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QNX Software Development Platform
OS Components
Building Embedded Systems
The Building Embedded Systems guide is intended for developers who are developing or building BSPs for QNX OS embedded systems.
Working with QNX BSPs
Before you attempt to write a new BSP or modify an existing one, it is helpful to know how to use a BSP.

QNX Momentics IDE User's Guide
QNX Software Development Platform
- Quickstart Guide
- System Architecture
  The System Architecture guide accompanies the QNX OS and is intended for both application developers and end-users.
- OS Components
  - Boot Optimization Guide
    The Boot Optimization Guide describes techniques you can use to reduce the time from your board's initial power on until you have a fully functional QNX system running on the board.
  - Building Embedded Systems
    The Building Embedded Systems guide is intended for developers who are developing or building BSPs for QNX OS embedded systems.
    - Overview
      QNX systems are built from the QNX OS standard release components, the architecture- and board-specific files provided in QNX BSPs, and customer and third-party components.
    - Working with QNX BSPs
      Before you attempt to write a new BSP or modify an existing one, it is helpful to know how to use a BSP.
      - Getting and extracting a BSP
        You can install QNX BSPs from the QNX Software Center. For BSPs from other suppliers, you must contact BlackBerry QNX or the hardware vendor about how to obtain and install them.
      - BSP structure and contents
        All QNX BSPs use the same basic directory structure, with variations to accommodate the needs of the different supported board architectures and variations, and the components needed for particular implementations.
      - The BSP Makefile
        Every BSP has a Makefile in its base directory and can have other Makefiles in subdirectories.
      - Building a BSP
        When you have finished building the BSP, you will have a complete image that you can transfer from your host to your target system and boot into.
      - Transferring an IFS to a target platform
      - Transferring an OS image to an x86_64 target platform
        A QNX OS system can be self-contained in a single boot file—the IFS. You can boot the IFS on x86_64 target platforms using standard disk boot methods.
      - Booting QNX OS
        To boot your board, follow the platform-specific instructions in the BSP User's Guide for that board.
    - Initial Program Loaders (IPLs)
      IPLs first set up the minimum environment needed to execute their compiled C code, then find the OS image and load it into memory, and then jump to the QNX startup code.
    - Startup Programs
      The first program to run in a bootable OS image is the startup program; it completes the system configuration, then launches the OS kernel.
    - Kernel Callouts
      Kernel callouts are standalone pieces of code (or code fragments) that the kernel uses to perform hardware-specific functions. These callouts don't need to be statically linked to the kernel.
    - System Page
      The system page contains essential information about the system, including the system page's size, information about the hardware platform (including IRQs and the CPU), the cache size, and the location of kernel callouts in memory.
    - OS Images
      OS images are files that contains the OS, your executables, and any data files that might be related to your programs.
    - OS Image Buildfiles
      You can edit OS image buildfiles to configure OS images.
    - IPL Library
      The IPL library contains a set of routines for building a custom IPL.
    - Startup Library
      The startup library contains a rich set of routines ranging from high-level functions called by main() to utility functions for performing specific startup tasks.
    - Debugging QNX Embedded Systems
      The microkernel architecture of QNX OS means that debugging QNX embedded systems can be different from debugging other embedded systems.
    - Sample Buildfiles
      This appendix contains sample buildfiles that you can modify to support your hardware platform and your implementation requirements.
    - Glossary
  - Customizing a BSP
    While QNX provides Board Support Packages (BSPs) for many common platforms and their individual variants, in some cases, you need a BSP for a board that QNX does not provide. If this is the case, you can modify a QNX BSP or develop your own.
  - High Availability Framework Developer's Guide
  - High-Performance Networking Stack (io-sock) User's Guide
    This guide contains instructions for implementing and using the QNX OS High-Performance Networking Stack and its manager, io-sock.
  - PCI Server User's Guide
  - QNX Helpers Developer's Guide
    These libraries provide QNX helpers, including helpers that assist with logging, string conversion, and number and type sizes.
  - SMMUMAN User's Guide
  - SPI Framework Technote
  - System Analysis Toolkit (SAT) User's Guide
  - Technotes
  - User's Guide
    The QNX OS User's Guide is intended for all users of a QNX OS system, from system administrators to end users.
- Graphics
- Programming
- System Security Guide
  The QNX System Security Guide is intended for both system integrators who are responsible for the security of a QNX OS system and developers who want to create a QNX OS resource manager free from vulnerabilities.
- Utilities & Libraries
- Migrating to QNX OS 8.0
QNX Software in the Cloud
QNX Toolkit for Visual Studio Code
This User's Guide describes the QNX Toolkit for Visual Studio Code. The guide introduces you to the QNX Toolkit by explaining the QNX development environment and how to build, run, and debug your QNX OS applications and systems.
Typographical Conventions, Support, and Licensing
This section describes the typographical conventions used throughout the documentation and explains how to obtain technical support.

Working with QNX BSPs

QNX SDP8.0Building Embedded SystemsConfigurationDeveloper

Before you attempt to write a new BSP or modify an existing one, it is helpful to know how to use a BSP.

This chapter explains how to use a QNX BSP. Specifically, this chapter takes you through the tasks you must complete to boot a QNX OS system on a target platform.

Note:

The information presented here is generic; that is, unless otherwise noted, the information is valid for all BSPs for the current QNX OS release, but may lack some details required for specific boards. For detailed information and instructions for a specific board, see the BSP User's Guide for that board.

BSPs are QNX OS release-specific as well as hardware-specific. Make sure that you have the BSP for your QNX OS release as well as your hardware platform.

Unless otherwise specified, the instructions in this chapter assume that you are working in the command line on a Linux host.

Tasks

To get the QNX OS running on a target platform, you need to:

Install the QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) on a Linux or Windows host system.
Connect the required cables to your target board, and configure the board DIP switches, if applicable (for specific instructions, see the BSP User's Guide for your board).
Download, extract, and build your BSP (see Getting and extracting a BSP and Building a BSP).
Transfer the bootable OS image to your target platform (see Transferring an IFS to a target platform).

The method you use to transfer the bootable OS image depends on the storage technologies your board supports (bootable SD card or micro SD card, eMMC; see your BSP User's Guide).
Boot the board, and confirm that the QNX OS is running on it.

Hardware documentation

Before you begin working with your BSP, you may wish to review the documentation for your board's hardware and boot loader. This information is normally provided by the board vendor. Each BSP User's Guide includes, where possible, a link to a vendor website, or to a third-party site where you'll find general information about your board's hardware and firmware.

Page updated: May 17, 2024