Getting Started

Online Getting Started

The MicroEJ Multi-Sandbox Firmware Getting Started is available on MicroEJ GitHub repository, at https://github.com/MicroEJ/Example-MinimalMultiAppFirmware.

The file README.md provides a step by step guide to produce a minimal firmware on an evaluation board on which new applications can be dynamically deployed through a serial or a TCP/IP connection.

Create an Empty Firmware from Scratch

Create a new Firmware Project

First create a new module project using the build-firmware-multiapp skeleton.

../_images/firmware-multiapp-skeleton.png

A new project is generated into the workspace:

../_images/firmware-multiapp-skeleton-project.png

Setup a Platform

Before building the firmware, a target platform must be configured. The easiest way to do it is to copy a platform file into the myfirmware > dropins folder. Such file usually ends with .jpf. For other ways to setup the input platform to build a firmware see Platform Selection.

Build the Firmware

In the Package Explorer, right-click on the firmware project and select Build Module. The build of the Firmware and Virtual Device may take several minutes. When the build is succeed, the folder myfirmware > target~ > artifacts contains the firmware output artifacts (see Firmware Input and Output Artifacts) :

  • mymodule.out: The Firmware Binary to be programmed on device.
  • mymodule.kpk: The Firmware Package to be imported in a MicroEJ Forge instance.
  • mymodule.vde: The Virtual Device to be imported in MicroEJ Studio.
  • mymodule-workingEnv.zip: This file contains all files produced by the build phasis (intermediate, debug and report files).
../_images/firmware-multiapp-skeleton-artifacts.png

MicroEJ Demo VEE Flavors

This set of APIs is proposed as examples of industrial or commercial typical products APIs.

What is a MicroEJ Demo Runtime Environment?

A MicroEJ Runtime Environment defines a set of MicroEJ APIs exposed to a MicroEJ Sandboxed Application. Here are the default runtimes provided for evaluation by MicroEJ. Any runtime can be customized with MicroEJ SDK for a specific product.

MicroEJ Demo Runtime Environment EDC/B-ON/KF COMP/WADAPPS MICROUI/MWT LEDS/BUTTONS NET/CONNECT/SSL BLE HAL ECOM/COMM
MicroEJ-Developer x x x x x   x x
MicroEJ-UI x x x x     x x
MicroEJ-Headless x x   x x   x x
MicroEJ-BLE x x x x x x x x

You can find below what are the different APIs included in the Runtime Environment:

API Purpose
EDC Core APIs for the execution.
B-ON Memory Usage control and Sequences start-up.
KF Required by the implementation of Shared Interfaces, an inter-application communication process.
COMP or COMPONENTS Lightweight Services Framework.
WADAPPS Wadapps Application Framework.
MICROUI/MWT Main UI library for MicroEJ and the Widgets framework based on MicroUI.
LEDS or MICROUI-LEDS UI library specific to LEDs.
BUTTONS or MICROUI-BUTTONS UI library specfic to buttons.
NET Socket (TCP/UDP) library.
CONNECT or CONNECTIVITY Network connectivity detection library.
SSL Secure Socket Layer.
BLE Bluetooth Low Energy support.
HAL GPIO Access (digital and analog)
ECOM Device access framework.
COMM or ECOM-COMM Serial ports support for the ECOM.

What is a MicroEJ Demo Flavor?

A MicroEJ Demo Flavor is a composition of a set of runtime services, resident applications and a given MicroEJ Runtime Environment. Any flavor can be customized with MicroEJ SDK for a specific product.

MicroEJ Demo Flavor MicroEJ Runtime Environment Services Resident Apps UI Resident Apps
  Management App-Metadata-Storage CommandServer-Socket NTP About AppList Forge Connect
Green MicroEJ-Developer x x x x      
Blue MicroEJ-Developer x x x x x x x
Red MicroEJ-UI x x     x x  
Purple MicroEJ-Headless x x x x      
Black MicroEJ-BLE x x x x     x

You can find below what are the different System Apps included in the Flavor:

System Apps Purpose
Management Contains the implementation of Wadapps framework services, required by all VEE.
App-Metadata-Storage Stores some Applications Metadata (icons, descriptions) so that it can be locally used by a MicroEJ Companion.
CommandServer-Socket Allows the deployment of MicroEJ Applications through a local network connection.
NTP Synchronizes the time of the device.
About Displays version information about the VEE.
AppList An application browser, can be used to start, stop or uninstall the applications, or display their descriptions and version information.
Forge Connect Displays a desktop that allows the management of MicroEJ Applications using a connection to MICROEJ FORGE.
Settings Displays the VEE parameters and settings.