'boards = ' only works with 'pico' and 'nanorp2040connect' when using Platformio

[rousslabs]

When trying to upload using Platformio, it seems as though only the boards 'pico' and 'nanorp2040connect' are supported. When changing to anything else, like the 'adafruit_feather' there is an error.

> Executing task in folder test with arduino-pico: platformio run --target upload <

Processing pico (platform: https://github.com/maxgerhardt/platform-raspberrypi.git; board: adafruit_feather; framework: arduino)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Error: Unknown board ID 'adafruit_feather'
The terminal process "platformio 'run', '--target', 'upload'" terminated with exit code: 1.

Terminal will be reused by tasks, press any key to close it.

[earlephilhower]

@maxgerhardt is this something you need to work on in the PIO packaging?

Yes, looks a though each board needs its own .JSON file in https://github.com/maxgerhardt/platform-raspberrypi/tree/develop/boards

[maxgerhardt]

Correct, there needs to be a board JSON for each board listed in the core's boards.txt. The best way to solve this would be to expand the existing https://github.com/earlephilhower/arduino-pico/blob/master/tools/makeboards.py script that already produces this file to additionally produce the all board JSON files. I did something similiar for my GigaDevice 32 platform in board_generator.py.

[earlephilhower]

@maxgerhardt got it. Let me take a look this weekend. It should be almost trivial to add it in to the makeboards script like you said.

[maxgerhardt]

Very well, but here are some tips and caveats when you do so:

• pico.json is a good starting template
• Since the added boards will only be supported in this core, but not in the standard mbed-os based Arduino core, the "core" value for the new boards must be earlephilhower, not arduino
• the board variant folder can either be written in build.variant or build.arduino.earlephilhower.variant, the builder script supports both. (The existing boards have two variants for the mbed core and this core. The new boards only need to have one variant field since they only support one core.)
• the easiest way to test compilation is to use the test project with a modified platformio.ini like

; global settings applying to all environments
[env]
platform = https://github.com/maxgerhardt/platform-raspberrypi.git
framework = arduino
; explicitly override core for those having the standard "arduino"
board_build.core = earlephilhower
; inject core package.. not yet registered with PlatformIO
; registry, so pull working version directly from git / download page.
; note that download link for toolchain is specific for OS. see https://github.com/earlephilhower/pico-quick-toolchain/releases.
platform_packages = 
    maxgerhardt/framework-arduinopico@https://github.com/maxgerhardt/arduino-pico.git
    maxgerhardt/toolchain-pico@https://github.com/earlephilhower/pico-quick-toolchain/releases/download/1.3.1-a/x86_64-w64-mingw32.arm-none-eabi-7855b0c.210706.zip

[env:pico]
board = pico

[env:new_board_1]
; references new_board_1.json
board = new_board_1

; etc

• generated board JSON files can be put in the boards/ folder of the project or <home path>/.platformio/platforms/raspberry@src-.../boards, so they are discoverable by PlatformIO

Let me know if you need help.

[rousslabs]

That's the ticket! I temporarily forked the repos and did a quick blinky blinky test. Dropped in an "adafruit_feather_rp2040.json" board definition and successfully compiled/uploaded to the board.

Screenshot:

[maxgerhardt]

Okay I see you've created https://github.com/rousslabs/platform-raspberrypi/blob/develop/boards/adafruit_feather_RP2040.json which sets the variant to adafruit_feather_RP2040 but since this folder name does not exist here in variants, you renamed the adafruit_feather folder to be called adafruit_feather_RP2040 in rousslabs@15046ad. Works too, but you could also directly use the regular arduino-pico repo and reference adafruit_feather as your variant.

Still, we better auto-generate all variants so that they're available in the first place.

[earlephilhower]

@maxgerhardt , Can you please review #426 and see if that's the format you're looking for? I'm unsure about the first IDs as well as if I've correctly changed "arduino" to "earlephilhower" in the right spots...

[maxgerhardt]

I'm intending to do a PR later for the documentation in regards to how select the now generated boards, i.e, set board = .. to the filename (without extension) available in https://github.com/maxgerhardt/platform-raspberrypi/tree/develop/boards so that this becomes clearer.