Get Started with the FRDM-KW24D512 | NXP Semiconductors

Get Started with the FRDM-KW24D512

Last Modified: 2019-03-26 11:21:15Supports FRDM-KW24D512 | KW2xD | Wireless

Contents of this document

  • 1

    Plug It In
  • 2

    Get Software
  • 3

    Build, Run
  • 4

    Create

1. Plug It In

Let's take your FRDM-KW24D512 for a test drive!

1.1 Attach the USB Cable

1.2 Start the Board and Run the Out-of-Box Demo

The LEDs on your FRDM-KW24D512 should start flashing in serial mode when you connect the board.

2. Get Software

In this step, you will be guided to download the software and tools required to build and run the connectivity solutions.

2.1 Download KW2xD Connectivity Software

Thread, IEEE 802.15.4, and SMAC Stacks

The KW2XD Connectivity Software package integrates the Kinetis Software Development Kit v2.0 and all the wireless connectivity stacks required to develop your solution using Thread, IEEE 802.15.4 and/or SMAC.

Click below to download the KW2XD Connectivity Software appropriate for your computer's operating system.

Get KW2xD Connectivity Software

For Windows

Get KW2xD Connectivity Software

For Linux

BeeStack Stack

NXP BeeStack contains features corresponding to the ZigBee Home Automation 1.2 and ZigBee Light Link 1.0 profiles. Mesh network stack layers with multi-instance support. FreeRTOS OS and NXP MQX RTOS configurations supported.

Download BeeStack

2.2 Install Your Toolchain

NXP offers a complimentary toolchain called Kinetis Design Studio (KDS)

Get Kinetis Design Studio

No problem. The KW2XD Connectivity Software includes support for other tools such IAR.

2.3 PC Configuration

Install the CMSIS-DAP Serial drivers

The FRDM-KW24D512 has CMSIS-DAP firmware in its built-in OpenSDA debug circuit, so you’ll want to make sure that the driver for the board’s virtual COM port is installed. Before you run the driver installer, you MUST have the board plugged in to your PC.

Download CMSIS-DAP Driver

Install the Segger J-Link drivers

If you plan on using Kinetis Design Studio, you will need to use the JLink debug interface instead of the CMSIS-DAP interface. So you will need to download and install the latest Segger J-Link drivers for your host PC to update the drivers used by Kinetis Design Studio.

Download Segger J-Link Drivers

Also, be sure to check the Kinetis Design studio installation that you plan to use when prompted to update IDE installations at the end of the driver installation. Below is an example of the prompt that you will see.

GS-FRDM-KW41Z-SEGGER

GS-FRDM-KW41Z-SEGGER
these steps to update the Jlink path variable in KDS.

2.4 Terminal Configuration

Configure your preferred terminal to 115200 baud rate, 8 data bits, no parity and 1 stop bit. To determine the port number of the FRDM-KW2XD's virtual COM port, open the device manager and look under the "Ports" group.

Not sure how to use a terminal application? Try one of these tutorials:

Tera Term Tutorial, PuTTY Tutorial

3. Build, Run

These steps show how to run the SMAC Connectivity Test demo, but these steps can also be applied to any of the Wireless Connectivity demo applications.

Build the application demo

  1. Open the "Connectivity_Test.eww" IAR workspace. connectivitysoftware_install_folder \boards\frdmkw24\wireless_examples\smac\connectivity_test\freertos\iar\connectivity_test_freertos.eww/connectivitysoftware_install_folder
  2. Select and build the "Connectivity_Test - Debug" project by right clicking on the project and selecting “Make”

Download and Run the application demo

  1. Connect your FRDM-KW24D512 board to your PC using the mini-B USB cable and plugging into the J15 USB connector on the board.

  2. Click the "Download and Debug" icon to flash the board.

  3. Open a Terminal Emulator program and open a session to your FRDM-KW24D512 COM port.

    Configure the terminal with these settings:

    • 115200 baud rate
    • No parity
    • 8 data bits
    • 1 stop bit
  4. Press "Go" button.

  5. The following output will be displayed in the serial terminal.

    If you don’t see this output, verify your terminal settings and connections.

  6. Stop the debugger by clicking on the Stop Debugging button in IAR.

  7. Now unplug the first board, and plug in the other FRDM-KW24D512

  8. Program the second FRDM-KW24D512 with the same SMAC firmware by using the same steps as above.

  9. Close any open terminal windows, then power cycle both boards, and with both boards plugged into your computer, open up a terminal window for each board.

  10. Hit the reset button each board and then hit the Enter key on the terminal to bring up the Connectivity Test options for each board.

  11. Refer to connectivitysoftware_install_folder connectivitysoftware_install_folder \docs\wireless\SMAC\Kinetis SMAC Demo Applications User's Guide.pdf document for instructions on how to run all the demo applications.

3.1 Explore the Connectivity Example Codes

3.2 Build, Run and Debug Wireless Connectivity Examples

You probably want to build and debug a demo by yourself. Use the guide below to learn how to build and debug an example SMAC application from the Wireless Connectivity Stack in the Kinetis Design Studio (KDS) IDE or IAR Embedded Workbench IDE.

4. Create

NXP provides a project cloner tool which allows you to copy an existing demo to use as a base for your own development, keeping the original demo app resources for reference. The cloner tool is included in your software package download. It can be found in \tools\wireless\ProjectCloner.

4.1 Run the Project Cloner

After navigating to the Project Cloner folder, open the utility by clicking on the ProjectCloner.exe executable. Follow the directions in step two to clone a project.

4.2 Clone a Project

Follow these steps to clone a project:


  1. Select a codebase path.
    (Click Browse, and then in the dialog box, point the cloner to the path of the desired software installation).
  2. Select an example to clone.
  3. Select a configuration (this includes, RTOS, IDE, and board)
  4. Enter a name for your application (if you wish to change the name from the default)
  5. Select a destination folder (just as was done for selecting a codebase path).
    Note: When cloning KDS projects, compile time problems can occur due to file path length issues. NXP recommends to clone your projects to "C:\NXP" to avoid compilation issues caused by lengthy file path length issues.
  6. Select the desired IDE tools
  7. Click Clone Project

4.3 Open Your Project

Navigate to the Destination root path>\boards\\ folder to access the application files.

4.4 Start Creating your Own Application

Modify your recently cloned application to start your own design!

For more information about the application and the APIs available, take a look at the applications development guides which can be found in \docs\wireless directory. The developer's guides for each supported wireless protocol can be found in the respective protocol folder.