NXP Semiconductors FRDM-MCXA153 User manual

UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024 User manual
Document information
Information Content
Keywords UM12012, FRDM-MCXA153, MCXA1xx, Pmod, mikroBUS, Arduino, MCU-Link
Abstract The FRDM-MCXA153 board is a design and evaluation platform based on the NXP MCXA1xx
MCU.

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
1 Board overview
The FRDM-MCXA153 board is a design and evaluation platform based on the NXP MCXA1xx MCU. The
MCXA1xx MCU is a low-power microcontroller for industrial and consumer Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
It has one Arm Cortex-M33 core running at speeds of up to 96 MHz. It supports industrial communication
protocol, brushless direct current (BLDC) motor / permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) control, and
integrated sensor interfaces (MIPI-I3C, I2C, and SPI).
The board is compatible with the Arduino UNO R3 and Mikroe click boards. It can be used with a wide range
of development tools, including NXP MCUXpresso IDE, IAR Embedded Workbench, and Arm Keil MDK. The
board is lead-free and RoHS-compliant.
For debugging the MCXA1xx MCU, the FRDM-MCXA153 board uses an onboard (OB) debug probe, MCU-
Link OB, which is based on another MCU, LPC55S69. The MCXA1xx MCU and the LPC55S69 MCU are also
referred to as "target MCU" and "debug MCU", respectively, in this document.
This document provides details about the FRDM-MCXA153 board interfaces, power supplies, clocks,
connectors, jumpers, push buttons, and LEDs.
1.1 Block diagram
Figure 1 shows the FRDM-MCXA153 board block diagram.
EXTAL
Clock
SWD
UART VCOM
FS USB DP/DM
GPIO RGB LED
Arduino
mikroBUS
mikroBUS device
ROM boot interface
USB DP
USB DM
GND
GND
+5 V
+5 V
CLKOUT
P3T1755DP
8 MHz crystal
FY0800027
XTAL
8
P3T1755 7
6
5
VCC
A0
A1
A2
SDA
SCL
ALERT
GND
1
2
3
4
MHPA2525RGBDT-S
Motor control
USB
Type-C
USB
Type-C
MCU-Link
Pmod
Pmod
I3C sensor
PTS820 J15M SMTR LFS
SW1 (Reset)
SW2 (ISP)
SW3 (Wake-up)
MCXA153VLH
Figure 1. FRDM-MCXA153 block diagram
1.2 Board features
Table 1 lists the features of the FRDM-MCXA153 board.
Board feature Target MCU features
used
Description
MCU NXP MCXA1xx MCU (part number: MCXA153VLH) based on an
Arm Cortex-M33 core, running at speeds of up to 96 MHz.
Note: For details on the MCXA1xx MCU, see MCXA1xx Reference
Manual and MCXA1xx Low-Power MCU sub-family Data Sheet.
Table 1. FRDM-MCXA153 features
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
2 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Board feature Target MCU features
used
Description
USB interface USBFS0 module USB Type-C connector J8
LPUART0 module MCU-Link (LPC55S69)LPUART interface
LPUART2 module mikroBUS socket connector J5 or Arduino socket connector J1
LPSPI0 module mikroBUS socket connector J6 or Pmod connector J7 (DNP)LPSPI interface
LPSPI1 module Arduino socket connector J2
LPI2C interface LPI2C0 module mikroBUS socket connector J5, Pmod connector J7 (DNP), and
Arduino socket connector J2
I3C interface I3C0 module Digital temperature sensor (P3T1755DP)
Pmod connector Pmod connector J7 (DNP)
mikroBUS socket Two mikroBUS socket connectors J5 and J6
Arduino socket Four Arduino socket connectors J1, J2, J3, and J4
Debug interface MCU-Link onboard debug probe with a USB Type-C connector J15
for debugging the MCXA1xx MCU
Power supply The following power supply options are available:
•Two USB Type-C connectors, each can receive 5 V external
power
•5-9 V input supply option from Arduino socket connector J3
Clocks 8 MHz clock for target MCU (MCXA1xx) and 16 MHz clock for
debug MCU (LPC55S69)
Orderable part number FRDM-MCXA153
Table 1. FRDM-MCXA153 features...continued
1.3 Kit contents
Table 2 lists the items included in the FRDM-MCXA153 board hardware kit.
Item Quantity
FRDM-MCXA153 board hardware assembly 1
USB 3.0 Type-A to Type-C cable, 1 meter 1
FRDM-MCXA153 Quick Start Guide 1
Table 2. Kit contents
1.4 Board pictures
Figure 2 shows the top-side view of the FRDM-MCXA153 board with MCXA1xx MCU highlighted.
Figure 2. Board top-side view
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
3 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Figure 3 shows the bottom-side view of the FRDM-MCXA153 board.
Figure 3. Board bottom-side view
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
4 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
1.5 Connectors
Figure 4 shows the FRDM-MCXA153 board connectors.
J2 (Arduino) J1
J3 (Arduino) J4
J5
(mikroBUS)
J6
J11 (GND, DNP)
J7
(Pmod,
DNP)
J10 (GND, DNP)
J13 J14
(Power, DNP)
J12 (GND, DNP)
J9 (GND, DNP)
J19
(Clock output,
DNP)
J25
(MCU-Link VCOM,
DNP)
J15
(MCU-Link
USB)
J8
(USB FS)
J18
(Ext. debugger,
DNP)
J22
(5 V regulator,
DNP)
J21
(I3C, DNP)
J20
Figure 4. Connectors
Note: External debugger connector (J18), which is shown populated in Figure 4, is not populated on the
FRDM-MCXA153 boards shipped to customers.
Table 3 describes the connectors available on the FRDM-MCXA153 board.
Part identifier PCB label Connector type Description Reference section
J1 2x8-position receptacle
J2 2x10-position receptacle
J3 2x8-position receptacle
J4 2x6-position receptacle
Arduino socket connectors Section 2.10
J5 1x8-position receptacle
J6
mikroBUS
SOCKET
BOARD 1x8-position receptacle
mikroBUS socket connectors Section 2.9
J7 (DNP) PMOD 2x6-pin/position
connector
Pmod connector Section 2.8
J8 MCU USB USB Type-C connector USB full-speed connector Section 2.3
J9 (DNP) GND 1-pin/position connector
J10 (DNP) GND 1-pin/position connector
J11 (DNP) GND 1-pin/position connector
J12 (DNP) GND 1-pin/position connector
GND test point connectors For more information
on these connectors,
see FRDM-MCXA153
board schematics.
Table 3. FRDM-MCXA153 connectors
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
5 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Part identifier PCB label Connector type Description Reference section
J13 (DNP) POWER 1-pin/position connector
J14 (DNP) POWER 1-pin/position connector
Power test point connectors
J15 MCU-Link USB Type-C connector MCU-Link USB connector Section 3.6
J18 (DNP) EXT_
DEBUGGER
2x5-pin/position
connector
Target MCU external debugger
connector
Section 3.2
J19 CLKOUT 1-position receptacle Clock output test point connector Section 2.2
J20 I3C_SDA 1-pin header I3C data test point connector
J21 I3C_SCL 1-pin header I3C clock test point connector
Section 2.7
J22 (DNP) 1x3-pin/position
connector
5 V DC voltage regulator Section 2.1
J25 (DNP) MCU-Link
VCOM
1x3-pin/position
connector
MCU-Link VCOM connector Section 2.4
Table 3. FRDM-MCXA153 connectors...continued
1.6 Jumpers
Figure 5 shows the FRDM-MCXA153 board jumpers.
JP20 JP8 JP1 (DNP) JP2
JP10 JP19 JP3
(DNP)
JP6
(DNP)
Figure 5. Jumpers
Table 4 describes the FRDM-MCXA153 board jumpers.
Part identifier Jumper type Description Reference
section
JP1 (DNP) 1x2-pin header Target MCU (MCXA1xx) analog power enable jumper.
JP1 is not populated on the board. When populated
Section 2.1
Table 4. FRDM-MCXA153 jumpers
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
6 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Part identifier Jumper type Description Reference
section
(after removing resistor R66), it can be used to serve the
following two purposes:
•To produce the target MCU analog power supply,
VDDA_MCU.
•To measure the current consumption of analog IPs of
the target MCU. For more details, see Section 2.1.1.
JP2 1x2-pin header Target MCU digital power enable jumper:
•Open: The target MCU digital power supply, VDD_MCU,
is OFF.
•Shorted (default setting): The target MCU digital power
supply, VDD_MCU, is produced.
JP2 can also be used to measure current consumption
of digital IPs of the target MCU. For more details, see
Section 2.1.1.
JP3 (DNP) 1x2-pin header Target MCU total (analog + digital) power enable jumper.
JP3 is not populated on the board. When populated (after
removing resistor R2), it can be used to serve the following
two purposes:
•To produce the target MCU analog + digital power
supply, MCU_VDD_P3V3.
•To measure the total current consumption of the target
MCU. For more details, see Section 2.1.1.
JP6 (DNP) 1x2-pin header Board (except target MCU) power enable jumper. JP6
is not populated on the board. When populated (after
removing resistor R68), it can be used to serve the
following two purposes:
•To produce the board (except target MCU) power
supply, VDD_BOARD.
•To measure the current consumption of the
board (except target MCU). For more details, see
Section 2.1.1.
JP20 1x2-pin header MCU-Link SWD disable jumper:
•Open (default setting): MCU-Link serial wire debug
(SWD) feature is enabled. MCU-Link can be used to
drive SWD of the target MCU.
•Shorted: MCU-Link SWD feature is disabled. This
setting of JP20 can be used when connecting an
external debugger through connector J18 (not
populated) for debugging the target MCU.
Section 3.2
JP8 1x2-pin header MCU-Link (LPC55S69) ISP mode enable jumper:
•Open (default setting): MCU-Link follows the normal
boot sequence (MCU-Link boots from internal flash if
a boot image is found). With the internal flash erased,
the MCU-Link normal boot sequence falls through to In-
System Programming (ISP) boot mode.
•Shorted: MCU-Link is forced to ISP mode (USB1). Use
this setting to reprogram the MCU-Link internal flash
with a new image or use the MCUXpresso IDE with the
CMSIS-DAP protocol.
Section 3.4
Table 4. FRDM-MCXA153 jumpers...continued
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
7 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Part identifier Jumper type Description Reference
section
Note: By default, MCU-Link flash is preprogrammed with
a version of CMSIS-DAP firmware.
JP19 1x2-pin header MCU-Link VCOM port disable jumper:
•Open (default setting): MCU-Link virtual communication
(VCOM) port is enabled.
•Shorted: MCU-Link VCOM port is disabled.
Section 3.7
JP10 1x2-pin header MCU-Link SWD clock enable jumper:
•Open: MCU-Link SWD clock is disabled.
•Shorted (default setting): MCU-Link SWD clock is
enabled. MCU-Link drives SWD of the target MCU.
For more
information on
these jumpers,
see FRDM-
MCXA153 board
schematics.
Table 4. FRDM-MCXA153 jumpers...continued
1.7 Push buttons
Figure 6 shows the FRDM-MCXA153 board push buttons.
SW1 (Reset)
SW2 (ISP)
SW3 (Wake-up)
Figure 6. Push buttons
Table 5 describes the FRDM-MCXA153 board push buttons.
Part identifier PCB label Name/function Description
SW1 RESET Reset button Pressing SW1 asserts the MCXA1xx MCU pin P1_29
(RESET_b), which wakes up the target MCU from any
mode. Keep SW1 pressed for a reasonable period of time
to let the MCU perform a JTAG boundary scan.
SW2 ISP ISP button Helps the target MCU boot code to determine if the MCU
should enter into the ISP mode. It connects to the target
MCU pin P3_29.
Table 5. FRDM-MCXA153 push buttons
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
8 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Part identifier PCB label Name/function Description
The main purpose of this button is to force the target
MCU into ISP mode at boot time. To do this, hold down
this button while pressing and releasing the reset button,
or while connecting power to the board.
If an application in the target MCU internal flash is
crashing or disabling the SWD port unintentionally, the
ISP mode can be useful to recover control of the board.
SW3 WAKEUP Wake-up button Wakes up the target MCU from Deep Power-Down mode.
It connects to the target MCU pin P1_7.
Table 5. FRDM-MCXA153 push buttons...continued
1.8 LEDs
The FRDM-MCXA153 board provides numerous light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for monitoring system status. The
information collected from the LEDs can be used for debugging purposes.
Figure 7 shows the FRDM-MCXA153 board LEDs.
D5
(MCU-Link USB)
D7
(MCU-Link status
(SWD) / ISP)
D8
(MCU-Link VCOM)
D14
(Reset)
D4 (Power)
D15
(RGB)
Figure 7. LEDs
Table 6 describes the FRDM-MCXA153 board LEDs that correspond to the target MCU. The board also has
some MCU-Link specific LEDs, which are described in Section 3.8.
Part identifier PCB label LED color Description (when LED is ON)
D4 POWER Green LDO_3V3 supply is available.
D14 RESET Red Indicates system reset activity. When board reset is
initiated, for example, by pressing the reset button (SW1),
D14 turns ON.
D15 RGB Red/green/blue User application LED. It can be controlled through a user
application.
Table 6. FRDM-MCXA153 LEDs
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
9 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
2 Functional description
This section contains the following subsections:
•Section 2.1 "Power supplies"
•Section 2.2 "Clocks"
•Section 2.3 "USB interface"
•Section 2.4 "LPUART interface"
•Section 2.5 "LPSPI interface"
•Section 2.6 "LPI2C interface"
•Section 2.7 "I3C sensor"
•Section 2.8 "Pmod connector"
•Section 2.9 "mikroBUS socket"
•Section 2.10 "Arduino socket"
2.1 Power supplies
The FRDM-MCXA153 board is powered up using the following primary power supplies:
•External 5 V power through USB Type-C connector J8
•External 5 V power through USB Type-C connector J15
•5-9 V power from Arduino socket connector J3, pin 16
The primary power supplies are used to produce secondary power supplies for the board to power up other
board components, including the MCXA1xx MCU, MCU-Link, I3C sensor, push buttons, and LEDs.
Table 7 describes the FRDM-MCXA153 board power supplies.
Power source Manufacturer and part
number
Power
supply
Description
External supply
through USB Type-C
connector J8
P5V_USB_FS
(5 V)
One of the three power source options for SYS_5V0
supply
External supply
through USB Type-C
connector J15
P5V_MCU_
LINK_USB (5
V)
•Second power source option for SYS_5V0 supply
•Provides USB1_VBUS power to the LPC55S69 MCU
(MCU-Link)
Arduino socket
connector J3, pin 16
P5-9V_VIN
(5-9 V)
Supplies power to 5 V DC voltage regulator J22 (not
populated)
Voltage regulator J22
(DNP)
P5V_HDR_IN
(5 V)
Third power source option for SYS_5V0 supply
From P5V_USB_FS /
P5V_MCU_LINK_
USB / P5V_HDR_IN
supply
Note: By default,
the option to produce
SYS_5V0 supply
from P5V_HDR_IN
supply is disabled.
SYS_5V0 (5
V)
Supplies power to:
•LDO voltage regulator U2
•mikroBUS socket connector J5
•Arduino socket connector J3
LDO voltage
regulator U2
Torex Semiconductor
XC6227C331PR-G
LDO_3V3 (3.3
V)
•Produces MCU_VDD_P3V3 supply through either 2.7 Ω
resistor R2 or jumper JP3 (not populated)
Table 7. FRDM-MCXA153 power supplies
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
10 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Power source Manufacturer and part
number
Power
supply
Description
•Produces VDD_BOARD supply through either 0 Ω
resistor R68 or jumper JP6 (not populated)
•Supplies power to:
–Power LED D4
–Arduino socket connector J3
From LDO_3V3
supply through
resistor R2 or jumper
JP3 (DNP)
MCU_VDD_
P3V3 (3.3 V)
•Produces VDD_MCU supply through either 0 Ω resistor
R1 (not populated) or jumper JP2
•Produces VDDA_MCU supply through either 0 Ω
resistor R66 or jumper JP1 (not populated)
•Produces VDD_USB supply
From MCU_VDD_
P3V3 supply through
resistor R1 (DNP) or
jumper JP2
VDD_MCU Supplies digital power (VDD) to the MCXA1xx MCU
From MCU_VDD_
P3V3 supply through
resistor R66 or
jumper JP1 (DNP)
VDDA_MCU •Supplies analog power (VDD_ANA/VREFH) to the
MCXA1xx MCU
•Supplies power to Arduino socket connector J2
From MCU_VDD_P3
V3 supply
VDD_USB Supplies VDD_USB power to the MCXA1xx MCU
From LDO_3V3
supply through
resistor R68 or
jumper JP6 (DNP)
VDD_BOARD
(3.3 V)
•Produces the following power supplies:
–VDD_P3T
–MCU_LINK_3V3
–VREF_MCULINK
•Provides VDDA power to the LPC55S69 MCU (MCU-
Link)
•Supplies power to:
–Push buttons SW1, SW2, and SW3
–Reset LED D14
–RGB LED D15
–Pmod connector J7 (not populated)
–mikroBUS socket connector J6
–Arduino socket connector J3
–MCU-Link LEDs D5, D7, and D8
–Target MCU external debugger connector J18 (not
populated)
VDD_P3T Supplies power to I3C sensor U8
MCU_LINK_3
V3 (3.3 V)
Provides VDD, USB0_3V3, and USB1_3V3 powers to the
LPC55S69 MCU (MCU-Link)
From VDD_BOARD
supply
VREF_
MCULINK
Provides VREFP power to the LPC55S69 MCU (MCU-
Link)
Table 7. FRDM-MCXA153 power supplies...continued
2.1.1 Current measurement
The FRDM-MCXA153 board supports current measurement using an ampere meter (ammeter) on power
supplies shown in Table 8.
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
11 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Power supply Description Current
measurement
jumper
Current measurement steps
VDDA_MCU Target MCU (MCXA1xx)
analog power
JP1 (DNP) 1. Remove resistor R66 and populate JP1.
2. Connect the ammeter between pins 1 and 2
of JP1.
VDD_MCU Target MCU digital power JP2 1. Open JP2.
2. Connect the ammeter between pins 1 and 2
of JP2.
MCU_VDD_P3V3 Target MCU total (analog +
digital) power
JP3 (DNP) 1. Remove resistor R2 and populate JP3.
2. Connect the ammeter between pins 1 and 2
of JP3.
VDD_BOARD Board (except target MCU)
power
JP6 (DNP) 1. Remove resistor R68 and populate JP6.
2. Connect the ammeter between pins 1 and 2
of JP6.
Table 8. Power supplies with current measurement support
2.2 Clocks
Table 9 provides details about inputs clocks on the FRDM-MCXA153 board.
Clock generator Manufacturer and part number Clock Frequency Destination
Crystal Y1 (DNP) Diodes Incorporated FY0800027 XTAL48M, EXTAL48M 8 MHz MCXA1xx MCU
Crystal Y2 KYOCERA AVX CX3225GA16000
D0PTVCC
MCU_LINK_[P, N]_16
MHz
16 MHz LPC55S69 MCU
Table 9. FRDM-MCXA153 clocks
The MCXA1xx MCU also provides a clock output CLKOUT, which can be accessed by populating clock output
test point connector J19.
2.3 USB interface
The MCXA1xx MCU has one Universal Serial Bus Full Speed (USBFS) module (USBFS0), which supports only
Device mode. The FRDM-MCXA153 board implements support for the USBFS module through a USB Type-C
connector, J8. The USB connector works in Device mode. It also flows 5 V power in the board.
2.4 LPUART interface
The MCXA1xx MCU has three Low-Power Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (LPUART) modules:
LPUART0, LPUART1, and LPUART2. The FRDM-MCXA153 board supports communication only with the
LPUART0 and LPUART2 modules.
Figure 8 shows the FRDM-MCXA153 LPUART diagram.
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
12 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
MCXA1xx
MCU_LNK_TX
MCULINK_VCOM_TX
LPUART0_RXD
LPUART0_TXD
LPUART0
MCU-Link
(LPC55S69JEV98)
MCU-Link
VCOM
header
(DNP)
MCU_LNK_RX
MCULINK_VCOM_RX
LPUART2
mikroBUS
socket
connector J5
LPUART2_TXD-MIKROE
LPUART2_RXD-MIKROE
Arduino
socket
connector J1
LPUART2_TXD-ARD_D1_TX
LPUART2_RXD-ARD_D0_RX
Figure 8. LPUART diagram
Table 10 describes the FRDM-MCXA153 LPUART connections.
Peripheral devicesLPUART
module Part identifier Manufacturer and part number Description
U4 NXP LPC55S69JEV98 MCU-Link, a 32-bit MCU based on the Arm Cortex-
M33 core with speeds of up to 150 MHz.
MCU-Link can be used as a USB-to-UART bridge
to debug the target MCU (MCXA1xx) through a
VCOM port.
LPUART0
J25 (DNP) — MCU-Link VCOM header, a 1x3-pin header for
accessing the MCU-Link VCOM port through an
external connection. J25 is not populated on the
board. J25 pinout is defined as follows:
•Pin 1: MCULINK_VCOM_TX
•Pin 2: GND
•Pin 3: MCULINK_VCOM_RX
LPUART2 J5 — One of the two mikroBUS socket connectors that
allows a UART connection between the target MCU
and the plugged-in mikroBUS click board.
Table 10. LPUART connections
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
13 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Peripheral devicesLPUART
module Part identifier Manufacturer and part number Description
J1 — One of the four Arduino socket connectors that
allows a UART connection between the target MCU
and the plugged-in Arduino board.
Table 10. LPUART connections...continued
2.5 LPSPI interface
The MCXA1xx MCU has two Low-Power Serial Peripheral Interface (LPSPI) modules: LPSPI0 and LPSPI1.
Each LPSPI module supports two modes: Master mode (with support for up to four peripheral chip selects) and
Slave mode.
The FRDM-MCXA153 board supports communication with both the LPSPI modules of the MCXA1xx MCU.
Figure 9 shows the FRDM-MCXA153 LPSPI diagram.
MCXA1xx
LPSPI0_PCS-PMOD
LPSPI0_SCK-PMOD
LPSPI0_SDI-PMOD
LPSPI0_SDO-PMOD
LPSPI0_PCS0
LPSPI0_SCK
LPSPI0_SDI
LPSPI0_SDO
LPSPI0
LPSPI0_PCS-MIKROE
LPSPI0_SCK-MIKROE
LPSPI0_SDI-MIKROE
LPSPI0_SDO-MIKROE
LPSPI1
Arduino
socket
connector J2
LPSPI1_PCS1-ARD_D10
LPSPI1_SCK-ARD_D13
LPSPI1_SDI-ARD_D12
LPSPI1_SDO-ARD_D11
Pmod
connector J7
(DNP)
mikroBUS
socket
connector J6
Figure 9. LPSPI diagram
Table 11 describes the FRDM-MCXA153 LPSPI connections.
Peripheral devicesLPSPI module Peripheral chip
select Part identifier Description
LPSPI0 PCS0 J6 One of the two mikroBUS socket connectors that allows a
SPI connection between the target MCU and the plugged-in
mikroBUS click board.
Table 11. LPSPI connections
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
14 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Peripheral devicesLPSPI module Peripheral chip
select Part identifier Description
J7 (DNP) Pmod connector, which allows a SPI connection between
the target MCU and the plugged-in Pmod board. J7 is not
populated on the board.
LPSPI1 PCS1 J2 One of the four Arduino socket connectors that allows a
SPI connection between the target MCU and the plugged-in
Arduino board.
Table 11. LPSPI connections...continued
2.6 LPI2C interface
The MCXA1xx MCU has one Low-Power Inter-Integrated Circuit (LPI2C) module, LPI2C0, which supports serial
I2C communication through a pair of control and data signals.
The FRDM-MCXA153 board supports communication with the LPI2C0 module.
Figure 10 shows the FRDM-MCXA153 LPI2C diagram.
MCXA1xx
LPI2C0_SCL-PMOD
LPI2C0_SDA-PMOD
LPI2C0_SCL
LPI2C0_SDA
LPI2C0
LPI2C0_SCL-MIKROE
LPI2C0_SDA-MIKROE
Arduino
socket
connector J2
LPI2C0_SCL-ARD_D19
LPI2C0_SDA-ARD_D18
Pmod
connector J7
(DNP)
mikroBUS
socket
connector J5
Figure 10. LPI2C diagram
Table 12 describes the FRDM-MCXA153 LPI2C devices. The I2C address of each device depends on the
plugged-in board/module.
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
15 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Peripheral devicesLPI2C module
Part identifier Description
J5 One of the two mikroBUS socket connectors that allows an I2C
connection between the target MCU and the plugged-in mikroBUS click
board.
J7 (DNP) Pmod connector, which allows an I2C connection between the target
MCU and the plugged-in Pmod board. J7 is not populated on the board.
LPI2C0
J2 One of the four Arduino socket connectors that allows an I2C connection
between the target MCU and the plugged-in Arduino board.
Table 12. LPI2C devices
2.7 I3C sensor
The FRDM-MCXA153 board provides a digital temperature sensor, which is supported through the Improved
Inter-Integrated Circuit (I3C) module (I3C0) of the MCXA1xx MCU. Table 13 describes the I3C sensor.
Part identifier Manufacturer and part
number
Description 7-bit I2C address
U8 NXP P3T1755DP Temperature-to-digital converter with an on-chip
band gap temperature sensor and support for over-
temperature detection. It operates in the temperature
range from -40 ℃ to +125 ℃ with ±0.5 ℃ accuracy.
It has a temperature register to store the digital
temperature reading that can be read by a controller
via the 2-wire serial I3C (up to 12.5 MHz) or I2C (up
to 3.4 MHz) interface.
For more information on P3T1755DP, visit nxp.com.
0x90
Table 13. I3C sensor
The FRDM-MCXA153 board also provides the following two I3C test point connectors:
•J20: Supports I3C data signal.
•J21: Supports I3C clock signal.
The temperature reading from the U8 sensor can be read through an external device controller by populating
test point connectors J20 and J21.
2.8 Pmod connector
Digilent Pmod (peripheral module) devices are small I/O interface boards that can be easily integrated with
programmable logic and embedded control boards for expanding their capabilities.
The FRDM-MCXA153 board supports a Pmod connector J7 (Digilent PPPC062LJBN-RC) for expanding the
capabilities of the board. The J7 connector is not populated on the board. If populated, it can be used to access
the SPI and I2C ports of the MCXA1xx MCU. It can be used to work with a remote host, or as an interface to a
Pmod expansion board.
Table 14 shows the pinout of the Pmod connector J7.
Pin number Signal name
1 P1_3/LPSPI0_PCS-PMOD
2 P2_4/GPIO-PMOD
Table 14. Pmod connector pinout
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
16 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Pin number Signal name
3 P1_0/LPSPI0_SDO-PMOD
4 P3_1/GPIO-PMOD
5 P1_2/LPSPI0_SDI-PMOD
6 P3_27/LPI2C0_SCL-PMOD
7 P1_1/LPSPI0_SCK-PMOD
8 P3_28/LPI2C0_SDA-PMOD
11, 12 VDD_BOARD
9, 10 GND
Table 14. Pmod connector pinout...continued
2.9 mikroBUS socket
A mikroBUS socket is a pair of 1x8 position receptacles (connectors) with a proprietary pin configuration and
silkscreen markings. It allows maximum hardware expandability with the least number of pins.
The FRDM-MCXA153 board has a mikroBUS socket with two 1x8 position receptacles, J5 and J6. Figure 11
shows the pinouts of the mikroBUS socket connectors.
J5 J6
mikro
BUS
P3_30/ADC0_A13-MIKROE_AN
P3_1/GPIO-MIKROE
VDD_BOARD
P1_0/LPSPI0_SDO-MIKROE
P1_2/LPSPI0_SDI-MIKROE
P1_1/LPSPI0_SCK-MIKROE
P1_3/LPSPI0_PCS-MIKROE
GND
GND
+3V3
MOSI
MISO
SCK
CS
RST
AN
GND
+5V
SDA
SCL
TX
RX
INT
PWM
GND
SYS_5V0
P3_28/LPI2C0_SDA-MIKROE
P3_27/LPI2C0_SCL-MIKROE
P3_15/LPUART2_TXD-MIKROE
P3_14/LPUART2_RXD-MIKROE
P2_5/GPIO-MIKROE
P3_12/PWM0_X0-MIKROE
Figure 11. mikroBUS socket connector pinouts
The FRDM-MCXA153 mikroBUS socket supports different types of add-on boards, called click boards, which
are plug-and-play solutions to add new functionality to the board design. A click board has a pair of 1x8 pin
headers that connect to the two receptacles of a mikroBUS socket.
MikroElektronika (MIKROE) is one of the manufacturers of click boards. You can find details of some example
click boards for the FRDM-MCXA153 mikroBUS socket at MIKROE website.
2.10 Arduino socket
The FRDM-MCXA153 board has an Arduino socket with the following four connectors:
•J1: 2x8-position receptacle
•J2: 2x10-position receptacle
•J3: 2x8-position receptacle
•J4: 2x6-position receptacle
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
17 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
The two 2x8-position receptacles are placed diagonally opposite to each other. The socket is pin-compatible
with an Arduino Uno revision 3 (R3) board.
The Arduino socket allows communication with the following modules of the target MCU:
•Low-Power Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter 2 (LPUART2)
•Low-Power Serial Peripheral Interface 1 (LPSPI1)
•Low-Power Inter-Integrated Circuit 0 (LPI2C0)
•Analog-to-Digital Converter 0 (ADC0)
•Pulse Width Modulator 0 (PWM0)
Figure 12 shows the pinouts of the Arduino socket connectors.
2 P3_15/GPIO-ARD_D8
J1
2 P1_4/LPUART2_RXD-ARD_D0_RX
4 P1_5/LPUART2_TXD-ARD_D1_TX
NC 5
NC 7
NC 9
NC 11
NC 13
NC 15
NC 19
NC 2
VDD_BOARD 4
P5-9V_VIN 16
1 NC
3 NC
5 NC
7 NC
5 P3_11/PWM0_B2-MC_PWM_CB
P1_7/GPIO_ARD 1
P1_6/TRIG_IN2-MC_ENC_I 3
6 P2_4/GPIO-ARD_D2
8 P3_0/PWM0_A0-ARD_D3
10 P2_5/GPIO-ARD_D4
12 P3_12/PWM0_X0-ARD_D5
14 P3_13/PWM0_X1-ARD_D6
16 P3_1/GPIO-ARD_D7
J2
J3
J4
P1_4/ADC0_A20-MC_BEMF_A 1
P1_5/ADC0_A21-MC_BEMF_B 3
P2_3/ADC0_A2-MC_BEMF_C 5
P2_1/ADC0_A1-MC_VOLT_DCB 7
P2_2/ADC0_A4-MC_CURRENT_DCB 9
NC 17
NC 15
NC 13
NC 11
4 P3_14/PWM0_X2-ARD_D9
6 P2_6/LPSPI1_PCS1-ARD_D10
8 P2_13/LPSPI1_SDO-ARD_D11
10 P2_16/LPSPI1_SDI-ARD_D12
12 P2_12/LPSPI1_SCK-ARD_D13
14 GND
16 VDDA_MCU
18 P1_8/LPI2C0_SDA-ARD_D18
20 P1_9/LPI2C0_SCL-ARD_D19
1 P2_7/TRIG_IN5-MC_ENC_B
3 P3_31/TRIG_IN10-MC_ENC_A
7 P3_10/PWM0_A2-MC_PWM_CT
9 P3_9/PWM0_B1-MC_PWM_BB
11 P3_8/PWM0_A1-MC_PWM_BT
13 P3_7/PWM0_B0-MC_PWM_AB
15 P3_6/PWM0_A0-MC_PWM_AT
P1_29/MCU_RESET_B 6
LDO_3V3 8
SYS_5V0 10
GND 14
GND 12
9 P1_11/GPIO_ARD
11 P3_29/GPIO_ARD
P1_10/ADC0_A8-ARD_A0 2
P1_12/ADC0_A10-ARD_A1 4
P1_13/ADC0_A11-ARD_A2 6
P2_0/ADC0_A0-ARD_A3 8
P3_30/ADC0_A13-ARD_A5 12
P3_31/ADC0_A12-ARD_A4 10
Figure 12. Arduino socket connector pinouts
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
18 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
3 MCU-Link OB debug probe
MCU-Link is a debug probe architecture jointly developed by NXP and Embedded Artists. The MCU-Link
architecture is based on the LPC55S69 MCU, which is based on the Arm Cortex-M33 core.
The MCU-Link architecture is configurable to support different debug feature options. The architecture is used
both in standalone debug probes (such as MCU-Link Pro) and for onboard debug probes in evaluation boards
(such as FRDM-MCXA153). The onboard implementation of MCU-Link is referred to as MCU-Link OB.
The FRDM-MCXA153 board implements a subset of the MCU-Link architecture features, as mentioned in
Section 3.1. For more details on the MCU-Link architecture, visit the MCU-Link Debug Probe Architecture page.
The MCU-Link OB on the FRDM-MCXA153 board is factory-programmed with the firmware based on the NXP
CMSIS-DAP protocol. The firmware also supports all other features supported in the hardware. A custom
version of the J-Link firmware to make MCU-Link OB compatible with J-Link LITE is also available. However,
this firmware version supports only limited features, including debug/SWO and VCOM. For information on how
to update the firmware, see Section 3.4.
3.1 Supported MCU-Link features
MCU-Link includes several mandatory and optional features. Table 15 summarizes the MCU-Link features
supported on the FRDM-MCXA153 board.
Feature Description
Serial wire debug (SWD) / serial wire debug
trace output (SWO)
MCU-Link allows SWD-based debugging with SWO for profiling and/or
low overhead debug standard I/O communication.
Virtual communication (VCOM) serial port MCU-Link adds a serial COM port on the host computer and connects it
to the target MCU while working as a USB-to-UART bridge.
External debug probe support The MCU-Link interface supports debugging the target MCU (MCXA1xx)
using an external debug probe, instead of MCU-Link. Support for an
external debug probe is enabled by disabling the SWD feature.
External target support[1] MCU-Link can also be used to debug an external target.
Table 15. Supported MCU-Link features
[1] J-Link firmware does not support this feature.
3.2 Supported debug scenarios
Table 16 describes the debug scenarios supported on the FRDM-MCXA153 board.
Debug scenario Feature support Required jumper/connector settings
MCU-Link SWD disable jumper JP20 is open.SWD: Enabled
Target MCU external debugger connector J18 (DNP) is not
used for external connection.
Use MCU-Link for debugging the
MCXA1xx MCU
VCOM: Enabled MCU-Link VCOM port disable jumper JP19 is open.
Short JP20.SWD: Not supported
Populate J18 and connect the external debugger to it.
Use an external debugger for
debugging the MCXA1xx MCU
VCOM: Supported JP19 is open.
Table 16. Supported debug scenarios
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
19 / 29

NXP Semiconductors UM12012
FRDM-MCXA153 Board User Manual
Debug scenario Feature support Required jumper/connector settings
JP20 is open.SWD: Enabled
Populate J18 and connect the external target to it.
Use MCU-Link for debugging an
external target
VCOM: Not supported Short JP19.
Table 16. Supported debug scenarios...continued
3.3 MCU-Link host driver and utility installation
The MCU-Link debug probe is supported on Windows 10/11, MacOS X, and Ubuntu Linux platforms. It uses
standard OS drivers. For Windows, the installation program also includes information files to provide user-
friendly device names.
Support for MCU-Link can be enabled using the Linkserver utility, which is an NXP GDB server and flash utility
that supports many NXP debug probes. Running the Linkserver installer also installs all the drivers and a
firmware update utility required for MCU-Link.
NXP recommends you to use the Linkserver utility for installing the MCU-Link drivers and firmware update utility,
unless you are using MCUXpresso IDE version 11.6.1 or earlier. For more details on this utility, visit the https://
nxp.com/linkserver page.
Note: Installing the Linkserver utility (using the Linkserver installer) only installs the device drivers required for
MCU-Link, it does not update the MCU-Link firmware. The Linkserver installation package includes the utilities
that are used to update the firmware. If you are using MCUXpresso IDE version 11.6.1 or earlier, you must
install the firmware update utility version 2.263, which is not included in the Linkserver installation package.
If you cannot use the Linkserver utility, follow these steps to install the MCU-Link drivers and firmware update
utility:
1. Visit the board page on the NXP website (not available yet).
2. Go to the Design Resources > Software section. Under the Development Software category, MCU-Link
installation packages for Windows, MacOS, and Linux platforms are available.
3. Download the MCU-Link installation package applicable to your host OS.
4. Run the installer program (for Windows) or install the firmware package (for MacOS or Linux).
You are recommended to update the MCU-Link firmware on your board to the latest firmware version to get
the latest functionality. Steps to update the firmware are provided in Section 3.4. Before updating the firmware,
check if the MCU-Link firmware you want to use is compatible with the MCUXpresso IDE installed on your host
computer (see Table 17).
FreeMASTER support viaMCU-Link
firmware version
USB driver
type
CMSIS-SWO
support SWD /
JTAG
USB bridge
Supported MCUXpresso
IDE versions
V1.xxx and V2.xxx HID No Yes Yes MCUXpresso 11.3 or later
V3.xxx (up to and
including V3.108)
WinUSB No Yes FreeMASTER V3.2.2
or later
MCUXpresso 11.7.0 or later
V3.117 and later WinUSB Yes Yes FreeMASTER V3.2.2
or later
MCUXpresso 11.7.1 or later
Table 17. Compatibility between MCU-Link firmware and MCUXpresso IDE
3.4 Updating MCU-Link firmware
When updating the MCU-Link firmware, MCU-Link must be powered up in ISP mode. To configure MCU-Link in
ISP mode and update MCU-Link firmware, follow these steps:
UM12012 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2024 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 25 January 2024
20 / 29