USING THE ARDUINO UNO
WITH ECLIPSE
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Created: June 2011
Last Update: 26 September 2012
Author: Cory J. Prust, Ph.D.
ECLIPSE OVERVIEW
Eclipse is an open-source software development
system
Can be used to program the Arduino UNO board
in C or C++
Allows greater access to and control of
microcontroller subsystems
BEFORE CONTINUING…
The Arduino UNO drivers must be installed!
For details, see the Arduino Installation tutorial:
https://faculty-web.msoe.edu/prust/arduino
Determine which COM port is assigned to the Arduino
UNO board:
In Windows, click on the Start Menu and open the Control Panel
Choose System and Security and then, under System, open the
Device Manager
Under Ports (COM & LPT) locate “Arduino UNO”
IMPORTANT:
Note the “COM” port
OVERVIEW
Step 1: Installing WinAVR
Step 2: “Installing” Eclipse
Step 3: Using Eclipse
Step 4: Building a Project and Testing the UNO
Step 5: Creating a New Project
Step 6: Using the MSOE Support Functions
INSTALLING WINAVR
WinAVR contains the AVR toolchain (plus many other useful tools):
avr-gcc: compiles our C programs
avr-dude: programs the Arduino UNO
Eclipse will use WinAVR automatically – we just need to install it!
Download the latest release of WinAVR from
https://faculty-web.msoe.edu/prust/arduino
Run the installation using default settings.
IMPORTANT: You must use the default installation directory!
C:\WinAVR-20100110
“INSTALLING” ECLIPSE
Download the Eclipse archive (.zip file) from
https://faculty-web.msoe.edu/prust/arduino
Extract the .zip file to your D:\ drive
After unzipping, you should see two folders:
D:\eclipse
D:\ARDUINOworkspace
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“INSTALLING” ECLIPSE
The executable is located in D:\eclipse. Double-click to start Eclipse.
D:\eclipse
executable
For quicker access to Eclipse, create a shortcut to the executable.
USING ECLIPSE
You will see the following screen - it defines
“D:\ARDUINOworkspace” as the location for your Arduino
projects
Select “OK”
You will then see the Eclipse workbench
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USING ECLIPSE Build Icon
Pressing this button results in a “build” of
the active project. The result of a
successful build is a “.hex” file which can
be uploaded onto the UNO board.
Upload Icon
Project Explorer Pressing this button sends the program
All projects in the current workspace (in the form of a “.hex” file) to the
(ARDUINOworkspace) are shown here. ATmega328p on the UNO board.
Only the selected project is “active”.
“testArduinoUNO” is a sample project.
Console Window
Messages from the compiler, linker, and
Problems Window programmer will be displayed here.
Displays warning and error messages
that result from the build process.
BUILDING A PROJECT
The project “testArduinoUNO” has been included as a sample project
Expand the project in the Project Explorer. You should see the following:
“testArduinoUNO.c” is the source code. Double-click to open and
examine the code.
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BUILDING A PROJECT
To build the project, click the build icon
The build may take a minute or two
Information regarding the build process is shown in the console window.
The build process generates several files, which can be seen in the Project
Explorer window:
.hex file used to program the
ATmega328p microcontroller
TESTING THE UNO
Eclipse must know which COM port the UNO board is connected to.
Select “Project” then “Properties”
Expand the “AVR” arrow and select “AVRDude”
The “Programmer configuration” should read “ArduinoUNO”. Click the “Edit” button
Change the “Override default port (-P)” setting to the correct COM port, and
select “OK” (twice)
For example, the correct setting for COM5 would be: //./COM5
TESTING THE UNO
Connect your Arduino UNO board to your laptop
Press the upload icon
Information regarding the upload process is shown in the console
window.
A successful upload results in the following message:
The yellow LED (marked “L”) should be blinking!
CREATING A NEW PROJECT
You will need to create new projects in Eclipse, for example, when you
begin a new laboratory assignment.
IMPORTANT: Keep all of your projects in “ARDUINOworkspace”!
Select “File – New – C Project”
Give the project a descriptive name
e.g., “myFirstProject”
Project type: “Empty Project”
Toolchain: “AVR-GCC Toolchain”
Select “Next”
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CREATING A NEW PROJECT
Click the “Advanced Settings” button
Expand the “AVR” arrow and select “AVRDude”
Under “Programmer configuration”, use the drop-down box to select
“ArduinoUNO”
Expand the “C/C++ Build” arrow and select “Settings”
Under the “Tool Settings” tab, check the “Generate HEX file for FLASH
memory” option
Click “OK”, and “Next”
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CREATING A NEW PROJECT
Set the MCU Type to “ATmega328p”
Set the MCU Frequency (Hz) to “16000000”
The Arduino UNO board has a 16MHz crystal
which provides the CPU clock to the ATmega328p
Choose “Finish”
You will see your new project in the Project
Explorer
Note: The selected
project is “active”
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CREATING A NEW PROJECT
We now need to add a source file (.c)
From within the Project Explorer, right-click on your project and select
“New – Source File”
Give your source file a descriptive name
e.g., “myFirstProject.c”
IMPORTANT: the file name must end with “.c”
Choose “Finish”
CREATING A NEW PROJECT
The source file is now part of your project and will be used
during the build process.
As a test, copy/paste the source code from the
“testArduinoUNO” project into your new project:
Experiment with the delay function to alter the blink rate and pattern
Build the new project
IMPORTANT:
Only the “active” project will be built!
Make a project “active” by selecting it in Project Explorer
Upload the .hex file to the UNO board
SUMMARY: USING ECLIPSE
CREATE NEW PROJECT
CONFIGURE SETTINGS
ADD “C” Source File
EDIT CODE
in C Source File
BUILD
TEST and DEBUG
Executable Hex File
UPLOAD
Hex File to UNO
USING THE “MSOE” SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
Within “D:\ARDUINOworkspace” is a directory named “MSOE”
containing a variety of functions:
delay.c – time delay functions
lcd.c – LCD control functions
bit.c – general purpose functions
These functions can easily be used within Eclipse:
Must tell Eclipse their location on the filesystem
Must “include” the files in our source code
Must properly “call” the functions within our program
Next, we will modify our program to allow precise timing of the “blink”
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USING THE “MSOE” SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
Step 1: Tell Eclipse the location of the MSOE support functions
Select “Project” then “Properties”
Expand the “C/C++ General” arrow and select “Paths and Symbols”
In the “Includes” tab, “Add” an Include directory “D:\ARDUINOworkspace”
Select “OK”
You may be prompted to “rebuild”. Choose “Yes”.
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USING THE “MSOE” SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
Step 2: Include the MSOE support functions in the source code
We will use the “delay_ms()” function to control the timing
The function source code must be “included” within our program
The function itself is contained in a file called “delay.c”
Add the following line of code:
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USING THE “MSOE” SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
Step 3: Call the function within our program
The “delay_ms()” function accepts an unsigned 16-bit integer parameter
that controls the time delay (in milliseconds)
Make the following modifications:
delay_ms(500);
Produces a 500 millisecond delay
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USING THE “MSOE” SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
Save your program and build it!
The “Problems” tab will alert you to any errors or warnings
that resulted from the build process:
“0 items” means a successful build!
Upload the .hex file to the UNO board
Experiment with the “delay_ms()” function to alter the blink rate and
pattern
ONE FINAL NOTE: THE AVR MATH LIBRARY
When a program is doing lots of calculations (e.g., floating point, calls to functions
such as “sqrt”, “cos”, etc) it is a good idea to use the AVR Math Library
The AVR Math Library contains code which has been optimized for use on the
AVR microcontrollers – so things run fast and efficiently!
To use it:
Select “Project” then “Properties”
Expand the “C/C++ General” arrow and select “Paths and Symbols”
In the “Libraries” tab, “Add” an entry named “m”
Select “OK”
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
You now have a fully functioning Arduino UNO
development system in Eclipse!
Programming the Arduino board in C unlocks the full
functionality of the ATmega328p microcontroller!
Writing software in C also provides greater flexibility:
For example, your C programs could easily be “built” for a different microcontroller!
