Get Started with the PF8100/PF8200 Evaluation Board

This page will help guide you through the process of learning about your KITPF8100FRDMEVM / KITPF8200FRDMEVM board.

3. Configure Hardware

3.1 Configuration the hardware

This section summarizes the overall setup. Detail description is provided in the user guide.

Suggested equipment’s needed for test:

  • 3.0 V to 5.0 V power supply (using banana jacks)
  • Computer
  • Mini USB type A Cable

3.2 Configuration image

Configuration image

3.3 Device considerations

It is recommended to learn about the device and its specifications prior to operating the boards. The device has a high level of flexibility due to parameter configuration available in the OTP. This impacts the functionality of the device. It is key to understand how the parameters are programmed on the device.

Note: The board is populated with a MC33PF8100A0ES or MC33PF8200A0ES.

3.4 Setting up the board

To configure the hardware and workstation as illustrated.

  1. With the USB cable connected to the PC and the USB port in the freedom board, apply VIN to the evaluation board.
    • Provide external VIN between 2.5 to 5.5 V on J10 (VIN) and J4 (GND).
    • Short jumper J17 to provide 3V3 Vin from Freedom board (use this mode of operation for functional demonstration only, no regulation loading allowed in this mode).
    Note: Do not apply power to J10 while J17 is shorted. This could damage the onboard regulator on the FRDM-KL25Z Freedom board.
  2. Press Reset on the Freedom board, to ensure that board is properly recognized.
  3. Browse to the NXP_FlexGUI/bin/ folder and double-click on the flexgui-app-8xxx.jar executable to start the application.
  4. The FlexGUI launcher is displayed with a list of possible configurations to load the FlexGUI. Select the appropriate option for device and silicon revision to be used. If the device revision populated on the evaluation board is not available in the list, please contact your NXP representative to obtain the latest software update suitable for your device.

3.5 Additional board support

Detailed configuration, Flex GUI options are detailed in the User Guide. Refer to UM11160 - KITPF8100FRDMEVM / KITPF8200FRDMEVM Evaluation Board - User Guide.

4. Install Software

4.1 Preparing graphical user interface operating environment

Download and run SW for the KITPF8100FRDMEVM or the KITPF8200FRDMEVM. These evaluation boards use FlexGUI software for PF8100/PF8200 device. Prior to the installation of the FlexGUI software and performing device firmware updates (if needed), download and unzip the NXP_FlexGUI_PF8x_REV_0.7.x.zip file to any desired location.

4.2 Installing the Java JRE

  1. Download Java JRE (Java SE Runtime Environment), available at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jre8-downloads-2133155.html (8u162 or newer)
  2. Open the installer and follow the installation instructions
  3. Following the successful installation, restart the computer

4.3 Installing FlexGUI software package

The FlexGUI software installation requires only extracting the zip file in a desired location.

  1. If necessary, install the Java JRE and Windows 7 FlexGUI driver.
  2. Download the latest FlexGUI (32-bit or 64-bit) version, NXP_FlexGUI_PF8x_REV_0.7.x.zip.
  3. Extract all the files to a desired location on your PC.
  4. FlexGUI is started by running the batch file, NXP_FlexGUI_PF8x_Rev_0.7.x\NXP, FlexGUI\bin\flexgui-app-pf8xxxx.bat.

The FlexGUI Rev 0.7.0 or higher, interfaces with the FRDM-KL25Z freedom board via USB-HID protocol, which should be recognized automatically by the Windows OS eliminating the need for any extra hardware drivers. Refer to UM11160 Section 5.4 "Updating the PF8100/PF8200 FlexGUI firmware" for details on how to update the FRDM-KL25Z, in case the board is not loaded with the latest firmware with USB-HID support.

4.4 Updating the PF8100/PF8200 FlexGUI firmware

The FRDM-KL25Z freedom board is used as a communication bridge to interface the FlexGUI with the PMIC and other I2C devices. The firmware is organized in three levels:

  1. At first level, the SDA uses the BOOTLOADER to operate as the main path to flash the functional code of the SDA processor. The BOOTLOADER is preprogrammed on the FRDM-KL25Z freedom boards and cannot be reflashed to avoid permanent damage to the Freedom board.
  2. At second level, the SDA provides a firmware loader for drag and drop update of the KL25Z MCU firmware.
  3. At the third level, the KL25Z MCU provides the FlexGUI firmware in charge of converting the USB communication into MCU instructions to control digital I/Os as well as I2C communication to the PMIC. If the FRDM-KL25Z is not loaded with the correct firmware to support a future software upgrade, the firmware can be updated in few simple steps.

4.5 Flashing the FRDM-KL25Z firmware loader

1. Press the push button on the Freedom board and connect the USB cable into the SDA port on the Freedom board. A new BOOTLOADER device should appear on the left pane of the file explorer.

Configuration image

2. Drag and drop the file MSD-DEBUG-FRDM-KL25Z_Pemicro_v118.SDA into the BOOTLOADER drive. File should be located in the KL25Z firmware folder.

Configuration image

3. Disconnect and reconnect the USB cable into the SDA port (this time without pressing the push button). A new device called FRDM_KL25Z is installed on the PC.

4.6 Flashing the FlexGUI firmware

If a new software or silicon release requires a firmware update on the FRDM-KL25Z freedom board, use the following procedure to upgrade or downgrade the firmware of the freedom board as needed. Note that this procedure is needed only to update the firmware and may be skipped if no change is needed.

1. Connect the USB cable in the SDA port (without holding the push button).

2. Locate the ".bin" FlexGUI driver to be installed, for example flexgui-fw-kl25z-usb-hidpf8x00- v0.1.1.bin, drag and drop the file into the FRDM_KL25Z driver.

Configuration image

3. Freedom board firmware is successfully loaded.

4.7 Complete step by step

Complete step by step software instructions are detailed in the User Guide. Refer to UM11160 - KITPF8100FRDMEVM / KITPF8200FRDMEVM Evaluation Board - User Guide.

5. Learn More

5.1 Success! Now start embedded application development

5.2 Product summary page PF8100_PF8200: Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) for high-performance processing applications

5.3 Tool summary page

The overview tab provides an overview of the device, product features, a description of the kit contents, a list of (and links to) supported devices, list of (and links to) any related products and a Get Started section.

  • On the Overview select the Get Started link, review content.
  • After reviewing the Get Started section, visit the other product-related tabs for additional information:
    • Documentation: download current documentation
    • Software & Tools: download current hardware and software tools / Drivers
    • Buy/Parametrics: purchase the product and view the product parametric

      After downloading files, review each file, including the user guide which includes setup instructions.

    • -Build a package: the bill of materials (BOM) and supporting schematics are also available for download in the Get Started section of the Overview tab.

5.4 For the entire solution

In addition to our PF8100_PF8200: Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) for high-performance processing applications page you may also want to visit:

Product pages:

Application Pages

Automotive

Industrial

Networking

Hardware pages: Analog Toolbox

Software pages: Analog Expert Software and Tools

Community page: https://community.nxp.com/community/Power-Management

5.5 BUY the BOARD

KITPF8100FRDMEVM evaluation board featuring the PF8100 PMIC for high performance applications

Buy

KITPF8200FRDMEVM evaluation board featuring the PF8200 PMIC for high performance (ASIL B) applications

Buy