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Get started with xTIMEcomposer

Version: X8084D Date: November 14, 2013Download PDF
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X8084DNov 14, 2013 download view
X8084COct 22, 2012 download view
X8084BMar 19, 2012 download view
X8084ANov 22, 2011 download view

Start xTIMEcomposer Studio

To start xTIMEcomposer Studio:

In Windows:

Choose StartProgramsXMOSxTIMEcomposer_13xtimecomposer.

In OS X:

Open a new Finder window, navigate to the Applications folder, open the folderXMOS_xTIMEcomposer_13 and double-click on the xtimecomposer.app icon.

In Linux:

Open a terminal window, change to the installation directory and enter the following commands:

source SetEnv

xtimecomposer

Register xTIMEcomposer

The first time you start xTIMEcomposer Studio, you are required to register the tools with your XMOS account so you must be connected to the internet.

xTIMEcomposer Studio registration window
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Once you have registered xTIMEcomposer you can use the tools offline although we recommend that you remain connected as often as possible in order to download the latest versions of software and documentation.

Registration provides benefits such as automatic notifications of document and software updates directly within the Studio, and the option to manage account settings from within the tools.

Start the command-line tools

The xTIMEcomposer command-line tools use a set of environment variables when searching for header files, libraries and target devices (see Environment Variables Affecting XCC). To add the xTIMEcomposer tools to the path and configure the default set of environment variables:

In Windows:

Choose StartProgramsXMOSxTIMEcomposer_13Command Prompt.

In OS X:

Open a Terminal window, change to the installation directory and enter the following command:

SetEnv.command

In Linux:

Open a Terminal window, change to the installation directory and enter the following command:

source SetEnv

You can now run any of the tools by entering its name and command-line options. Some of the most common commands are summarized in the following section.

Welcome window

The Welcome window in xTIMEcomposer Studio provides a convenient starting point for all users, including developers who are new to XMOS and experienced users.

Developers with an xCORE development board, can use the page to check their board is working correctly, download firmware and find kit-specific documentation or tutorials. Those who do not have a board you can follow a tools tutorial using the simulator or download xTIMEcomposer related documentation and programming guides.

In xTIMEcomposer Studio, choose HelpWelcome to view the Welcome window at any time.

Developer Column

The xTIMEcomposer Developer Column contains a web bowser that displays all the information developers need when writing real-time multicore applications, including:

  • a live view of the XMOS website (xmos.com), allowing users to download the latest software and documentation from within the development tools, as well as managing their XMOS account;
  • documentation and examples for xCORE resources such as xSOFTip or HowTo examples, as you select them in the xTIMEcomposer perspectives;
  • interactive tutorials that show you how to use XMOS development kits and program real-time multicore applications are also displayed in the Developer Column. Tutorials are loaded into the Developer Column using HelpTutorials.
xTIMEcomposer Studio Developer Column
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Developers navigate the content using the Developer Column toolbar, which provides the following options:

  • Detect connected hardware checks for any connected hardware and displays links to the latest software and documentation related to the hardware. If no hardware is available the latest resources for xTIMEcomposer are displayed (dev hardware icon) .
  • Home loads the default Developer Column home page that displays content related to the tools, development boards and silicon devices (dev home icon) .
  • Local Home loads the home page for xTIMEcomposer and programming content that has been downloaded and stored offline using the Update offline content option (dev local icon) .
  • Back and Forward navigate between the next and previous web pages in the Developer Column (dev nav icon) .
  • Refresh reloads the current web page (devcol refresh icon) .
  • Update offline content downloads to your local drive the documentation for xTIMEcomposer and programming C applications so they can be used in the Developer Column when xTIMEcomposer is offline (dev offline icon) .

The Developer Column can be displayed at any time using WindowShow ViewDeveloper Column.