NXP Semiconductors QN908 series User manual

UM11097
QN908x Quick Start
Rev.2.0 — 21 March 2018
User manual
Document information
Info
Content
Keywords
QN908x, Quick Start, Development Kit, QN9080 DK, QN9080
Development Kit
Abstract
This Quick Start document provides an overview about the QN9080DK
board and its software tools and lists the steps to install the hardware and
the software.

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QN908x Quick Start User Manual
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User manual
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Contact information
For additional information, please visi
t: http://www.nxp.com
Revision history
Rev
Date
Description
1.0
20180131
Initial release
2.0
20180321
Updated steps of QN908x SDK/PC installation. Added directory of USB Dongle firmware
and corrected the jumper for QN9080DK firmware update.

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1. Introduction
QN9080 Development Kit (DK) is designed for evaluating and developing Bluetooth Low
Energy (BLE) solutions based on QN908x. The module features GPIO, USB, PMod, and
SWD interface. J-Link and J-Trace functions are both supported for debugging. ISP
download function is also supported with the QN9080 DK board.
This Quick Start document provides an overview about the QN9080DK board and its
software tools and lists the steps to install the hardware and the software. The document
also describes how to run the demo example and create a new application project.
2. Kit contents
The QN9080 DK is composed of three parts.
•QN9080 DK board: A hardware board-based QN9080 for BLE application
development.
It comprises onboard RF matching circuit and antenna, power supply, GPIO connector,
buttons, and LEDs. The LPC4322 OnBoard (OB) debugger is used to bridge QN9080
SWD and UART interface to PC, download program, and debug from PC.
For detailed information, refer to QN9080 DK User Guide.
Fig 1. QN9080 DK board
•BLE Dongle: A BLE device controlled by the Connectivity QTool running on a PC.
It works with the QN9080 DK board as a pair for BLE evaluation and debugging. It is
connected to PC via USB.
•USB Cable: A cable to connect the QN9080 DK board with the PC via Micro USB
interface.

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3. Download and install software
Before connecting the QN9080-DK Board to PC, install/download the following software
tools on PC:
•Connectivity QTool
•QN908x Programming Tool
•QN908x Image Editor
•Keil MDK-Arm v5.18*, IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm v8.11 1 or MCUXpresso
IDE v10.1.1*
•MCUXpresso SDK
•LPCScrypt v1.8.2
•SEGGER J-Link v6.10 (or higher)
•User can choose any one of these IDEs for the development on QN9080DK. Higher
versions of those IDEs are also supported.
3.1 System requirements
The development on the QN9080-DK has the following minimum system requirements:
•PC running with Microsoft® Windows® 7/8/10 (32-bit or 64-bit)
•2 GB RAM and 8 GB hard-disk space
•Minimum of two USB ports
3.2 QN908x SDK/PC tool installation
QN908x SDK is a package containing source code and documents necessary for
application firmware development. Some PC tools are also available to ease debug and
development.
Refer to the following steps to download the SDK:
1. Click the link below and navigate to the SDK building page:
https://www.nxp.com/support/developer-resources/software-development-
tools/mcuxpresso-software-and-tools/mcuxpresso-software-development-kit-
sdk:MCUXpresso-SDK?fsrch=1&sr=2&pageNum=1.
2. Click the button Build your SDK to start the SDK builder.
3. Click Select Development Board and log-in to start building the QN908x SDK
and download it into a folder on your PC.
Note: The SDK can also be found by the link: Use the direct URL for QN9080:
https://mcuxpresso.nxp.com/en/select?device=QN908XCDK.
4. Navigate to the folder specified in Step 3 to open the SDK project.
Refer to the following steps to download the PC tools:
1. Click the link below to download PC Tools.
- Connectivity QTool:
https://www.nxp.com/webapp/sps/download/license.jsp?colCode=Connectivi
ty-QTool-Setup

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QN908x Quick Start User Manual
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- QN908x Programming Tool:
https://www.nxp.com/webapp/sps/download/license.jsp?colCode=QN908x-
Programming-Tool-Setup
- Image Editor:
https://www.nxp.com/webapp/sps/download/license.jsp?colCode=QN908x-
Image-Editor
2. Navigate to the folder where you downloaded the PC tools.
3. Click the *.exe files to start the installation.
3.2.1 PC software tool introduction
1. Connectivity QTool is a software tool that runs on a PC and talks with the USB
Dongle to act as a peripheral/central device. It provides ease in the debugging
and development of a QN908x-based device.
2. QN908x Programming Tool is a software tool that runs on a PC and talks with
the QN908x DK for firmware uploading and non-volatile parameters setting via
UART/SWD interface.
Note: Only J-Link is supported when updating firmware via SWD interface by the
QN908x Programming Tool. Update the firmware of QN908x DK debugger by
LPCScrypt to support J-Link. The procedure is elaborated at Chapter 4.
3. Image Editor is a command-line tool used to convert binary file to the required
format, check the help content for details.
3.3 Install MCUXpresso IDE
MCUXpresso IDE provides comprehensive compiler supporting QN, Kinetis, and LPC
Microcontrollers.
You can download it from the following URL:
https://www.nxp.com/support/developer-resources/software-development-
tools/mcuxpresso-software-and-tools/mcuxpresso-integrated-development-environment-
ide:MCUXpresso-IDE.
Double-click the file to run and complete the installation.
3.4 Install LPC-Link2 software
LPCScrypt is a command-line based, fast flash, EEPROM, OTP and security
programming tool that supports LPC-Link2 Debug Firmware Programming.
You can download it from the following URL:
https://www.nxp.com/support/developer-resources/software-development-tools/lpc-
developer-resources-/lpc-microcontroller-utilities/lpcscrypt-
v1.8.2:LPCSCRYPT?tab=Design_Tools_Tab.
Double-click the file to run and complete the installation.
3.5 CMSIS-DAP or J-Link
QN9080 DK is shipping out with CMSIS-DAP enabled by default as debugger. All SDK
projects are configured as CMSIS-DAP as debugger.

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To use the PC tools contained in the SDK package you may need to enable J-Link. The
tool LPCScrypt is used to update firmware of the debugger chip LPC4322 on QN9080
DK.
3.6 Install J-Link software
For the cases of J-Link needed, J-Link software must be installed as J-Link driver resides
in the package.
The J-Link software and documentation package is available for download from
https://www.segger.com/downloads/jlink.
Fig 2. Download J-Link SW
4. Connect hardware and install drivers
Figure 3 shows the hardware connections of QN9080 DK board, BLE dongle, and PC.
QN9080 DK board is attached to PC by a USB cable via J2 port. The BLE dongle is
plugged into another USB port on PC.
Fig 3. Hardware connection
4.1 Connect QN9080 DK board and install driver
Connect the QN9080DK board to a PC with a microB USB cable. Use connector J2 on
the QN9080DK.
Once connected to the PC, Windows will detect the new hardware. Run the driver
installation tool lpc_driver_installer.exe, found inside of the LPSCrypt installation direct at

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C:\NXP\LPCScrypt\Drivers. This will install the drivers for both the virtual COM port and
CMSIS-DAP debugger.
After drivers are installed correctly, the device is shown in Device Manger as Figure 4.
Fig 4. LPC-Link 2 device in Device Manager
4.2 Connect BLE dongle and install driver
Connect the device to a USB port on PC. A driver must be installed before Connectivity
QTool can access it.
Following the procedure below to install the driver:
1. Right-click Computer and choose Manage, the Computer Management window
appears.
2. Click Device Manager, navigate to MCU VIRTUAL COM DEMO on the right side,
refer to Figure 5 for details.
3. Right-click the device MCU VIRTUAL COM DEMO and choose Update Driver
Software
4. Click the item Browse my computer for driver software in the window.
5. Click Browse button to go to the folder C:/NXP/Connectivity QTool/.
6. Click the Next button at the bottom.

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Fig 5. BLE dongle installation
After the driver is successfully installed, the device appears as a new COM port in Device
Manager.

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Fig 6. BLE dongle in Device Manager
4.3 Update BLE dongle firmware
Fig 7. BLE dongle firmware
QN908x BLE Dongle is shipped with the default firmware burned. It is necessary to
update firmware when Connectivity QTool cannot establish a communication with the
corresponding COM port.

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The following procedure is used to update the firmware:
1. Plug dongle into USB port of PC.
2. Short test point TP5 to ground TP4 or USB shield.
3. Press the reset button while TP5 shorted to ground.
4. There should be a new disk, named "CRP DISBLD", showed in Windows
Explorer.
5. Delete the firmware.bin on the disk.
6. Copy new firmware firmware.bin residing in the Connectivity QTool installation
directory C:\nxp\Connectivity QTool\bin to the Dongle.
7. Firmware is updated successfully after firmware copy complete.
8. Reset or power cycle the USB dongle with TP5 not shorted. The USB dongle
works again.
4.4 Update debugger firmware to support J-Link/CMSIS-DAP
LPC-Link 2 is integrated on the QN908x DK by the chip LPC4322, CMSIS-DAP is
supported by default. J-Link is also supported by LPC-Link 2 by changing firmware inside
the LPC4322.
Currently, only J-Link is supported on the SWD firmware updating function of QN908x
Programming Tool.
LPCScrypt is used to update the firmware for the LPC4322 on the QN9080 DK. The
procedure below is about how to update firmware to support J-Link, and vice versa.
1. Short JP5 and power cycle the QN9080 DK.
2. Go to Start Menu of Windows.
3. Click the option, “Program LPC-Link2 with SEGGER J-Link” under LPCScrypt.

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Fig 8. Select Program LPC-Link2 with SEGGER J-Link
4. Press any key in the Window “Program LPC-Link2 with SEGGER J-Link”, and
the firmware update starts.
Fig 9. Firmware update started
5. The content in the Window when firmware updating complete is shown in the
figure below.

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Fig 10. Firmware update completed
6. Unplug JP5 and power cycle the board, J-Link is being used now
7. Click the option “Program LPC-Link2 with CMSIS-DAP” in step 2 when CMSIS-
DAP needs to be supported, other step is same as J-Link firmware updating.
5. Develop advanced application
Three IDEs, Keil, IAR, and MCUXpresso are supported in the QN908x SDK. For more
information, refer to the document BLE Quick Start Guide.pdf in the folder
…\docs\wireless\Bluetooth elaborated how to open/compile a project and run a BLE or
other demo project.
6. Binary update by QN908x programming tool
QN908x Programming Tool supports both UART and SWD hardware interface to update
firmware for QN908x DK. The corresponding options in the tool are ISP Download and
SWD Download. NVDS Configurator is used to update the non-volatile parameters on
QN908x, such as MAC Address, Device Name, etc.
Only J-Link is supported currently to update firmware by SWD interface. Refer to chapter
4.4 on how to change the firmware of LPC-Link2 to support J-Link.
6.1 Update firmware of QN9080 DK by ISP download
QN908x bootloader supports firmware updating by ISP mode. Refer to the procedures
below on how to update firmware in ISP mode by QN908x Programming Tool.
1. Navigate to the Startup menu of Windows.
2. Open the tool under the folder Start menu > NXP > QN908x Programming
Tool.
3. Short JP15 to enable the ISP function of QN908x bootloader.
4. Click ISP Download on QN908x Programming Tool.
5. Choose crystal clock, QN908x DK uses 32 MHz crystal by default.

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6. Choose QN908x COM port.
7. Click the Clock Connect button.
8. Click the Reset button (SW3) to reset QN908x.
9. Click the Open File button to choose binary built-in chapter 5.
10. Click the Start button to start firmware updating.
11. Wait for firmware updating complete.
12. Remove the jumper on JP15 and press Reset button(SW3), the new firmware
will now be running on the QN9080 DK.
7. Run Connectivity QTool and talk with QN9080 DK
Connectivity QTool is a PC tool that works with BLE dongle to ease the development of a
BLE project in SDK. Refer to the procedure below on how to run Connectivity QTool to
talk with QN9080 DK.
1. Connect BLE Dongle to the USB port of a PC.
2. Go to the Startup menu of Windows, open the tool under the folder Start menu
> NXP > Connectivity QTool.
3. Choose the COM port of BLE Dongle and click Open.
4. Click the Start Scanning button to find the BLE device.
5. Click the Stop Scanning button when found desirable BLE device by Mac
address.
6. Click the device found in the Device window at left side.
7. Click Connect button on the Settings window to connect QN9080 DK.
8. The status changes to Connected at Device window at left side.
Note: By default, the profile inside QN9080 DK is a proximity reporter.
8. Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used in the document.
Table 1. Abbreviations
Name
Description
DK
Development Kit
SoC
System on Chip
BLE
Bluetooth Low Energy
GPIO
General Purpose Input Output
NVDS
Nonvolatile Data Storage
OB
On Board
ISP
In System Program
SPI
Serial Port Interface
SWD
Serial Wire Debug
UART
Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter
MDK
Microcontroller Development Kit

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9. References
•BLE Host Stack FSCI Reference Manual
•UM11085 Connectivity QTool User Manual
•QN908x Programming Tool User Manual
•UM11086 QN908x Image Editor User Manual
•BLE Demo Applications User's Guide
•BLE Application Developer's Guide
•QN908x DK User's Guide
Learn more at:
http://www.nxp.com/products/microcontrollers-and-processors/more-
processors/application-specific-mcus-mpus/bluetooth-low-energy-ble/ultra-low-power-
ble-system-on-chip-solution:QN9080.

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10. Legal information
10.1 Definitions
Draft — The document is a draft version only. The content is still under
internal review and subject to formal approval, which may result in
modifications or additions. NXP Semiconductors does not give any
representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of
information included herein and shall have no liability for the consequences
of use of such information.
10.2 Disclaimers
General — Information in this document is believed to be accurate and
reliable. However, NXP Semiconductors does not give any representations
or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of
such information and shall have no liability for the consequences of use of
such information.
Right to make changes — NXP Semiconductors reserves the right to make
changes to information published in this document, including without
limitation specifications and product descriptions, at any time and without
notice. This document supersedes and replaces all information supplied prior
to the publication hereof.
Suitability for use — NXP Semiconductors products are not designed,
authorized or warranted to be suitable for use in medical, military, aircraft,
space or life support equipment, nor in applications where failure or
malfunction of a NXP Semiconductors product can reasonably be expected
to result in personal injury, death or severe property or environmental
damage. NXP Semiconductors accepts no liability for inclusion and/or use of
NXP Semiconductors products in such equipment or applications and
therefore such inclusion and/or use is for the customer’s own risk.
Applications — Applications that are described herein for any of these
products are for illustrative purposes only. NXP Semiconductors makes no
representation or warranty that such applications will be suitable for the
specified use without further testing or modification.
Export control — This document as well as the item(s) described herein
may be subject to export control regulations. Export might require a prior
authorization from national authorities.
10.3 Licenses
Purchase of NXP <xxx> components
<License statement text>
10.4 Patents
Notice is herewith given that the subject device uses one or more of the
following patents and that each of these patents may have corresponding
patents in other jurisdictions.
<Patent ID> — owned by <Company name>
10.5 Trademarks
Notice: All referenced brands, product names, service names and
trademarks are property of their respective owners.
<Name> — is a trademark of NXP B.V.

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11. Contents
1. Introduction .........................................................3
2. Kit contents..........................................................3
3. Download and install software...........................4
3.1 System requirements.........................................4
3.2 QN908x SDK/PC tool installation.......................4
3.2.1 PC software tool introduction .............................5
3.3 Install MCUXpresso IDE ....................................5
3.4 Install LPC-Link2 software..................................5
3.5 CMSIS-DAP or J-Link ........................................5
3.6 Install J-Link software.........................................6
4. Connect hardware and install drivers ...............6
4.1 Connect QN9080 DK board and install driver....6
4.2 Connect BLE dongle and install driver...............7
4.3 Update BLE dongle firmware .............................9
4.4 Update debugger firmware to support J-
Link/CMSIS-DAP..............................................10
5. Develop advanced application.........................12
6. Binary update by QN908x programming tool..12
6.1 Update firmware of QN9080 DK by ISP
download..........................................................12
7. Run Connectivity QTool and talk with QN9080
DK .......................................................................13
8. Abbreviations.....................................................13
9. References.........................................................14
10. Legal information ..............................................15
10.1 Definitions.........................................................15
10.2 Disclaimers.......................................................15
10.3 Licenses...........................................................15
10.4 Patents.............................................................15
10.5 Trademarks......................................................15
11. Contents.............................................................16
Please be aware that important notices concerning this document and the product(s)
described herein, have been included in the section 'Legal information'.
© NXP B.V. 2018. All rights reserved.
For more information, please visit: http://www.nxp.com
Date of release: 21 March
2018
Document identifier: 11097