Getting Started with the MCU-Link Pro
Contents of this document
-
Installing MCU-Link Pro and updating firmware
-
Using MCU-Link Pro with MCUXpresso IDE
-
Setting up MCU-Link Pro with 3rd party IDEs
-
Using other serial terminal programs
Sign in to save your progress. Don't have an account? Create one.
Purchase your MCU-Link Pro Debug Probe
Installing MCU-Link Pro and updating firmware
Setting up your MCU-Link Pro is very simple. The first step is to download the installer, which installs host side drivers and includes a utility to update the firmware. Note that MCUXpresso IDE 11.4.1 or later will automatically install the driver information files. You can either watch the video below for Windows installation, or follow the steps to install MCU-Link Pro:
1.1 Get the software package
First step is to download the MCU-LINK installer package for your chosen host operating system. After downloading, run the installer.
1.2 Update the Firmware
Although MCU-Link Pro comes with firmware installed, this should be updated to the latest version. To perform the update:
- 1.2.1 Install jumper labelled “FW update” (located next to the status LEDs).
- 1.2.2 Connect MCU-Link Pro to your host computer via USB
-
1.2.3 Go to the scripts directory in the software package installation and run the program_CMSIS.cmd script. Follow the on-screen instructions.
- 1.2.4 Press Ctrl-C to exit the script.
-
1.2.5 Disconnect MCU-Link Pro from the host computer, remove the FW Update jumper and then reconnect to the computer.
1.3 Checking MCU-Link Pro devices are present
MCU-Link Pro will enumerate 4 devices when fully installed –a CMSIS-DAP device and Trace port under HID devices, plus a VCOM port under Ports:
Using MCU-Link Pro with MCUXpresso IDE
2.1 Using MCU-Link Pro with MCUXpresso IDE
MCUXpresso IDE will automatically detect MCU-Link Pro, just as it does with other supported probes (note version 11.4.1 or later should be used). The MCU-Link Pro VCOM feature is independent of the IDE, but the built-in Serial terminal feature of MCUXpresso IDE can be used with it. See this short tutorial video for an overview of using MCU-Link Pro with MCUXpresso IDE:
Setting up MCU-Link Pro with 3rd party IDEs
3.1 Setting up MCU-Link Pro with 3rd party IDEs
MCU-Link Pro can be used with IDEs from our partners, such as Arm Keil uVISION and IAR Embedded Workbench. Set up is straightforward, as with any other CMSIS-DAP probe:
Setting up IAR EWARM for with MCU-Link
Install the latest version IAR available. The version must be at least, IAR Embedded Workbench IDE for Arm 8.40.2.
With your project workspace open, right mouse click on the project:
-
-
When the Options for workspace open, select the Debugger tab, then select CMSIS-DAP Debugger from the Setup selection:
- Click OK to close the dialog boxes. You can now use your MCU-Link as you would any other CMSIS-DAP probe.
Setting up Keil uVision for with MCU-Link
-
With your project workspace open, click on the “Options for target” icon:
-
When the Options for Target dialog open, select the Debug tab, then select CMSIS-DAP ARMv8-M Debugger from the Use selection:
-
After selecting this probe option, click on Settings to open the CMSIS-DAP ARMv8-M Target Driver set up dialog. Select MCU-Link from the pulldown menu on the left:
-
You should now see settings similar to this:
-
Click OK to close the dialog boxes. You can now use your MCU-Link as you would any other CMSIS-DAP probe.
Using other serial terminal programs
4.1 Using other serial terminal programs
MCU-Link Pro’s VCOM feature can be used with serial terminal emulation programs such as PuTTY and TeraTerm. Set up is as with similar VCOM devices. Most MCUXpresso SDK examples will use a configuration of 115200 baud rate, 8 data bits, no parity and 1 stop bit. To determine the port number of the MCU-Link Pro virtual COM port, open the device manager and look under the "Ports" group (as shown earlier).
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.
- Download Tera Term from SourceForge. After the download, run the installer and then return to this webpage to continue.
- 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 with the MCU-Link name
- 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.
- Verify that the connection is open. If connected, Tera Term will show something like below in its title bar.
- You're ready to go
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.
- Download PuTTY using the button below. After the download, run the installer and then return to this webpage to continue.
- 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.
- Configure In the window that launches, select the Serial radio button and enter the COM port number that you determined from the Device Manager. Also enter the baud rate, in this case 115200.
- 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.
- You're ready to go
Design Resources
Board Documents
Chip Documents
Get Help
Forums
Learn more about the MCU-Link with design tips, training documents, and the NXP Community. If you need additional help, contact NXP Support.
Connect with other engineers and get expert advice on designing with the MCU-Link on one of our community sites.