Getting Started with FRDM-MCXN947 | NXP Semiconductors

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Getting Started with FRDM-MCXN947

Last Modified: Dec 8, 2023Supports FRDM-MCXN947 | MCUXpresso Developer Experience

Contents of this document

  • 1

    Plug It In

  • 2

    Get Software

  • 3

    Build and Run

  • 4

    Create

  • 5

    MCUXpresso Developer Experience

Purchase your FRDM-MCXN947 | MCUXpresso Developer Experience

Contents of this document

1. Plug It In

Let's take your FRDM board for a test drive! You have the choice of watching the sequence in a short video or following the detailed actions listed below.

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    1.1 Get Familiar with the Board

    The FRDM-MCXN947 board is pre-programmed with a LED blinky demo. This serves as a sanity check to verify that the device is working as expected out of the box.

    1.2 Plug in the Board

    Connect a type-C USB cable from connector J17 to a host computer or power supply to power up the board and run the demo program. At this point, you should see the RGB LED blinking at a steady rhythm.

    Note: If your USB-C cable isn't working or compatible with the FRDM board, please contact us at pl-iiot.marketing@nxp.com

    NextGet Software

    2. Get Software

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      2.1 Install Your Toolchain

      NXP offers complimentary toolchains. Select either MCUXpresso IDE or MCUXpresso for VS Code.

      Get MCUXpresso IDE

      Get MCUXpresso for VS Code

      Learn how to install VS Code for your host PC with the following tutorial.

      Want to use a different toolchain?

      If you need help choosing, explore the MCUXpresso Suite of Software and Tools.

      The MCUXpresso SDK includes support for other tools such as IAR , KEIL  and command-line GCC .

      2.2 Jump Start Your Design with the MCUXpresso SDK

      The MCUXpresso SDK is complimentary and includes full source code under a permissive open-source license for all hardware abstraction and peripheral driver software. You may install the MCUXpresso SDK directly form the MCUXpresso SDK website . Click on the button below to open this board's SDK builder.

      Get MCUXpresso SDK

      2.3 MCUXpresso Config Tools

      The MCUXpresso Config Tool is an integrated suite of configuration tools that guides users in creating new MCUXpresso SDK projects, and also provides pin and clock tools to generate initialization C code for custom board support, It is fully integrated as a part of MCUXpresso IDE and also as a separate tool if using a different IDE.

      Click the Get MCUXpresso Config Tools below to get the Config Tools installer.

      Get MCUXpresso Config Tools

      2.4 Programming and Provisioning Tools

      The MCUXpresso Secure Provisioning (SEC) Tool is a GUI-based application provided to simplify the generation and provisioning of bootable executables on NXP MCU devices. We recommend all users to begin with the MCUXpresso Secure Provisioning (SEC) tool for trial run and mass production use. It supports secure programming and device provisioning on NXP's microcontrollers at the production stage.

      After downloading the tool, you can find the user guide under the ‘Help’ tab. Follow the instructions for your board in the ‘Processor-specific workflow’ chapter.

      SEC Installation

      PreviousPlug It In
      NextBuild and Run

      3. Build and Run

      If one or more of the demo applications or driver examples sounds interesting, you're probably wanting to know how you can build and debug yourself. The Getting Started with MCUXpresso SDK guide provides easy, step-by-step instructions on how to configure, build and debug demos for all toolchains supported by the SDK.

      3.1 Build and Flash Application Using MCUXpresso IDE

      The following steps will guide you through the hello_world demo application using MCUXpresso IDE for the Cortex-M33 application. The MCUXpresso IDE installation and the SDK for the MCXN-Series can be found at the section Get Software of this Getting Started guide.

      1. Find the Quickstart Panel in the lower left-hand corner.
      2. Then click on Import SDK example(s).
      3. Click on the FRDM-MCN947 board to select an example that can run on that board, and then click on Next.
      4. Use the arrow button to expand the demo_apps category, and then click the checkbox next to hello_world to select that project. To use the UART for printing (instead of the default semihosting), select UART as the SDK Debug Console checkbox under the project options. Then, click on Finish
      5. Select the project and build it by either clicking on the “build icon” in the shortcuts provided above or by clicking “Build” in the Quickstart Panel
      6. The project should build without presenting any errors or warnings in the console
      7. Connect the board to your computer with the type-C USB cable to J17 ‘MCU-LINK’ port
      8. Download the application to your board by either clicking on the “debug” icon above or clicking on “Debug” in the Quickstart Panel
      9. Select the MCU-Link CMSIS-DAP debug probe
      10. Open up a serial terminal to be able to see the application’s output. Select the “Terminal” window and press the “new terminal” icon
      11. Choose a “Serial Terminal” and then set the UART settings to 115200 baudrate, 8 bit data size, no parity and 1 stop bit. Press OK
      12. Run the application by pressing the “run” icon. See the output printed on the terminal

      3.2 Build and Flash Application with Alternative Toolchains

      MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code (VS Code) provides an optimized embedded developer experience for code editing and development. Learn how to build and flash an application with VS Code.

      Using a different toolchain?

      This demo is also available for IAR and KEIL.

      PreviousGet Software
      NextCreate

      4. Create

      4.1 Clone an Example Project from MCUXpresso IDE

      The following steps will guide you through the manipulation of the general-purpose outputs. The example sets up a CTimer to generate a PWM signal and change between two LEDs.

      1. Find the Quickstart Panel in the lower left-hand corner and click on Import SDK example(s)
      2. Click on the FRDM-MCXN947 board to select that you want to import an example that can run on that board, and then click on Next
      3. Use the arrow button to expand the driver_examples category, then expand the ctimer examples, click on the check box next to ctimer_match_interrupt_example to select it. To use the UART for printing (instead of the default semihosting), Select UART as the SDK Debug Console checkbox under the project options. Then, click on Finish
      4. Click on the “frdmmcxn947_ctimer_match_interrupt_example” project in the Project Explorer View and build, compile, and run the demo as described in the previous section
      5. You should see the BLUE and RED LED changing back and forth
      6. Terminate the debug session

      4.2 Clone an Example Project Using MCUXpresso Config Tool for 3rd Party IDE

      The following steps will guide you through the manipulation of the general-purpose outputs. The example sets up a SCTimer to generate a PWM signal and change a LED brightness.

      1. Open the MCUXpresso Config Tool
      2. In the wizard that comes up, select the “Create a new configuration based on an SDK example or hello word project” radio button and click on Next
      3. On the next screen, select the location of the MCUXpresso SDK . The SDK package must be unzipped beforehand. Then select the IDE that is being used. Note that only IDEs that were selected in the online SDK builder when the SDK was built will be available and click on clone select example. Then select the project to clone. For this example, we want to use the gpio led output project. You can filter for this by typing “ctimer” in the filter box and then selecting the “ctimer_match_interrupt_example” example project. You can then also specify where to clone the project and the name. Then click on Finish
      4. After cloning go to the directory you selected and open the project for your IDE. Import, compile, and run the project as done in previous sections
      5. You should see the BLUE and RED LED changing back and forth
      6. Terminate the debug session

      4.3 Use MCUXpresso IDE Pins Tools

      Note: Previously, you had to clone an SDK project like in the previous step.

      1. Open the pins tool by selecting “ConfigTools” on the top right hand of the file explorer window and then select “ Open Pins”
      2. The pins tool should now display the pin configuration for the ctimer project

      4.4 Use the Pins Tools to Modify the LED Routed Pin

      1. We’ll use MCUXpresso IDE for the rest of the instructions, but the same steps can be done in MCUXpresso Config tools for third party IDEs. In the Pins view deselect “Show dedicated pins” and “Show no routed pins” checkboxes to see only the routed pins. Routed pins have a check in a green box next to the pin name. The functions selected for each routed pin are highlighted in green
      2. In the current configuration, PIO3_2 and PIO3_3 are routed as the outputs of the CTimer. Let’s add a third Ctimer Match output and enable the Green LED
      3. Select “Show no routed pins” to see the other options. To enable the third Ctimer Match Output, browse the column for Ctimer and select and output. In this example, we will select, Ctimer4 Match 2 on PIO3_6. Select the item in the Ctimer column to enable
      4. Now, let’s route the Green LED. In the search box type “green” so that the routed pin for this LED is shown. Finally, click the box under the GPIO column. The box will highlight in green, and a check will appear next to the pin
      5. Next configure the GPIO pin as an output in the “Routing Details” window
      6. Now it’s time to implement these changes into the project by exporting the new updated pin_mux.c and pin_mux.h files that are generated by the Pins tool. Click on Update Project in the menu bar
      7. The screen that pops up will show the files that are changing and you can click on “diff” to see the difference between the current file and the new file generated by the Pins tool. Click on “OK” to overwrite the new files into your project

        8. Note: The clocks and other files may also be tagged as being updated since the header has been changed

      8. Let’s add some additional code to the example. Open simple_match_interrupt.c file and add the following macros for the third ctimer output
      9. Add the Green LED functions as well.
      10. Some additional code to be implemented will be the third ctimer’s callback, this can be copied from ctimer_match1_callback and modify the content to match2. To be able to visually identify the new ctimer, we will remove one of the previous ctimers as shown
      11. The main function will need to include the initialization of both the Green LED and the Ctimer
      12. Build and download the project as done in the previous section
      13. Run the application. You should now see the Green and Blue LED blinking back and forth
      14. Terminate the debug session

      PreviousBuild and Run
      NextMCUXpresso Developer Experience

      5. MCUXpresso Developer Experience

      Check out each of the following sections, to learn about the ecosystem provided for flexible protyping and development. In the video below, we will introduce you to the FRDM platform, the full-featured EVK and the compatible shields for extended capabilities. In addition we will walk you through our Application Code Hub portal where we provide numerous application examples through NXP's Github.

      5.1 FRDM Platform, Full Feature EVK and Shields

      For quick prototyping platforms, we offer both the low-cost FRDM platform and the full-featured EVK.

      FRDM Development Boards come with standard form factor and headers, easy access to MCU I/Os, on-board MCU-Link debugger and a USB-C cable. Our full featured evaluation kits include extended I/O and interface access, extendibility with WiFi and additional MCU-Link features. There are also many compatible Click Boards and/or Arduino shields. For those that are supported with an Open CMSIS Pack examples may be available on ACH, but if not many of them are easy to use via serial interface like I2C, SPI and UART, for which we provide drivers with examples in the MCUXpresso SDK.

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        5.2 Application Code Hub

        The Application Code Hub further enhances our MCUXpresso Developer Experience by giving developers an interactive dashboard to quickly locate software. Visit the ACH  today to start exploring or discover additional details and benefits of the new interactive Application Code Hub.

        Software accessible from Application Code Hub is located in NXP’s GitHub repository  so it can be easily accessed and cloned from that location directly.

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          5.3 Demo Walkthrough

          The following demo walks us through importing a project from ACH using a system based on the FRDM platform with a motor control shield and a low cost LCD. Although your evaluation board may differ from this system, the following steps can be replicated and used for all supported platforms.

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            PreviousCreate
            NextProject and Tutorials: System Design Guides

            System Design Guides

            Terminal Application

            Toolchains

            MCUXpresso for VS Code

            Debugger Firmware

            PreviousMCUXpresso Developer Experience
            NextProject and Tutorials: Boot Options

            Boot Options

            Documents and Videos Application Note SW (if applicable) Description
            CANopen bootloader on MCXN An application note that describes the necessary steps and requirements to implement the CANOpen bootloader.
            Flash memory Swap Feature on MCXN This application note describes how to use the flash remap feature on the MCXN series.
            IRC Trim Feature on MCX N Series Learn about the different trim options on MCX N Series.
            Using the Flash Command Controller Programming to flash using the flash command controller on MCX N Series.

            Tools and Reference

            MCUXpresso Secure Provisioning Tool A GUI-based application provided to simply the generation and provisioning of bootable executables on NXP devices.

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: System Design Guides
            NextProject and Tutorials: External Memory

            External Memory

            Documents and Videos Application Note SW (if applicable) Description
            Using FlexIO to Emulate Quad SPI An application note that describes how to use the FlexIO peripheral and use it to emulate a Quad SPI interface.

            MCUXpresso SDK Examples

            FlexSPI Octal eDMA Transfer Example

            In this example, flexspi will send data and operate the external nor flash connected with FLEXSPI. Some simple flash commands will be executed, such as Write Enable, Erase sector, program page with DMA.

            1Path: <SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\driver_examples\flexspi\octal\edma_transfer"

            FlexSPI Octal Polling Transfer Example

            In this example, flexspi will send data and operate the external nor flash connected with FLEXSPI. Some simple flash commands will be executed, such as Write Enable, Erase sector, program page with the polling method.

            1Path: <SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\driver_examples\flexspi\octal\polling_transfer"

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: Boot Options
            NextProject and Tutorials: Power Management

            Power Management

            Documents and Videos Application Note SW (if applicable) Description
            MCX Nx4x Power Management user guide This user guide covers the elements of the MCXN's power capabilities and settings.
            OPAMP usage on MCXN947 This application note describes the functions of OPAMP module and how to use OPAMP features on MCXN947.
            DCDC Usage for MCXNx4x/Nx3x Series MCU This application note is designed to provide a better understanding of the on-chip DCDC module.
            MCX Nx4x Estimated Power-on Hours This document describes the estimated product Power-on Hours (PoH) for the MCX N94X and MCX N54X devices.

            MCUXpresso SDK Examples

            Power Mode Switch Example

            The power mode switch demo application demonstrates the usage of low level power-related drivers to enter/exit different power modes.

            1Path: <SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\demo_apps\power_mode_switch

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: External Memory
            NextProject and Tutorials: Security and Integrity

            Security and Integrity

            Documents and Videos Application Note SW (if applicable) Description
            MCX N94x OTA update by using SB3 file An application note that describes how to to an over-the-air update using a secure container with the secure update feature of MCXN.
            Encryption and decryption enablement using NPX module on SPSDK tool Using the SPSDK command-line tool to enable the PRINCE module for encryption/decryption on the internal flash.
            Encryption and Decryption Enablement using IPED Module on SPSDK tool Using the SPSDK command-line tool to enable the PRINCE module for encryption/decryption on the internal flash.
            Encryption and decryption enablement using NPX module on SEC tool Using the Secure Provisioning Tool GUI-based tool to enable the PRINCE module for encryption/decryption on an external flash.
            Encryption and decryption enablement using IPED module on SEC tool Using the Secure Provisioning Tool GUI-based tool to enable the PRINCE module for encryption/decryption on the internal flash.
            Secure Boot for MCXN Using the Secure Provisioning Tool GUI-based tool to enable the PRINCE module for encryption/decryption on the internal flash.
            MCXN Debug authentication using SEC tool This application note describes how to enable secure boot as well as how to use the device management for secure manufacuring.
            MCX N-series MCUs Provisioning for Security An application note that describes how to use the debug authentication feature on the MCXN series.
            Building the Right Level of Security for Your Application With NXP and IAR Systems In this training, experts from NXP and IAR Systems will give you an overview of C-Trust, show you how to take advantage of the available features and implement "security out of the box"

            Note: Expand your knowledge with our available resources for approved customers (NDA required)

            MCUXpresso SDK Examples

            ELS and PKC Examples

            The ELS PKC application provides examples, which demonstrate usage of most available algorithms and a cryptolibrary lightweight testing.

            1 Path: <SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\els_pkc_examples\els_hash
            1 Path: <SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\els_pkc_examples\els_symmetric
            1 Path: <SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\els_pkc_examples\els_pkc_asymmetric
            1 Path: <SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\els_pkc_examples\els_pkc_common"

            Tools and References

            MCUXpresso Secure Provisioning Tool Secure Provisioning SDK (SPSDK) is an open source development kit with its source code released on GitHub and PyPI. 

            SPSDK GitHub  Secure Provisioning SDK (SPSDK) is an open source development kit with its source code released on GitHub and PyPI.

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: Power Management
            NextProject and Tutorials: Wired Communication

            Wired Communication

            Documents and Videos Application Note SW (if applicable) Description
            Using SmartDMA for keyscan on MCX N Series For mechanical repetitive tasks like keyscan, SmartDMA provides high and low levels for each row of the keyboard, then quickly reads the level of each column, and finally determines which button is pressed.
            USB Remote Wake-up on MCXN947 This application note describes how to use the remote wake-up function on both full and high-speed USB interfaces.

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: Security and Integrity
            NextProject and Tutorials: Multicore and Hardware Acceleration

            Multicore and Hardware Acceleration

            Documents and Videos Application Note SW (if applicable) Description
            Optimizing Performance on MCX N-series This application note explains the features of MCXN series devices that can affect system performance.
            MCXN9XX Inter-Core Communication This application note introduces how dual-core devices can communicate using the mailbox interface.
            Face Detection Demo with Neural Processing Unit (NPU) Accelerated on MCXN947 Leverage the eIQ Neutron NPU to accelerate face detection on MCX N947.

            MCUXpresso SDK Examples

            A vast variety of powerquad examples are provided for different mathematical algorithms.

            Path:

            1<SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\driver_examples\powerquad

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: Wired Communication
            NextProject and Tutorials: Audio

            Audio

            Documents and Videos Application Note SW (if applicable) Description
            Headset with touch function on MCXNx4x This application note describes how to use the MCX-N5XX-EVK to implement USB audio with touch control.
            MCXN9XX MICFIL interface This application note provides details on how to configure and use the MICFIL interface using different mechanisms.

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: Multicore and Hardware Acceleration
            NextProject and Tutorials: Display and Graphics

            Display and Graphics

            Documents and Videos Application Note SW (if applicable) Description
            Using SmartDMA for graphic on MCX N In this application note, the demo used is the simplest common DMA function. SmartDMA moves memory data to the FlexIO peripheral data register and FlexIO outputs data to the LCD.
            How to Use SmartDMA to Implement Camera Interface Use smartDMA interface to implement a camera interface using MCXN947.

            MCUXpresso SDK Examples

            emWin GUI Demo

            Demonstrates the graphical widgets of the emWin library.

            Path:

            1<SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\emwin_examples

            LVGL Examples

            A demo application to show LVGL widgets.

            Path:

            1<SDK_PATH>\boards\frdmmcxn947\lvgl_examples

            Tools and References

            Graphical User Interfaces for NXP Microcontrollers

            Learn more about your GUI options for NXP Microcontrollers.

            LVGL open source Graphics Library

            LVGL is a free and open-source embedded graphic library with features that enable you to create embedded GUIs with intuitive graphical elements, beautiful visual effects and a low memory footprint.

            GUI Guider

            A user-friendly graphical user interface development tool from NXP that enables the rapid development of high quality displays with the open-source LVGL graphics library.

            NXP emWin Libraries

            NXP has partnered with SEGGER microcontroller to offer the high performance emWin embedded graphics libraries in binary form for free commercial use with any Arm Cortex-M microcontrollers from NXP.

            GUI Development With emWin and AppWizard

            How to use the different features in AppWizard to create complete, ready-to-run projects based on emWin.

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: Audio
            NextDesign Resources

            Design Resources

            Board Documents

            Software

            PreviousProject and Tutorials: Display and Graphics
            NextSupport

            Support

            Support

            Forums

            PreviousDesign Resources