Installing Processor Expert into MCUXpresso IDE

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With the new MCUXpresso versions out, and because it has been a while I showed how to install Processor Expert into Eclipse, here is an update how to do this.

Processor Expert in MCUXpresso IDE

Overview

Processor Expert is a graphical tool around the concept of software components, which can be configured and used like ‘Lego’ bricks to build up smaller and larger embedded applications. NXP has discontinued Processor Expert in their general purpose MCU line and replaced it with the ‘Configuration Tools’, while on the automotive MCU side it is still integrated in their S32DS IDE.

In this article I’m using the version 11.5.1, but the same applies to the version 11.5.0 of the IDE.

MCUXpresso IDE 11.5.0

Installation

The installation takes about 15 minutes and enables the IDE to use Processor Expert. Because there is a conflict with the configuration tools installed by default in the IDE, they have to uninstalled first.

The plugins to be installed are available on the NXP web site (https://www.nxp.com/design/software/development-software/processor-expert-software:PEX_DEV_TOOLS): make sure you unzip the downloaded files first, then install them into Eclipse.

The video below shows all the steps, up to debugging a Processor Expert component based project on a board:

Be aware that the combination of Processor Expert with the NXP MCUXpresso IDE is not officially supported. For new projects I recommend to use the SDK with the configuration tools, but if you have (as I have) many Processor Expert projects to maintain over the next years, having the ability to use the latest Eclipse and GNU tools is for sure a good thing.

Happy Experting 🙂

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15 thoughts on “Installing Processor Expert into MCUXpresso IDE”

  1. Hi Erich.
    I have watched your video and followed all the steps to uninstall and install all components.
    after importing a PEx project that was built success in KDS3.0 and “Generate Processor Expert Code” create a “Generated_Code” folder, and place all necessary files, but when I click the ‘hammer ‘ to build the project, the build log shows:

    **** Build of configuration Debug for project MyTest_Project ****
    Nothing to build for project MyTest_Project

    Thanks.
    Cai.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

      • Hi Erich,

        I’m using devices from all across the Kinetis line…KE02, K64, KL25, KL36, K22, KV31, etc.
        I most definitely use your PEx components and I’m so glad you continue to provide updates!

        I’ve been using KDS with PEx for several years and when NXP stopped supporting KDS I started to migrate to MCUXpresso, but eventually reverted back to KDS for most of my projects. In my mind, using the config tools is much more time consuming a lot less user friendly than PEx. Now that you’ve posted this, I’m excited to give MCUXpresso another shot!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply ↓

        • Hi James,
          thank you so much for the details. I agree: PEx has been in many ways easier to use and better than the config tools as of today, for me too.

          Like

  3. Hi Erich,

    Thank you for another important tutorial!

    I did everything you mentioned in the video, but unfortunately I received an error when trying to create a new PEx project:

    ERROR: Not possible to run: Drivers/Common/ComponentSettings.js. Java scripting engine not initialized.

    I’m using 11.8.1 version and I wasn’t facing this issue with 11.7.1 version : (

    Can you please help me on this? In the latter case I use the previous version but I prefer to stay with the most current one.

    Best regards,

    Márcio.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Currently I’m using as well 11.7.1 for my PEx based projects, I have not moved to 11.8.x for this, did not try it. But it would not be a surprise that things in the Java engine might break Processor Expert in recent versions, because this is not what NXP is supporting anyway, so they do not test it. 11.7.x with PEx works fine for me, so I try to keep it as this if possible.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  4. Hi Erich,

    I’ve decided to use 11.7.x version and the installation was ok, but right now I’m facing new issues here:

    -When I try to switch the workspace from the default directory to any other directory it allways craches on start up;

    -In the default workspace directory I can create a new PEx project, but I can’t built it and got this message at the console (TRx_Git is the name of my project):

    “**** Build of configuration Debug for project TRx_Git ****

    Nothing to build for project TRx_Git”

    -When I import an working project that I’ve developed in my other pc I’ve got this other message at the console:

    “Cannot run program “make”: Launching failed

    Error: Program “make” not found in PATH
    PATH=[C:/nxp/MCUXpressoIDE_11.7.1_9221/ide//jre/bin/server;C:/nxp/MCUXpressoIDE_11.7.1_9221/ide//jre/bin;C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\;C:\Program Files\Git\cmd;C:\Users\lucas\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\Users\lucas\AppData\Local\GitHubDesktop\bin;C:\Users\lucas\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin;C:\nxp\MCUXpressoIDE_11.7.1_9221\ide]”

    Like

    Reply ↓

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