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Windows Setup & VS Code

On Windows, IPRO SDK Online Setup installs SDK V2.2.0, the RISC-V toolchain, the build tools (CMake, Ninja, Python), IntelProCube, OpenOCD and the VS Code Extension in one go. You then build the IPRO7AI Reef EVK out-of-box firmware ipro7ai_reef_demo, flash it, and see its console on a COM port. Build and flash in VS Code, or in PowerShell with build_freertos.ps1.

Toolchain version

The Windows toolchain Online Setup installs is GCC 13.1.1, and the SDK is prepared for it (recorded in PREBUILT-ARCHIVES-STRIPPED.json in the SDK root). SDK V2.2.0 builds with GCC 14 on macOS and Linux, so the images differ from those builds.

Requirements

  • Windows x64 with access to GitHub (Online Setup downloads its components from a public catalog and GitHub releases).
  • VS Code 1.102 or later (the installer can download it).
  • An IPRO7AI Reef EVK, a USB-C cable, and an IPRO Debug Probe or a USB-to-UART adapter on U6; see What you need.

Install

  1. Download the installer IPRO-SDK-Online-Setup-3.6.0.exe from the latest IPRO SDK Online Setup release (3.6.0); no GitHub sign-in is needed.

  2. Verify it in PowerShell:

    Get-FileHash .\IPRO-SDK-Online-Setup-3.6.0.exe -Algorithm SHA256

    The Hash column must equal the value for the same file in that release's SHA256SUMS.txt (case does not matter). The installer is not code-signed, so Windows may show a SmartScreen warning; follow your company's security rules.

  3. Choose Full environment under Choose packages.

  4. Check the versions: keep every component on latest under Select package versions; the list shows what latest resolves to, for example latest (2.2.0).

  5. Choose a directory: under Select Destination Location, keep the default new folder C:\IPRO\versions\3.6.0-<date-time> or enter a folder that does not exist yet (the installation root, <install dir> on this page).

  6. Choose the extra tasks: tick Install VS Code from Microsoft if absent if VS Code is not installed; keep Install the selected Extension into VS Code ticked; tick Switch only selected component settings to point VS Code at this environment; tick Add installed tools to user PATH to run the tools from any terminal.

  7. Install: on Ready to Install, check the directory, mode and versions, then click Install.

  8. Read the finished page: it lists the SDK folder (<install dir>\sdk\IPRO-SDK-V2.2.0), the first command-line command and the toolchain folder. Reopen VS Code and your terminals so they pick up the new settings and PATH.

Setup also fixes the SDK's Windows build issues (recognising the IPRO toolchain, the build message that breaks Ninja under CMake 4, the serial console) and adds build_freertos.ps1; the files it changed are listed in WINDOWS-HOST-FIXES.json in the SDK root.

Set up the VS Code Extension

  1. Check the Extension is installed: search the Extensions panel for @installed IPRO; you should see IPRO SDK Extension (identifier ipro.ipro-sdk-extension).

  2. Open the SDK: use File → Open Folder… on <install dir>\sdk\IPRO-SDK-V2.2.0, and allow Workspace Trust after checking the source.

  3. Set the SDK root: if you did not tick the settings task during installation, press F1 and run IPRO Setup: Set SDK Root on the same folder.

  4. Check the environment: run IPRO Setup: Run Diagnostics and check that the SDK root, compiler, CMake, Python and flash tool all point under <install dir>.

  5. Build the out-of-box firmware: run IPRO: Go to Project…, pick ipro7ai_reef_demo in the platform category, then run IPRO: Build.

The Extension's other commands and settings are in VS Code Extension.

Command-line build

build_freertos.ps1 is the Windows counterpart of build_freertos.sh, with the same actions: build, clean, flash, monitor, size and test combine and run in order. The options are mostly the same, but here -c is the toolchain prefix (--cross), and the chip variant and partition table have only the long forms --chip-variant and --pt (in build_freertos.sh, -c is --chip-variant and -P is the partition table). It uses the toolchain, CMake, Ninja, Python and IntelProCube of the same installation, whether or not they are on PATH. Windows does not run .ps1 files directly by default; powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File applies to that one run and does not change system settings.

  1. Go to the SDK folder

    cd <install dir>\sdk\IPRO-SDK-V2.2.0

  2. Build

    powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\build_freertos.ps1 build ipro7ai_reef_demo

    Project: ipro7ai_reef_demo  (platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo)

-> Building ipro7ai_reef_demo...
[OK] Build succeeded (21s)
  Binary: ...\apps\platform\ipro7ai_reef_demo\build\build_out\ipro7ai_reef_demo_IPRO7.bin (219 KB)
  Toolchain: <install dir>/toolchain/riscv_ipro7_win32/bin/riscv64-unknown-elf-gcc
  Log: ...\apps\platform\ipro7ai_reef_demo\build\build.log

    On failure it prints the last 30 lines of the build log and where the full log is.

  3. Check the IPRO toolchain was recognised

    Select-String -Path apps\platform\ipro7ai_reef_demo\build\build.log -Pattern "\[toolchain\]"

    -- [toolchain] Vendor toolchain detected - enabling xxldsp and mtune=intelpro-ipro7

More: -l lists every application, -h shows every option, -d defconfig_<name> builds an alternate configuration, and -c <prefix> selects another toolchain (the prefix ends in riscv64-unknown-elf-).

Flash

With the IPRO Debug Probe

  1. Wire up: SW7 to CAM, SW8 to PWR, the IPRO Debug Probe on U6, then the Reef's USB-C; see Set the switches and wire the board. The probe shows up on Windows as two COM ports; see Recognise the ports.

  2. Flash and watch the boot banner: in the SDK folder, run:

    powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\build_freertos.ps1 flash monitor ipro7ai_reef_demo -w "IPRO7AI Reef carrier demo"

    The script picks the probe's console port; IntelProCube puts the board in download mode, flashes it and resets it, and the monitor stops when the banner appears:

    [All Success]
[OK] Flash succeeded (6s)
...
[serial_monitor] MATCHED: IPRO7AI Reef carrier demo

Summary:
  [OK] flash
  [OK] monitor

    IPRO7AI board applications get --chip-variant IPRO7AI and the partition_cfg_2M.toml partition table automatically. With several serial ports connected, name the console port with -p COM5.

In VS Code: pick the probe's console port with IPRO: Select Serial Port, set the chip variant to IPRO7AI and the partition table to partition_cfg_2M.toml in IPRO Config: Configure Flash…, then run IPRO: Flash.

With a USB-to-UART adapter

  1. Wire up: SW7 to CAM, SW8 to PWR, the console cable on U6, then the USB-C; see Set the switches and wire the board.

  2. Find the COM port: open Device Manager → Ports (COM & LPT); the port that appears when you plug the adapter in is the console, for example COM5.

  3. Enter download mode: hold SW1 (BOOT), press SW2 (RESET) once, then release SW1.

  4. Flash: in PowerShell, go to <install dir>\IntelProCube and run:

    cd <install dir>\IntelProCube
.\ipro_iot_tool.exe --chipname ipro7 --chip-variant IPRO7AI `
    --port COM5 --baudrate 921600 `
    --pt chips/ipro7/partition/partition_cfg_2M.toml `
    --firmware <install dir>\sdk\IPRO-SDK-V2.2.0\apps\platform\ipro7ai_reef_demo\build\build_out\ipro7ai_reef_demo_IPRO7.bin

    Only a last line of [All Success] means success; the tool exits with 0 even when it fails. The parameters are explained in Flashing & Serial Console. Press SW2 to reset when it is done.

Console

  1. Open the console: in the SDK folder run powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\build_freertos.ps1 monitor ipro7ai_reef_demo -t 30, or in PuTTY choose Serial, set Serial line to the console's COM port and Speed to 115200, and click Open. Tera Term works too, as does the VS Code Extension's IPRO: Serial Monitor.

  2. Reset: build_freertos.ps1 monitor sends reboot; with another terminal program press SW2 (RESET). The window shows the boot banner IPRO7AI Reef carrier demo; press Enter to get ipro />.

  3. Self-test: type reef selftest. The expected output is in First FreeRTOS Application.

Close the terminal program before flashing; otherwise the flash tool cannot open the COM port.

Install an SDK or a toolchain on its own

When you choose SDK only or Toolchain only under Choose packages, Choose where to install follows the versions page:

  • Add to this existing environment: the list shows the environments you installed with Online Setup, with their SDKs and toolchains, and preselects the newest one that has a toolchain. The SDK goes into that environment's sdk\ and builds with the tools already there; a version that is already there is refused. Nothing already installed is overwritten.
  • A new directory: installs into a new folder. The SDK is prepared for the toolchain given with /TOOLCHAINROOT=, the one configured in VS Code, or the one of the newest other environment, and build_freertos.ps1 uses that toolchain.

Silent installs add to an environment with /MODE=sdk /ENV=<environment folder>. The other command-line parameters are in the Online Setup installation notes (Traditional Chinese).

Check the result

  • The build produces:

    apps\platform\ipro7ai_reef_demo\build\build_out\ipro7ai_reef_demo_IPRO7.bin

  • The build log contains Vendor toolchain detected.

  • The flash output ends with [All Success].
  • After a reset the console shows the boot banner and ipro />, and reef selftest lights the LEDs in turn and plays a short 1 kHz tone.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Cause Fix
Windows shows an unknown publisher or a SmartScreen warning The installer has no code signature Follow your company's security rules; do not turn protection off
.\build_freertos.ps1 does not run Windows does not run .ps1 files by default Run powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\build_freertos.ps1 ...
The finished page says no toolchain was found An SDK-only install into a new folder found no toolchain to pair with Add the SDK to an environment that has a toolchain, or install again with /TOOLCHAINROOT=<toolchain folder>
Diagnostics still shows the old SDK path The SDK root in the workspace or user settings points at the old version Run IPRO Setup: Set SDK Root, then Diagnostics again
No IPRO commands The Extension is not in the current VS Code profile, or the workspace is not trusted Check the Extension, profile and Workspace Trust; run Developer: Reload Window
No new COM port in Device Manager A charge-only USB cable, or the adapter's driver is missing Change the cable; install the adapter vendor's driver; for the Debug Probe, contact INTELPRO
Flashing does not end with [All Success] The board is not in download mode, or a terminal program holds the COM port Close the terminal program; with an adapter, enter download mode again with SW1 + SW2
flash jedec id: 00000000 --chip-variant IPRO7AI is missing Add it and flash again
Garbled or no console output Baud rate not 115200, the board still in download mode, or RX/TX swapped Open at 115200; press SW2; swap RX and TX

For installation problems keep <install dir>\online-install.json, online-postinstall.log and the adjacent <install dir>.download.log.

Next steps