Sub-Etha-Tinycomms

Overview

Sub-Etha-Tinycomms is an toy project using some comms and peripherals targeting an ATtiny214 chip. Thus far there have been a number of rabbit holes I elected to explore. Took longer than anticipated, but well worth the time.

Project Activities

• Setup docker based build environment that includes:
  • avr-gcc build environment for ATTiny214 processor
  • cpputest environment for unit testing
  • Docker Hub hosted image, mattprompt/sub-etha-tinycomms:latest https://hub.docker.com/repository/docker/mattprompt/sub-etha-tinycomms
  • Dockerfile on Github under sub-etha-tinycomms/docker
• Github repository
• Github Actions for automated running of unit tests and builds on commit, which saves build artifacts
• Development of comms that was actually requested
• Installed Microchip Studio on Windows as a check environment and to look at example projects for configuring peripherals

Potential Improvements

• Message check bit or CRC, especially if none is provided by other layers in the protocol stack
• Define error message so if an unknown command is received, the uC can respond and not fail silently
• Start Character / End Character

avr-gcc setup

Setting up avr-gcc was a bit of a pain, because the ATtiny214 device is not supported. At least not with the version in the Ubuntu Apt package manager. I opted to tweak/patch the install based on the Atmel ATtiny_DFP pack. But building the latest avr-gcc and associated libraries from scratch may be a better long term solution.

Cpputest setup

Installing Cpputest was mostly based on instructions from the Cpputest docs.

Standards & Style

• Conventional Commits for commit messages [https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/]
• Gitflow for Git workflow [https://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/] [https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/comparing-workflows/gitflow-workflow]
• Github pull request workflow for merging [probably won't do, already taking too long]
• 4 spaces for indent, no tabs
• 80 character line width

Other stuff I won't get to

• Jira setup [probably not going to happen, minimal value add for toy project]
• Doxygen build [probably not, project already taking too long]

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