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CCS options for Hercules

f. m.
Guru 11940 points

Hi,

up to now, my company basically uses Cortex M MCUs and the IAR Workbench for firmware development. For another project, we will use Hercules and consider the CCS environment. I haven't found proper answers to my questions on the TI website (might have overlooked it), so here they are:

Are there a TI compiler and the GCC compiler available for Hercules, as for TM4C ?

And if the latter is true, is there a free licence for that GCC compiler available ?

A colleague of mine is considering ordering a MSP430 launchpad, downloading CCS and using it (CCS) to build applications for Hercules MCUs, at least during the evaluation phase. I'm not sure if that would work - I assume I need to select the supported MCU family/families during download. And while Cortex M and Cortex R are similar, the MSP430 ist not. Would the same work for a MSP432 launchpad (Cortex M4F) ? Additionally, would there be a licence problem ?

Thanks
  Frank

  • 0
    TI__Guru**** 191296 points
    Hi Frank,
    1. Yes, both TI and GCC compiler are available for Hercules.
    2. GCC is free.
    3. No, the MSP430/MSP432 and Hercules are of different architectures. It is not just the processor difference but also the rest of the device is different. You can not create an application that is built for the MSP430/MSP432 to run on a Hercules MCU.
  • 0 in reply to Charles Tsai
    Guru 11940 points

    Hello Charles,

    thanks for the answers.

    To point 3 - yes, I was aware of that fact. My fellow's idea was to order a launchpad in order to have "valid CCS license". But I guess it wouldn't matter, at least with the free GCC compiler.

    BTW to add a follow-up question: is the a significant difference between the TI compiler and GCC ? (On the target, I mean.)

    On Cortex M platforms, there had been a performance gap between commercial compilers (e.g. Keil/ARM, IAR) and GCC for years, but GCC had been catching up recently.


    And are both compilers compatible, i.e. can I link my GCC-build objects and a TI-compiler built library ?

    As an example, the gcc and the Keil library format are incompatible (or were, at least).

  • 0 in reply to f. m.
    TI__Guru**** 191296 points
    Hi Frank,
    You can order a Hercules Launchpad for $20 that will come with the free CCS license. Yes, there will be differences between the TI compiler and the GCC. For example, the #pragma will be different. I think you can link a GCC-built objects and a TI-compile built library since they comply to the ARM EABI format. I will suggest you to use the TI toolchain unless you have a strong need to use the GCC.
  • 0 in reply to Charles Tsai
    Guru 11940 points
    Hi,
    to be more verbose, this is about a future project in planning.
    The Hercules MCU is already fixed. Main point were safety-related (and certified) libraries that come with the board. The provider uses CCS for his development, so it's natural to go for the same when developing applications. I don't know yet what compiler it's based on, but that will be part of a more detailed evaluation.
    I have been "messing around" with LM4C/TM4C launchpad for some time and tried CCS for them as well. But this will be my first excursion into the Cortex R world ...

    regards
    Frank