SmartFusion2 KickStart Board

[StefanRousseau]

What versions of the Microsemi software tools are needed for the KickStart Kit?

[StefanRousseau · Accepted solution]

The short answer is that you need Libero SoC version 1.6 or higher to create a fabric project for the "FPGA" side and SoftConsole version 4.0 or higher to debug a software project on the Cortex M3 CPU.
With olders versions of the Libero tool you will not be able to implement secure elements.  And you will be able to create a software project with older versions of SoftConsole, but you will not be able to use JTAG to program or debug such a project if you have version 3.4 or older.  You can create a .hex file though and program it with Libero.

[ilik]

*as i guess  SoftConsole v4.0 is needed to interface with onboard FlashPro5 chip right?

* previous versions of  SoftConsoles support FlashPro4 only right? 

*there is no direct JTAG connector on board of KickStart Kit to use separate FlashPro4 right?

* microsemi's webpage says:

"Design Examples use Libero SoC v11.6 and SoftConsole v4.0. SoftConsole v4.0 will be available soon, for a preliminary version, email soc_marketing@microsemi.com."

is there any information when   SoftConsole v4.0 will be available to the public?

*can we use IAR Embedded Workbench IDE instead of  SoftConsole v4.0 for this board?

*   ...StefanRousseau did you just answered your own question on top 2 posts?

[StefanRousseau]

Libero 11.6 or later can program the SmartFusion2 SoC using FlashPro5 (the on-board JTAG via USB).  And you can use Libero to program images generated by SoftConsole.  If you want to debug a SoftConsole project using JTAG from SoftConsole though, you will need SoftConsole 4.0 or later.  SoftConsole 4.0 should be available on the Microsemi website some time in the week of October 12 to October 16, 2015.

There is no connection for a FlashPro4 emulator, as you will not need it.  There is also no connector for an IAR emulator on the KickStart board.  The assumption is that you will be using SoftConsole for software development.

[ilik]

Wooho! SoftConsole 4.0 is released Game on booyzz!

[spalsson]

Hi guys,

I'm having similar issue.

Basically I made my own Libero project with Libero 11.7 (Only routing GPIOs for the M3 to the IOs through the fpga).

Then I created a software project with "Export Firmware" .  This creates a "myproject_app" and "my_project_hw_platform" SoftConsole 3.4 project.

I can make my own program toggling the LEDs on the boards with delay similar to the youtube "Getting Started with Microsemi SmartFusion SoC Part 3"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibIARgh7N1M&spfreload=1

How ever I'm not able to single step etc. on the board with SoftConsole 3.4 get the following error.

###################################################################################

source .gdbinit
source C:/Microsemi/Libero_v11.6/SoftConsole/Eclipse//../Sourcery-G++/share/gdbinit/microsemi-cortex-m3-target-gdbinit
target remote | "C:/Microsemi/Libero_v11.6/SoftConsole/Eclipse//../Sourcery-G++/bin/arm-none-eabi-sprite" flashpro:?cpu=Cortex-M3 "C:/Microsemi/projects/YouTubeGettingStarted/GettingStarted_Part3/SoftConsole/GettingStartedPart3_sb_MSS_CM3/GettingStartedPart3_sb_MSS_CM3_app/Debug"
arm-none-eabi-sprite: error: No FlashPro device found
arm-none-eabi-sprite: waiting for GDB connection, to pass error along
warning: Remote failure reply: E.fatal.No FlashPro device found
Remote communication error: No error.
load
No registers.
cont
The program is not being run.

########################################################################################

So after reading this thread I need to upgrade the project to SoftConsole 4.0   How do I do that? 

Libero 11.7 only gives the option of creating a 3.4 project with "Export Firmware"....

[StefanRousseau]

You are right that Libero currently only gives you the export to SoftConsole 3.4.  But that works fine with SoftConsole 4.0 also.  Simply ignore the fact that it says 3.4 and use that exported project to import your files into SoftConsole 4.0.  You definitely need SoftConsole 4.0 to single-step. 

[spalsson]

Okey, thx.  Works now after creating a project with SC4.0 and importing folders from the firmware folder...

Cheers