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Getting Started

This page walks you from a fresh clone to a running Alp SDK example. If you already have a Zephyr toolchain, jump to step 3.

Two ways to develop

Pick whichever fits your workflow:

  • Hand-written firmware — write C against <alp/...> headers directly. The path covered below.
  • alp-studio codegen — drag-and-drop blocks; Studio emits the same <alp/...> API. See alp-studio.

The flow at a glance:

Prerequisites​

The SDK is supported equally on Linux, macOS, and Windows (native PowerShell or WSL2). Tooling versions are identical across hosts.

ToolVersionNotes
Zephyrv4.4.0Pinned by the SDK's west.yml.
Python3.10+For west, the board.yaml loader, validators.
Python depspyyaml, jsonschema, imgtoolInstalled by scripts/bootstrap.sh.
CMake3.20+find_package(Zephyr) minimum.
C compilerGCC 11+ / Clang 14+native_sim builds; cross-toolchain for real silicon.
west1.2+pip install west if your distro doesn't ship it.

Per-platform install one-liners:

Homebrew
brew install cmake ninja python git
pip3 install west

For real-silicon builds you'll also need the Zephyr SDK (zephyr-sdk-0.17.0) and a JTAG/SWD probe.

Step 1 — Clone and bootstrap​

Clone + bootstrap
git clone https://github.com/alplabai/alp-sdk
cd alp-sdk
bash scripts/bootstrap.sh
source ../zephyrproject/.venv/bin/activate
export ZEPHYR_BASE="$PWD/../zephyrproject/zephyr"

scripts/bootstrap.sh creates a Zephyr workspace next to alp-sdk/, runs west update --narrow, installs west + the SDK's Python deps and an editable alp CLI into a workspace venv (zephyrproject/.venv — your system Python is never touched), and prints host-specific hints for the optional native libraries the Yocto backends need. It's idempotent, and it reuses an existing $ZEPHYR_BASE workspace when it's a compatible v4.4.x tree.

On native Windows, run the PowerShell-7+ companion instead — it lays down the same workspace + venv + editable alp CLI:

Native Windows (PowerShell)
git clone https://github.com/alplabai/alp-sdk
cd alp-sdk
pwsh scripts\bootstrap.ps1
& ..\zephyrproject\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
$env:ZEPHYR_BASE = "$PWD\..\zephyrproject\zephyr"

bootstrap.ps1 won't install git / CMake / Python / Ninja for you (it prints the matching winget install line and exits if one is missing) and leaves the Arm toolchain + Zephyr SDK as manual installs. native_sim isn't available on native Windows — use WSL2 for the simulator + Yocto halves. See Installation for the full walkthrough.

Step 2 — Set up the Zephyr workspace (alternative)​

If you'd rather drive west directly:

mkdir alp-workspace && cd alp-workspace
west init -m https://github.com/alplabai/alp-sdk
west update --narrow -o=--depth=1
west zephyr-export

After this the workspace contains zephyr/, the standard Zephyr modules, and alp-sdk/ mounted as a Zephyr module.

Step 3 — Build the GPIO example​

The alp CLI is the single front door — from inside a project it finds board.yaml, builds every core, and (on native_sim) runs the result in one step:

cd alp-sdk/examples/peripheral-io/gpio-button-led
alp run                    # build for native_sim + execute

Prefer driving west directly? The same build, spelled out:

cd alp-workspace
west alp-build -b native_sim/native/64 alp-sdk/examples/peripheral-io/gpio-button-led
west build -d build -t run

Expected output:

*** Booting Zephyr OS build v4.4.0 ***
[gpio] init button=BOARD_PIN_ENCODER_SW, led=BOARD_PIN_LED_RED
[gpio] led=0 status=0
[gpio] led=1 status=0
...
[gpio] done

Either front door validates the example's board.yaml, generates alp.conf + the build-time <alp_hw_info_build.h> companion header, and delegates to west build. See the board.yaml reference for the schema.

Step 4 — Target real hardware​

For an Alp Lab EVK (or your own board), the alp front door builds every core from the project's board.yaml and programs the whole system over its registered flash backends:

cd alp-sdk/examples/peripheral-io/gpio-button-led
alp build && alp flash

Driving west directly instead — swap the board flag per family:

# AEN family on the E1M EVK
west alp-build -b alp_e1m_evk_aen alp-sdk/examples/peripheral-io/gpio-button-led
west flash

# V2N family on the E1M-X EVK
west alp-build -b alp_e1m_evk_v2n alp-sdk/examples/v2n/v2n-gd32-bridge-ping
west flash

Board files live in alplabai/alp-zephyr-modules; they are pulled in automatically by west update.

To order an Alp Lab EVK, request a dev kit.

What next?​

Questions about this page? Discuss in Community Forum