Overview

The Make Controller is built on the very powerful SAM7X, which offers a ton of flexibility.  This, of course, translates into some complexity as well.  We've done our best to create a balance that wraps up the unnecessary complexity, while not making it too hard to get down and dirty with the internals if you need to.

Toolchain

To create code for the Make Controller, you'll need to download an appropriate toolchain.  This will get you a compiler, linker, and assembler that will be able to turn your code into instructions that the Make Controller understands.

• On Windows, see the Build Firmware on Windows how-to.
• On OS X, download the appropriate GnuArm toolchain from the Downloads page.  Just run the installer and you're all set.
• On Linux and other platforms, there are a variety of options - check www.gnuarm.org for a recent source package.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

The next concern is where you're actually going to be doing your work.  The programs you use to edit and compile your code can make a big difference to your overall workflow, so it's worth spending a little time checking out the options.  There are a couple options for

• The simplest, of course, is using your favorite text editor and the trusty old command line.
• A good, free, open source option is Eclipse - check the Build Firmware with Eclipse how-to for instructions on how to set it up.
• On OS X, you can use Xcode, a nice IDE that comes free with OS X.  Check the Build Firmware with Xcode how-to for instructions on getting set up.
  

If you have another favorite IDE, please let me know and I'd be happy to add it.

Getting the Source Code

Starting from the existing source code is almost definitely the way to go.  To do this, you can

• Grab a source package from the Downloads page. 
  
• Pull the latest source from the MakingThings Subversion repository.

An important resource throughout your programming endeavors will be the firmware API - http://www.makingthings.com/ref/firmware/html.