+TITLE: qp-arduino README
+AUTHOR: Peter Polidoro
+EMAIL: [email protected]
- Brought to you by
[[./extras/img/logo_ql_400.png]]
[[./extras/img/logo_qp-arduino.png]]
- Documentation
This README provides a quick overview of QP for Arduino.
More detailed documentation for qpcpp, QM, and QTools can be found at:
https://QuantumLeaps.github.io/qp-arduino/
Please refer to the companion website to this project at:
https://www.state-machine.com/arduino
- Repository Information
- Name: qp-arduino
- Description: QP real-time embedded framework for Arduino (ARM Cortex-M)
- Version: 6.9.9
- qpcpp version: 6.9.3
- QM version: 5.2.3
- QTools version: 6.9.3
- Release Date: 2026-02-18
- Creation Date: 2017-01-30
- License: GPLv3
- URL: https://github.com/QuantumLeaps/qp-arduino
- Author: Quantum Leaps
- Repository Maintainer: Peter Polidoro
- Email: [email protected]
- Copyright: Quantum Leaps, LLC
- References:
- Description
The Quantum Leaps’ QP™ real-time embedded frameworks (RTEFs) and the QM™ modeling tool complement the Arduino platform and provide everything you need to program Arduino graphically with event-driven active objects and modern hierarchical state machines.
- Provided Library and Examples
This repository contains one external library for ARM Cortex-M based Arduinos:
- =qp-arduino= -- QP/C++ framework for Arduinos based on ARM Cortex-M
This repository also contains several examples under =examples/= for:
- Teensy 4.1 (Teensyduino / PlatformIO)
- Arduino Due (ATSAM3X8E)
- Installation
The QP adaptation for Arduino may be used either with the [[https://www.arduino.cc/en/software][Arduino IDE]] or with [[https://platformio.org/install/cli][PlatformIO]].
The intended way of working with the examples is to use the [[https://www.state-machine.com/products/qm/][QM modeling tool]] to modify the models (=.qm= files) and then to generate code from these models.
In this scenario, the Arduino IDE or PlatformIO are used only to build and upload the code to the Arduino board(s).
** Arduino IDE
Download and set up the Arduino IDE if necessary:
https://www.arduino.cc/en/software
This library may be installed by either using the Arduino IDE Library Manager or by downloading this repository into the Sketchbook location directly.
Assuming that you have installed the QP library in your =
=File|Examples|Examples from Custom Libraries=
NOTE: The preferences in the Arduino IDE should be set up to =Use external editor= so that the IDE will update the code each time it is re-generated by the QM modeling tool.
NOTE: QS tracing (=QS_ON=) is enabled by necessity in all Arduino code so the output is binary. Use QSPY (from QTools) to view the trace stream; a standard serial terminal/serial monitor is not suitable.
*** Arduino IDE Library Manager
In the Arduino IDE Library Manager, search for qp-arduino and install the latest version.
*** Downloading into Sketchbook Location
This repository can be downloaded into the Sketchbook location either as a single zip archive or cloned to a local git repository.
You need to unzip the zip archive, or clone the git repository, into your
Arduino =
After the installation, your Arduino =
+BEGIN_SRC sh
**** Zip File
https://github.com/QuantumLeaps/qp-arduino/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
**** Git
+BEGIN_SRC sh
git clone https://github.com/QuantumLeaps/qp-arduino.git
+END_SRC
** PlatformIO (recommended) via Pixi
This repository provides a cross-platform, reproducible command-line workflow via [[https://pixi.sh/][pixi]]:
- pixi manages the PlatformIO CLI (no manual =venv= / =pip install platformio=)
- pixi tasks select which example to build by setting =PLATFORMIO_SRC_DIR= (so you do not edit =platformio.ini=)
*** Install pixi
Follow the official installation instructions:
*** Install dependencies
From the repository root:
+BEGIN_SRC sh
pixi install
+END_SRC
*** Build and upload examples
List connected ports/devices:
+BEGIN_SRC sh
pixi run ports
+END_SRC
Build and upload the default example (=examples/dpp_bsp-teensy4= on Teensy 4.1):
+BEGIN_SRC sh
pixi run build pixi run upload # defaults to /dev/ttyACM0 pixi run upload /dev/ttyACM1 # override port
+END_SRC
Build and upload other examples:
+BEGIN_SRC sh
Teensy 4.1
pixi run build-blinky-bsp-teensy4 pixi run upload-blinky-bsp-teensy4 /dev/ttyACM0
Arduino Due / ATSAM3X8E
pixi run build-blinky-sam pixi run upload-blinky-sam /dev/ttyACM0
pixi run build-blinky2-sam pixi run upload-blinky2-sam /dev/ttyACM0
pixi run build-blinky-bsp-sam pixi run upload-blinky-bsp-sam /dev/ttyACM0
pixi run build-dpp-bsp-sam pixi run upload-dpp-bsp-sam /dev/ttyACM0
+END_SRC
NOTE: On macOS the port is typically like =/dev/cu.usbmodemXXXX=, and on Windows it is typically like =COM3=. The upload tasks accept any port string.
** QM and QTools (QM 5.2.3 / QTools 6.9.3)
Only very specific versions of QM and QTools are compatible with the qpcpp version used by qp-arduino:
- QM: =5.2.3=
- QTools: =6.9.3= (includes QSPY)
This repository provides pixi tasks that download/install these pinned versions locally into:
=./.tools/quantum-leaps/=
Install both QM and QTools:
+BEGIN_SRC sh
pixi run ql-install
+END_SRC
Launch QM:
+BEGIN_SRC sh
pixi run qm
+END_SRC
Install/build QTools (and build qspy on Linux/macOS if needed):
+BEGIN_SRC sh
pixi run qtools-install
+END_SRC
Run QSPY (arguments are passed through to =qspy=):
+BEGIN_SRC sh
pixi run qspy -c /dev/ttyACM0 -b 115200
+END_SRC
If you want QSPY's own help, use the explicit separator:
+BEGIN_SRC sh
pixi run qspy -- -h
+END_SRC
- QP/Spy Software Tracing Support
The qpcpp_arm-cm library supports the [[https://www.state-machine.com/software-tracing][QP/Spy software tracing]]. This feature is also demonstrated in the qpcpp examples (with the BSP).
In this repository, QS tracing (=QS_ON=) is enabled in the BSP-based examples. QS_ON must be enabled whenever qpcpp is used with Arduino code due to Arduino macro limitations.
NOTE: Because the QP/Spy output is binary, you cannot watch it with a standard serial terminal. Instead, you need to use the [[https://www.state-machine.com/qtools/qspy.html][QSPY host utility]].
** QView Demonstration
Once QP/Spy tracing is enabled, the communication with the target system can be used for [[https://www.state-machine.com/qtools/qview.html][QView visualization and monitoring]].
The =dpp_bsp-teensy4= example demonstrates QView monitoring. To see this feature, upload the =dpp_bsp-teensy4= code to the Teensy 4.1 board and then launch QView.
- Licensing
The QP/C++ real-time embedded framework (RTEF) for Arduino is licensed under the modified GPLv3 license with the [[https://www.state-machine.com/licenses/QP-Arduino_GPL_Exception.txt][QP-Arduino Exception]] (see also the file ([[./QP-Arduino_GPL_Exception.txt][QP-Arduino_GPL_Exception.txt]] in the root of this repository).
Specifically, the Arduino GPLv3 Exception removes the requirement to expose your proprietary source code as long as you deploy it on an Arduino-Certified board.
The [[https://www.state-machine.com/qm/][QM model-based design tool]] is freeware. The QM tool is provided under the terms of a simple [[https://www.state-machine.com/qm/license.html][End-User License Agreement (EULA)]].
- Support Questions
Please submit any questions or comments to the free QP support forum at: