Getting Started with Freedom Development Platform for 48MHz KE1xZ64/32 MCUs

Last Modified: 2019-03-26 08:54:00Supports FRDM-KE16Z

Contents of this document

  • 1

    Plug It In!

  • 2

    Get Software

  • 3

    Build, Run

  • 4

    Create

Purchase your FRDM-KE16Z

Contents of this document

Plug It In!

Let's take your FRDM-KE16Z for a test drive! You have the choice of watching the sequence in a short video or following the detailed actions list below.

1.1 Attach the USB Cable

1.2 Run the Out-of-Box Demo

This bubble demo leverages the on board accelerometer. When the board is flat, the RGB LED is turned off, and when the board is tilted, the blue or red LEDs gradually illuminate based on the degree of tilt on the X- and Y-axis.

NextGet Software

2. Get Software

Installing software for the FRDM-KE16Z

2.1 Jump Start Your Design with the MCUXpresso SDK

The MCUXpresso Software Development Kit (SDK) is complimentary and includes full source code under a permissive open-source license for all hardware abstraction and peripheral driver software.

Click below to download the KE16Z SDK package.

Get MCUXpresso SDK

2.2 Install Your Toolchain

NXP offers a complimentary toolchain called MCUXpresso IDE.


Get MCUXpresso IDE

Want to use a different toolchain?

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

2.3 PC Configuration

Many of the example applications output data over the MCU UART 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 Driver

With the serial port driver installed, run your favorite terminal application to view the serial output from the MCU's UART. Configure the terminal to 115,200 baud rate, 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit. To determine the port number of the FRDM-KE16Z'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:

2.4 Tera Term Tutorial

Tera Term is a very popular open source terminal emulation application. This program can be used to display information sent from your NXP development platform's virtual serial port.

  1. Download Tera Term from SourceForge. After the download, run the installer and then return to this webpage to continue.

    2. Download

  2. Launch Tera Term. The first time it launches, it will show you the following dialog. Select the serial option. Assuming your board is plugged in, there should be a COM port automatically populated in the list.
  3. Configure the serial port settings (using the COM port number identified earlier) to 115200 baud rate, 8 data bits, no parity and 1 stop bit. To do this, go to Setup -> Serial Port and change the settings.
  4. Verify that the connection is open. If connected, Tera Term will show something like below in it's title bar.
  5. You're ready to go

2.5 PuTTY Tutorial

PuTTY is a popular terminal emulation application. This program can be used to display information sent from your NXP development platform's virtual serial port.

  1. Download PuTTY using the button below. After the download, run the installer and then return to this webpage to continue.

    2. Download

  2. Launch PuTTY by either double clicking on the *.exe file you downloaded or from the Start menu, depending on the type of download you selected.
  3. Configure In the window that launches, select the Serial radio button and enter the COM port number that you determined earlier. Also enter the baud rate, in this case 115200.
  4. Click Open to open the serial connection. Assuming the board is connected and you entered the correct COM port, the terminal window will open. If the configuration is not correct, PuTTY will alert you.
  5. You're ready to go

PreviousPlug It In!
NextBuild, Run

Build, Run

Build and Run SDK Demos on the FRDM-KE16Z

3.1 Explore the SDK Example Code

The MCUXpresso SDK comes with a long list of demo applications and driver examples. To see what's available, browse to the SDK boards folder of your SDK installation and select your board, the FRDM-KE16Z (/boards/frdm-ke16z).

3.2 Build, Run and Debug SDK Examples

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.

PreviousGet Software
NextCreate

Create

4.1 Get MCUXpresso Config Tools

Let's create our own project and make a simple SDK-based application. NXP provides an intuitive, simple project generation utility that allows creation of custom projects based on the MCUXpresso SDK.

Get MCUXpresso Config Tools

4.2 Run MCUXpresso Config Tools

Open the utility by clicking on the MCUXpresso Config Tools executable for your computer's operating system. Point the tool to your SDK installation path, name your project, and select the board that it uses as a reference. Click on the Finish.

4.3 Open Your Project

Open the project in your toolchain of choice by using the same process described in section 3.2.

4.4 Write Some Code

Now, let's make our new project do something other than spin in an infinite loop.

4.5 Build, Download, Run

With the changes made to your main() function, build your application. Once the build is complete, download the application to your board.

If you need help figuring out how to build, download or run an application, reference your tool-specific guide from section 3.2.

4.6 Success!

With the application downloaded, you will see the FRDM-KE16Z's red LED blinking. You can also view terminal output using PRINTF.

PreviousBuild, Run
NextDesign Resources

Design Resources

Board Documents

Chip Documents

Software

PreviousCreate