I am using Arduino 1.6.5 with ESP8266 Core 2.1.0 installed.

When I start VS2015 with VM plugin installed and create a new empty project it compiles OK using the Generic ESP8266 board. 

However, the Board Manager is apparently using the ESP8266 Core2.0 and I require 2.1 for my future project. When I use the Board Manager to update ESP8266 to 2.1.0 then empty basic project no longer compiles. The output is as follows:

Compiling 'test' for 'Generic ESP8266 Module'
Build folder: file:///C:/Users/Neil/AppData/Local/Temp/VMicroBuilds/test/esp8266_generic
Summary: Header=1 Prototypes=3 Imports=0
Additional Defines: 
Architecture Tools: c\1.20.0-26-gb404fb9-2/bin/
Sketchbook: file:\\\D:\My%20Documents\Arduino
Sketch Include Paths
Include Path 'D:\My Documents\Arduino\test'
Core Include Paths
Include Path ores\esp8266'
Include Path ariants\generic'
Build Core Paths: res\esp8266
cc\1.20.0-26-gb404fb9-2/bin/xtensa-lx106-elf-gcc" -D__ets__ -DICACHE_FLASH -U__STRICT_ANSI__ /tools/sdk/include" -c -g -x assembler-with-cpp -MMD -DF_CPU=80000000L -DARDUINO=10605 -DARDUINO_ESP8266_ESP01 -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266 -DESP8266 \cores\esp8266" \variants\generic" ores\esp8266\cont.S" -o o"  
The system cannot find the file specified
     Process: cc\1.20.0-26-gb404fb9-2\bin\xtensa-lx106-elf-gcc" -D__ets__ -DICACHE_FLASH -U__STRICT_ANSI__ /tools/sdk/include" -c -g -x assembler-with-cpp -MMD -DF_CPU=80000000L -DARDUINO=10605 -DARDUINO_ESP8266_ESP01 -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266 -DESP8266 \cores\esp8266" \variants\generic" ores\esp8266\cont.S" -o o"  
Error compiling core


It seems that the upgrade from core 2.0.0 to 2.1.0 lost some files along the way. Can you please let me know how to find them again?

Thanks

N

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply.

I deleted the folder C:\Users\Neil\AppData\Local\arduino15\packages (note the s on packages) as requested.

I started the Arduino IDE and found that the ESP8266 Core 2.1.0 was still installed and that my old project still compiled - I did not have to change anything.

I then started VS2015, opened a new blank project consisting simply of an empty setup and loop and found that the Generic ESP8266 board was no longer available. I then installed V2.1.0 of Generic ESP8266 using the 'Manage Boards' tab of VM Explorer and rescanned. I then selected Generic ESP8266 and tried to compile this empty project - this is what I got:

Compiling 'MyTest' for 'Generic ESP8266 Module'
Build folder: file:///C:/Users/Neil/AppData/Local/Temp/VMicroBuilds/MyTest/esp8266_generic
Summary: Header=1 Prototypes=3 Imports=0
Additional Defines: 
Architecture Tools: c\1.20.0-26-gb404fb9-2/bin/
Sketchbook: file:\\\D:\My%20Documents\Arduino
Sketch Include Paths
Include Path 'D:\My Documents\Arduino\MyTest'
Core Include Paths
Include Path ores\esp8266'
Include Path ariants\generic'
Build Core Paths: res\esp8266
cc\1.20.0-26-gb404fb9-2/bin/xtensa-lx106-elf-gcc" -D__ets__ -DICACHE_FLASH -U__STRICT_ANSI__ /tools/sdk/include" -c -g -x assembler-with-cpp -MMD -mlongcalls -DF_CPU=80000000L -DARDUINO=10605 -DARDUINO_ESP8266_ESP01 -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266 -DESP8266 \cores\esp8266" \variants\generic" ores\esp8266\cont.S" -o S.o"  
The system cannot find the file specified
     Process: cc\1.20.0-26-gb404fb9-2\bin\xtensa-lx106-elf-gcc" -D__ets__ -DICACHE_FLASH -U__STRICT_ANSI__ /tools/sdk/include" -c -g -x assembler-with-cpp -MMD -mlongcalls -DF_CPU=80000000L -DARDUINO=10605 -DARDUINO_ESP8266_ESP01 -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266 -DESP8266 \cores\esp8266" \variants\generic" ores\esp8266\cont.S" -o S.o"  
Error compiling core

I have no idea what is going on here!?

Thanks

N

Hi,

Thanks for the reply - you are quite right. I updated to Arduino 1.6.8 a few months ago but was beaten back to 1.6.5 by an avalanche of compile errors. Deleting C:\Users\Neil\AppData\Local\arduino15 in its entirety solved the problem.

Thanks

N

Hi Tim,

The VM version I have been playing with is 1.1603.20. I checked with your site this morning and I believe that is still the version offered. Is there a more recent one hidden somewhere?

Thanks

N

I am looking in VS2015 Tools/Options/Visual Micro/General where it says Version 1.1603.20 Version Minor 0.

I downloaded that .vsix file just yesterday from your website - shouldn't that be the latest version?

Thanks

In Tools/extensions and updates I get a version number of 1603.28.0. A bit confusing?

Hi Tim,

Thanks - every thing is working well now. One little question.

The Arduino IDE gives a series of dots during upload to tell you that something is actually happening - can VM do something similar? It's a bit disconcerting waiting for 3 minutes or more not knowing if the upload is ongoing or not.

Thanks

Hi Tim,

I am enjoying VM very much  - a big improvement over Arduino IDE. However I have another small query.

There are many cases in my project where VM underlines an error in red and yet the project still compiles and runs. 

As an example (Generic ESP8266 Module):

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
WiFiClient client;
client.print(........);

VM says that class "WiFiClient" has no member "print". Looking in ESP8266WiFi.h I think that VM is actually correct ( I can't see "print" either!) and yet Arduino still manages to compile it. 

Can you explain what is going on here please?

Thanks

N

Hi Tim,

Hi Tim,

Related to my previous post about mixed messages from intellisense, I have another problem which I really don’t understand. 

I have a large, historical Arduino sketch built with .ino files. I am now trying to make this more modular and am trying to add a .cpp/.h file to the sketch. Is it possible to work with ino and cpp files in one sketch – I am certainly having problems!

A number of global structures are declared and defined in the master.ino file and I wish to access these structures from a function in my .cpp.

I have reduced the problem to the simplest sketch I can make. In my master.ino I have something like this:

#include "Addon.h"
Struct aaSStruct
{
int aa1;
int aa2;
} aaInstance;

void setup()
{
	DoAddon();

  /* add setup code here */

}

void loop()
{

  /* add main program code here */

}
 

I have an Addon.cpp file containing the following

#include "Addon.h"

void DoAddon()
{
	aaInstance.aa1 = 1;
}
 

And Addon.h containing the following:

void DoAddon();						//Forward declaration - OK

struct aaStruct;                                          //Incomplete declaration - Works IN VS C++ project
extern aaStruct aaInstance;			//Forward declaration aaInstance
 

I have played with this for a couple of hours and the only way I can make it compile is to have a partial declaration of aaStruct in Addon.h and then a full declaration at the beginning of Addon.cpp. But then intellisense isn't happy at all. 

Can you give me some words of wisdom on how to get this tiny sketch compiled without the screen being full of red lines?

Do you have any guidelines on how to make ino files and cpp files play nicely together?

Thanks

N

Hi Tim,

Thank you for your help - that fixed it! The clue was declaring the structure as static!

I was originally hoping not to have to move the structs from the master.ino because I simply wanted to add some additional functionality rather than heave the whole thing around but this is easy enough to do.

To generalize all the above I think I now understand that: 

1) If you are using only .ino files in your sketch then all global variables/structs should be declared and defined in the master.ino.

2) If you want to include some .cpp files into the mix then all the global variables/structs should be declared and then defined static in an .h file which is included in the master.ino and the .cpp file"

That seems like a simple rule to follow. 

Thanks

n