Using ST-Link Utility inside
Atollic TrueSTUDIO
2014.09.11
Using ST-Link Utility inside
Atollic TrueSTUDIO
Requirements
• Atollic TrueSTUDIO
• St-Link Utility (Download from http://www.st.com)
• ST-Link
• ST-Link utility does not support elf-files. Use Intel Hex.
Why use ST-Link Utility inside
Atollic TrueSTUDIO
The ST-Link GDB-server used for debugging STM32 devices does not implement all functionality available
int the ST-Link utility. It is however possible to call ST-Link Utility from inside the IDE, this can save a lot of
time when performing various debugging related tasks.
Typical use cases when this is beneficial:
• When certain parts of the flash need to be erased before loading binary
• When you want to compare the binary file in target with the one just built with TrueSTUDIO.
• For setting option bytes such as read out protection.
• For faster loading into flash than offered by the ST-Link GDB-server
• …
An example..
…on how to setup ST-Link utility to flash a binary into target before TrueSTUDIO launches a debug session…
Steps that needs to be performed:
• Setup ST-Link Utility with suitable input parameters as an external tool
• Convert your build output to Intel Hex
• Create / modify a debug configuration so that the flash operation is ONLY performed by ST-Link Utility
• Create a Launch Group to perform the ST-Link Utility operations before the TrueSTUDIO debugger starts
Setup ST-Link Utility as
an external tool
• Run External Tools… External Tools Configurations…
• Create a new “Launch configuration”
• Name i.e. “ST-LINK_CLI”
• Location i.e. C:\Program Files
(x86)\STMicroelectronics\STM32 ST-LINK
Utility\ST-LINK Utility\ST-LINK_CLI.exe
• Arguments i.e. -c ID=0 SWD UR LPM -P
C:\workspace\Project\Debug\Project.hex
• Working directiory i.e. C:\Program Files
(x86)\STMicroelectronics\STM32 ST-LINK
Utility\ST-LINK Utility\
• Apply.
• Test that the external tool just setup is working by clicking
Run or Run External Tools… ST-LINK_CLI
Convert your build output to
Intel Hex
• Project Build settings… C/C++ Settings Tool Settings
other Output format.
• Be cautious about which Configuration that is selected!
• Check the Convert build output checkbox
• Select Intel Hex
• OK
• Build your project!
• The output name will be %PROJECT%.elf.hex. Make
sure that this binary is selected when creating the
debug configuration. This will not work with an .elf-file
Modify the Debug configuration
It is recommended that you make a copy of your current debug configuration as we will need to modify the
debug script slightly.
• Run Debug Configurations… Righ-click on
your debug configuration “duplicate”
• Change the name of this configuration to “…
NO LOAD”, this is since GDB will not be used to
load the hex.
• Open the “Startup Scripts” tab, comment out
the “load” command load #load. You may
also want to comment out the “monitor reset”
command.
• Click Apply.
Create a Launch Group 1/3
The Launch Group will allow you to launch several applications (configurations) by just clicking one button
• Double-click on the “Launch Group” node to
create a Launch group and give it a name.
• Click Add..
• Select Launch Mode: run
• Expand Programs and select your
external tool configuration, i.e. ST-
LINK_CLI.
• Set Post launch action = Wait until
terminated.
• Click OK
Create a Launch Group 2/3
The Launch Group will allow you to launch several applications (configurations) by just clicking one button
• Click Add..
• Select Launch Mode: debug
• Expand Embedded C/C++ Applications
and select your debug configuration,
i.e. Project NO LOAD.
• Set Post launch action = None.
• Click OK
Create a Launch Group 3/3
The Launch Group will allow you to launch several applications (configurations) by just clicking one button
• Click Common tab
• Display in favorites menu = Run
• Display in favorites menu = Debug
• Click Apply
This will make the launch group available in
TrueSTUDIO from the Run Run menu and
later the Run Debug History …
Finished!
ST-Link Utility is now flashing the binary into the target memory and the debugger is started as soon as the
ST-Link Utility has finished.
You can create several configurations performing different tasks!
