This friendly guide walks you through getting the library onto your machine and compiling it for a quick test build – or for integration into a larger project. It assumes a desktop environment with the GNU toolchain available – any C++20 compliant compiler will do.

1. Clone the Repository

Begin by cloning the code from GitHub. If you plan to integrate the driver into another repository you can instead add it as a Git submodule. Install git if needed and run:

git clone https://github.com/<your-account>/HF-TMC9660.git

cd HF-TMC9660

Or as a submodule:

git submodule add https://github.com/<your-account>/HF-TMC9660.git external/HF-TMC9660

cd external/HF-TMC9660

The remainder of this guide assumes the working directory is the root of the cloned repository.

2. Install a C++20 Toolchain

The driver requires a modern compiler with C++20 support.

Linux – g++ 10+ or Clang 11+.
Windows – MSYS2/MinGW packages or Visual Studio 2019 with the -std:c++20 switch.

Verify your compiler with:

g++ --version

If you get an error or the reported version is older than 10 then update or install a newer compiler before proceeding.

3. Build the Library

No special build system is provided so you can slot the files directly into your own build. For a quick standalone test, compile the sources with a single command:

g++ -std=c++20 -Iinc src/TMC9660.cpp -c -o TMC9660.o

This creates an object file which you can link into your program. If you are using the bootloader helper add src/TMC9660Bootloader.cpp to the command line as well. When integrating with a larger project you may instead compile the sources as part of your existing build system or turn them into a static library.

4. Verify the Setup with an Example

To confirm that everything is working try building one of the provided examples. The following compiles the Hall sensor BLDC demo:

g++ -std=c++20 -Iinc src/TMC9660.cpp examples/BLDC_with_HALL.cpp -o hall_demo

Running the resulting executable should print a short message to the console. If you see it – 🎉 congratulations! The library is now built correctly and is ready to drop into your own project.

5. Next Steps

Implement a custom communication interface as described in ImplementingCommInterface.md.
Explore the full examples in HardwareAgnosticExamples.md.
Integrate the object files into your build system or create a small static library to reuse across multiple projects.

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