Running 68000 Binary on Modern Embedded Linux: A How-To for Yocto Linux on STM32 ST
In this article, we will explore the process of running a 68000 binary on a modern embedded Linux system, specifically using Yocto Linux on the STM32 ST microcontroller. This guide is designed for developers who are looking to reuse existing code and get up and running quickly.
Background
The Motorola 68000 (also known as the m68k) is a classic microprocessor that was widely used in the 1980s and 1990s. Despite its age, the 68000 is still used in some embedded systems today, and there may be situations where you need to run a 68000 binary on a modern embedded Linux system.
One such situation is when you are developing an embedded product using the Yocto Project, an open-source build system that is widely used in the embedded Linux community. The Yocto Project supports a wide range of microcontroller architectures, including the STM32 ST, which is based on the ARM Cortex-M4 architecture.
Prerequisites
To follow along with this guide, you will need the following:
- A computer running a Linux distribution
- The Yocto Project installed on your Linux system
- An STM32 ST microcontroller board
- A 68000 binary that you want to run on the STM32 ST
Cross-Compiling the 68000 Binary
The first step in running a 68000 binary on the STM32 ST is to cross-compile the binary for the ARM architecture. This can be done using the Yocto Project's bitbake tool.
To cross-compile the binary, you will need to create a recipe for the binary in a .bb file. This recipe should specify the dependencies for the binary, as well as the commands to build and install the binary.
SUMMARY = "68000 binary for STM32 ST"
LICENSE = "MIT"
DEPENDS = "gcc-arm-none-eabi"
do_compile() {
${CC} ${CFLAGS} ${LDFLAGS} -o ${S} ${B}
}
do_install() {
install -d ${D}${bindir}
install -m 0755 ${S} ${D}${bindir}
}
Once you have created the recipe, you can use the bitbake tool to build the binary:
$ bitbake mybinary
Running the 68000 Binary on the STM32 ST
Once you have cross-compiled the binary, you can run it on the STM32 ST by transferring the binary to the microcontroller and executing it.
To transfer the binary to the STM32 ST, you can use a tool like scp or sftp to copy the binary to the microcontroller's file system.
$ scp mybinary root@stm32st:/usr/bin/
Once the binary is on the microcontroller, you can execute it using the ./ command:
$ ssh root@stm32st
stm32st:~# ./mybinary
In this article, we have explored the process of running a 68000 binary on a modern embedded Linux system using Yocto Linux on the STM32 ST microcontroller. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to quickly and easily get your 68000 binary up and running on the STM32 ST.
References
This article includes references to the following resources:
- Yocto Project (https://www.yoctoproject.org/)
- STM32 ST (https://www.st.com/en/microcontrollers-microprocessors/stm32-mcus.html)
- Motorola 68000 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_68000)
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