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Compiling Source

This is information about how to compile the RTK Everywhere firmware from source. This is for advanced users who would like to modify the functionality of the RTK products.

Windows

The SparkFun RTK Everywhere Firmware is compiled using Arduino CLI (currently v0.35.3). To compile:

  1. Install Arduino CLI.

  2. Install the ESP32 core for Arduino:

    arduino-cli core install esp32:esp32@3.0.1

Note: Use v3.0.1 of the core.

Note: We use the 'ESP32 Dev Module' for pin numbering.

  1. Obtain each of the libraries listed in the workflow either by using git or the Arduino CLI library manager. Be sure to obtain the version of the library reflected in the workflow. Be sure to include the external libraries (You may have to enable external library support in the CLI).

  2. RTK Everywhere uses a custom partition file. Download the RTKEverywhere.csv file.

  3. Add RTKEverywhere.csv partition table to the Arduino partitions folder. It should look something like

    C:\Users\\[user name]\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\esp32\hardware\esp32\3.0.1\tools\partitions\RTKEverywhere.csv

    This will increase the program partitions, as well as the SPIFFs partition to utilize the full 16MB of flash.

  4. Compile using the following command

    arduino-cli compile 'Firmware/RTK_Everywhere' --build-property build.partitions=RTKEverywhere --build-property upload.maximum_size=3145728 --fqbn esp32:esp32:esp32:FlashSize=16M,PSRAM=enabled

  5. Once compiled, upload to the device using the following command where [COM_PORT] is the COM port on which the RTK device is located (ie COM42).

    arduino-cli upload -p [COM_PORT] --fqbn esp32:esp32:esp32:UploadSpeed=512000,FlashSize=16M 'Firmware/RTK_Everywhere'

If you are seeing the error:

text section exceeds available space ...

You have either not replaced the partition file correctly or failed to include the 'upload.maximum_size' argument in your compile command. See steps 4 through 6 above.

Note: There are a variety of compile guards (COMPILE_WIFI, COMPILE_AP, etc) at the top of RTK_Everywhere.ino that can be commented out to remove them from compilation. This will greatly reduce the firmware size and allow for faster development of functions that do not rely on these features (serial menus, system configuration, logging, etc).

Ubuntu 20.04

Virtual Machine

Execute the following commands to create the Linux virtual machine:

  1. Using a browser, download the Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop image

  2. virtualbox

    1. Click on the new button
    2. Specify the machine Name, e.g.: Sparkfun_RTK_20.04
    3. Select Type: Linux
    4. Select Version: Ubuntu (64-bit)
    5. Click the Next> button
    6. Select the memory size: 7168
    7. Click the Next> button
    8. Click on Create a virtual hard disk now
    9. Click the Create button
    10. Select VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)
    11. Click the Next> button
    12. Select Dynamically allocated
    13. Click the Next> button
    14. Select the disk size: 128 GB
    15. Click the Create button
    16. Click on Storage
    17. Click the empty CD icon
    18. On the right-hand side, click the CD icon
    19. Click on Choose a disk file...
    20. Choose the ubuntu-20.04... iso file
    21. Click the Open button
    22. Click on Network
    23. Under 'Attached to:' select Bridged Adapter
    24. Click the OK button
    25. Click the Start button

  3. Install Ubuntu 20.04

  4. Log into Ubuntu

  5. Click on Activities

  6. Type terminal into the search box

  7. Optionally install the SSH server

    1. In the terminal window

      1. sudo apt install -y net-tools openssh-server
      2. ifconfig

      Write down the IP address

    2. On the PC

      1. ssh-keygen -t rsa -f ~/.ssh/Sparkfun_RTK_20.04
      2. ssh-copy-id -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i ~/.ssh/Sparkfun_RTK_20.04 <username>@<IP address>
      3. ssh -Y <username>@<IP address>

Build Environment

Execute the following commands to create the build environment for the SparkFun RTK Everywhere Firmware:

  1. sudo adduser $USER dialout

  2. sudo shutdown -r 0

    Reboot to ensure that the dialout privilege is available to the user

  3. sudo apt update

  4. sudo apt install -y git gitk git-cola minicom python3-pip
  5. sudo pip3 install pyserial
  6. mkdir ~/SparkFun
  7. mkdir ~/SparkFun/esptool
  8. cd ~/SparkFun/esptool
  9. git clone https://github.com/espressif/esptool .
  10. cd ~/SparkFun

  11. nano serial-port.sh

    Insert the following text into the file:

    #!/bin/bash
#   serial-port.sh
#
#   Shell script to read the serial data from the RTK Express ESP32 port
#
#   Parameters:
#       1:  ttyUSBn
#
sudo minicom -b 115200 -8 -D /dev/$1 < /dev/tty

  12. chmod +x serial-port.sh

  13. nano new-firmware.sh

    Insert the following text into the file:

    #!/bin/bash
#   new-firmware.sh
#
#   Shell script to load firmware into the RTK Express via the ESP32 port
#
#   Parameters:
#      1: ttyUSBn
#      2: Firmware file
#
sudo python3 ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries/Uploader_GUI/esptool.py --chip esp32 --port /dev/$1 --baud 921600 --before default_reset --after hard_reset write_flash -z --flash_mode dio --flash_freq 80m --flash_size detect \
0x1000   ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries/bin/RTK_Surveyor.ino.bootloader.bin \
0x8000   ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries/bin/RTK_Surveyor_Partitions_16MB.bin \
0xe000   ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries/bin/boot_app0.bin \
0x10000  $2

  14. chmod +x new-firmware.sh

  15. nano new-firmware-4mb.sh

    Insert the following text into the file:

    #!/bin/bash
#   new-firmware-4mb.sh
#
#   Shell script to load firmware into the 4MB RTK Express via the ESP32 port
#
#   Parameters:
#      1: ttyUSBn
#      2: Firmware file
#
sudo python3 ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries/Uploader_GUI/esptool.py --chip esp32 --port /dev/$1 --baud 921600 --before default_reset --after hard_reset write_flash -z --flash_mode dio --flash_freq 80m --flash_size detect \
0x1000   ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries/bin/RTK_Surveyor.ino.bootloader.bin \
0x8000   ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries/bin/RTK_Surveyor_Partitions_4MB.bin \
0xe000   ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries/bin/boot_app0.bin \
0x10000  $2

  16. chmod +x new-firmware-4mb.sh

    Get the SparkFun RTK Everywhere Firmware sources

  17. mkdir ~/SparkFun/RTK

  18. cd ~/SparkFun/RTK

  19. git clone https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun_RTK_Everywhere_Firmware .

    Get the SparkFun RTK binaries

  20. mkdir ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries

  21. cd ~/SparkFun/RTK_Binaries

  22. git clone https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun_RTK_Everywhere_Firmware_Binaries.git .

    Install the Arduino IDE

  23. mkdir ~/SparkFun/arduino

  24. cd ~/SparkFun/arduino
  25. wget https://downloads.arduino.cc/arduino-1.8.15-linux64.tar.xz
  26. tar -xvf ./arduino-1.8.15-linux64.tar.xz
  27. cd arduino-1.8.15/

  28. sudo ./install.sh

    Add the ESP32 support

  29. Arduino

    1. Click on File in the menu bar
    2. Click on Preferences
    3. Go down to the Additional Boards Manager URLs text box
    4. Only if the textbox already has a value, go to the end of the value or values and add a comma
    5. Add the link: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json
    6. Note the value in Sketchbook location
    7. Click the OK button
    8. Click on File in the menu bar
    9. Click on Quit

    Get the required external libraries, then add to the Sketchbook location from above

  30. cd ~/Arduino/libraries

  31. mkdir AsyncTCP
  32. cd AsyncTCP/
  33. git clone https://github.com/me-no-dev/AsyncTCP.git .
  34. cd ..
  35. mkdir ESPAsyncWebServer
  36. cd ESPAsyncWebServer

  37. git clone https://github.com/me-no-dev/ESPAsyncWebServer .

    Connect the Config ESP32 port of the RTK to a USB port on the computer

  38. ls /dev/ttyUSB*

    Enable the libraries in the Arduino IDE

  39. Arduino

    1. From the menu, click on File
    2. Click on Open...
    3. Select the ~/SparkFun/RTK/Firmware/RTK_Surveyor/RTK_Surveyor.ino file
    4. Click on the Open button

    Select the ESP32 development module

    1. From the menu, click on Tools
    2. Click on Board
    3. Click on Board Manager…
    4. Click on esp32
    5. Select version 2.0.2
    6. Click on the Install button in the lower right
    7. Close the Board Manager...
    8. From the menu, click on Tools
    9. Click on Board
    10. Click on ESP32 Arduino
    11. Click on ESP32 Dev Module

    Load the required libraries

    1. From the menu, click on Tools
    2. Click on Manage Libraries…

    3. For each of the following libraries:

      1. Locate the library
      2. Click on the library
      3. Select the version listed in the compile-rtk-firmware.yml file for the main or the release_candidate branch
      4. Click on the Install button in the lower right

      Library List:

      • ArduinoJson
      • ESP32Time
      • ESP32-OTA-Pull
      • ESP32_BleSerial
      • Ethernet
      • JC_Button
      • MAX17048 - Used for “Test Sketch/Batt_Monitor”
      • PubSubClient
      • SdFat
      • SparkFun LIS2DH12 Arduino Library
      • SparkFun MAX1704x Fuel Gauge Arduino Library
      • SparkFun Qwiic OLED Graphics Library
      • SparkFun u-blox GNSS v3
      • SparkFun_WebServer_ESP32_W5500

    4. Click on the Close button

    Select the terminal port

    1. From the menu, click on Tools
    2. Click on Port, Select the port that was displayed in step 38 above
    3. Select /dev/ttyUSB0
    4. Click on Upload Speed
    5. Select 230400

    Setup the partitions for the 16 MB flash

    1. From the menu, click on Tools
    2. Click on Flash Size
    3. Select 16MB
    4. From the menu, click on Tools
    5. Click on Partition Scheme
    6. Click on 16M Flash (3MB APP/9MB FATFS)
    7. From the menu click on File
    8. Click on Quit

  40. cd ~/SparkFun/RTK/

  41. cp Firmware/app3M_fat9M_16MB.csv ~/.arduino15/packages/esp32/hardware/esp32/2.0.2/tools/partitions/app3M_fat9M_16MB.csv