Category Archives: MCUXpresso

Using FatFS and MinINI with the NXP LPC55S16 EVK

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For a research project we selected the NXP LPC55S16 but because it has due the silicon shortage it is not available probably for the next 52 weeks (yikes!) we can use the EVK Board.

The FatFS file system from Elm Chan is the de-facto file system for many embedded systems. As such it comes integrated with silicon vendor SDKs like the NXP MCUXpresso SDK. The problem is that the SDK only has examples for things on the board, and because that board does not have a SD card socket, no example for using FatFS with an SDK card is provided :-(. So I had to create one, and you can get it from GitHub.

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Visual Studio Code for C/C++ with ARM Cortex-M: Part 2 – Project

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This is the second part of series or articles how to use the Microsoft Visual Studio Code for embedded development on ARM Cortex-M. In this part I’m going to show how to create and build a project using CMake running Make or Ninja as build system.

Building with Visual Studio a simple ARM Cortex-M Project (NXP K22FN512)
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Upgrade to a new NXP MCUXpresso SDK

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As time flies by, my projects are evolving. My lab projects get used over multiple semesters, and the MCUXpresso projects by default use the SDK version used at that time.

This is great because I do want to have control over what SDK is used. But from time to time it makes sense to upgrade a project to a newer version. In this post I’ll show how an existing project can be upgraded to use a new SDK.

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Play a Sound at the End of the Build with Eclipse

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Using Post-Build feature in Eclipse is a great way to augment a build with all kind of actions. What if the build takes a long time and you want to get notified? One way is to play a sound at the end of the build process.

Post-Build Step with a Sound Action
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New MCUXpresso IDE v11.3.1

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NXP has released an updated version of the Eclipse based MCUXpresso IDE: the V11.3.1 is an update of the v11.3.0 I wrote about it back in January this year.

The release includes new device support, and beside of bug fixes includes a few new things.

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Enhancing Binary Utilities in MCUXpresso IDE

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The NXP MCUXpresso IDE has a nice context menu for executing different actions on a binary in the Eclipse Project Explorer View:

Binary Utilities

What it makes it even nicer: I can configure and use it to do anything I like. For example I can convert files and copy it in one action.

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Debug Firmware Switching for the LPC4322

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In “Freelink LPC4322JET100 based Debug Circuit on NXP i.MX RT1064-EVK Board” I described how to change the factory firmware from OpenSDA to the LPC-Link2 one.

Debug Circuit on i.MX RT1064
Debug Circuit on i.MX RT1064

Now it is possible to use a Segger J-Link firmware too, or to switch back to the factory default one.

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Using Linux Shell Commands on Windows with MCUXpresso Pre-/Post-Build Steps

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In “Touch & Build: Auto-Update of Firmware Date and Time” I’m using commands as ‘touch’ in a pre-build script with the NXP Eclipse based MCUXpresso IDE. That ‘touch’ command is not a Windows shell command, but common on Linux: it updates the time/date of a file.

Build Step Dialog in MCUXpresso IDE

Build Step Dialog in MCUXpresso IDE

As a Windows user you might wonder what is about this ‘Linux compatible shell’?

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Touch & Build: Auto-Update of Firmware Date and Time

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It is very valuable to have a date and time information in the binary. That way for example using a shell I can check the version of the firmware running on a device, or it can be printed on a console or UART as needed.

Firmware Date and Time

Firmware Date and Time

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“java.net.SocketException: Connection reset”: Check your Windows Updates!

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One of the most frustrating part developing embedded applications is if the debug connection fails somehow: with all the different factors like operating system, virtual machines, USB ports and hubs, debug probe and firmware a ‘connection failed’ is my nightmare. And this is probably the most frustrating parts for my students (and myself!)

I do have a growing list of tips & tricks in “Debugging Failure: Check List and Hints“, so check this list. What I just have added is an entry for

java.net.SocketException: Connection reset

It occurred for a few students when they wanted to use the on-board CMSIS-DAP LinkServer debug connection on the NXP LPC845-BRK.

NXP LPC845-BRK Board

NXP LPC845-BRK Board

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