Getting started with STM MPUs: STM32MP1 - OpenGL - Wayland

STM32MP1 Discovery Kit (STM32MP157F-DK2) with 800x480 Display Module.

The following article explains all necessary steps to create an Embedded Wizard UI application for STM32MP1 using OpenGL ES 2.0 and Wayland. The description was tested on the STM32MP157F-DK2 Discovery Kit (STM32MP157F-DK2), but can also be used analogously on other STM32MP1 boards.

Please follow these instructions carefully and step by step in order to ensure that you will get everything up and running on your target. In case you are not familiar with Embedded Wizard, please read first the Quick Tour tutorial to understand the principles of Embedded Wizard and the GUI development workflow. Moreover, this article assumes that you are familiar with Linux.

Prerequisites

First of all, you need the following hardware components:

Discovery Kit with STM32MP157F MPU (STM32MP157F-DK2) from STMicroelectronics or other board based on STM32MP1

Micro-USB cable to connect the board with your PC

2 USB Type-C cables

Network cable to connect the STM32MP1 board with your network

Micro SD card with 16GB

IMPORTANT

In order to build (cross-compile) the GUI applications for the STM32MP1 target, a Linux PC or virtual machine is required. Please prepare an adequate Linux environment (e.g. Ubuntu within a VMware virtual machine).

Download the following software packages:

STM32MP15x OpenSTLinux Starter Package (SD Card image) version 4.0.0

Yocto SDK version 4.0.0

Additionally, make sure that you have got the following software packages:

Embedded Wizard Studio Free or Embedded Wizard Studio Pro

Embedded Wizard Linux OpenGL Platform Package

Embedded Wizard Build Environment for STM32MP1 with OpenGL and Wayland (STM32MP1-OpenGL-Wayland)

TIP

If you want to use the Free edition of Embedded Wizard Studio and the Linux OpenGL Platform Package, please register on our website and select the target STM32MP1 with OpenGL and Wayland (STM32MP1-OpenGL-Wayland). Then you can download the above software packages.

All customers who licensed Embedded Wizard can visit our download center to get the above software packages.

Preparing Target and Linux Build System

A step by step install guide is available at the STM32 MPU Wiki. Alternatively, please follow this brief install guide:

Prepare and connect the STM32MP1 target (here: STM32MP157F-DK2 Discovery Kit):

Insert the SD card on the STM32MP1 target platform.

Connect your PC to the ST-LINK/V2-1 port CN11 (Micro-USB).

Connect a power supply (or your PC) to PWR IN (USB Type-C).

Connect your PC to the OTG port CN7 (USB Type-C).

Connect the STM32MP1 target to your network (Ethernet)

Set the microswitches SW1 to Off, Off

Press reset (DFU mode).

Download SD card linux image to STM32MP1 target using STM32_Programmer_CLI on Windows or Linux:

Download the STM32CubeProgrammer and install it.

Unpack the STM32MP15x OpenSTLinux Starter Package (SD Card image en.FLASH-stm32mp1-openstlinux-...).

Open a terminal and enter to folder /images/stm32mp1.

Download the SD card image suitable for your target using STM32_Programmer_CLI on Windows or Linux:

STM32_Programmer_CLI -c port=usb1 -w flashlayout_st-image-weston/trusted/FlashLayout_sdcard_stm32mp157f-dk2-trusted.tsv

Set the microswitch SW1 to On, On

Press reset.

As a result, the STM32MP1 target shout boot up using the Linux system from the SD card and automatically log in as root.

Determine the IP address of your target (e.g. by using ifconfig) and note it (e.g. 192.168.0.xxx).

Open a SSH console on your PC and connect with the target using its IP address.

Login as root without password.

Prepare your Ubuntu 64 bit Linux system (e.g. as virtual machine on your PC) as follows:

Update packages and install new packages:

sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install sed wget curl cvs subversion git-core coreutils unzip texi2html texinfo docbook-utils gawk python-pysqlite2 diffstat help2man make gcc build-essential g++ desktop-file-utils chrpath libxml2-utils xmlto docbook bsdmainutils iputils-ping cpio python-wand python-pycryptopp python-crypto sudo apt-get install libsdl1.2-dev xterm corkscrew nfs-common nfs-kernel-server device-tree-compiler mercurial u-boot-tools libarchive-zip-perl sudo apt-get install ncurses-dev bc linux-headers-generic gcc-multilib libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev lrzsz dos2unix lib32ncurses5 repo libssl-dev sudo apt-get install default-jre

Allow up to 16 partitions per mmc:

echo 'options mmc_block perdev_minors=16' > /tmp/mmc_block.conf sudo mv /tmp/mmc_block.conf /etc/modprobe.d/mmc_block.conf

Install the SDK:

Unpack the Yocto_SDK:

mkdir -p $HOME/STM32MPU_workspace/tmp cd $HOME/STM32MPU_workspace/tmp tar xvf en.SDK-x86_64-stm32mp1-openstlinux-5.15-yocto-kirkstone-mp1-v22.06.15.tar.xz

Change the permissions of the SDK installation script so that it is executable:

chmod +x $HOME/STM32MPU_workspace/tmp/stm32mp1-openstlinux-5.15-yocto-kirkstone-mp1-v22.06.15/sdk/st-image-weston-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-x86_64-toolchain-4.0.1-openstlinux-5.15-yocto-kirkstone-mp1-v22.06.15.sh

Execute the SDK installation script:

$HOME/STM32MPU_workspace/tmp/stm32mp1-openstlinux-5.15-yocto-kirkstone-mp1-v22.06.15/sdk/st-image-weston-openstlinux-weston-stm32mp1-x86_64-toolchain-4.0.1-openstlinux-5.15-yocto-kirkstone-mp1-v22.06.15.sh

Source the sdk (to be done each time the build console is opened):

. /opt/st/stm32mp1/4.0.1-openstlinux-5.15-yocto-kirkstone-mp1-v22.06.15/environment-setup-cortexa7t2hf-neon-vfpv4-ostl-linux-gnueabi

Optionally check the target architecture, toolchain binary prefix, C compiler version, SDK version:

echo $ARCH echo $CROSS_COMPILE $CC --version echo $OECORE_SDK_VERSION

Installing Tools and Software

Step 1: Install the latest version of Embedded Wizard Studio on your Windows PC.

Step 2: Install the Embedded Wizard Linux OpenGL Platform Package on your Windows PC.

Step 3: Unpack the provided Embedded Wizard Build Environment for STM32MP1 with OpenGL and Wayland (STM32MP1-OpenGL-Wayland) into a new directory on your Windows PC (e.g. C:\STM32MP1).

Step 4: Share the directory of the Embedded Wizard Build Environment for STM32MP1 with your Linux system (e.g. /mnt/hgfs/STM32MP1).

Exploring the Build Environment

The provided Embedded Wizard Build Environment for STM32MP1 with OpenGL and Wayland (STM32MP1-OpenGL-Wayland) contains everything you need to create, compile and link an Embedded Wizard UI application for the STM32MP1 target. After unpacking, you will find the following subdirectories and files:

\Application - This folder contains a ready-to-use project to compile and link an Embedded Wizard generated UI application. It is used for all provided examples and it can be used to build your own UI applications.

\GeneratedCode - This folder is used to receive the generated code from an Embedded Wizard UI project. The template project is building the UI application out of this folder. You can create your own UI project and generate the code into the subdirectory \GeneratedCode without the need to adapt the project.

\Project - This folder contains the prepared project for GCC (make).

\Source - This folder contains the files main.c and ewmain.c. There you will find the initialization of the system and the main loop to drive an Embedded Wizard GUI application. The file ewconfig.h contains general configuration settings for the target system, like memory ranges and display parameter and configuration settings for the Embedded Wizard Graphics Engine and Runtime Environment.

\Examples\<ScreenSize> - This folder contains a set of demo applications prepared for a dedicated screen size of 800x480 pixel. Each example is stored in a separate folder containing the entire Embedded Wizard UI project. Every project contains the necessary profile settings for the STM32MP1 target. The following samples are provided:

\HelloWorld - A very simple project that is useful as starting point and to verify that the entire toolchain, your installation and your board is properly working.

\ScreenOrientation - This demo shows, that the orientation of the UI application is independent from the physical orientation of the display.

\GraphicsAccelerator - This application demonstrates the graphics performance of the target by using sets of basic drawing operations that are executed permanently and continuously.

\BezierClock - The sample application BezierClock implements a fancy digital clock and timer application with animated digits. The application uses vector graphics to render dynamically the different digits for clock and timer. The change from one digit to another is handled by moving the vector points to get a smooth transition animation.

\BrickGame - The sample application BrickGame implements a classic "paddle and ball" game. In the game, a couple of brick rows are arranged in the upper part of the screen. A ball travels across the screen, bouncing off the top and side walls of the screen. When a brick is hit, the ball bounces away and the brick is destroyed. The player has a movable paddle to bounce the ball upward, keeping it in play.

\ChartsDemo - This application demonstrates the possibilities and the usage of the chart classes LineChart, BarChart and PieChart. The appearance of each chart diagram can be configured easily by using their corresponding properties. Additionally, this demo shows the usage of an outline box to manage scrollable content.

\ClimateCabinet - The ClimateCabinet demo shows the implementation of a control panel for a climatic exposure test cabinet. The user can define a heating time, a nominal temperature and humidity, a dwell time and the final cooling time.

\Dashboard - The sample application Dashboard shows the implementation of a car dashboard. The application demonstrates the usage of vector graphics created from svg path data and how transitions between two dashboard variants and further UI components can be achieved.

\PaperCutter - This demo shows the implementation of a paper cutting machine, where the user can define the pagination and format of the paper as well as the cutting speed and the amount of papers. The application contains many rect effects and fade-in/fade-out effects to change dynamically the layout of the screen.

\PulseOximeter - The sample application PulseOximeter shows the implementation of a medical device for monitoring a person's pulse frequency and peripheral oxygen saturation. The application demonstrates the usage of vector graphics within graphs and circular gauges.

\SmartThermostat - The SmartThermostat demo application shows the implementation of a fancy, rotatable temperature controller to adjust and display the nominal and actual temperature.

\WashingMachine - This demo shows the implementation of a washing machine with a couple of fancy scrollable list widgets to choose the washing program and parameters. The speciality of this sample application is the magnification effect of the centered list items and the soft fade-in/fade-out effects.

\WaveformGenerator - This WaveformGenerator demo application combines waveforms with different amplitudes and frequencies. The implementation shows the usage of vector graphics to draw a curve based on a list of coordinates.

\MasterDemo - This folder contains the binary file of the Embedded Wizard Master Demo. It combines a variety of examples within one huge demo application. It can be used for presentations and showcases.

\PlatformPackage - This folder contains the necessary source codes and/or libraries of the Linux OpenGL Platform Package: The Graphics Engine (in the subdirectory \RGBA8888) and the Runtime Environment (in the subdirectory \RTE).

\TargetSpecific - This folder contains all configuration files and platform specific source codes. The different ew_bsp_xxx files implement the bridge between the Embedded Wizard UI application and the underlying Linux drivers in order to access the display, the serial interface and the touch driver.

Creating the UI Examples

For the first bring up of your system, we recommend to use the example 'HelloWorld':

Example 'HelloWorld' within Embedded Wizard Studio.

The following steps are necessary to generate the source code of this sample application:

On your PC, navigate to the directory \Examples\<ScreenSize>\HelloWorld.

Open the project file HelloWorld.ewp with your previously installed Embedded Wizard Studio. The entire project is well documented inline. You can run the UI application within the Prototyper by pressing Ctrl+F5.

To start the code generator, select the menu items BuildBuild this profile - or simply press F8. Embedded Wizard Studio generates now the sources files of the example project into the directory \Application\GeneratedCode.

Building the Binary

The following steps are necessary to build the Embedded Wizard UI sample application using the cross-compiler on your Linux build system:

Open a terminal window and source the cross-compiler:

. /opt/st/stm32mp1/4.0.1-openstlinux-5.15-yocto-kirkstone-mp1-v22.06.15/environment-setup-cortexa7t2hf-neon-vfpv4-ostl-linux-gnueabi

Change into the subfolder /Application/Project of the shared directory of the Embedded Wizard Build Environment.

cd /mnt/hgfs/STM32MP1/Application/Project

Compile and link the example application:

make

The resulting binary of the application EmbeddedWizard-Linux-OpenGL-Wayland will be stored in the current directory.

Downloading the Binary

Start your STM32MP target (as described above), determine the IP address of your target and open a SSH connection.

Login as root without a password.

Open the file /Application/Project/target_ip.txt with a text editor and insert the determined IP address (see above).

Copy the application binary to the target and start it:

make install

Alternatively, the application can be downloaded and started manually:

scp EmbeddedWizard-Linux-OpenGL-Wayland root@<target-ip-address>:/usr/local

Open a SSH connection, log in as root without a password and start the application:

cd /usr/local/ export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000 export WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-1 ./EmbeddedWizard-Linux-OpenGL-Wayland

Example 'HelloWorld' running on STM32MP1 target.

All other examples can be created in the same way: Just open the desired example with Embedded Wizard Studio, generate code, rebuild the application and download it to the target.

Creating your own UI Applications

In order to create your own UI project suitable for the STM32MP1 target, you can create a new project and select one of the 'Linux-OpenGL-<ScreenSize>' project templates that fits to your display:

As a result you get a new Embedded Wizard project, that contains the necessary Profile attributes suitable for the STM32MP1 target:

The following profile settings are important for your target:

The attribute PlatformPackage should refer to the installed Linux OpenGL Platform Package.

The attribute ScreenSize should correspond to the display size of the STM32MP1 target.

The attribute OutputDirectory should refer to the \Application\GeneratedCode directory within your Build Environment. By using this template, it will be very easy to build the UI project for your target.

The attribute CleanOutputDirectories should be set to true to ensure that unused source code within the output directory \Application\GeneratedCode will be deleted.

Now you can use the template project in the same manner as it was used for the provided examples to compile and link the binary.

After generating code, just build and execute your GUI application in the same way as described above.

Console output

The SSH client is very helpful to receive error messages or to display simple debug or trace messages from your Embedded Wizard UI application.

It can be used for all trace statements from your Embedded Wizard UI applications or for all debug messages from your C code.

Embedded Wizard GUI Demos

If you just want to run our GUI demos on your STM32MP1 target without building the different examples, you can simply start the binary file of the Embedded Wizard Master Demo.

The Embedded Wizard Master Demo combines a variety of examples within one huge demo application. It can be used for presentations and showcases. Each demo application can be activated from a common main menu. To return back from a demo application to the main menu, a small home button appears on top of every demo. Additionally, the Master Demo contains an auto-demo mode that presents one demo application after the other. The auto-demo starts automatically and stops as soon as the user touches the screen.

In order to copy the binary file to your target, please follow these steps:

Change into the subfolder /MasterDemo of the shared directory of the Embedded Wizard Build Environment.

Copy the binary to the target:

scp EmbeddedWizard-Linux-OpenGL-Wayland root@<target-ip-address>:/usr/local

Start the binary via SSH connection:

cd /usr/local/ export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000 export WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-1 ./EmbeddedWizard-Linux-OpenGL-Wayland

This is the resulting application on an STM32MP1 target:

'Master Demo' running on STM32MP1 target.

Display and target configuration

The file /Application/Source/ewconfig.h provides a variety of configuration options that can be adapted to your needs, like display size, autoscaling, viewport rotation (0, 90, 180, 270 degrees), touch calibration or memory configuration and footprint optimization.

For more details please see the inline documentation within the file ewconfig.h.

Release notes

The following section contains the version history of the Build Environment (including Graphics Engine and Runtime Environment) for STM32MP1 with OpenGL and Wayland (STM32MP1-OpenGL-Wayland). These release notes describe only the platform specific aspects - for all general improvements and enhancements please see the Embedded Wizard release notes.

Version 11.00

The STM32MP1 Build Environment is now based on the Platform Package Linux OpenGL. When updating from previous versions, the Profile attribute PlatformPackage within your Embedded Wizard GUI project will be adapted automatically from STM32MP1.OpenGL.RGBA8888 to Linux.OpenGL.RGBA8888.

Prepared for HDMI Displays: The file ewconfig.h contains a set of defines to use and configure a connected HDMI display. See inline comments for more details.

Touch configuration and calibration: The file ewconfig.h contains now a set of defines to print and calibrate the touch events from the touch device.

The functions EwBspDisplayInit() and EwBspTouchInit() have been enhanced to use the size of the GUI application and display parameters.

Code size reduction: A set of new macros wtihin the file ewconfig.h are introduced to reduce the code size of the binary application: EW_DONT_USE_GRADIENTS, EW_DONT_USE_COMPRESSION, EW_DONT_USE_NATIVE_SURFACES, EW_DONT_USE_NATIVE_SURFACES_AS_DESTINATION.

All macros within the file ewconfig.h concerning framebuffer width/height/address/size, double-buffer width/height/addresss/size, color depths, etc. have been renamed with a leading EW_ to be in line with other macros.

Prepared for STM32MP15x OpenSTLinux Starter Package 3.0.0.

Version 11.00.01

Prepared for STM32MP15x OpenSTLinux Starter Package 4.0.0 and Yocto SDK 4.0.0.