Configuration and Build

8.1 Introduction

The Tornado distribution includes a VxWorks system image for each target shipped. The system image is a binary module that can be booted and run on a target system. The system image consists of all desired system object modules linked together into a single non-relocatable object module with no unresolved external references.

In most cases, you will find the supplied system image entirely adequate for initial development. However, later in the cycle you may want to tailor its configuration to reflect your application requirements.

In order to tailor the system image, you will need to understand the BSP structure and the VxWorks initialization process. These topics are discussed in the following sections:

8.2 The Board Support Package (BSP)

8.3 VxWorks Initialization Timeline

In addition, this chapter describes in detail the manual cross-development procedures used to create and run VxWorks systems and applications as well as how to configure the system image by directly editing configuration files.

The following topics are included:

How to build, load, run, and unload VxWorks applications manually.

VxWorks configuration files and configuration options and parameters.

How to include manually generated configuration files in the project facility.

Some of the common alternative configurations of VxWorks.

Rebuilding VxWorks system images, bootable applications, and ROM images using manual methods.

WARNING: Use of the project facility for configuring and building applications is largely independent of the methods used prior to Tornado 2.0 (which included manually editing the configuration file config.h). The project facility provides the recommended and simpler means for configuration and build, although the manual method may still be used as described in this chapter.

To avoid confusion and errors, the two methods should not be used together for the same project. The one exception is for any configuration macro that is not exposed through the project facility GUI (which may be the case, for example, for some BSP driver parameters). In this case, a configuration file must be edited, and the project facility will implement the change in the subsequent build.

Note that the project facility overrides any changes made to a macro in config.h which is also exposed through the project facility. If you are using the project facility, only edit macros in config.h which can not be configured through the project facility.

VxWorks has been ported to numerous development and target systems, and can support many different hardware configurations. Some of the cross-development procedures discussed in this chapter depend somewhat on the specific system and configuration you are running. The procedures in this chapter are presented in generic form, and may differ slightly on your particular system.

For information specific to an architecture family, see the corresponding appendix in this manual. Information specific to particular target boards is provided with each BSP.