Linux Cross-Compiler for Windows

The Linux^® cross-compiler for Windows^® allows you to create SerDes Linux IBIS-AMI models (SO files) while on a Windows computer.

System Requirements

You must install the cross-complier in the C: drive. The cross-compiler is self-contained within the C:\cygwin64-cross-compiler folder.

To download, compile, and build the cross-compiler, you need:

12.5 GB space in your C: drive.
Administrative rights to your Windows computer.
You need a Simulink^® Coder™ and Embedded Coder^® license to enable this feature.

The build takes around 2.5 hours to complete, depending on the performance of your computer. If you do not have Microsoft^® Windows Subsystem for Linux already installed, the script prompts you to restart your computer during the build.

Use the serdes.utilities.createCrossCompiler MATLAB^® script to download, compile, and install the cross-compiler. The script requires internet access to download software from the web, including Cygwin™, many Cygwin packages, multiple GNU^® software products, Linux kernel, mpfr, zlib, and crosstool-ng.

The script downloads a custom installation of Cygwin with specific packages to build the cross compiler.  This is a separate, dedicated copy of Cygwin to be used with the cross compiler. The script ignores any existing copy of Cygwin on your computer.

Download, Compile, and Install Cross-Compiler

To start building the cross-compiler, in a MATLAB command prompt, type:

serdes.utilities.createCrossCompiler

This runs the build script and opens a Windows command prompt.

Linux cross-compiler for Windows start screen

You need to run the script multiple times to progress through the various steps to build the cross-compiler. The script may ask you to restart your computer several times. For example, if you do not have Windows Subsystem for Linux installed in your system, the script installs it for you and asks your to restart your computer.

Restart computer during installation

After restarting your computer, open MATLAB again and rerun the script. The script continues from where it left off.

Once the compilation process is complete, the Windows command prompt says: The cross-compiler is now built and ready to use.

The cross-compiler build is complete.

At this point, the cross-compiler is all set to be used with SerDes Toolbox™.

Copy Cross-Compiler to Multiple Locations

If you need to use the cross-complier on multiple computers, you need to perform the build process only once. After the build is complete, you can copy the C:\cygwin64-cross-compiler directory with all its contents to any other Windows machine and access it from there.