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Dual Core MCU Support Tutorial

Overview

NECTO Studio now supports dual core MCU projects, allowing developers to build advanced multi-core embedded applications efficiently. This feature enables parallel execution, clean task separation, and easier system design when working with dual-core microcontrollers.

For a practical demonstration, watch the official tutorial video on YouTube:

Dual Core MCU Demo

Creating a Dual Core MCU Project

Follow these steps to start a dual core project in NECTO Studio:

  1. Launch New Project Wizard:

    • Give your project a name.
    • Choose a location path on your system.
    • Open NECTO Studio and navigate to New Project from NECTO's landing page.
    • Select Dual Core MCU Project as the project type.

  2. Hardware Setup Wizard:

    • Launch the Setups Wizard.
    • Select a compatible dual core hardware setup.
    • Choose the correct compiler and the software library version.
    • Select the development system and a compatible dual core microcontroller.
    • Note the dual core icon, which visually distinguishes these devices from single-core MCUs.

  3. Optional Display Configuration:

    • For this demo, display configuration can be skipped if not required.

  4. Programmer/Debugger Selection:

    • Select a programmer/debugger device compatible with your setup.

Dual Core Project Selection

Workspace Structure

Once the project is configured:

  • NECTO Studio automatically prepares a dual core workspace.
  • Dedicated folders and source structures are created for Core 1 and Core 2.

  • Separate code environments enable:

    • Clean task separation
    • Easier system design
    • Simplified debugging

Dual Core Workspace Example

Building the Project

  • Click Build in NECTO Studio.

  • The IDE handles:

    • Parallel compilation
    • Dual core linking
    • Correct startup sequencing

Debugging Dual Core Projects

NECTO Studio provides full dual core debugging capabilities:

  1. Core-Specific Debugging:

    • Step through instructions on Core 1.
    • Switch to Core 2 and use Run to Line functionality.

  2. Independent Core Control:

    • Start, pause, or restart each core individually.

  3. Simultaneous Flashing:

    • Flash both cores at once with automatic hex merging.

Summary

Using NECTO Studio’s dual core support:

  • Simplifies the process from device selection to project layout.
  • Enables clean multi-core application development.
  • Provides a single interface for building, debugging, and flashing dual core projects.

Additional Resources