Unable to Compile code using VS Code in Windows 10

[Herre Vermeer]

I have an issue compiling the example code from SDK 17.1.0 using Microsoft Visual Studio Code in Windows 10. Using the easiest example possible, after starting a terminal from the PCA10059 folder and typing 'make' the compiler won't succesfully run through the code. It seems as though && is not accepted as a valid separator for command lines. As it will create the _build folder, but then it will cease to run the code. If nrf52840_xxaa is manually created, just manages to run slightly further through the makefile, but eventually will return an error code on the .out file.

Is there any way to work around this error or properly configure VScode?

[Hung Bui]

Hi Herre, 

I would suggest to try testing compiling with GCC first before you test with VS Code. Please note that VS Code is not officially supported in nRF5 SDK.  (It's supported in nRF Connect SDK but not nRF5 SDK). 

Have you installed  GCC ARM Embedded 9.2020-q2.major ? It's the GCC version used for nRF5 SDK v17.1 

[Herre Vermeer]

To be precise, I installed the GNU ARM embedded toolchain version, version 10.3.1. This was suggested in a getting started video that I found otherwise very helpful: https://youtu.be/kyPKIRQIacI. It doesn't matter if I send a make command through VS code or my windows command line interface. It fails either way. I tried it in OSX environment and it compiles without any trouble.

It seems to be related to Windows, as for some reason it doesn't accept && as a command separator. In command line interface it did accept this command and create the folder, but then it failed on another step somewhere soon after that.

[Hung Bui]

Hi Herre, 

Could you please try install  GCC ARM Embedded 9.2020-q2.major  ?
Also could you let me know the make.exe you used was from which package ? 

In my case I'm using make from Chocolatey (GNU make)