README.md
1# Azure RTOS GUIX
2
3Azure RTOS GUIX is a professional-quality package, created to meet the needs of embedded systems developers. Unlike alternative GUI solutions Azure RTOS GUIX is small, fast, and easily ported to virtually any hardware configuration that’s capable of supporting graphical output. Azure RTOS GUIX also delivers exceptional visual appeal and an intuitive and powerful API for application-level user interface development.
4
5Azure RTOS GUIX Studio provides a complete, embedded graphical user interface (GUI) application design environment, facilitating the creation and maintenance of all graphical elements in the application’s GUI. Azure RTOS GUIX Studio automatically generates C code that’s compatible with the Azure RTOS GUIX library, ready to be compiled and run on the target.
6
7The Azure RTOS GUIX Studio installer is available here: https://aka.ms/azrtos-guix-installer.
8
9Here are the key features and modules of GUIX:
10
11
12
13## Getting Started
14
15Azure RTOS GUIX as part of Azure RTOS has been integrated to the semiconductor's SDKs and development environment. You can develop using the tools of choice from [NXP](https://www.nxp.com/design/software/embedded-software/azure-rtos-for-nxp-microcontrollers:AZURE-RTOS), [Renesas](https://github.com/renesas/azure-rtos) and [Microchip](https://mu.microchip.com/get-started-simplifying-your-iot-design-with-azure-rtos).
16
17We also [samples](https://github.com/azure-rtos/samples) using hero development boards from semiconductors you can build and test with.
18
19See [Overview of Azure RTOS GUIX](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/rtos/guix/overview-guix) for the high-level overview, and all documentation and APIs can be found in: [Azure RTOS GUIX documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/rtos/guix/).
20
21## Repository Structure and Usage
22
23### Directory layout
24
25 .
26 ├── cmake # CMakeList files for building the project
27 ├── common # Core GUIX files
28 ├── fonts # Fonts required by GUIX
29 ├── graphics # Graphic assets
30 ├── ports # Architecture and compiler specific files
31 ├── samples # Sample codes
32 ├── tutorials # More sample codes
33 ├── LICENSE.txt # License terms
34 ├── LICENSE-HARDWARE.txt # Licensed hardware from semiconductors
35 ├── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidance
36 └── SECURITY.md # Microsoft repo security guidance
37
38### Branches & Releases
39
40The master branch has the most recent code with all new features and bug fixes. It does not represent the latest General Availability (GA) release of the library. Each official release (preview or GA) will be tagged to mark the commit and push it into the Github releases tab, e.g. `v6.2-rel`.
41
42> When you see xx-xx-xxxx, 6.x or x.x in function header, this means the file is not officially released yet. They will be updated in the next release. See example below.
43```
44/**************************************************************************/
45/* */
46/* FUNCTION RELEASE */
47/* */
48/* _tx_initialize_low_level Cortex-M23/GNU */
49/* 6.x */
50/* AUTHOR */
51/* */
52/* Scott Larson, Microsoft Corporation */
53/* */
54/* DESCRIPTION */
55/* */
56/* This function is responsible for any low-level processor */
57/* initialization, including setting up interrupt vectors, setting */
58/* up a periodic timer interrupt source, saving the system stack */
59/* pointer for use in ISR processing later, and finding the first */
60/* available RAM memory address for tx_application_define. */
61/* */
62/* INPUT */
63/* */
64/* None */
65/* */
66/* OUTPUT */
67/* */
68/* None */
69/* */
70/* CALLS */
71/* */
72/* None */
73/* */
74/* CALLED BY */
75/* */
76/* _tx_initialize_kernel_enter ThreadX entry function */
77/* */
78/* RELEASE HISTORY */
79/* */
80/* DATE NAME DESCRIPTION */
81/* */
82/* 09-30-2020 Scott Larson Initial Version 6.1 */
83/* xx-xx-xxxx Scott Larson Include tx_user.h, */
84/* resulting in version 6.x */
85/* */
86/**************************************************************************/
87```
88
89## Component dependencies
90
91The main components of Azure RTOS are each provided in their own repository, but there are dependencies between them, as shown in the following graph. This is important to understand when setting up your builds.
92
93
94
95> You will have to take the dependency graph above into account when building anything other than ThreadX itself.
96
97### Building and using the library
98
99Instruction for building the GUIX as static library using Arm GNU Toolchain and CMake. If you are using toolchain and IDE from semiconductor, you might follow its own instructions to use Azure RTOS components as explained in the [Getting Started](#getting-started) section.
100
1011. Install the following tools:
102
103 * [CMake](https://cmake.org/download/) version 3.0 or later
104 * [Arm GNU Toolchain for arm-none-eabi](https://developer.arm.com/downloads/-/arm-gnu-toolchain-downloads)
105 * [Ninja](https://ninja-build.org/)
106
1071. Build the [ThreadX library](https://github.com/azure-rtos/threadx#building-and-using-the-library) as the dependency.
108
1091. Cloning the repo.
110
111 ```bash
112 $ git clone https://github.com/azure-rtos/guix.git
113 ```
114
1151. Define the features and addons you need in `gx_user.h` and build together with the component source code. You can refer to [`gx_user_sample.h`](https://github.com/azure-rtos/guix/blob/master/common/inc/gx_user_sample.h) as an example.
116
1171. Building as a static library
118
119 Each component of Azure RTOS comes with a composable CMake-based build system that supports many different MCUs and host systems. Integrating any of these components into your device app code is as simple as adding a git submodule and then including it in your build using the CMake `add_subdirectory()`.
120
121 While the typical usage pattern is to include GUIX into your device code source tree to be built & linked with your code, you can compile this project as a standalone static library to confirm your build is set up correctly.
122
123 An example of building the library for Cortex-M4:
124
125 ```bash
126 $ cmake -Bbuild -GNinja -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=cmake/cortex_m4.cmake .
127
128 $ cmake --build ./build
129 ```
130
131## Professional support
132
133[Professional support plans](https://azure.microsoft.com/support/options/) are available from Microsoft. For community support and others, see the [Resources](#resources) section below.
134
135## Licensing
136
137License terms for using Azure RTOS are defined in the LICENSE.txt file of this repo. Please refer to this file for all definitive licensing information. No additional license fees are required for deploying Azure RTOS on hardware defined in the [LICENSED-HARDWARE.txt](./LICENSED-HARDWARE.txt) file. If you are using hardware not listed in the file or having licensing questions in general, please contact Microsoft directly at https://aka.ms/azrtos-license.
138
139## Resources
140
141The following are references to additional Azure RTOS resources:
142
143- **Product introduction and white papers**: https://azure.com/rtos
144- **General technical questions**: https://aka.ms/QnA/azure-rtos
145- **Product issues and bugs, or feature requests**: https://github.com/azure-rtos/guix/issues
146- **Licensing and sales questions**: https://aka.ms/azrtos-license
147- **Product roadmap and support policy**: https://aka.ms/azrtos/lts
148- **Blogs and videos**: http://msiotblog.com and https://aka.ms/iotshow
149- **Azure RTOS TraceX Installer**: https://aka.ms/azrtos-tracex-installer
150
151You can also check [previous questions](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/azure-rtos+guix) or ask new ones on StackOverflow using the `azure-rtos` and `guix` tags.
152
153## Security
154
155Azure RTOS provides OEMs with components to secure communication and to create code and data isolation using underlying MCU/MPU hardware protection mechanisms. It is ultimately the responsibility of the device builder to ensure the device fully meets the evolving security requirements associated with its specific use case.
156
157## Contribution
158
159Please follow the instructions provided in the [CONTRIBUTING.md](./CONTRIBUTING.md) for the corresponding repository.
160
