NGX Technologies LPC1768-Xplorer User manual

Quick Start Guide: LPC1768-Xplorer
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LPC1768-Xplorer
Fig. 1
User Manuals for Xplorer:
For KEIL MDK-ARM with ULINK2: Click here
For LPC-Xpresso with NXP-LPCLink: Click here
Sample projects for Xplorer:
For KEIL MDK-ARM: Click here
For LPC-Xpresso: Click here
Schematic for Xplorer Board:
Click here to download Schematic.
USB Virtual Com INF file:
Click here to download USB Virtual Com INF file.
Secondary USB Bootloader: Click here

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About NGX Technologies
NGX Technologies is a premier supplier of development tools for the ARM7, ARM Cortex M0, M3 and
M4 series of microcontrollers. NGX provides innovative and cost effective design solutions for
embedded systems. We specialize in ARM MCU portfolio, which includes ARM7, Cortex-M0, M3 &
M4 microcontrollers. Our experience with developing evaluation platforms for NXP controller enables
us to provide solutions with shortened development time thereby ensuring reduced time to market and
lower development costs for our customers. Our cost effective and feature rich development tool
offering, serves as a testimony for our expertise, cost effectiveness and quality.
Contact Information:
NGX Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
No.216, 5th main Road, R.P.C. Layout,
Vijayanagar 2nd Stage,
Bangalore –560 104
Phone : [phone]
email:[email protected]

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Table of Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Possible Debuggers and IDEs that can be used.................................................................................4
1.2 ARM JTAG (20-pin) to Cortex JTAG (10-pin) Adaptor..................................................................4
1.3 ULINK2 and KEIL............................................................................................................................5
1.4 NXP-LPCLink and LPCXpresso.......................................................................................................5
2.0 LPC1768-Xplorer Overview.................................................................................................................6
2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Board Features...................................................................................................................................6
2.3 BLOCK DIAGRAM .........................................................................................................................7
2.4 LPC1768 description.........................................................................................................................7
3.0 LPC1768-Xplorer verification ..............................................................................................................9
3.1 Board Image with pointers to the peripherals ...................................................................................9
3.2 Powering the Board.........................................................................................................................10
3.3 Verifying all the peripherals on LPC1768-Xplorer.........................................................................10
3.3.1 LED ..............................................................................................................................................16
3.3.2 USB (Virtual COM port)..............................................................................................................16
3.3.3 User Input Switch.........................................................................................................................19
3.3.4 Micro SD connector .....................................................................................................................19
3.3.5 I2C EEPROM...............................................................................................................................20
3.3.6 Ethernet ........................................................................................................................................21
3.3.7 RTC..............................................................................................................................................22
4.0 CHANGE HISTORY..........................................................................................................................23
4.1 Change History................................................................................................................................23

Quick Start Guide: LPC1768-Xplorer
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
This document is the Quick Start Guide for LPC1768-Xplorer; a cost effective evaluation platform for
NXP’s LPC1768 MCUs. This document reflects its contents which include MCU features, board
features, hardware verification and possible debuggers and IDEs that can be used with this board.
1.1 Possible Debuggers and IDEs that can be used
ULINK2 with KEIL uVision
NXP LPCLink with LPCXpresso
NGX CoLinkEx with Coocox CoIDE
Red Probe+ with Red Suite from Code Red
I-jet with IAR Embedded Workbench
Segger JLink with IAR Embedded Workbench or KEIL uVision
1.2 ARM JTAG (20-pin) to Cortex JTAG (10-pin) Adaptor
Please note that your existing debugger might be supporting only the 20-pin ARM JTAG connector. In
such scenarios one would require a 20-pin to 10-pin adaptor and the necessary cables. The Xplorer has
on board Cortex SWD/JTAG 10 pin male connector, the 20-pin to 10-pin adaptor is not a part of the
Xplorer package, and user needs to buy them separately.
If the debugger supports the 10-pin Cortex header one needs to have the 10-pin ribbon cable and can
directly connect to the Xplorer. Please note even the 10-pin ribbon cable is not a part of standard
delivery and needs to be procured separately.
The picture below shows 20-pin cable, 20-pin to 10-pin adaptor and 10-pin cable.
Fig. 2

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1.3 ULINK2 and KEIL
Connect the ULINK2 20-pin cable to 20-pin to 10-pin adaptor and connect the one end of 10-pin cable
to 20-pin to 10-pin adaptor and other end to Xplorer as shown in the below image. The hardware setup
is now ready for programing an Xplorer board with ULINK2 and KEIL IDE.
Fig. 3
1.4 NXP-LPCLink and LPCXpresso
Separate the LPCXpresso controller part and use only the NXP LPCLink as shown in the below image.
Fig. 4
The Xplorer board has on board Cortex SWD/JTAG 10-pin box, the one end of the 10-pin cable is
connected to LPCLink and the other end is connected to Xplorer. Make sure the 10-pin cable notch on
the connector is facing towards the arrow mark on the NXP LPCLink. The hardware setup is now ready
for programing an Xplorer board with NXP LPCLink and LPCXpresso.

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2.0 LPC1768-Xplorer Overview
2.1 Introduction
The NGX LPC1768-Xplorer is a compact and versatile evaluation platform for the NXP's Cortex-M3
based MCUS. NGX's evaluation platforms are generally not tied up to any particular debugger or
compiler/IDE. However it is not practical to test and ensure that the solution would work out of box
with all the available debuggers and compilers/IDE. As long as the compiler supports the particular
MCU and the debugger supports the standard debug interfaces like the SWD/JTAG you can use this
platform with any tool. For our development we use ULINK and KEIL as the debugger and
compiler/IDE respectively. The board is supported by extensive sample examples allowing you to focus
on the application development.
2.2 Board Features
Following are the salient features of the board
Dimensions: 101mm X 27mm
Controller: LPC1768, 100 pin LQFP
PCB: 2-layer (RoHS complaint)
One LED
One MicroSDCard port
On board I2C EEPROM
One user switch and one reset switch
On board crystals for controller, RTC
On board Ethernet PHY, 25 MHz Crystal and RJ45 connector with magnetics
One USB port
10-pin cortex debug header
The board is shipped with one USB micro cable.
Unused I/Os brought to a header (pin compatible with mX-BaseBoard*)

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2.3 BLOCK DIAGRAM
Fig. 5
2.4 LPC1768 description
The LPC1768 is an ARM Cortex-M3 based microcontroller for embedded applications requiring a high
level of integration and low power dissipation. The ARM Cortex-M3 is a next generation core that
offers system enhancements such as modernized debug features and a higher level of support block
integration.
LPC1768 operate at up to an 100 MHz CPU frequency. The ARM Cortex-M3 CPU incorporates a 3
stage pipeline and uses a Harvard architecture with separate local instruction and data buses as well as a
third bus for peripherals. The ARM Cortex-M3 CPU also includes an internal prefetch unit that supports
speculative branches.
The peripheral complement of the LPC1768 includes up to 512 kB of flash memory, up to 64 kB of data
memory, Ethernet MAC, a USB interface that can be configured as either Host, Device, or OTG,
8 channel general purpose DMA controller, 4 UARTs, 2 CAN channels, 2 SSP controllers,
SPI interface, 3 I2C interfaces, 2-input plus 2-output IS interface, 8 channel 12-bit ADC, 10-bit DAC,
motor control PWM, Quadrature Encoder interface, 4 general purpose timers, 6-output general purpose
PWM, ultra-low power RTC with separate battery supply, and up to 70 general purpose I/O pins.
Feature
ARM Cortex-M3 processor, running at frequencies of up to 100 MHz.
ARM Cortex-M3 built-in Memory Protection Unit (MPU) supporting eight regions.
ARM Cortex-M3 built-in Nested Vectored Interrupt Controller (NVIC).
Non-maskable Interrupt (NMI) input.
JTAG and Serial Wire Debug (SWD).

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Up to 512 kB on-chip flash program memory with In-System Programming (ISP) and
In-Application Programming (IAP) capabilities.
Up to 64 kB on-chip SRAM includes
–Up to 32 kB of SRAM on the CPU with local code/data bus for high-performance CPU access.
–Up to two 16 kB SRAM blocks with separate access paths for higher throughput. Two 32 kB
SRAM blocks with separate bus access.
Eight channel General Purpose DMA controller (GPDMA).
Ethernet MAC with RMII interface and dedicated DMA controller.
USB 2.0 full-speed controller that can be configured for either device, Host, or OTG operation
with an on-chip PHY for device and Host functions and a dedicated DMA controller.
Four UARTs with fractional baud rate generation, internal FIFO, IrDA, and DMA support. One
UART has modem control I/O and RS-485/EIA-485 support.
Two-channel CAN controller.
Two SSP controllers with FIFO and multi-protocol capabilities. The SSP interfaces can be used
with the GPDMA controller.
SPI controller with synchronous, serial, full duplex communication and programmable data
length.
Three enhanced I2C-bus interfaces, one with an open-drain output supporting the full I2C
specification and Fast mode plus with data rates of 1Mbit/s, two with standard port pins.
Enhancements include multiple address recognition and monitor mode.
I2S (Inter-IC Sound) interface for digital audio input or output, with fractional rate control.
12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) with input multiplexing among eight pins, conversion
rates up to 200 kHz, and multiple result registers.
10-bit Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) with dedicated conversion timer and DMA support.
70 (100 pin package) General Purpose I/O (GPIO) pins with configurable pull-up/down resistors,
open drain mode, and repeater mode.
Real-Time Clock (RTC) with a separate power domain.
Watchdog Timer (WDT). The WDT can be clocked from the internal RC oscillator, the RTC
oscillator, or the APB clock.
Cortex-M3 system tick timer, including an external clock input option.
Repetitive interrupt timer provides programmable and repeating timed interrupts.
The Wakeup Interrupt Controller (WIC) allows the CPU to automatically wake up from
any priority interrupt that can occur while the clocks are stopped in deep sleep,
Power-down, and Deep power-down modes.
Four reduced power modes: Sleep, Deep-sleep, Power-down, and Deep power-down.
Single 3.3 V power supply (2.4 V to 3.6 V). Temperature range of -40 °C to 85 °C.
Four external interrupt inputs configurable as edge/level sensitive. All pins on PORT0 and
PORT2 can be used as edge sensitive interrupt sources.
On-chip Power-On Reset (POR).
On-chip crystal oscillator with an operating range of 1 MHz to 25 MHz.
4 MHz internal RC oscillator trimmed to 1% accuracy that can optionally be used as a system
clock.
An on-chip PLL allows CPU operation up to the maximum CPU rate without the need for a
high-frequency crystal.
A second, dedicated PLL may be used for the USB interface in order to allow added flexibility
for the Main PLL settings.
Versatile pin function selection feature allows many possibilities for using on-chip peripheral
functions.
Available as 100-pin LQFP (14 x 14 x 1.4 mm) and 80-pin LQFP (12 x 12 x 1.4 mm) packages.
For the most updated information on the MCU please refer to NXP's website.

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3.0 LPC1768-Xplorer verification
NGX's evaluation platforms ship with a factory-programmed test firmware that verifies all the on-board
peripherals. It is highly recommended that you verify the board, before you start programming. Also this
exercise helps you get acclimatized with the board quickly.
To run the tests you will need the following:
LPC1768-Xplorer
Power: USB cable (you can power it through USB port) or external power supply (Alternatively
the Xplorer has a 5V in pin available for powering through external power source)
PC: With Windows7 or XP (32-bit)
One USB ARM to Micro B cable in addition to the one provided with the KIT
Micro SD card
3.1 Board Image with pointers to the peripherals
Fig.6

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3.2 Powering the Board
The LPC1768-Xplorer can be powered through USB port. It is highly recommended that the user tests
all the peripherals as soon as the board is received. A regulated supply can be supplied to the 5V pin on
the Xplorer-LPC1768 header.
Note: The USB power can source only up to 500 mA of current. For applications having higher current
requirements we recommend to use an external power supply. Please note that the external power
supply is not a part of standard delivery.
3.3 Verifying all the peripherals on LPC1768-Xplorer
The following section focuses on the verification of all the peripherals supported on the LPC1768-
Xplorer. The order of the tests is mentioned in the same manner as the flow of the test firmware. We
highly recommend that you follow the order of the test. The test firmware is designed in a manner that
the user needs to spend as minimum time as possible to verify all the on-board peripherals. The test
firmware executable resides on the Flash.
Note: The test firmware “Debug Messages” or flow might be changed in due course. Generally these
are only cosmetic changes so that the usage is easier. If you observe a different message than the one
mentioned in the Manual, do not worry and please proceed with the test
Power up the board over USB port and we are all set to verify the LPC1768-Xplorer peripherals. Before
we get to the verification we need to install the Virtual COM port drivers needed for the LPC1768-
Xplorer (USB port) to appear as a Virtual COM port (Used for viewing the debug messages on serial
emulation tool). Fortunately, this is a one-time setup and fairly simple. On a Windows machine the user
needs to point to the location of the INF file (the INF file can be found in the download folder provide
on product registration; the path for INF file is:
(LPC1768_Xplorer_LPCXpresso\LPC1768_Xplorer_usbVcom_lib).

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Steps to install the VCOM drivers on Windows 7 machine:
Step 1: Connect USB to the computer, Open Device Manager, You can find “NXP LPC17xx VCOM”
new device listed under ‘Other devices’.
Fig.7
Step 2: Next, Right click on the NXP LPC17xx VCOM and then left click on Update Driver Software.
Fig.8

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Step 3: Click on Browse my computer for driver software.
Fig.9
Step 4: Left click on Browse, Select lpc17xx-vcom.inf driver folder and then click on OK.
Fig.10

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Step 5: Click on Next to continue driver installation.
Fig.11
Step 6: Click on Install this driver software anyway.
Fig.12

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Step 7: The LPC17xx USB VCom driver is successfully installed. Click on close.
Fig.13
Step 8: Now LPC17xx USB VCom Port (COM12) is ready to use.
Fig.14
Note: The Virtual COM is listed under the device manager. Please note that the COM port list under the
Device Manager is automatically updated with the COM port number for the Virtual COM. On our test
machine we see two COM ports listed COM1 and COM12. COM1 is the actual COM port and COM12
is the virtual COM port. The COM12 will appear only if the Xplorer board is connected (USB) to the
PC. Every time the Xplorer is reset the user needs to close the Hyper Terminal application and restart
it again.

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The order in which the on-board peripherals are verified by the firmware are as follows:
Test Firmware Flowchart:
NO
YES
NO
YES
START
Is VCOM
Enumeration
Completed?
A
RTC
Verification
Xplorer peripheral
initialization
Wait for user input
Flag == 1?
SD card
Verification
I2C EEPROM
Verification
LED Blink (D4)
A
B
B
Ethernet PHY
Verification

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3.3.1 LED
Test setup and verification:
As soon as the Xplorer is turned ON or reset; the test LED go ON & OFF for a couple of times, this
simple test validates the LED. The Xplorer has one Green LED. This LED connected to the one of the
GPIO line. Please refer to the schematics for more details.
3.3.2 USB (Virtual COM port)
Test setup and verification:
For the very first time the Windows machine will ask for the appropriate Virtual COM drivers to be
installed.
Steps to select USB VCOM port on HyperTerminal in Windows 7 machine:
Step 1: Open a HyperTerminal, Enter the name and then click on OK.
Fig.15

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Step 2: Select USB Vcom Port (COM12) and then click on OK.
Fig.16
Step 3: Click on Restore Defaults and then click on OK.
Fig.17

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Step 4: Now the USB VCom is ready to use.
Fig.18
Note: You would not be able to proceed with the verification unless the Virtual COM drivers are
installed. The firmware waits for the USB to enumerate as VCOM port.

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3.3.3 User Input Switch
Test setup and verification:
Once the VCOM drivers are installed the Xplorer waits for the User Input Switch to be pressed. Only
after detecting a user button (SW2) press the test firmware proceeds with validating other peripherals.
This synchronization is necessary to ensure that the debug messages on the VCOM port can be viewed
from the start of the test. Without this synchronization the test firmware would proceed with the debug
messages being displayed, while the user is still configuring the Hyper-Terminal or other serial
emulation tool.
Fig.19
3.3.4 Micro SD connector
Test setup and verification:
The firmware validates the micro SD card interface by writing and reading few sectors of the SD card
connected. Please note that we need to use a micro SD card with FAT file system. The result of this test
is displayed over the VCOM port.

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Fig.20
3.3.5 I2C EEPROM
Test setup and verification:
The firmware validates the I2C EEPROM; the result of this test is displayed over the VCOM port.
Fig.21