Segger Embedded Studio - A Cross Platform IDE

Hung Bui

21 Oct 2016

Download and Setup

Download Embedded Studio >= v3.10e
Download and install the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack >= v6.10g
Download and unzip Nordic's nRF5 SDK >= v12.0.1

Note: It is recommended, but not necessary, to use the most recent releases of the above software.

Importing a Keil uVision project

Note: From nRF5 SDK v14.1, Segger Embedded studio projects are officially supported. If using v14.1 or newer, please use the native SES-projects instead of the "import" function.

Open SEGGER Embedded Studio 3.10e
Select Tools -> Package Manager... and install the CMSIS-CORE Support Package

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Select File -> Import IAR EWARM / Keil MDK Project...
Navigate to your local nRF5 SDK and in NRF5_SDK/examples/ble_peripheral/ble_app_beacon/ select pca10040/s132/arm5_no_packs/ble_app_beacon_pca10040_s132.uvprojx
The Import Build Configuration window will pop-up. Make sure you select to use Embedded Studio's Internal Toolchain (GCC/Clang) for now...

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Nuances

If you've used Keil uVision with Nordic's SDK before, you might remember that each example BLE project contains a dummy project configuration for easy flashing of the SoftDevice. We don't need this in Embedded Studio and it can cause confusion so let's delete it.

Select Project -> Build Configurations... and under Public Configurations select flash_s132_nrf52_3.0.0_softdevice and delete it by clicking the - symbol in the upper right-hand corner of the pop-up window.

Your build configurations should look like this now:

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And your project explorer:

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Adding nRF5 MDK Files

Keil uVision uses Device packs for Startup/System Setup. This pack contains the nRF5 startup assembly files arm_startup_nrf52.s and the system setup files system_nrf52.c along with some header files. We will need to manually add these files to our Embedded Studio project.

Download ses_nrf51_startup.s and ses_nrf52_startup.s and save them into NRF5_SDK/components/toolchain/embedded_studio/ (create the folder)
Remove Cortex_M_Startup.s from the Internal Files folder in the Project Explorer
Right click the Internal Files folder and select Add Existing File...
In NRF5_SDK/components/toolchain/ select system_nrf52.c
Do the same for NRF5_SDK/components/toolchain/embedded_studio/ses_nrf52_startup.s

Your project explorer should look like this now:

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Select Project -> Edit Options... and then select the Preprocessor tab
Add ../../../../../../components/device to the User Include Directories field to include the device header files in our Embedded Studio project

Your user include directories should look like this now:

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Peer Manager/Flash Data Storage

Most of the examples in the SDK use Peer Manager. Peer Manager uses Flash Data Storage and Flash Storage. To indicate where information from Peer Manager (e.g bonding information) should be store page tags in flash (section variables) is used. These page tags need to be written to flash. To do so, flash_placement.xml and thumb_crt0.s have to be added and modified. Thanks to @RK and @Håkon Alseth in this post.

Flash_placement.xml can be located in the project folder, for example: ..\nRF5_SDK_xxx\examples\ble_peripheral\ble_app_gls\pca10040\s132\arm5_no_packs

You have to generate flash_placement.xml using text editor, notepad for example. After that you can import it by right click on the project name and choose "Import Section placement"

==========

For SDK v14 please use these updated files:

flash_placement.xml

thumb_crt0.s

==========

flash_placement.xml should then look like the following (SDK 12):

<!DOCTYPE Linker_Placement_File>
<Root name="Flash Section Placement">
  <MemorySegment name="$(FLASH_NAME:FLASH)">
    <ProgramSection alignment="0x100" load="Yes" name=".vectors" start="$(FLASH_START:)" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".init" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".init_rodata" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".text" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".dtors" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".ctors" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".rodata" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".ARM.exidx" address_symbol="__exidx_start" end_symbol="__exidx_end" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" runin=".fast_run" name=".fast" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" runin=".data_run" name=".data" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" runin=".tdata_run" name=".tdata" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" runin=".fs_data_run" name=".fs_data" />
  </MemorySegment>
  <MemorySegment name="$(RAM_NAME:RAM);SRAM">
    <ProgramSection alignment="0x100" load="No" name=".vectors_ram" start="$(RAM_START:$(SRAM_START:))" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".fast_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".data_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".tdata_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" keep="Yes" name=".fs_data_run" address_symbol="__start_fs_data" end_symbol="__stop_fs_data" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".bss" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".tbss" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".non_init" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" size="__HEAPSIZE__" load="No" name=".heap" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="8" size="__STACKSIZE__" load="No" place_from_segment_end="Yes" name=".stack" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="8" size="__STACKSIZE_PROCESS__" load="No" name=".stack_process" />
  </MemorySegment>
  <MemorySegment name="$(FLASH2_NAME:FLASH2)">
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".text2" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".rodata2" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" runin=".data2_run" name=".data2" />
  </MemorySegment>
  <MemorySegment name="$(RAM2_NAME:RAM2)">
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".data2_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".bss2" />
  </MemorySegment>
</Root>

Thumb_crt0.s is located in the Segger Embedded studio install folder: ..\SEGGER\SEGGER Embedded Studio <v. xx>\source

In thumb_crt0.s, fs_data should be added, it can be added after tdata (thanks to @RK):

ldr r2, =__tdata_end__
bl memory_copy
# ADD HERE ... 
ldr r0, =__fs_data_load_start__
ldr r1, =__fs_data_start__
ldr r2, =__fs_data_end__
bl memory_copy
# TO HERE ...

Building

Our project should build successfully now:

Build the project by selecting Build -> Build ble_app_beacon_pca10040_s132 or by simply hitting F7

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Notice that the compiled binary is placed at the beginning of FLASH and SRAM. This project requires a SoftDevice so let's reserve the correct amount of room for it.

Select Project -> Edit Options... and then select the Linker tab
Paste the following into the Section Placement Macros field (SDKv12):

FLASH_START=0x1F000
SRAM_START=0x20002000

Your Project Options should look like this now:

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Re-build the project by selecting Build -> Rebuild ble_app_beacon_pca10040_s132 or by simply hitting Alt + F7

Now you should see that space has been reserved in FLASH and SRAM for the SoftDevice:

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Fine-Tuning

Select Project -> Edit Options... and then select the Preprocessor tab
Add the definition NO_VTOR_CONFIG to the Preprocessor Definitions field (this tells Embedded Studio to expect a SoftDevice to be present and that it will forward exceptions/interrupts to the application)

Your Preprocessor Definitions should look like this now:

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Flashing the SoftDevice with our application

Select Project -> Edit Options... and then select the Loader tab
Add the absolute path to the SoftDevice NRF5_SDK/components/softdevice/s132/hex/s132_nrf52_3.0.0_softdevice.hex to the Additional Load File[0] field

Your Loader options should look like this now:

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Running

Connect your nRF5 Development Kit to your computer and turn it on
Run the application by selecting Debug -> Build and Run or hitting Ctrl + F5

Your Output log should look like this now:

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The application should be running on your nRF5 DK and LED1 should be blinking. You should be able to scan for and find the beacon using nRF Connect.

Debugging

Select Debug -> Go or simply hit F5

You should see that you have entered the debugging interface now:

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Notice that our application has ran until the first line in main() and is halted. You should experiment with debugging in Embedded Studio. It has all the debugging features you would expect from a professional IDE and more (makes sense as SEGGER makes the debuggers as well).

Peer manager

To make peer manager (SDK 10(?), SDK 11, SDK 12) work with Segger Embedded Studio the modifications in this post are needed.

Troubleshooting

Embedded Studio Reference Manual
SEGGER's Embedded Studio Forum for Embedded Studio specific questions
Nordic's Devzone and Technical Support for nRF5 specific questions

If you are stuck, previous blog posts (although deprecated) may help you fix your problem (also see the questions section):

Top Comments

Jhonny 11 months ago

This comment is under review.
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brianreinhold over 4 years ago

I am trying to port a Keil project that builds and run on the nrf51 DK. I have been unable to port to SES using nrf52840 DK. There is a whole slew of problems and it's hard to know where to start. So I would like to do this piecemeal. First port to SES. The above looks like that step is being skipped. Can I port an nRF51 project to SES or MUST it be ported to nRF52?
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nvj over 4 years ago

I am using nRF51422 on nRF51-DK board (pca10028) which support nRF5 SDK version upto v12.3.0. Would this procedure to import SDK v12.3.0 pc10028 peripheral/central Keil project samples and for user defined Keil projects ?
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secondbest over 5 years ago

For NRF51822 and SK12.3, you can find the solution in this thread. https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/48639/segger-embedded-studio-support-for-nrf5_sdk_12_3_0_d7732ad-this-is-not-a-question
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Steve over 6 years ago

Linking ble_app_beacon_pca10028_s130.elf
1>
1> Diagnostics:
1> remark: increasing alignment of section .vectors from 1 to 2 because it contains executable instructions
1> error: undefined symbol: __SRAM_segment_end__
1> error: undefined symbol: __data_start__
Build failed
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