# Building the TTN Gateway firmware from the GitHub code **URL:** \ **Category:** TTKG - The Things Kickstarter Gateway\ **Created:** [February 19, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739 "2018-02-19T20:48:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/arjanvanb/32/46626_2.png) [@arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/arjanvanb)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/1 "2018-02-19T20:48:49Z")
- As a start: see the instructions at [https://github.com/TheThingsProducts/gateway/tree/master/firmware](https://github.com/TheThingsProducts/gateway/tree/master/firmware) - To enable debug logging, use `SYS_ERROR_DEBUG` in `system_init.c`: - To increase the logging baud rate for [the serial cable](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/ttn-gateway-faq/11173), which might [lower the chances for weird/incomplete output](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/ttn-gateway-central/10976/463) when using a lot of logging, use the following in `system_config.h`: - Consider using `"%02x"` rather than `"%#x"` to print hexadecimal values with leading zeroes. ---
**Author:** ![cyberjunky](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/cyberjunky/32/36219_2.png) [@cyberjunky](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/cyberjunky)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/2 "2018-02-01T21:25:10Z")
These are the steps I took, all at your own risk: # Compile TTN Gateway Firmware on Ubuntu ## Install 64 Bit dependencies Resource: [http://microchipdeveloper.com/install:mplabx-lin64](http://microchipdeveloper.com/install:mplabx-lin64) ``` sudo apt-get install libc6:i386 libx11-6:i386 libxext6:i386 \ libstdc++6:i386 libexpat1:i386 ``` ## Download and install MPLABX Resource: [http://microchipdeveloper.com/mplabx:installation](http://microchipdeveloper.com/mplabx:installation) ``` tar -xvf MPLABX-v4.05-linux-installer.tar chmod u+x MPLABX-v4.05-linux-installer.sh sudo ./MPLABX-v4.05-linux-installer.sh ``` Next, Accept Agreement, Next /opt/microchip/mplabx/v4.05 Next, Finish To prevent error java not found: ``` sudo mkdir /opt/microchip/mplab_ide sudo ln -s /opt/microchip/mplabx/v4.05/sys /opt/microchip/mplab_ide/sys ``` ## Install XS32 compiler Download Resource: [http://www.microchip.com/mplabxc32linux](http://www.microchip.com/mplabxc32linux) ``` NOTE: we need older version v1.42 to prevent errors like these: error: '_CNCONB_SIDL_MASK' undeclared (first use in this function..) You get them when you try to compile with 1.43 or higher. ``` [https://www.webeaver.com/1199815/08f0d806ca3a4d6a7dc32c4344237875/download-xc32-v1-42-full-install-linux-installer-run](https://www.webeaver.com/1199815/08f0d806ca3a4d6a7dc32c4344237875/download-xc32-v1-42-full-install-linux-installer-run) If anyone find a safer download source, please let me know. ``` chmod +x ./xc32-v1.42-full-install-linux-installer.run sudo ./xc32-v1.42-full-install-linux-installer.run ``` Next, Accept, Next, Next /opt/microchip/xc32/v1.42 Next, Add path, Next, Next, Get Coffee, Next, Finish ``` sudo apt install build-essential cppcheck mkdir ~/ttn-gw-dev && cd ~/ttn-gw-dev git clone --recursive https://github.com/TheThingsProducts/gateway.git cd gateway/firmware cppcheck --enable=all --inconclusive --force --xml --xml-version=2 src 2> cppcheck.xml ./generate_version_header.sh ./fix_mplab.sh vi compile.sh and correct prjMakefilesGenerator path: elif ["$(uname -s)" = "Linux"]; then prjMakefilesGenerator='/opt/microchip/mplabx/v4.05/mplab_ide/bin/prjMakefilesGenerator.sh' ./compile.sh ``` [Get Coffee here] ``` ./generate_hex_with_checksum.sh ls -l firmware.hex -rw-r--r-- 1 ron ron 2767956 feb 1 21:22 firmware.hex cat checksums 337950176cab81e5715b16c86af424cca57d0de088e5a24dcec7fef5c24e432b firmware.hex ``` Write them to SD Card (I used a 2GB FAT32 formatted one) ``` mkdir /media//update cp firmware.hex checksums /media//update ls -l /media//update/ total 2708 -rw-r--r-- 1 ron ron 79 feb 1 21:52 checksums -rw-r--r-- 1 ron ron 2767956 feb 1 21:52 firmware.hex ``` Insert in gateway and boot Notice the intermittent outside and center leds blinking until finished. Check you info page at [http://things-gateway.local/info](http://things-gateway.local/info) ---
**Author:** ![rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/rmemory)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 3:05am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/3 "2018-02-19T03:05:07Z")
In the following file, I am wondering if someone could kindly fill in a few details about this statement from the [firmware readme](https://github.com/TheThingsProducts/gateway/blob/master/firmware/README.md): `After building the project using the MPLabX GUI` My goal is to build my own firmware from the “develop” branch, with logging enabled as mentioned by @Arjan on this [issue](https://github.com/TheThingsProducts/gateway/issues/1). Essentially, I want to see if I get the same behavior which I will be happy to report. When I cd to the firmware directory, I see errors like this when I run the [compile.sh](http://compile.sh) command: ``` [Project Loading Error] Error: Project "TTN_Gateway" refers to file "certs_test.h" which does not exist in the disk. The project failed to load. [Project Loading Error] Error: Project "TTN_Gateway" refers to file "certs_test.h" which does not exist in the disk. The project failed to load. ``` I suspect I don’t have all of the required tools installed. After successfully installing the 32 bit compatibility libs on my Linux host, and successfully running “[MPLABX-v3.45-linux-installer.sh](http://MPLABX-v3.45-linux-installer.sh)”, I believe I have the Microchip IDE installed here: /opt/microchip/mplabx/v3.45/mplab\_ide But, I suspect I am still missing some of their tools. I looked around on their web site, but didn’t immediately find what I was looking for. Any hints are most welcome. ---
**Author:** ![arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/arjanvanb/32/46626_2.png) [@arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/arjanvanb)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 6:00am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/4 "2018-02-19T06:00:37Z")
On a Mac, I get the same errors in the IDE, but the project builds just fine. I could not even get the command line build to work when the IDE is not open (running into some Java headless error). Also, I’ve ignored the _“After building the project using the MPLabX GUI”_ part (though I have run the script once or twice). Instead, after building in the IDE, I just run `generate_hex_with_checksum.sh` now. ![image](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/uploads/default/original/2X/6/6beee297ae47d5be56d4610754bd2de9f8e9fd41.jpg) ![image](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/uploads/default/original/2X/8/83ba5d10cf705bc941e2b2842eec61758111a441.png) ---
**Author:** ![rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/rmemory)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/5 "2018-02-19T17:14:58Z")
I launched the MPLAB X IDE, and opened the [TTN\_Gateway.X](https://github.com/TheThingsProducts/gateway/tree/master/firmware/TTN_Gateway.X) project in the IDE. I hit compile errors of not being able to find constants such as \_CNCONJ\_SIDL\_LENGTH, \_CNCONB\_SIDL\_POSITION, and others. Just for fun, I tried it from the command line again using [compile.sh](https://github.com/TheThingsProducts/gateway/blob/master/firmware/compile.sh) but experienced the same errors. I grep’d around in the tree for those constants, but came up empty. Seems possibly they might be somehow generated elsewhere. But that is just a guess on my part. The error on the command line ends up looking like the following I poked around a bit in the makefiles, but haven’t yet determined the source of the error. ``` nbproject/Makefile-TTN_Gateway_v1.mk:1714: recipe for target 'build/TTN_Gateway_v1/production/_ext/1263322388/MQTTHarmony.o' failed make[1]: *** [build/TTN_Gateway_v1/production/_ext/1263322388/MQTTHarmony.o] Error 1 make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/rmemory/ttn-gateway/gateway/firmware/TTN_Gateway.X' nbproject/Makefile-TTN_Gateway_v1.mk:97: recipe for target '.build-conf' failed make: *** [.build-conf] Error 2 make: Leaving directory '/home/rmemory/ttn-gateway/gateway/firmware/TTN_Gateway.X' ``` ---
**Author:** ![arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/arjanvanb/32/46626_2.png) [@arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/arjanvanb)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/6 "2018-02-19T17:20:55Z")
I’ve opened `firmware/TTN_Gateway.X` (from the February 14th develop branch) and am using menu Run, Build (or the hammer button). ![image](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/uploads/default/original/2X/4/400d73c3a6d37dbabba504ba13b337c584251c9a.png) But I’m on a Mac. As you’re on Linux, did you see @cyberjunky’s post? > [@cyberjunky](#): > > Compile TTN Gateway Firmware on Ubuntu ---
**Author:** ![cyberjunky](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/cyberjunky/32/36219_2.png) [@cyberjunky](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/cyberjunky)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/7 "2018-02-19T18:02:51Z")
I believe you get those errors if you installed a xc32 version higher than the recommended v1.42, so you have to downgrade that one. ---
**Author:** ![rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/rmemory)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/8 "2018-02-19T18:12:56Z")
Thank you very much for the pointer to the post from @cyberjunky . His instructions worked perfectly. And thanks very much @cyberjunky!! ---
**Author:** ![weradis](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/weradis/32/45845_2.png) [@weradis](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/weradis)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 7:30pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/9 "2018-02-19T19:30:00Z")
Do you have a PRO license for the compiler or did you go for the 60 day trial version. ---
**Author:** ![rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/rmemory)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/10 "2018-02-19T19:38:04Z")
FWIW, I used the 60 day eval ---
**Author:** ![arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/arjanvanb/32/46626_2.png) [@arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/arjanvanb)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/11 "2018-02-19T19:47:10Z")
Oh, I thought I just enabled some free version. But apparently it might be a trial then? Bummer, then there are not many days left to fix this thing 🙂 ![image](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1f4a0bffbab9931b856c14103a34002ef9adcf98.png) ![image](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/uploads/default/original/2X/8/8bd56627b85d272c5ad90bb769bae0840b5cf134.jpg) (Ah, that might be the IDE; the compiler might be different?) ---
**Author:** ![rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@rmemory](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/rmemory)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/12 "2018-02-19T21:16:05Z")
I wasn’t entirely clear on the licensing either (IDE vs compiler). Edit: I have been poking around a little bit on the command line to see if I can find out how the command line xc32 utils are licensed and how much time remains on my current, presumably free, license. I haven’t yet found the magic cli flag to provide that information. Apparently there is a way to build the tools at the command line as [well](http://www.microchip.com/forums/m661830.aspx#661830)? Although, I am not sure that changes anything. In any case, FWIW, it does matter that you use the V1.42 version to build the TTN gateway firmware. The newer versions such as 2.05 will not build the firmware source correctly. ---
**Author:** ![pe1mew](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/pe1mew/32/45049_2.png) [@pe1mew](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/pe1mew)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/13 "2018-03-21T16:46:26Z")
Has anyone used Windows to compile and program the gateway? ---
**Author:** ![ScottM](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/scottm/32/25844_2.png) [@ScottM](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/ScottM)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/14 "2018-06-14T01:54:33Z")
I have been lurking here for the last week and thought I would share my experience building/debugging the gateway firmware… **Tools:** - OSX (10.13.5) - MPLAB X (4.20) need this for PICKIT 4 - XC32 (2.10 and 1.42) - PICKIT 4 (MPLAB IPE programming works but MPLAB X IDE debug is still… “Super Crunchy”. 😉 **Code:** - TTNGW development branch (1.0.4 and the bootloader.hex it contains.) - Harmony (1.08.01 & 2.05.01 but I am not regenerating code from either at the moment…) Configurator in 1.08.01 gives “[Error] Value (MICREL\_KSZ8061RND) not valid…” Configurator in 2.05.01 allows replacing MICREL\_KSZ8061 with KSZ8061 but merging generated code looked… painful… **Building/programming functional “production” image with current tools:** A simple workaround for building with a recent compiler is to add back the defs referenced by the old Harmony framework which were removed from the compiler’s cpu include file because the SIDL bit is not present on the pic32mz2048efm144 device. I extracted the necessary defs from an old/v1.42 XC32 install: grep `_CNCON._SIDL_` /Applications/microchip/xc32/v1.42/pic32-libs/include/proc/p32mz2048efm144.h Then jammed them into the top of the offending old Harmony generated file: gateway/firmware/vendor/harmony/framework/peripheral/ports/processor/ports\_p32mz2048efm144.h I am able to build a functional production image, combine it with the supplied bootloader, and program a functional gateway. **Building/debugging crunchy “debug” image with current tools:** I can also build a (partially) functional debug image which I can load with the MPLAB X IDE debugger (which also loads the bootloader) and can preform quite a bit of debug. I have even successfully debugged a flaw in the generated debug image which resulted in the wireless ssid string not being properly linked and causing “Things-Gateway-############” to be written on top of unrelated (and fairly important) data. **A few questions:** 1. Where is the project that was used to generate the bootloader.hex? (I have seen at least one reference to a v2.x bootloader…) 2. Has anyone had more success using the MPLAB X IDE debugger with a debug build of the firmware? (I get same problems with my debug image with both new and old XC32.) 3. Has anyone had more success regenerating Harmony code from existing harmony config file? 4. Has anyone tried migrating to the current Harmony? (Any guess on probability this could address reported WiFi stability issues?) 5. Is everyone (especially the developers) aware of the pic32mz2048efm144 rev.A3 device errata? (No offense intended… but I find the results below a bit disconcerting:) iMac5k:TTNLoRaGw scott$ ls TTNGW\_Beta TTNGW\_Develop TTNGW\_Master TTNGW\_Stable gateway hex iMac5k:TTNLoRaGw scott$ grep -iR errata \* iMac5k:TTNLoRaGw scott$ Yes, my gateway appears to be functioning fine… Yes, I am just a sick individual… ---
**Author:** ![ScottM](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/scottm/32/25844_2.png) [@ScottM](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/ScottM)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/building-the-ttn-gateway-firmware-from-the-github-code/12739/15 "2018-06-15T16:32:29Z")
**WORKAROUND for functional MPLAB X IDE debug build of gateway firmware:** Turning on gcc option"place data into it’s own section" appears to prevent whatever was allowing ssidString overlap with other data: **Production** iMac5k:firmware scott$ /Applications/microchip/xc32/v2.10/bin/xc32-objdump -t TTN\_Gateway.X/dist/TTN\_Gateway\_v1/production/TTN\_Gateway.X.production.elf | grep ssidString 8007ef8c l O .bss 00000021 ssidString.81547 8007ef68 l O .bss 00000021 ssidString.81555 **Debug (bad link with overlapping data.)** iMac5k:firmware scott$ /Applications/microchip/xc32/v2.10/bin/xc32-objdump -t TTN\_Gateway.X/dist/TTN\_Gateway\_v1/debug/TTN\_Gateway.X.debug.elf | grep ssidString 80000424 l O .bss 00000021 ssidString.81547 80000400 l O .bss 00000021 ssidString.81555 iMac5k:firmware scott$ /Applications/microchip/xc32/v2.10/bin/xc32-objdump -t TTN\_Gateway.X/dist/TTN\_Gateway\_v1/debug/TTN\_Gateway.X.debug.elf | grep 80000400 80000400 l d .bss 00000000 .bss 80000400 l O .bss 00000021 ssidString.81555 80000400 g O .sbss 00000002 uartrx\_len **Debug w/ "data in own sections"** iMac5k:firmware scott$ /Applications/microchip/xc32/v2.10/bin/xc32-objdump -t TTN\_Gateway.X/dist/TTN\_Gateway\_v1/debug/TTN\_Gateway.X.debug.elf | grep ssidString 8007ee6c l d .bss.ssidString.81555.ssidString 00000000 .bss.ssidString.81555.ssidString 8007ee90 l d .bss.ssidString.81547.ssidString 00000000 .bss.ssidString.81547.ssidString 8007ee90 l O .bss.ssidString.81547.ssidString 00000021 ssidString.81547 8007ee6c l O .bss.ssidString.81555.ssidString 00000021 ssidString.81555 iMac5k:firmware scott$