_buffer[NX_APP_MEM_POOL_SIZE];
static TX_BYTE_POOL nx_app_byte_pool;
For more details about the MPU configuration please refer to the AN4838
RTOS, Network, ThreadX, NetXDuo, UDP, UART
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This application runs on STM32H735xx devices.
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This application has been tested with STMicroelectronics STM32H735G-DK boards Revision: MB1520-H735I-B02 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