GigaDevice Semiconductor GD32VW553 User manual

GigaDevice Semiconductor Inc.
GD32VW553 Quick Development Guide
Application Note
AN154
Revision 1.0
(July 2023)

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents ...........................................................................................................2
List of Figures ................................................................................................................4
List of Tables ..................................................................................................................5
1. Introduction to development board ....................................................................6
1.1. Picture of real development board ............................................................................. 6
1.1.1. The START development board ............................................................................................. 6
1.1.2. The EVAL development board ................................................................................................ 6
1.2. Boot mode.................................................................................................................... 8
1.3. Debugger interface...................................................................................................... 8
1.4. Download interface...................................................................................................... 9
1.5. Viewing log................................................................................................................... 9
2. Building development environment..................................................................10
2.1. Installation of GD32Eclipse IDE................................................................................ 10
3. What developers must know ............................................................................. 11
3.1. SDK execution program group................................................................................. 11
3.2. SDK configuration ..................................................................................................... 11
3.2.1. Configuration of wireless module...........................................................................................11
3.2.2. SRAM layout ......................................................................................................................... 12
3.2.3. FLASH layout........................................................................................................................ 12
3.2.4. Firmware version No............................................................................................................. 12
3.2.5. APP configuration ................................................................................................................. 13
3.2.6. Configuration Selection......................................................................................................... 13
3.3. Correct log example .................................................................................................. 13
4. GD32Eclipse IDE project....................................................................................15
4.1. Opening the project group........................................................................................ 15
4.2. Compilation................................................................................................................ 18
4.3. Download ................................................................................................................... 24
4.4. Debugging.................................................................................................................. 24
5. FAQ ......................................................................................................................27
5.1. DAPLINK disk recognition ........................................................................................ 27
5.2. No image error........................................................................................................... 28

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5.3. Code running in SRAM.............................................................................................. 28
6. Revision history..................................................................................................29

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List of Figures
Figure 1-1. The picture of the START development board ...................................................................... 6
Figure 1-2. The picture of the START development board ...................................................................... 7
Figure 1-3. List of devices and drivers...................................................................................................... 9
Figure 1-4. Configuration of serial port ..................................................................................................... 9
Figure 2-1. GD32Eclise IDE toolkit........................................................................................................... 10
Figure 3-1. Boot process ...........................................................................................................................11
Figure 3-2. Configuration of wireless module .........................................................................................11
Figure 3-3. SRAM layout ........................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 3-4. FLASH layout.......................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 3-5. Firmware version No.............................................................................................................. 13
Figure 3-6. Project boot information........................................................................................................ 14
Figure 4-1. SDK directory ......................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 4-2. Starting GD32EclipseIDE....................................................................................................... 15
Figure 4-3. Open Projects from file System............................................................................................ 16
Figure 4-4. Selecting MBL project path ................................................................................................... 16
Figure 4-5. MBL project interface............................................................................................................. 17
Figure 4-6. Selecting MSDK project path ................................................................................................ 17
Figure 4-7. MSDK and MBL project interfaces ....................................................................................... 18
Figure 4-8. Opening Properties of the project ........................................................................................ 19
Figure 4-9. Toolchain Settings ................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 4-10. Compiling the MBL project.................................................................................................. 21
Figure 4-11. MBL compilation result........................................................................................................ 22
Figure 4-12. Compiling the MSDK project............................................................................................... 23
Figure 4-13. MSDK compilation result..................................................................................................... 23
Figure 4-14. Images output....................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 4-15. Opening the Debug Configuration option ......................................................................... 24
Figure 4-16. MSDK debug configuration ................................................................................................. 25
Figure 4-17. Starting MSDK debug .......................................................................................................... 25
Figure 4-18. MSDK debug interface ......................................................................................................... 26
Figure 5-1. Installation of Mbed serial port driver .................................................................................. 27
Figure 5-2. List of serial ports in Device Manager ................................................................................. 27

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List of Tables
Table 1-1. Boot mode ........................................................................................................................... 8
Table 6-1. Revision history ................................................................................................................ 29

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1. Introduction to development board
1.1. Picture of real development board
1.1.1. The START development board
The START development board consists of a baseboard and a module equipped with the
GD32VW55x Wi-Fi+BLE chip.
Figure 1-1. The picture of the START development board
Developers mainly focus on the following parts of the development board, which have been
marked in the figure.
Boot mode (Boot PIN);
Power supply port (power supply);
View log (UART);
Debugger interface (DAPLINK, JLINK, or GDLINK);
Reboot (Reset Button).
1.1.2. The EVAL development board
The EVAL development board consists of a baseboard and a module equipped with the
GD32VW55x Wi-Fi+BLE chip. The baseboard provides many peripheral test ports, such as
I2C, IFRP, ADC and so on.

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Figure 1-2. The picture of the EVAL development board
Developers mainly focus on the following parts of the development board, which have been
marked in the figure.
Boot mode (Boot PIN);
Power supply port (power supply);
View log (UART);
Debugger interface (JLINK, or GDLINK);
Reboot (Reset Button).
For the START development board and the EVAL development board, the SDK configuration
is different and different macros need to be selected to enable them. As shown below, the
SDK selects the START development board configuration as the default. The configuration
file is GD32VW55x_RELEASE/config/platform_def.h.

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Figure 1-3. Development Board Type Configuration
1.2. Boot mode
GD32VW55x can boot from ROM, FLASH, or SRAM.
The level selection of the two pins BOOT0 and BOOT1 in the BOOT SWD box of the
development board determines the boot mode. See Table 1-1. Boot mode. For more
instructions on the boot mode, please refer to the document "GD32VW55x_User_Manual".
Table 1-1. Boot mode
EFBOOTLK
BOOT0
BOOT1
EFSB
Boot address
Boot area
0
0
-
0
0x08000000
SIP Flash
0
0
-
1
0x0BF46000
secure boot
0
1
0
-
0x0BF40000
Bootloader/ROM
0
1
1
-
0x20000000
SRAM
1
0
-
0
0x08000000
SIP Flash
1
0
-
1
0x0BF46000
Secure boot
1
1
-
-
0x0BF40000
Bootloader/ROM
1.3. Debugger interface
For START development board, it comes with a DAPLINK(GD32F303) debugger that can be
used with OpenOCD. Due to the limitations of the chip capacity, debugging and download
speeds are slow. It is recommended to use an external debugger (GDLINK or JLINK) at the
JTAG interface of the board for debugging and download. The DAP chip also integrates the
UART function, so only one USB cable is required to supply power, debug, and view the log.
Connect the pins JCLK and JTWS to the lower two pins through jumper caps, and then
download and debug the code through DAPLINK. Figure 1-1. The picture of the START
development board shows how to debug through DAPLINK.
For EVAL development board, GDLINK or JLINK debugger can be used for debugging and
download. DAPLINK is not supported.

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1.4. Download interface
For START development board, in addition to the firmware download through the debugger
mentioned in the previous section, if debugging is not required and only the firmware needs
to be downloaded, it can also be downloaded by dragging it into the USB disk. Connect the
development board to the computer through a USB cable, and the DAPLINK disk as shown
in Figure 1-4. List of devices and drivers is displayed. Copy the image-all.bin file(see
subsequent chapters) directly into the DAPLINK disk to complete FLASH burning of the
GD32VW55x chip.
Figure 1-4. List of devices and drivers
For EVAL development board, GDLINK or JLINK debugger can be used for download.
Dragging into the USB disk is not supported.
1.5. Viewing log
Connect a MicroUSB cable to the START development board, use a serial port tool on the
PC, and configure it according to the parameters in Figure 1-5. Configuration of serial port
and connect to the board. After that, use the serial port to output logs.
Figure 1-5. Configuration of serial port

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2. Building development environment
Build a development environment before compiling and burning the firmware.
The development tool currently used is GD32Eclipse IDE.
2.1. Installation of GD32Eclipse IDE
Unzip GD32EclipseIDE_v1.0.7.17420.7z.
Check the toolkit, whose content is as shown in Figure 2-1. GD32Eclise IDE toolkit.
Figure 2-1. GD32Eclise IDE toolkit
To install JDK, double-click eclipse/jdk/jdk-8u152-windows-x64.exe in the
GD32EclipseIDE directory.
To start the IDE, double-click eclipse/GD32EclipseIDE.exe in the GD32EclipseIDE
directory.

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3. What developers must know
Before getting started with development, first understand the members of the SDK execution
program group, how to correctly configure the SDK.
3.1. SDK execution program group
SDK will finally generate two main execution programs: MBL (Main Bootloader) and MSDK
(Main SDK), which will eventually be burned to FLASH to run. After power-on, the programs
will boot from Reset_Handler of MBL, and then jump to the MSDK main program to run, as
shown in Figure 3-1. Boot process.
Figure 3-1. Boot process
MBL MSDK
3.2. SDK configuration
3.2.1. Configuration of wireless module
The configuration file is GD32VW55x_RELEASE/config/platform_def.h, whose main content
is as shown in Figure 3-2. Configuration of wireless module.
Figure 3-2. Configuration of wireless module
In the case of BLE/WIFI combo mode, please enable:
-#define CFG_WLAN_SUPPORT
-#define CFG_BLE_SUPPORT
In the case of BLE only, please only enable:
-#define CFG_BLE_SUPPORT
In the case of WIFI only, please only enable:
-#define CFG_WLAN_SUPPORT
To disable the wireless module, please disable all

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3.2.2. SRAM layout
The configuration file is GD32VW55x_RELEASE\config\config_gdm32.h. Modify the following
macro definition values to plan the SRAM space occupied by the executable program
segments MBL and IMG. These values are offset addresses, and the base address is defined
at the beginning of the file.
The line marked "!Keep unchanged!" cannot be modified; otherwise, the operation of the
MbedTLS code in the ROM will be affected.
Figure 3-3. SRAM layout
For the planning of SRAM space in each executable program segment, refer to the *.ld file
under the corresponding project, such as MBL\project\eclipse\mbl.ld and
MSDK\plf\riscv\env_Eclipse\gd32vw55x.ld files.
3.2.3. FLASH layout
The configuration file is GD32VW55x_RELEASE\config\config_gdm32.h. Modify the following
macro definition values to plan the FLASH space occupied by the executable program
segments MBL and MSDK. These values are offset addresses, and the base address is
defined at the beginning of the file.
The line marked "!Keep unchanged!" cannot be modified; otherwise, the operation of the
project will be affected.
Figure 3-4. FLASH layout
For the planning of FLASH space in each executable program segment, refer to the *.ld file
under the corresponding project, such as MBL\project\eclipse\mbl.ld and
MSDK\plf\riscv\env_Eclipse\gd32vw55x.ld files.
3.2.4. Firmware version No.
The configuration file is GD32VW55x_RELEASE\config\config_gdm32.h. Modify the following

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macro definition values to specify the version No. However, only RE_IMG_VERSION affects
future user upgrades.
MBL only supports local upgrade, while IMG supports online upgrade. The version No.
released by the SDK is consistent with RE_IMG_VERSION.
Figure 3-5. Firmware version No.
3.2.5. APP configuration
The configuration file is GD32VW55x_RELEASE\MSDK\app\app_cfg.h. Choose whether to
enable some applications, such as ATCMD, Alibaba Cloud, and MQTT.
3.2.6. Configuration Selection
The SDK supports two configurations, one is msdk and other is msdk_ffd. By default, msdk
is used. Compared to msdk, msdk_ffd consumes more resources and supports more
functions, which is achieved by linking different libs. msdk links libwpas and libble, msdk_ffd
links libwpa_supplicant and libble_max. In addition, msdk_ffd enables macro
CONFIG_WPA_SUPPLICANT by default, and this macro is built into the msdk_ffd
configuration.
Usually, msdk can meet the functional requirements. If there is an additional need such as
WFA certification, msdk_ffd can used.
For details on how to make configuration selection for actual use, see the Compiling MSDK
Projects section in subsection Compilation.
BLE supports two forms, ble(corresponding to libble) and ble_max(corresponding to
libble_max, which supports more functions, refer to the feature macro definition located in the
relevant header files in blesw/src/export config and config_max). The lib and header files are
used together, with the default msdk using ble. The main difference is that the linked lib and
the included header files are different, and the project configuration can be selected flexibly.
3.3. Correct log example
After the firmware group (MBL+MSDK) is successfully downloaded, open the serial port tool,
and press the Reset button on the development board. The startup information is shown in
Figure 3-6. Project boot information. If an exception occurs, please check FAQ for help.

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Figure 3-6. Project boot information

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4. GD32Eclipse IDE project
This chapter introduces how to compile and debug the SDK under GD32Eclipse IDE.
The project group consists of two projects: MBL/MSDK. MSDK includes Wi-Fi protocol stack,
BLE protocol stack, peripheral drivers, applications, etc. MBL is mainly responsible for
selecting the correct firmware to run from two MSDK firmware (one is the current firmware
and the other is the upgraded one) to run.
4.1. Opening the project group
Check the SDK directory GD32VW55x_RELEASE, as shown in Figure 4-1. SDK
directory.
Figure 4-1. SDK directory
To start the IDE, double-click eclipse/GD32EclipseIDE.exe in the GD32EclipseIDE
directory, then select the SDK directory GD32VW55x_RELEASE as the workspace, and
click the Launch button, as shown in Figure 4-2. Starting GD32EclipseIDE.
Figure 4-2. Starting GD32EclipseIDE
Import the MBL project

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In the File menu, click Open Projects from file System, as shown in Figure 4-3. Open
Projects from file System.
Figure 4-3. Open Projects from file System
Select the project path GD32VW55x_RELEASE\MBL\project\eclipse, as shown in Figure
4-4. Selecting MBL project path, and click Finish.
Figure 4-4. Selecting MBL project path

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Close the welcome interface, and the MBL project is shown in Figure 4-5. MBL project
interface.
Figure 4-5. MBL project interface
Import the MSDK project
In the File menu, click Open Projects from file System, as shown in Figure 4-3. Open
Projects from file System.
Select the project path GD32VW55x_RELEASE\MSDK\projects\eclipse\msdk, as shown in
Figure 4-6. Selecting MSDK project path, and click Finish.
Figure 4-6. Selecting MSDK project path

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View the MSDK and MBL project interfaces, as shown in Figure 4-7. MSDK and MBL project
interfaces.
Figure 4-7. MSDK and MBL project interfaces
4.2. Compilation
Check the configuration of the project compilation tool
Right-click the project, and click Properties, as shown in Figure 4-8. Opening Properties of
the project.

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Figure 4-8. Opening Properties of the project
Select C/C++ BuildSettings, and click the Toolchain Settings tab, as shown in Figure 4-9.
Toolchain Settings.
The default path is the tools in the IDE directory and does not need to be changed. Click Apply
and Close.

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Figure 4-9. Toolchain Settings
Compile the MBL project
Right-click the project, and click Build Project, as shown in Figure 4-10. Compiling the MBL
project.