Custom Development Platform

PlatformIO was developed like a tool that may build the same source code for the different development platforms via single command platformio run without any dependent software or requirements.

For this purpose PlatformIO uses own pre-configured platforms data: build scripts, toolchains, the settings for the most popular embedded boards and etc. These data are pre-built and packaged to the different packages. It allows PlatformIO to have multiple development platforms which can use the same packages(toolchains, frameworks), but have different/own build scripts, uploader and etc.

Note

If you want to change some build flags for the existing Development Platforms, you don’t need to create (or duplicate) own development platforms! Please use build_flags option.

Step-by-Step Manual

  1. Choose Packages for platform

  2. Create Manifest File platform.json

  3. Create Build Script main.py

  4. Finish with the Installation.

Packages

PlatformIO has pre-built packages for the most popular operation systems: Mac OS, Linux (+ARM) and Windows.

Name

Description

framework-arduinoavr

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (AVR Core, 1.6)

framework-arduinoespressif32

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (ESP32 Core)

framework-arduinoespressif8266

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (ESP8266 Core)

framework-arduinointel

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (Intel ARC Core)

framework-arduinomicrochippic32

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (PIC32 Core)

framework-arduinomsp430

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (MSP430 Core)

framework-arduinonordicnrf51

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (RFduino Core)

framework-arduinosam

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (SAM Core, 1.6)

framework-arduinoststm32

Arduino Wiring-based Framework (STM32 Core)

framework-arduinoteensy

Arduino Wiring-based Framework

framework-artik-sdk

ARTIK SDK is a C/C++ SDK targeting Samsung ARTIK platforms

framework-cmsis

Vendor-independent hardware abstraction layer for the Cortex-M processor series

framework-energiamsp430

Energia Wiring-based Framework (MSP430 Core)

framework-energiativa

Energia Wiring-based Framework (LM4F Core)

framework-esp8266-rtos-sdk

ESP8266 SDK based on FreeRTOS

framework-espidf

Espressif IoT Development Framework

framework-libopencm3

libOpenCM3 Framework

framework-mbed

mbed Framework

framework-pumbaa

Pumbaa Framework

framework-simba

Simba Framework

framework-spl

Standard Peripheral Library for STM32 MCUs

framework-stm32cube

STM32Cube embedded software libraries

framework-wiringpi

GPIO Interface library for the Raspberry Pi

ldscripts

Linker Scripts

sdk-esp8266

ESP8266 SDK

tool-arduino101load

Genuino101 uploader

tool-avrdude

AVRDUDE

tool-bossac

BOSSA CLI

tool-espotapy

ESP8266 OTA utility

tool-esptool

esptool-ck

tool-esptoolpy

Espressif ROM Bootloader utility

tool-lm4flash

Flash Programmer

tool-micronucleus

Micronucleus

tool-mkspiffs

Tool to build and unpack SPIFFS images

tool-mspdebug

MSPDebug

tool-openocd

OpenOCD

tool-pic32prog

pic32prog

tool-rfdloader

rfdloader

tool-scons

SCons software construction tool

tool-sreccat

Merging tool

tool-stlink

ST-Link

tool-stm32duino

STM32Duino Tools

tool-teensy

Teensy Loader

toolchain-atmelavr

avr-gcc

toolchain-gccarmlinuxgnueabi

GCC for Linux ARM GNU EABI

toolchain-gccarmnoneeabi

gcc-arm-embedded

toolchain-gcclinux32

GCC for Linux i686

toolchain-gcclinux64

GCC for Linux x86_64

toolchain-gccmingw32

MinGW

toolchain-icestorm

Tools for analyzing and creating bitstream files for FPGA IceStorm

toolchain-intelarc32

GCC for Intel ARC

toolchain-iverilog

Verilog simulation and synthesis tool

toolchain-microchippic32

GCC for Microchip PIC32

toolchain-timsp430

msp-gcc

toolchain-xtensa

xtensa-gcc

toolchain-xtensa32

xtensa32-gcc

Manifest File platform.json

{
  "name": "myplatform",
  "title": "My Platform",
  "description": "My custom development platform",
  "url": "http://example.com",
  "homepage": "http://platformio.org/platforms/myplatform",
  "license": "Apache-2.0",
  "engines": {
    "platformio": "~3.0.0",
    "scons": ">=2.3.0,<2.6.0"
  },
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "https://github.com/platformio/platform-myplatform.git"
  },
  "version": "0.0.0",
  "packageRepositories": [
    "https://dl.bintray.com/platformio/dl-packages/manifest.json",
    "https://sourceforge.net/projects/platformio-storage/files/packages/manifest.json/download",
    "http://dl.platformio.org/packages/manifest.json",
    {
      "framework-%FRAMEWORK_NAME_1%": [
        {
          "url": "http://dl.example.com/packages/framework-%FRAMEWORK_NAME_1%-1.10607.0.tar.gz",
          "sha1": "adce2cd30a830d71cb6572575bf08461b7b73c07",
          "version": "1.10607.0",
          "system": "*"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "frameworks": {
    "%FRAMEWORK_NAME_1%": {
      "package": "framework-%FRAMEWORK_NAME_1%",
      "script": "builder/frameworks/%FRAMEWORK_NAME_1%.py"
    },
    "%FRAMEWORK_NAME_N%": {
      "package": "framework-%FRAMEWORK_NAME_N%",
      "script": "builder/frameworks/%FRAMEWORK_NAME_N%.py"
    }
  },
  "packages": {
    "toolchain-gccarmnoneeabi": {
      "type": "toolchain",
      "version": ">=1.40803.0,<1.40805.0"
    },
    "framework-%FRAMEWORK_NAME_1%": {
      "type": "framework",
      "optional": true,
      "version": "~1.10607.0"
    },
    "framework-%FRAMEWORK_NAME_N%": {
      "type": "framework",
      "optional": true,
      "version": "~1.117.0"
    },
    "tool-direct-vcs-url": {
      "type": "uploader",
      "optional": true,
      "version": "https://github.com/user/repo.git"
    }
  }
}

Build Script main.py

Platform’s build script is based on a next-generation build tool named SCons. PlatformIO has own built-in firmware builder env.BuildProgram with the deep libraries search. Please look into a base template of main.py.

"""
    Build script for test.py
    test-builder.py
"""

from os.path import join
from SCons.Script import AlwaysBuild, Builder, Default, DefaultEnvironment

env = DefaultEnvironment()

# A full list with the available variables
# http://www.scons.org/doc/production/HTML/scons-user.html#app-variables
env.Replace(
    AR="ar",
    AS="gcc",
    CC="gcc",
    CXX="g++",
    OBJCOPY="objcopy",
    RANLIB="ranlib",

    ARFLAGS=["..."],

    ASFLAGS=["flag1", "flag2", "flagN"],
    CCFLAGS=["flag1", "flag2", "flagN"],
    CXXFLAGS=["flag1", "flag2", "flagN"],
    LINKFLAGS=["flag1", "flag2", "flagN"],

    CPPDEFINES=["DEFINE_1", "DEFINE=2", "DEFINE_N"],

    LIBS=["additional", "libs", "here"],

    UPLOADER=join("$PIOPACKAGES_DIR", "tool-bar", "uploader"),
    UPLOADCMD="$UPLOADER $SOURCES"
)

env.Append(
    BUILDERS=dict(
        ElfToBin=Builder(
            action=" ".join([
                "$OBJCOPY",
                "-O",
                "binary",
                "$SOURCES",
                "$TARGET"]),
            suffix=".bin"
        )
    )
)

# The source code of "platformio-build-tool" is here
# https://github.com/platformio/platformio-core/blob/develop/platformio/builder/tools/platformio.py

#
# Target: Build executable and linkable firmware
#
target_elf = env.BuildProgram()

#
# Target: Build the .bin file
#
target_bin = env.ElfToBin(join("$BUILD_DIR", "firmware"), target_elf)

#
# Target: Upload firmware
#
upload = env.Alias(["upload"], target_bin, "$UPLOADCMD")
AlwaysBuild(upload)

#
# Target: Define targets
#
Default(target_bin)

Installation

  1. Create platforms directory in home_dir if it doesn’t exist.

  2. Create myplatform directory in platforms

  3. Copy platform.json and builder/main.py files to myplatform directory.

  4. Search available platforms via platformio platform search command. You should see myplatform platform.

  5. Install myplatform platform via platformio platform install command.

Now, you can use myplatform for the platform option in Project Configuration File platformio.ini.

Examples

Please take a look at the source code of PlatformIO Development Platforms.