4. Device Setup

This page provides all the required software for working with embedded systems and PCB design. All of this software is enough to run everything we need, and it should be sufficient to simply use Altium Designer for PCB design, Arduino IDE to code microcontrollers, and Git for source control. However, everything else is for ease of integration into the project.

Embedded Systems Setup

To get started with embedded systems, follow these steps:

1. Install Arduino IDE

   • Download the Arduino IDE from the official Arduino website and follow the installation instructions.

2. Install STM32CubeIDE (for STM32 Programming)

   • If you plan to program STM32 microcontrollers, download STM32CubeIDE from the STMicroelectronics website and follow the installation instructions.

3. Install Git

   • Download Git from the official Git website and follow the installation instructions.

4. Clone the AUV Embedded Repository

   • Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command to clone the repository:

     git clone https://github.com/mcgill-robotics/auv-embedded-2025

5. Install Visual Studio Code (VSCode)

   • Download and install VSCode from the official VSCode website.

6. Install PlatformIO Extension in VSCode

   • Open VSCode, go to the Extensions view by clicking on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window, and search for "PlatformIO IDE". Click on Install to add the extension.
   • PlatformIO allows you to build and upload code to microcontrollers like the Teensy 4.0 without requiring you to manually install all the libraries.
   • You will likely need to install python for PIO to work.

PCB Design Setup

For PCB design, follow these steps:

1. Install Altium Designer

   • Download and install Altium Designer from the Altium website.
   • Note: Altium Designer only runs on Windows. If you are using Linux or macOS, you will likely need to run a virtual machine with Windows. Please talk to a lead about that.

2. Install LTspice (recommended)

   • Download LTspice from the Analog Devices website to simulate circuits as you develop your PCBs.

Advanced Setup

For advanced installations, consider the following options:

• Running a dual boot of Ubuntu or running Ubuntu on WSL. This may be needed to further test embedded code when ROS is integrated into embedded code for different microcontrollers.

• If you want to run ROS 1, then install Ubuntu 20.04. If you want ROS 2, then install Ubuntu 22.04. Choose which one based on software requirements and by asking the electrical leads. It may or may not be simpler to run Docker to simulate the environment.

• In terms of running ROS 2, you will require a 32-bit microcontroller, so an Arduino Uno will not work, but a Teensy 4.0 will work. To patch your Arduino IDE to be able to upload Micro-ROS to the Teensy, check the steps in this link: Installing Micro‐ROS on Teensy.

• For WSL installation, check this link: Installing ROS Noetic on WSL with Ubuntu 20.04 (for Windows).