55 thoughts on “MCUXpresso IDE: Installing Processor Expert into Eclipse Neon”

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5. Hi Erich,
   how to install USBDM on MCUXpresso ?

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   • Hi Carlos,
     for unknown reasons, I have never been able to use USBDM on my Windows 7 or Windows 10 machine, so I even have not tried it with Eclipse Neon at all. Best if you try the steps outlined at http://usbdm.sourceforge.net/USBDM_V4.11/USBDM_JS16/html/software_installation_page.html and I hope you have more luck than I had.

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     • Hi Erich,
       I use on KDS ok, thanks.

       other question, install MCUEprosso, update ok
       now it problems license not found
       Install the first! <—-second install, error order.
       unitall all, re-install firt ‘freescale_updater.zip‘, others…

       install components Components 2017-03-12.zip ok
       I creat project PE ok, no oped project, not show views.

       thanks,
       Carlos.

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       • Hi Carlos,
         what kind of license not found? If you have this in the console view:
         
Processor Expert license file = not used (no license file)
CDE: no license found, using Community Edition License

         then it is normal.
         And use the menu Window > Show Views > Processor Expert to show any other views.

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7. Hi Erich,

   I followed the entire blog thread on this topic and everything installed as expected.
   Processor Expert was working and all was well.
   Until… I close Eclipse and restarted. Now it just hangs in the splash screen at: “Loading com.freescale.processorexpert.ui.selector”

   If I select a different workspace before the splash screen, it comes up.
   After that, Switch Workspace back to the original, it crashes.

   Any ideas? Perhaps some java related switches for mcuxpressoide.ini
   It is running on Windows 7-64

   Thanks, Bill

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   • Hi Bill,
     I remember I had that for some of the views showing up, but do not remember what was the problem.
     What I did was open that workspace with another Neon Instance without processsor Expert, then closed all the Processor Expert views so they do not show up at the startup.

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     • That’s a good idea! I didn’t think of that. 🙂

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8. I have install, but do not support MK66 and MK26, just the Kinetis microcontrollers I need.
   Some solution to install Processor Express in MCUXpresso with support for MK66 and MK26 ??

   Thanks

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   • Hi Luis,
     newer processors are not supported by Processor Expert. NXP has decided that with the start of the SDK v2.0 (see https://mcuoneclipse.com/2016/01/29/first-nxp-kinetis-sdk-release-sdk-v2-0-with-on-demand-package-builder/). I believe there was a SDK v1.3 package for the K66, but not sure (and I’m not using the SDK v1.x any more). What I did is rewriting my own Processor Expert components so they can work with newer devices like K66 in combination with the SDK v2. But this does not cover pin muxing, for this NXP proposes the Pins (and Clocks) tool: https://mcuoneclipse.com/2016/06/08/tutorial-muxing-with-the-new-nxp-pins-tool/

     I hope this helps,
     Erich

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     • Thank you Erich.
       SDK v1.3 support MK26/MK66, I tested it in KDS and work fine.

       I will check your instructions. I hope some time NXP add again Processor Expert to MCUXpresso. I can not understand why they have remove, its an essential tool, all another MCU manufacturers add a similar tool to config device.

       Kind Regards

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11. ¿Processor expert is avalaible for GNULinux (e.g Ubuntu)?

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    • I’m not actively using Linux, but yes, some of my students are using it on Mac and Linux.

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13. Hi, Erich, I’ve succeeded in install the Processor Export within MCUXpresso, but when I selected the components, it reminds of some error, saying “An internal error has occurred, java.lang.NullPointerException. “and when I restart MCUXpresso, it stalled somewhere. Saying “Loading com.freescale.processorexpert.ui.selector. “Could you help me figure out what happened?

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    • Not sure if this is the same problem I saw occasionally. It seems to be triggered by the Component Library view, if it is open and visible in the workspace/perspective.
      The solution I have used is the following:
      a) I have installed MCUXpresso IDE in a separete directory (‘native’ installation, without Processor Expert)
      b) launch that ‘native’ MCUXpresso IDE and open that workspace with the problem
      c) Close any Processor Expert views (especially the ‘Component Library’ one
      d) Close the IDE and and use the Processor Expert IDE with that workspace
      That solved the problem for me. I’m not sure if there in easier way. But there seems to be a problem withe Eclipse loading the view during startup. I saw the same issue with Eclipse Oxygen too.
      I hope this helps,
      Erich

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16. Hi Erich,

    I just followed your instructions but I am experiencing some problems. When I create the Processor Expert Project all goes well but trying to build the project I get the following:

    “**** Build of configuration Debug for project 01_KL25_Blink_PEx ****

    Nothing to build for project 01_KL25_Blink_PEx
    ”
    Looking to the project properties I realized that in Current Toolchain option, “Empty Tool Chain” is selected, but any option I select there is no way to get it working.

    Please, could you help?

    Best Regards

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    • I just saw the previous post installing the toolchain apart from the IDE. Ohg, do you know if NXP will support PEx natively. This process is really exhausting, hard to reproduce or deploy and not maintainable…
      However, thanks for your continuous support.
      Best Regards

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      • NXP has abandoned Processor Expert and it has been replaced with the new MCUXpresso configuration tools.
        But I’m having many, many existing projects with Processor Expert, so I have found a way how to continue to use it.
        But this is not supported or maintained by NXP.

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    • Did you install the GNU ARM Eclipse plugins as well?

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      • Yes, i did install the GNU ARM Eclipse plugins as well

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18. Hi Erich,
    I did your tutorial but at the point when I should install “New Kinetis SDK 2.x Project Wizard” it says: The installation cannot be completed as requested
    As a solution MCUXpresso wants to upgrade/dowgrade the GNU ARM PEMicro Interface Debugging Support
    Any idee how I can install the SDK correct?

    Best regards
    Corsin

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    • Hi Corsin,
      I did not see that problem. On the other hand: I don’t think you will need that wizard, so you can skip that part? If you want to use any SDK project, then I recommend to use the MCUXpresso one and not that outdated v2.x

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19. Hi, Erich,

    After reading “MCUXpresso: Importing Kinetis Design Studio Projects” and “MCUXpresso IDE: Installing Processor Expert Into Eclipse Neon”, I installed MCUExpresso IDE v11,1,1_3241. It’s perfect ! After a few hours of using MCUXpresso seems to me to be more reactive than KDS.
    Unfortunately, I have the impression that “Component Development Environment 1.8.0.RT7_b1530-1106” is buggy or that I do not know how to make it work, because I cannot create my own components. The drv file quickly corrupts.

    What tools do you use to create and manage all of your components?

    Thanking you in advance for your response.

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    • Hi Rémy,
      glad to hear you were able to make it work with the help of the two articles!
      I had tried the Eclipse version of the CDE (Component Development Environment), but it never worked well for me, mainly there were too many issues and problems, and the beans files got very convoluted with unnecessary information. I had submitted several tickets, but oviously development got stopped and things were not addressed.
      So I’m still using what I’m using from the beginning for the component developemt: The ‘Bean Wizard’ which was (is?) part of the CodeWarrior Professional Edition: that wizard was bundled with CodeWarrior and luckily it runs outside of CodeWarrior, and it runs without problems under 64bit Windows 10 still. The only minor issue is that there is limit of I think 128 components in a package for export, that’s why I package my components in two pices. But not a big deal. You get the Wizard with the free-of-charge standard edition of CodeWarrior for MCU too, you can find it in C:\nxp\CW MCU v11.1\MCU\ProcessorExpert\BeanWizard.exe. But it will need a license.

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21. Hi Erich, you said at the beginning to uninstall the config tools from MCUXpresso to avoid conflicts, but how I do that? I couldn’t find any article explaining what is the steps.

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    • I can say that with later versions this was not necessary any more. If you are using that 10.1 (or any other version), you can use the approch I have described in https://mcuoneclipse.com/2012/06/10/uninstalling-eclipse-plugins/ to uninstall a plugin. There you can find something like a MCUXpresso Configuration Tools plugin or intergration.

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      • Ok, I´m not uninstall the config tools but when I try to install the “freescale_updater.zip” I got stucked installing the software at 53% and I don´t now why. I wish I could attach a printscreen to show you here but it´s not possible, right?

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        • No, WordPress does not allow to upload screenshots. What version of IDE are you using? I ask because with later versions you did not had to uninstall anything.

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        • MCUXpresso IDE v11.5.0 [Build 7232] [2022-01-11]

          I think this is this latest version.

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        • https://mcuoneclipse.com/2022/04/19/mcuxpresso-ide-11-5-1/ would be the latest version, but 11.5.0 is the same in for our discussion. I admit I have not installed PEx in 11.5.0 (or 11.5.1) yet, so if you give me some time, I’ll try that on my side (Windows 10) to see if there are any issues?

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        • Of course, thanks for replying promptly Erich!

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        • some good and bad news:
          good: I was able to install the plugins into 11.5.0 without issues.
          bad: I have some errors opening up the PEx views, under investigation….

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        • Update: I was able to resolve the problems I saw, it is working now. I’m going to record a video and prepare a write-up for a new article about it.

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      • Ok, thanks Erich, any news there please let me know.

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        • I hope I can publish it tonight. What I noticed that during installation it might ‘hang’ for several minutes, but then it proceeds. I did not had this with the updater, but with the 3.0.0 base install.

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        • I did publish it here: https://mcuoneclipse.com/2022/05/05/installing-processor-expert-into-mcuxpresso-ide/
          I hope this helps.

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        • Hi Erich, thank you very much for your help, sorry for the delay in responding to you. I was able to successfully install the processor expert and import KDS projects in MCUXpresso 11.5.1, but I’m facing a new problem that is leading me to an unexpected Hard Fault (as far as I could detect), let me explain briefly:

          I have a project with the MK22FN1M0VLL12 and I´m using functions like strncpy, memset, memcpy, etc. from the standard C library like this:

          (void)memcpy(Write_Buffer_EEPROM[342], detector_name, sizeof(detector_name));

          When I’m debbuging and step over this line for example I enter in a hard fault. The size of “Write_Buffer_EEPROM” is 4096 and “detector_name” is 16. The buffer is declared as a byte type and “detector´s name” is char detector_name[17] .

          I know this is not the object’s topic but do you have any idea what is going on here? I already have include the libraries too:
          #include
          #include

          Another thing: when it´s not a hard fault it works fine in debugging mode, but when I reset the board (not in debug) the program does not run. Can you please give me a tip to solve this problem too?

          Thanks in advance,

          Marcio.

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        • About that memcpy(): it looks ok, but what type is Write_Buffer_EEPROM? Is it a char array? Does this array cross the memory controller boundary (see https://mcuoneclipse.com/2013/07/10/freertos-heap-with-segmented-kinetis-k-sram/) because the Kinetis does have two ‘banks’ which are not really combined.

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        • as for the hardfault: are you using printf() or something like that with semihosting? if yes, your hardfault handler needs to deal with it.

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        • Write_Buffer_EEPROM is a byte (unsigned char) array, but I really don´t know about the memory controller boundary, I’ve thought that the Kinetis microcontrollers had linear RAM memory (without paging). When I compile the project I have this memory usage output:
          text data bss dec hex filename
          99052 568 62864 162484 27ab4 TRX_REPO.elf

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        • No, most of the Kinetis devices use a segmented memory map, so it is not really linear: you have to deal with them as it would be two different memory areas. Your .elf file information only tells about the size, not about the mapping, have a read at https://mcuoneclipse.com/2013/04/14/text-data-and-bss-code-and-data-size-explained/

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        • Thank you for your explanation Erich!

          Indeed, the MK22FN1M0VLL12 has the lower and upper sections of the SRAM and right now I’m using 568 bytes of data plus 62864 bytes of bss which leads us to 63432 bytes of the RAM, right? Despite having a small margin of closely 2K in lower SRAM, do you have an article or something to help me to correctly use and switch data between this SRAM sections?

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        • It’s a baremetal project with processor expert and I’m not using SDK.

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        • You can use the __attribute and map variables to different sections/segments, see https://mcuoneclipse.com/2013/07/10/freertos-heap-with-segmented-kinetis-k-sram/

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