NXP UM12121 Development Board using MCUX Pressor User Manual

User Manual for NXP models including: UM12121 Development Board using MCUX Pressor, UM12121, Development Board using MCUX Pressor, Board using MCUX Pressor, using MCUX Pressor, MCUX Pressorr, Pressorr

FRDM-MCXA156 Board User Manual

UM12121, FRDM-MCXA156, MCXA156, Arduino, mikroBUS, Pmod, MCU-Link

NXP B.V.

FRDM-MCXA156 Board User Manual

Getting Started with FRDM-MCXA156 | NXP Semiconductors

FRDM-MCXA156 Development Board using MCUXpresso | NXP Semiconductors

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UM12121

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FRDM-MCXA156 Board User Manual
Rev. 1 -- 22 July 2024

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Information

Content

Keywords

UM12121, FRDM-MCXA156, MCXA156, Arduino, mikroBUS, Pmod, MCU-Link

Abstract

The FRDM-MCXA156 board is a design and evaluation platform based on the NXP MCXA156 MCU.

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1 Board overview
The FRDM-MCXA156 board is a design and evaluation platform based on the NXP MCXA156 microcontroller (MCU). The MCXA156 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 Arduino boards (Arduino UNO R3 and Arduino A4/A5), motor control boards (FRDM-MC-LVBLDC and FRDM-MC-LVPMSM), Mikroe click boards, and Pmod 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 MCXA156 MCU, the FRDM-MCXA156 board uses an onboard (OB) debug probe, MCU-Link OB, which is based on another NXP MCU: LPC55S69. For simplicity, the MCXA156 MCU and the LPC55S69 MCU are respectively referred to as "target MCU" and "debug MCU" at some places in this document.
This document provides details about the FRDM-MCXA156 board interfaces, power supplies, clocks, connectors, jumpers, push buttons, LEDs, and MCU-Link OB.

1.1 Block diagram
Figure 1 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 board block diagram.

USB Type-C connector

MCU-Link

CAN connector

SWD connector
CAN FD PHY
USB Type-C connector
Temperature sensor
Buttons

SWD FlexCAN
USB FS I3C GPIO

RGB LED

GPIO/PWM

MCXA156VLL (LQFP100)

FlexIO

Parallel LCD header

FlexIO

Camera header

UART/SPI/I2C/ADC/PWM

Arduino/FRDM headers

UART/SPI/I2C/ADC/PWM

mikroBUS headers

SPI/I2C

Pmod header

Onboard components Connectors and headers
DNP components
Figure 1.FRDM-MCXA156 block diagram

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1.2 Board features

Table 1 lists the features of the FRDM-MCXA156 board.

Table 1.FRDM-MCXA156 features

Board feature

Target MCU features used

MCU (target MCU)

USB interface FlexCAN interface LPUART interface
LPSPI interface
LPI2C interface
I3C interface FlexIO interface ADC interface Arduino socket mikroBUS socket Pmod connector Debug interface

USBFS0 module
CAN0 module
LPUART0 module LPUART1 module
LPUART2 module
LPSPI0 module
LPSPI1 module
LPI2C0 module LPI2C2 module
LPI2C3 module
I3C0 module FLEXIO0 module
ADC0 module ADC1 module
LPUART2, LPSPI1, LPI2C0, ADC0, ADC1, PWM0, and PWM1 modules LPUART1, LPSPI0, LPI2C3, ADC1, and PWM0 modules LPSPI0 and LPI2C3 modules LPUART0 module

Description
NXP MCXA156 MCU (part number: MCXA156VLL) based on an Arm Cortex-M33 core, running at speeds of up to 96 MHz. Note: For details on the MCXA156 MCU, see MCXA156, A155, A154, A146, A145, A144 Reference Manual and MCXA156, A155, A154, A146, A145, A144 Data Sheet. Supports a USB full-speed connection through a USB 2.0 Type-C connector J23 Provides a high-speed CAN FD transceiver accessible through a 2x2-pin header J22 Supports a USB-to-UART bridge connection using MCU-Link Supports an external UART connection through mikroBUS socket connector J5 Supports an external UART connection through Arduino socket connector J1 Supports an external SPI connection through mikroBUS socket connector J6 or Pmod connector J7 (DNP) Supports an external SPI connection through Arduino socket connector J2 Provides an I2C connection to Arduino socket connector J2 Provides an I2C connection to FlexIO LCD connector J8 and camera connector J9 (DNP) Provides an I2C connection to mikroBUS socket connector J5 and Pmod connector J7 (DNP) Supports a digital temperature sensor (P3T1755DP) Supports FlexIO LCD connector J8 and camera connector J9 (DNP) Accepts ADC inputs through Arduino socket connector J2 Accepts ADC inputs through Arduino socket connector J2, Arduino socket connector J4, and mikroBUS socket connector J6 Arduino socket with four connectors J1, J2, J3, and J4
mikroBUS socket with a pair of connectors J5 and J6
Pmod connector J7 (DNP)
Onboard MCU-Link debug probe with USB Type-C connector J21 for debugging the MCXA156 MCU

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Table 1.FRDM-MCXA156 features...continued

Board feature

Target MCU features used

Power supply

Clocks Orderable part number

Description
The following options are available to power up the board: · External 5 V power through USB Type-C connector J23 · External 5 V power through USB Type-C connector J21 · 5-9 V power from Arduino socket connector J3, pin 16 · 8 MHz clock for the MCXA156 MCU · 16 MHz clock for the LPC55S69 MCU FRDM-MCXA156

1.3 Kit contents

Table 2 lists the items included in the FRDM-MCXA156 board hardware kit.

Table 2.Kit contents Item FRDM-MCXA156 board hardware assembly USB 2.0 Type-A to Type-C cable, 1 meter FRDM-MCXA156 Quick Start Guide

Quantity 1 1 1

1.4 Board pictures

Figure 2 shows the top-side view of the FRDM-MCXA156 board with MCXA156 MCU (target MCU), LPC55S69 MCU (debug MCU), temperature sensor, and CAN FD transceiver highlighted.

LPC55S69 MCU

MCXA156 MCU

Temperature sensor

CAN FD transceiver
Figure 2.Board top-side view Figure 3 shows the bottom-side view of the FRDM-MCXA156 board.

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Figure 3.Board bottom-side view

1.5 Connectors

Figure 4 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 board connectors.

J20 (GND, DNP)

J2 (Arduino)

J1 (Arduino)

J12 (I3C clock, DNP) J11 (I3C data, DNP)

J21 (MCU-Link USB)

J19 (GND, DNP) J5 (mikroBUS)

J23 (USB FS)
J24 (Ext. debugger)
J14 (5 V regulator, DNP)

J9 (Camera, DNP) J8 (FlexIO LCD) J6 (mikroBUS) J16 (GND, DNP)

J15 (GND, DNP) J22 (CAN)
J18 (Power, DNP)

J3 (Arduino) J17 (Power, DNP)

J4 (Arduino)

J7 (Pmod, DNP) J10 (Clock output, DNP)

Figure 4.Connectors

Table 3 describes the connectors available on the FRDM-MCXA156 board.

Table 3.FRDM-MCXA156 connectors

Part identifier

Connector type

2x8-position receptacle

2x10-position receptacle

2x8-position receptacle

2x6-position receptacle

Description Arduino socket connectors

Reference section Section 2.11

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Table 3.FRDM-MCXA156 connectors...continued

Part identifier

Connector type

1x8-position receptacle

J7 (DNP)

2x6-pin/position connector

2x14-position receptacle

J9 (DNP)

2x9-pin/position connector

J10 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J11 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J12 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J14 (DNP)

1x3-pin/position connector

J15 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J16 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J19 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J20 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J17 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J18 (DNP)

1-pin/position connector

J21

USB Type-C connector

J22

2x2-pin header

J23

USB Type-C connector

J24

2x5-pin header

Description mikroBUS socket connectors
Pmod connector FlexIO parallel LCD connector Camera connector Clock output test point I3C data test point I3C clock test point 5 V DC voltage regulator connector GND test points
Power supply test points
MCU-Link USB connector CAN header MCXA156 USB full-speed (FS) connector Target MCU (MCXA156) external debugger connector

1.6 Jumpers
Figure 5 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 board jumpers.

Reference section Section 2.12
Section 2.13 Section 2.9
Section 2.2 Section 2.8
Section 2.1 For more information on these connectors, see FRDM-MCXA156 board schematics.
Section 3.6 Section 2.4 Section 2.3
Section 3.2

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JP6 JP7 JP8 JP5

JP2 JP4 (DNP)

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JP3 (DNP)
Figure 5.Jumpers Table 4 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 board jumpers.

JP1 (DNP)

Table 4.FRDM-MCXA156 jumpers

Part identifier PCB label

Jumper type

JP1 (DNP)

POW_BRD

1x2-pin header

JP2

MCU_DIGITAL 1x2-pin header

_POW

JP3 (DNP)

MCU_TOTAL_ 1x2-pin header POW

Description

Reference section

Board power (VDD_BOARD) measurement jumper. JP1 is not populated on the board by default. It can be populated to measure the current for the VDD_BOARD supply. When populating JP1, ensure to remove the 0 resistor R4.
When open, JP1 can be used to measure the current for the VDD_BOARD supply (see Section 2.1.1 for more details). When shorted, JP1 produces the VDD_BOARD supply.

Section 2.1

Target MCU (MCXA156) digital power (VDD_ MCU) measurement jumper:
· Open: The VDD_MCU supply is OFF initially. JP2 can be used to measure the current consumption of the MCXA156 digital IPs (see Section 2.1.1 for more details).
· Shorted (default setting): JP2 produces the VDD_MCU supply.

Target MCU total power (analog + digital) (MCU_VDD_P3V3) measurement jumper. JP3 is not populated on the board by default. It can be populated to measure the total current consumption of the target MCU. When populating JP3, ensure to remove the 2.7 resistor R6.
When open, JP3 can be used to measure the current for the target MCU total power (MCU_ VDD_P3V3) (see Section 2.1.1 for more details).

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Table 4.FRDM-MCXA156 jumpers...continued

Part identifier PCB label

Jumper type

JP4 (DNP)

MCU_ ANALOG_ POW

1x2-pin header

JP5

ISP_EN_SWD_ 1x2-pin header

ACT

JP6

VCOM_DIS 1x2-pin header

JP7

SWD_DIS

1x2-pin header

JP8

SWD_CLK

1x2-pin header

Description
When shorted, JP3 produces the MCU_VDD_P3 V3 supply.

Reference section

Target MCU (MCXA156) analog power (VDDA_ MCU) measurement jumper. JP4 is not populated on the board by default. It can be populated to measure the current consumption of the MCXA156 analog IPs. When populating JP4, ensure to remove the 0 resistor R7.
When open, JP4 can be used to measure the current consumption of the MCXA156 analog IPs (see Section 2.1.1 for more details). When shorted, JP4 produces the VDDA_MCU supply.

MCU-Link (LPC55S69) ISP mode enable jumper: Section 3.4
· Open (default setting): MCU-Link follows the normal boot sequence (MCU-Link boots from its 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 MCULink internal flash with a new image or use the MCUXpresso IDE with the CMSIS-DAP protocol.
Note: By default, the MCU-Link internal flash is preprogrammed with a version of the CMSIS-DAP firmware.

MCU-Link VCOM port disable jumper:
· Open (default setting): The MCU-Link virtual communication (VCOM) port (USB-to-UART bridge) is enabled.
· Shorted: The MCU-Link VCOM port (USB-toUART bridge) is disabled.

Section 3.7

MCU-Link SWD disable jumper:

Section 3.2

· Open (default setting): The MCU-Link serial wire debug (SWD) feature is enabled. MCU-Link can
be used to drive the SWD of the target MCU.

· Shorted: The MCU-Link SWD feature is disabled. This jumper setting can be used for debugging the target MCU, using an external debugger connected through connector J24.

MCU-Link SWD clock enable jumper:
· Open: The MCU-Link SWD clock is disabled.
· Shorted (default setting): The MCU-Link SWD clock is enabled. MCU-Link drives SWD of the target MCU.

For more information on this jumper, see FRDMMCXA156 board schematics.

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1.7 Push buttons
Figure 6 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 board push buttons.
SW1 (Reset)

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SW2 (Wake-up)

Figure 6.Push buttons Table 5 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 board push buttons.

SW3 (ISP)

Table 5.FRDM-MCXA156 push buttons

Part identifier PCB label

Name/function

SW1

RESET

Reset button

SW2

WAKE UP

Wake-up button

SW3

ISP

ISP button

Description
Pressing SW1 asserts the MCXA156 MCU pin P1_29 (RESET_B), which wakes up the MCU from any mode. When SW1 is pressed, the reset LED D11 turns ON.
Pressing SW2 asserts the MCXA156 MCU pin P1_7, which can be configured through software to wake up the MCU from low-power modes.
Pressing SW3 asserts the MCXA156 MCU pin P0_6 (ISPMODE_N), which forces the MCU extended bootloader to run in In-System Programming (ISP) mode. To boot the MCU in ISP mode, hold down SW3 while pressing SW1 (reset button) or while supplying power to the board. For more information on the MCXA156 MCU ISP mode, see MCXA156, A155, A154, A146, A145, A144 Reference Manual.

1.8 LEDs
The FRDM-MCXA156 board provides 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-MCXA156 board LEDs.

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D11 (Reset)

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D5 (MCU-Link USB) D7 (MCU-Link VCOM) D6 (MCU-Link status (SWD) / ISP)
D12 (RGB)

D4 (Power)
Figure 7.LEDs Table 6 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 board LEDs except for MCU-Link-specific LEDs, which are described in Section 3.8.

Table 6.FRDM-MCXA156 LEDs Part identifier PCB label

POWER

D11

RESET

D12

RGB

LED color Green Red
Red/green/blue

Description (when LED is ON)
The LDO_3V3 supply is available.
Indicates system reset activity. When board reset is initiated, for example, by pressing the reset button (SW1), D11 turns ON.
User-defined LED, which can be controlled through a user application.

Note: MCU-Link-specific LEDs D5, D6, and D7 are described in Section 3.8.

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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 "FlexCAN interface" · Section 2.5 "LPUART interface" · Section 2.6 "LPSPI interface" · Section 2.7 "LPI2C interface" · Section 2.8 "I3C interface" · Section 2.9 "FlexIO interface" · Section 2.10 "ADC interface" · Section 2.11 "Arduino socket" · Section 2.12 "mikroBUS socket" · Section 2.13 "Pmod connector"

2.1 Power supplies

The FRDM-MCXA156 board is powered up using one of the following primary power supply options:
· External 5 V power through USB Type-C connector J23 · External 5 V power through USB Type-C connector J21 · 5-9 V power from Arduino socket connector J3, pin 16
The primary power supply is used to produce secondary power supplies on the board. The secondary power supplies provide power to board components, including the MCXA156 MCU, MCU-Link, temperature sensor, CAN FD transceiver, CAN connector, Arduino socket, mikroBUS socket, Pmod connector, FlexIO LCD connector, camera connector, and external debugger connector.
Table 7 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 board power supplies.

Table 7.FRDM-MCXA156 power supplies

Power source

Manufacturer and part Power

number

supply

Description

External supply through USB Type-C connector J23

P5V_USB_FS One of the three power source options for the SYS_5V0

(5 V)

supply

External supply through USB Type-C connector J21

P5V_MCU_ · Second power source option for the SYS_5V0 supply

LINK_USB (5 · Provides the 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 connector J14 (not populated)

DC voltage regulator attached to connector J14 (DNP)

P5V_HDR_IN Third power source option for the SYS_5V0 supply

(5 V)

(disabled by default)

From the P5V_USB_ FS / P5V_MCU_ LINK_USB / P5V_ HDR_IN supply

SYS_5V0 (5 V)

· Provides the VCC power to CAN FD transceiver U6
· Supplies power to LDO voltage regulator U2, CAN connector J22, Arduino socket connector J3 (pin 10), and mikroBUS socket connector J5

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Table 7.FRDM-MCXA156 power supplies...continued

Power source Note: By default, the option to produce the SYS_5V0 supply from the P5V_HDR_ IN supply is disabled.

Manufacturer and part number

Power supply

Description

LDO voltage regulator U2

Torex Semiconductor XC6227C331PR-G

LDO_3V3 (3.3 · Produces the MCU_VDD_P3V3 supply through either

2.7 resistor R6 or jumper JP3 (not populated)

· Produces the VDD_BOARD supply through either 0 resistor R4 or jumper JP1 (not populated)

· Supplies power to Arduino socket connector J3 (pin 8), power LED D4, and power test points J17 (DNP) and
J18 (DNP)

From the LDO_3V3 supply through resistor R6 or jumper JP3 (DNP)

MCU_VDD_ P3V3 (3.3 V)

· Produces the VDD_MCU supply through either 0 resistor R5 (not populated) or jumper JP2
· Produces the VDDA_MCU supply through either 0 resistor R7 or jumper JP4 (not populated)
· Produces the VDD_USB supply through 0 resistor R9

From the MCU_ VDD_P3V3 supply through resistor R5 (DNP) or jumper JP2

VDD_MCU

Provides the VDD and VDD_P3 powers to the MCXA156 MCU

From the MCU_ VDD_P3V3 supply through resistor R7 or jumper JP4 (DNP)

VDDA_MCU

· Provides the VDD_ANA and VREFH powers to the MCXA156 MCU
· Supplies power to Arduino socket connector J2 (pin 16)

From the MCU_ VDD_P3V3 supply

VDD_USB Provides the VDD_USB power to the MCXA156 MCU

From the LDO_3V3 supply through resistor R4 or jumper JP1 (DNP)

VDD_BOARD · Produces the following power supplies:

(3.3 V)

VDD_P3T

MCU_LINK_3V3

VREF_MCULINK

· Provides the VIO power to CAN FD transceiver U6

· Provides the VDDA power to the LPC55S69 MCU (MCU-Link)

· Supplies power to:

Arduino socket connector J3 (pin 4)

mikroBUS socket connector J6

Pmod connector J7 (not populated)

FlexIO LCD connector J8

Camera connector J9 (not populated)

External debugger connector J24

Push buttons SW1, SW2, and SW3

Reset LED D11 and RGB LED D12

MCU-Link LEDs D5, D6, and D7

From the VDD_ BOARD supply

VDD_P3T

Supplies power to temperature sensor U5

MCU_LINK_3 Provides the VDD, USB0_3V3, and USB1_3V3 powers to

V3 (3.3 V)

the LPC55S69 MCU (MCU-Link)

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Table 7.FRDM-MCXA156 power supplies...continued

Power source

Manufacturer and part Power

number

supply

VREF_ MCULINK

Description
Provides the VREFP power to the LPC55S69 MCU (MCU-Link)

2.1.1 Current measurement

The FRDM-MCXA156 board supports current measurement using an ampere meter (ammeter) on the power supplies shown in Table 8.

Table 8.Power supplies with current measurement support

Power supply Description

Jumper (2- Resistor pin)

VDD_MCU

Target MCU (MCXA156) digital JP2 power

R5 (DNP)

VDD_BOARD Board power

JP1 (DNP) R4

MCU_VDD_P3 Target MCU total power (analog JP3 (DNP) R6

+ digital)

VDDA_MCU Target MCU analog power

JP4 (DNP) R7

Current measurement steps
1. Open the jumper (JP2). 2. Connect an ammeter to the jumper
pins 1 and 2.
1. Remove the corresponding resistor. 2. Populate the corresponding jumper
(2-pin). 3. Connect an ammeter to the jumper
pins 1 and 2.

2.2 Clocks

Table 9 provides details about inputs clocks on the FRDM-MCXA156 board.

Table 9.FRDM-MCXA156 clocks Clock generator Manufacturer and part number

Crystal Y1

Würth Elektronik 830064296

Crystal Y2

Clock
MCU_LINK_[P, N]_16 MHz
XTAL48M, EXTAL48M

Frequency 16 MHz
8 MHz

Destination LPC55S69 MCU
MCXA156 MCU

The MCXA156 MCU also provides a clock output CLKOUT, which can be accessed by populating clock output test point J10.

2.3 USB interface
The MCXA156 MCU has one Universal Serial Bus (USB) Full Speed (FS) module, USBFS0, and one USB FS PHY. The USBFS0 module only supports Device mode operation.
The FRDM-MCXA156 board supports communication with the USBFS0 module. Figure 8 shows the FRDMMCXA156 USB diagram.

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MCXA156
USBFS0

USB0_[DP, DM]

USB FS connector
J23

Figure 8.USB diagram Table 10 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 USB connections.

Table 10.USB connections

USB module

Peripheral devices

Part identifier

Description

USBFS0

J23

USB 2.0 (FS) Type-C connector J23, which allows communication with the USBFS0 module of the MCXA156 MCU through a USB Type-C cable. It operates in Device mode. It also serves as a 5 V power source to power up the board.

2.4 FlexCAN interface
The MCXA156 MCU has a Flexible Data Rate Controller Area Network (FlexCAN) module: CAN0. The FRDMMCXA156 board supports communication with the CAN0 module. Figure 9 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 FlexCAN diagram.

MCXA156
CAN0

P1_13/CAN_TXD P1_12/CAN_RXD

CAN FD transceiver (TJA1057
GTK/3Z)

CAN_H CAN_L

CAN connector
J22

Figure 9.FlexCAN diagram Table 11 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 FlexCAN connections.

Table 11.FlexCAN connections

FlexCAN module

Peripheral devices
Part identifier Manufacturer and part number

Description

CAN0

NXP TJA1057GTK/3Z

A high-speed CAN flexible data rate (FD) transceiver, which drives CAN signals between the CAN0 module of the MCXA156 MCU and a physical two-wire CAN bus. It performs the following functions:
· Receives digital data from the MCU, converts it into analog data, and sends it to CAN bus lines.
· Receives analog data from the CAN bus lines, converts it into digital data, and sends it to the MCU.

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Table 11.FlexCAN connections...continued

FlexCAN module

Peripheral devices
Part identifier Manufacturer and part number

Description

J22

A 2x2-pin header that allows external CAN connection with the

CAN bus. It has the following pinout:

· Pin 1: Power connection (SYS_5V0)

· Pin 2: High-level CAN bus line connection

· Pin 3: Ground

· Pin 4: Low-level CAN bus line connection

2.5 LPUART interface
The MCXA156 MCU has five Low-Power Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (LPUART) modules: LPUART0, LPUART1, LPUART2, LPUART3, and LPUART4.
The FRDM-MCXA156 board only supports communication with the LPUART0, LPUART1, and LPUART2 modules. Figure 10 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 LPUART diagram.

MCXA156
LPUART0

P0_3/LPUART0_TXD-MCULINK_VCOM_TX P0_2/LPUART0_RXD-MCULINK_VCOM_RX

MCU_LNK_RX MCU_LNK_TX

MCU-Link (LPC55S69
JEV98)

LPUART1 LPUART2

P3_21/LPUART1_TXD-MIKROE P3_20/LPUART1_RXD-MIKROE
P2_10/LPUART2_TXD-ARD_D1_TX P2_11/LPUART2_RXD-ARD_D0_RX

mikroBUS socket
connector J5
Arduino socket connector
J1

Figure 10.LPUART diagram Table 12 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 LPUART connections.

Table 12.LPUART connections

LPUART module

Peripheral devices
Part identifier Manufacturer and part number

Description

LPUART0

NXP LPC55S69JEV98

MCU-Link, which is a 32-bit MCU based on the Arm CortexM33 core running at speeds of up to 150 MHz.
MCU-Link can be used as a USB-to-UART bridge to debug the target MCU (MCXA156) through a virtual communication (VCOM) port.

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Table 12.LPUART connections...continued

LPUART module

Peripheral devices
Part identifier Manufacturer and part number

Description

LPUART1

1x8-position mikroBUS socket connector that allows the plugged-in mikroBUS click board to communicate with the MCXA156 MCU through a UART connection.

LPUART2

2x8-position Arduino socket connector that allows the pluggedin Arduino board to communicate with the MCXA156 MCU through a UART connection.

2.6 LPSPI interface
The MCXA156 MCU has two Low-Power Serial Peripheral Interface (LPSPI) modules: LPSPI0 and LPSPI1. Each LPSPI module supports two modes:
· Controller mode, with support for up to four peripheral chip selects (PCSs) · Peripheral mode
The FRDM-MCXA156 board supports communication with both LPSPI modules of the MCXA156 MCU. Figure 11 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 LPSPI diagram.

MCXA156

P1_1 (LPSPI0_SCK) P1_2 (LPSPI0_SDI) P1_0 (LPSPI0_SDO) P1_3 (LPSPI0_PCS0)

P1_1/LPSPI0_SCK-MIKROE P1_2/LPSPI0_SDI-MIKROE P1_0/LPSPI0_SDO-MIKROE P1_3/LPSPI0_PCS-MIKROE

LPSPI0

P1_1/LPSPI0_SCK-PMOD P1_2/LPSPI0_SDI-PMOD P1_0/LPSPI0_SDO-PMOD P1_3/LPSPI0_PCS-PMOD

LPSPI1

P2_12 (LPSPI1_SCK) P2_16 (LPSPI1_SDI)
P2_13 (LPSPI1_SDO) P2_6 (LPSPI1_PCS1)

P2_12/LPSPI1_SCK-ARD_D13 P2_16/LPSPI1_SDI-ARD_D12
P2_13/LPSPI1_SDO-ARD_D11 P2_6/LPSPI1_PCS1-ARD_D10

mikroBUS socket
connector J6
Pmod connector J7 (DNP)
Arduino socket connector
J2

Figure 11.LPSPI diagram Table 13 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 LPSPI connections.

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Table 13.LPSPI connections

LPSPI module Peripheral chip Peripheral devices

select

Part identifier Description

LPSPI0

PCS0

1x8-position mikroBUS socket connector that allows the pluggedin mikroBUS click board to communicate with the MCXA156 MCU through an SPI connection.

J7 (DNP)

2x6-pin/position Pmod connector that allows the plugged-in Pmod board to communicate with the MCXA156 MCU through an SPI connection. By default, J7 is not populated on the board.

LPSPI1

PCS1

2x10-position Arduino socket connector that allows the plugged-in Arduino board to communicate with the MCXA156 MCU through an SPI connection.
By default, the SPI1_PCS1 and SPI1_SDO signals between the MCXA156 MCU and the J2 connector are disabled. You can enable these signals as follows:
· To enable the SPI1_PCS1 signal, move the 0 resistor R59 from position A to position B.
· To enable the SPI1_SDO signal, move the 0 resistor R60 from position A to position B.

2.7 LPI2C interface
The MCXA156 MCU has four Low-Power Inter-Integrated Circuit (LPI2C) modules: LPI2C0, LPI2C1, LPI2C2, and LPI2C3. Each LPI2C module supports serial I2C communication through a pair of control and data signals, and can act as a controller or target.
The FRDM-MCXA156 board only supports communication with the LPI2C0, LPI2C2, and LPI2C3 modules. Figure 12 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 LPI2C diagram.

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MCXA156
LPI2C0
LPI2C2

P0_17 (LPI2C0_SCL) P0_16 (LPI2C0_SDA)

P0_17/LPI2C0_SCL-ARD_D19 P0_16/LPI2C0_SDA-ARD_D18

Arduino socket connector
J2

P1_9 (LPI2C2_SCL) P1_8 (LPI2C2_SDA)

P1_9/LPI2C2_SCL-FXIO_HDR P1_8/LPI2C2_SDA-FXIO_HDR

FlexIO LCD connector
J8

P1_9/LPI2C2_SCL-CAM_HDR P1_8/LPI2C2_SDA-CAM_HDR

Camera connector J9 (DNP)

P3_27 (LPI2C3_SCL) P3_28 (LPI2C3_SDA)

P3_27/LPI2C3_SCL-MIKROE P3_28/LPI2C3_SDA-MIKROE

LPI2C3

P3_27/LPI2C3_SCL-PMOD P3_28/LPI2C3_SDA-PMOD

mikroBUS socket
connector J5
Pmod connector J7 (DNP)

Figure 12.LPI2C diagram
Table 14 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 LPI2C devices. The I2C address of each device depends on the plugged-in board/module.

Table 14.LPI2C devices LPSPI module Peripheral devices

LPI2C0 LPI2C2
LPI2C3

Part identifier J2 J8 J9 (DNP)
J5

Description
2x10-position Arduino socket connector that allows an I2C connection between the MCXA156 MCU and the plugged-in Arduino board.
2x14-position FlexIO LCD connector that allows an I2C connection between the MCXA156 MCU and the plugged-in LCD module.
2x9-pin/position camera connector that allows an I2C connection between the MCXA156 MCU and the plugged-in camera module. By default, J9 is not populated on the board.
1x8-position mikroBUS socket connector that allows an I2C connection between the MCXA156 MCU and the plugged-in mikroBUS click board.

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Table 14.LPI2C devices...continued LPSPI module Peripheral devices

Part identifier J7 (DNP)

Description
2x6-pin/position Pmod connector that allows an I2C connection between the MCXA156 MCU and the plugged-in Pmod board. By default, J7 is not populated on the board.

2.8 I3C interface
The Improved Inter-Integrated Circuit (I3C) specification from Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) Alliance brings major improvements over I2C in terms of use and power. It also provides an alternative to SPI for mid-speed applications.
The MCXA156 MCU has one I3C module, I3C0, which acts as the I3C controller for the target devices (for example, a temperature sensor) placed on the I3C bus. The I3C module dynamically assigns I3C addresses to the I3C targets; the targets do not need static I3C addresses. However, a target can have an I2C static address assigned at startup, so that the target can operate on an I2C bus.
The FRDM-MCXA156 board supports communication with the I3C0 module of the MCXA156 MCU. Figure 13 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 I3C diagram.

MCXA156
I3C0

P1_11/I3C0_PUR-P3T P0_16/I3C0_SDA-P3T P0_17/I3C0_SCL-P3T

2-pin/position test points J11 and J12 (both DNP)

Temperature sensor
(P3T1755DP)

Figure 13.I3C diagram Table 15 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 I3C connections.

Table 15.I3C connections I3C module Peripheral devices

Part identifier Manufacturer and part Description number

I3C0

NXP P3T1755DP

A digital temperature sensor with support for over-temperature detection. It can measure temperature in the range from -40 to +125 with ±0.5 accuracy. It has an on-chip band gap temperature sensor and uses the analog-to-digital conversion technique.
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.
On the FRDM-MCXA156 board, the U5 sensor can work in one of the following modes:

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Table 15.I3C connections I3C module Peripheral devices

Part identifier Manufacturer and part number

Description
· I2C mode (default mode): Populate resistors R57 and R55 (populated by default). The static I2C address (7-bit) of the U5 sensor is 0x90.
· I3C mode: Unpopulate (remove) resistors R57 and R55. The U5 sensor is assigned with an I3C address dynamically.
The FRDM-MCXA156 board also provides test point support for the two I3C signals: · J11 (DNP): I3C data test point · J12 (DNP): I3C clock test point For more information on P3T1755DP, visit nxp.com.

2.9 FlexIO interface
The MCXA156 MCU has one Flexible Input/Output (FlexIO) module, FLEXIO0, which provides emulation of various serial or parallel communication protocols, including:
· UART · SPI · I2C · I2S · Camera interface · PWM or waveform generation
The FRDM-MCXA156 board supports communication with the FLEXIO0 module through the following connectors:
· J8: 2x14-position FlexIO parallel LCD connector · J9 (DNP): 2x9-pin/position camera connector. It supports a camera module based on the OmniVision OV7670
image sensor.
Figure 14 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 FlexIO diagram.

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MCXA156
FLEXIO0

P1_8/SDA P1_9/SCL

P2_15/FXIO_LCD_INT P2_17/FXIO_LCD_DC P2_19/FXIO_LCD_CS P2_20/FXIO_LCD_RD P2_21/FXIO_LCD_TE P2_23/FXIO_LCD_WR P3_0/FXIO_LCD_RST P3_22/FXIO_LCD_GPIO
P0_16/FXIO_D0 P0_17/FXIO_D1 P0_18/FXIO_D2 P0_19/FXIO_D3 P0_20/FXIO_D4 P0_21/FXIO_D5 P0_22/FXIO_D6 P0_23/FXIO_D7
P2_0/FXIO_D8 P2_1/FXIO_D9 P4_2/FXIO_D10 P4_3/FXIO_D11 P4_4/FXIO_D12 P4_5/FXIO_D13 P4_6/FXIO_D14 P4_7/FXIO_D15
P1_8/LPI2C2_SDA-FXIO_HDR P1_9/LPI2C2_SCL-FXIO_HDR

FlexIO LCD connector
J8

P1_8/LPI2C2_SDA-CAM_HDR P1_9/LPI2C2_SCL-CAM_HDR
P1_14/GPIO-CAM_PWDN P1_15/GPIO-CAM_RESET P3_1/GPIO-CAM_VSYNC
P3_6/CLKOUT P3_18/GPIO-CAM_HREF P3_21/FXIO_D29-CAM_PCLK

Camera connector J9 (DNP)

Figure 14.FlexIO diagram Table 16 shows the pinout of the FlexIO LCD connector J8.

Table 16.FlexIO LCD connector pinout

Pin number

Signal name

P1_9/LPI2C2_SCL-FXIO_HDR

P1_8/LPI2C2_SDA-FXIO_HDR

P2_15/FXIO_LCD_INT

P3_22/FXIO_LCD_GPIO

P3_0/FXIO_LCD_RST

P2_17/FXIO_LCD_DC

Description I2C signals
LCD interrupt signal LCD GPIO signal LCD reset signal LCD data/command selection signal

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Table 16.FlexIO LCD connector pinout...continued

Pin number

Signal name

P2_19/FXIO_LCD_CS

P2_23/FXIO_LCD_WR

P2_20/FXIO_LCD_RD

P2_21/FXIO_LCD_TE

P0_16/FXIO_D0

P0_17/FXIO_D1

P0_18/FXIO_D2

P0_19/FXIO_D3

P0_20/FXIO_D4

P0_21/FXIO_D5

P0_22/FXIO_D6

P0_23/FXIO_D7

P2_0/FXIO_D8

P2_1/FXIO_D9

P4_2/FXIO_D10

P4_3/FXIO_D11

P4_4/FXIO_D12

P4_5/FXIO_D13

P4_6/FXIO_D14

P4_7/FXIO_D15

VDD_BOARD

GND

Description LCD chip select signal LCD write signal LCD read signal LCD tear enable signal Data signals
Power supply Ground

Table 17 shows the pinout of the camera connector J9 (DNP).

Table 17.Camera connector pinout

Pin number

Signal name

P1_8/LPI2C2_SDA-CAM_HDR

P1_9/LPI2C2_SCL-CAM_HDR

P3_18/GPIO-CAM_HREF

P3_1/GPIO-CAM_VSYNC

P3_6/CLKOUT

P3_21/FXIO_D29-CAM_PCLK

P4_6/FXIO_D14

P4_7/FXIO_D15

P4_4/FXIO_D12

P4_5/FXIO_D13

P4_2/FXIO_D10

Description I2C signals
Camera horizontal reference signal Camera vertical sync signal Camera input clock signal Camera pixel clock signal Data signals

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Table 17.Camera connector pinout...continued

Pin number

Signal name

P4_3/FXIO_D11

P2_0/FXIO_D8

P2_1/FXIO_D9

P1_14/GPIO-CAM_PWDN

P1_15/GPIO-CAM_RESET

VDD_BOARD

GND

Description
Camera power-down signal Camera reset signal Power supply Ground

2.10 ADC interface
The MCXA156 MCU has two 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) modules: ADC0 and ADC1. The FRDM-MCXA156 board supports communication with both ADC modules of the MCXA156 MCU. Figure 15 shows the FRDM-MCXA156 ADC diagram.

MCXA156
ADC0

P1_4/ADC0_A20-MC_BEMF_A P1_5/ADC0_A21-MC_BEMF_B P2_16/ADC0_A6-MC_BEMF_C P2_1/ADC0_A1-MC_VOLT_DCB P2_2/ADC0_A4-MC_CURRENT_DCB

ADC1

P1_10 P2_5 P2_3 P2_4

P2_6/ADC1_A3-MC_BEMF_C
P1_10/ADC1_A8-MC_CURRENT_DCB P2_5/ADC1_A1-MC_BEMF_B
P2_3/ADC1_A4-MC_VOLT_DCB P2_4/ADC1_A0-MC_BEMF_A
P1_10/ADC1_A8-ARD_A0 P2_5/ADC1_A1-ARD_A1 P2_3/ADC1_A4-ARD_A2 P2_4/ADC1_A0-ARD_A3
P1_12/ADC1_A10-ARD_A4 P1_13/ADC1_A11-ARD_A5

Arduino socket connector
J2
Arduino socket connector
J4

P3_30/ADC1_A21-MIKROE_AN

mikroBUS socket
connector J6

Figure 15.ADC diagram Table 18 describes the FRDM-MCXA156 ADC connections.

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Table 18.ADC connections ADC module ADC input connections Peripheral devices

Part identifier Description

ADC0, ADC1

ADC0_A1, ADC0_A4, J2 ADC0_A6, ADC0_A20, ADC0_A21, ADC1_A0, ADC1_A1, ADC1_A3, ADC1_A4, ADC1_A8

2x10-position Arduino socket connector that allows the plugged-in Arduino board to communicate with the MCXA156 MCU through an ADC connection.

ADC1

ADC1_A0, ADC1_A1, J4 ADC1_A4, ADC1_A8, ADC1_A10, ADC1_A11

2x6-position Arduino socket connector that allows the plugged-in Arduino board to communicate with the MCXA156 MCU through an ADC connection.

ADC1_A21

1x8-position mikroBUS socket connector that allows the

plugged-in mikroBUS click board to communicate with the

MCXA156 MCU through an ADC connection.

2.11 Arduino socket
The FRDM-MCXA156 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
The two 2x8-position receptacles are placed diagonally opposite to each other. Figure 16 shows the pinouts of the Arduino socket connectors.

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NC 2 VDD_BOARD 4 P1_29/MCU_RESET_B 6
LDO_3V3 8 SYS_5V0 10
GND 12 GND 14 P5-9V_VIN 16
P1_10/ADC1_A8-ARD_A0 2 P2_5/ADC1_A1-ARD_A1 4 P2_3/ADC1_A4-ARD_A2 6 P2_4/ADC1_A0-ARD_A3 8
P1_12/ADC1_A10-ARD_A4 10 P1_13/ADC1_A11-ARD_A5 12

J3
1 P2_7/TRIG_IN5-MC_ENC_B 3 P2_20/TRIG_IN8-MC_ENC_A 5 P3_11/PWM0_B2-MC_PWM_CB 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_10/ADC1_A8-MC_CURRENT_DCB 19 P2_3/ADC1_A4-MC_VOLT_DCB 17 P2_6/ADC1_A3-MC_BEMF_C 15 P2_5/ADC1_A1-MC_BEMF_B 13 P2_4/ADC1_A0-MC_BEMF_A 11
P2_2/ADC0_A4-MC_CURRENT_DCB 9 P2_1/ADC0_A1-MC_VOLT_DCB 7 P2_16/ADC0_A6-MC_BEMF_C 5 P1_5/ADC0_A21-MC_BEMF_B 3 P1_4/ADC0_A20-MC_BEMF_A 1

J4
1 P4_6/TRIG_IN4-MC_ENC_A 3 P2_17/TRIG_IN9-MC_ENC_B 5 P3_31/TRIG_IN10-MC_ENC_I 7 NC 9 NC 11 NC

J1
P3_12/PWM1_A2-MC_PWM_CT 15 P3_13/PWM1_B2-MC_PWM_CB 13 P3_14/PWM1_A1-MC_PWM_BT 11
P3_15/PWM1_B1-MC_PWM_BB 9 P3_16/PWM1_A0-MC_PWM_AT 7 P3_17/PWM1_B0-MC_PWM_AB 5
P1_6/TRIG_IN2-MC_ENC_I 3 NC 1

20 P0_17/LPI2C0_SCL-ARD_D19 18 P0_16/LPI2C0_SDA-ARD_D18 16 VDDA_MCU 14 GND 12 P2_12/LPSPI1_SCK-ARD_D13 10 P2_16/LPSPI1_SDI-ARD_D12 8 P3_15/PWM1_B1-ARD_D11 (default option) /
P2_13/LPSPI1_SDO-ARD_D11 6 P3_13/PWM1_B2-ARD_D10 (default option) /
P2_6/LPSPI1_PCS1-ARD_D10 4 P3_17/PWM1-ARD_D9 2 P1_15/GPIO-ARD_D8
16 P1_14/GPIO-ARD_D7 14 P3_16/PWM1-ARD_D6 12 P3_14/PWM1-ARD_D5 10 P3_31/GPIO-ARD_D4 8 P3_12/PWM1-ARD_D3 6 P3_1/GPIO-ARD_D2 4 P2_10/LPUART2_TXD-ARD_D1_TX 2 P2_11/LPUART2_RXD-ARD_D0_RX

Arduino connection pins
Motor control pins
Figure 16.Arduino socket connector pinouts
The Arduino socket allows communication with the following modules of the MCXA156 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) · Analog-to-Digital Converter 1 (ADC1) · Pulse Width Modulator 0 (PWM0) · Pulse Width Modulator 1 (PWM1)
The Arduino socket is pin-compatible with the following boards:
· Arduino boards: Arduino Uno revision 3 (R3) Arduino A4/A5 Note: When using an Arduino A4/A5 board, remove resistors R75 and R76.
· Motor control boards: FRDM-MC-LVBLDC FRDM-MC-LVPMSM

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2.12 mikroBUS socket
A mikroBUS socket is a pair of 1x8-position receptacles (connectors) with a proprietary pin configuration and silkscreen markings. It provides many hardware expansion options with few pins.
The FRDM-MCXA156 board has a mikroBUS socket with a pair of 1x8-position receptacles, J5 and J6. Figure 17 shows the pinouts of the mikroBUS socket connectors.

P3_30/ADC1_A21-MIKROE_AN 1 P3_29/GPIO-MIKROE 2
P1_3/LPSPI0_PCS-MIKROE 3 P1_1/LPSPI0_SCK-MIKROE 4 P1_2/LPSPI0_SDI-MIKROE 5 P1_0/LPSPI0_SDO-MIKROE 6
VDD_BOARD 7 GND 8

J6
AN RST CS SCK MISO MOSI 3V3 GND

mikro

BUS

PWM INT RX TX SCL SDA 5V0
GND

1 P3_18/PWM0_X0-MIKROE 2 P3_19/GPIO-MIKROE 3 P3_20/LPUART1_RXD-MIKROE 4 P3_21/LPUART1_TXD-MIKROE 5 P3_27/LPI2C3_SCL-MIKROE 6 P3_28/LPI2C3_SDA-MIKROE 7 SYS_5V0 8 GND

Figure 17.mikroBUS socket connector pinouts
The Arduino socket allows communication with the following modules of the MCXA156 MCU:
· Low-Power Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter 1 (LPUART1) · Low-Power Serial Peripheral Interface 0 (LPSPI0) · Low-Power Inter-Integrated Circuit 3 (LPI2C3) · Analog-to-Digital Converter 1 (ADC1) · Pulse Width Modulator 0 (PWM0)
An add-on board, called click board, can be installed on a mikroBUS socket. A click board provides a plugand-play solution for adding new functionality to a board design. A click board has a pair of 1x8-pin headers that connects to the pair of receptacles on a mikroBUS socket. MikroElektronika (MIKROE) is one of the manufacturers of click boards. To find some example click boards for the FRDM-MCXA156 mikroBUS socket, visit MIKROE website.

2.13 Pmod connector

Digilent Pmod (peripheral module) devices are small input/output interface boards that can be easily integrated with embedded control boards for expanding their capabilities.
The FRDM-MCXA156 board supports a Pmod connector J7 (Digilent PPPC062LJBN-RC) for expanding the capabilities of the board. J7 is not populated on the board. If populated, it can be used to work with a remote host, or as an interface to a Pmod expansion board.
Table 19 shows the pinout of the Pmod connector J7.

Table 19.Pmod connector pinout

Pin number

Signal name

P1_3/LPSPI0_PCS-PMOD

P1_0/LPSPI0_SDO-PMOD

P1_2/LPSPI0_SDI-PMOD

P1_1/LPSPI0_SCK-PMOD

Description SPI signals

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Table 19.Pmod connector pinout...continued

Pin number

Signal name

P3_19/GPIO-PMOD

P3_20/GPIO-PMOD

P3_27/LPI2C3_SCL-PMOD

P3_28/LPI2C3_SDA-PMOD

11, 12

VDD_BOARD

9, 10

GND

Description GPIO signals
I2C signals
Power supply Ground

The Pmod connector allows communication with the following modules of the MCXA156 MCU:
· Low-Power Serial Peripheral Interface 0 (LPSPI0) · Low-Power Inter-Integrated Circuit 3 (LPI2C3)

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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 NXP LPC55S69 MCU, which is based on an Arm Cortex-M33 core. It can be configured to support different debug feature options.
The MCU-Link architecture is used in:
· Standalone debug probes, such as MCU-Link Pro · Onboard debug probes implemented on NXP evaluation boards, such as FRDM-MCXA156
The onboard implementation of MCU-Link is referred to as MCU-Link OB.
The FRDM-MCXA156 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-MCXA156 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 only supports 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 20 summarizes the MCU-Link features supported on the FRDM-MCXA156 board.

Table 20.Supported MCU-Link features Feature Serial wire debug (SWD) / serial wire debug trace output (SWO) Virtual communication (VCOM) serial port
External debug probe support

Description
MCU-Link allows SWD-based debugging with SWO for profiling and/or low overhead debug standard I/O communication.
MCU-Link adds a serial COM port on the host computer and connects it to the target MCU, while acting as a USB-to-UART bridge.
The MCU-Link interface supports debugging the target MCU (MCXA156) using an external debug probe, instead of MCU-Link. Support for an external debug probe is enabled by disabling the SWD feature.

3.2 Supported debug scenarios

Table 21 describes the debug scenarios supported on the FRDM-MCXA156 board.

Table 21.Supported debug scenarios

Debug scenario

Feature support

Use MCU-Link for debugging the MCXA156 MCU

SWD: Enabled

Use an external debugger for debugging the MCXA156 MCU

VCOM: Enabled SWD: Not supported
VCOM: Supported

Required jumper/connector settings MCU-Link SWD disable jumper JP7 is open. External debugger connector J24 is not used for external connection. MCU-Link VCOM port disable jumper JP6 is open. Short JP7. Connect the external debugger to J24. JP6 is open.

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3.3 MCU-Link firmware update utility installation

The MCU-Link debug probe is supported on a host computer running a Windows 10/11, MacOS X, or Ubuntu Linux operating system (OS). The debug probe works with standard OS drivers. For Windows, the MCU-Link firmware 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. For more details on this utility, visit the https://nxp.com/linkserver page.
Running the LinkServer installer also installs a firmware update utility and the drivers (information files) required for MCU-Link. NXP recommends using the LinkServer installer for installing the MCU-Link firmware update utility, unless you are using MCUXpresso IDE version 11.6.1 or earlier.
Note: To use MCU-Link with MCUXpresso IDE version 11.6.1 or earlier, you need MCU-Link firmware update utility version 2.263 (not included in the LinkServer installer). For Linux OS, MCU-Link installation package 2.263 is available for download at the following link:
https://www.nxp.com/design/design-center/software/development-software/mcuxpresso-software-and-tools-/ mcu-link-debug-probe:MCU-LINK#design-resources
Note: If the MCU-Link firmware version is 3.122 or later, an automatic firmware update can be done using LinkServer installer version 1.4.85 or later. For more details on automatic firmware update, refer to the Readme mark-down file in the LinkServer installation package. However, if the current firmware version is earlier than 3.122, you require to run manually the MCU-Link firmware update utility, which is included in the LinkServer installation package. To update the MCU-Link firmware using the firmware update utility, see Section 3.4.
To work with MCU-Link, NXP recommends using the latest MCU-Link firmware. The steps to update the MCULink firmware manually are provided in Section 3.4. Before updating the MCU-Link firmware, check the versions of the MCUXpresso IDE and LIBUSBIO (if you are using these tools) installed on your host computer. Then, check the compatibility of these tools with the MCU-Link firmware by referring to Table 22. If you are using the MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code extension or a third-party IDE from IAR or Keil, NXP recommends using the latest MCU-Link firmware version.

Table 22.Compatibility check between MCUXpresso IDE and MCU-Link firmware

MCUXpresso IDE version

Supported MCU-Link firmware version

USB driver type

CMSIS-SWO FreeMASTER support via

support

SWD / JTAG USB bridge

MCUXpresso 11.3 or V1.xxx and V2.xxx

HID

later

Yes

MCUXpresso 11.7.0 or V3.xxx (up to and

later

including V3.108)

WinUSB

Yes

FreeMASTER V3.2.2

or later

MCUXpresso 11.7.1 or V3.117 and later

WinUSB

Yes

FreeMASTER V3.2.2

later

or later

3.4 Updating MCU-Link firmware using firmware update utility

To update the MCU-Link firmware using the firmware update utility included in the LinkServer installation package, the MCU-Link must be powered up in ISP mode. Follow these steps to configure MCU-Link in ISP mode and update MCU-Link firmware:
1. Disconnect the board from the host computer, short jumper JP5, and reconnect the board. The red MCULink status LED D6 lights up and stays on. For more details on MCU-Link LEDs, see Section 3.8.
2. Download the LinkServer installation package from https://nxp.com/linkserver and install the LinkServer utility. For example, download and install "Linkserver 1.4.85 installer for Windows".
3. Navigate to the MCU-LINK_installer_Vx_xxx directory, where Vx_xxx indicates the version number, for example, V3.117.

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4. Follow the instructions in the Readme.txt to find and run the firmware update utility for the CMSIS-DAP or J-Link firmware version.
5. Disconnect the board from the host computer, open jumper JP5, and reconnect the board. The board is enumerated on the host computer as a WinUSB or HID device (depending on the firmware version, see Table 22).
Note: Starting version V3.xxx, the MCU-Link firmware uses WinUSB (instead of HID) for higher performance. However, it is not compatible with MCUXpresso IDE versions earlier than 11.7.0. Note: To enable SWO-related features in non-NXP IDEs, CMSIS-SWO support was introduced in firmware version V3.117.
3.5 Using MCU-Link with development tools
The MCU-Link debug probe can be used with IDEs supported within the MCUXpresso ecosystem, such as:
· MCUXpresso IDE · MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code · IAR Embedded Workbench · Arm Keil MDK
3.5.1 Using MCU-Link with MCUXpresso IDE
The MCUXpresso IDE recognizes any type of MCU-Link probe that uses either the CMSIS-DAP or J-Link firmware. When you start a new debug session, the IDE checks for all the available debug probes. For all the probes it finds, the IDE displays the probe types and unique identifiers in the Probes discovered dialog box.
If a debug probe requires a firmware update, the probe is displayed with a warning in the Probes discovered dialog box. For each such probe, the latest firmware version is indicated and a link to download the latest firmware package is provided. To update the firmware for the MCU-Link debug probe, see the instructions provided in Section 3.4.
You are advised to use the latest MCU-Link firmware to take the benefit of the latest functionality. However, the MCU-Link firmware version you can use depends on the MCUXpresso IDE installed on your host computer. To check the compatibility of the MCU-Link firmware you want to use with your MCUXpresso IDE, see Table 22.
3.5.2 Using MCU-Link with MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code
The MCU-Link debug probe can be used with the MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code extension from NXP. This extension uses the LinkServer debug server. To work with MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code, install the LinkServer utility using the MCUXpresso Installer tool or as described in Section 3.3. For more details on MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code, visit the MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code page.
3.5.3 Using MCU-Link with third-party IDEs
The MCU-Link debug probe can be used with third-party IDEs, such as IAR Embedded Workbench and Arm Keil MDK. For more details, refer to the third-party tool documentation, covering the use of generic CMSIS-DAP probes or J-Link probes (depending on the firmware image you are using).
3.6 MCU-Link USB connector
The FRDM-MCXA156 board has a USB Type-C connector J21, which allows you to connect MCU-Link with your host computer. It can also be used to supply 5 V power to the board.

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3.7 VCOM port (USB to target UART bridge)
MCU-Link supports a feature, known as virtual communication (VCOM) serial port. This feature allows MCULink to add a serial COM port on the host computer and connect it to the target MCU. In this setup, MCU-Link acts as a USB-to-UART bridge.
In the FRDM-MCXA156 board, MCU-Link is connected to the LPUART0 port of the target MCU. To use MCULink as a USB-to-UART bridge, follow these steps:
1. Ensure that jumper JP5 is open (MCU-Link boots normally). 2. Ensure that jumper JP6 is open (MCU-Link VCOM port is enabled). 3. Connect the MCU-Link USB connector J21 to the USB port of the host computer.
When you boot the FRDM-MCXA156 board, a VCOM port with the name MCU-Link Vcom Port (COMxx) is enumerated on the host computer, where "xx" may vary from one computer to another. Each MCU-Link based board has a unique VCOM number associated with it.
The VCOM function can be disabled by shorting jumper JP6, before powering up the board. Changing the JP6 setting (open/short) after powering up the board has no impact on the MCU-Link VCOM function.

3.8 MCU-Link status LEDs

The FRDM-MCXA156 board has three status indicator LEDs for MCU-Link. Table 23 lists these LEDs and describes how each LED behaves in different MCU-Link modes.

Table 23.MCU-Link LEDs

Part

PCB label

identifier

LED color LED function
Normal operation (with CMSIS-DAP)

Normal operation (with J-Link)

ISP (firmware update) mode

USB_ACTIVE Green

Indicates USB

The LED remains OFF. The LED remains OFF.

communication. The LED

lights up after successful

USB enumeration at startup,

and then stays ON.

ISP_EN

Red

Indicates MCU-Link status / The LED remains OFF. The LED lights up

SWD activity. It acts as a

when MCU-Link

heartbeat LED (fades in/

(LPC55S69) boots in

out repeatedly), with SWD

ISP mode.

activity overlaid.

If an error occurs at startup, the D6 LED blinks rapidly.

VCOM_ACTIVE Green

Indicates if the VCOM port Indicates if the VCOM The LED remains OFF.

is receiving/sending data. port is receiving/

The LED lights up when

sending data. The LED

MCU-Link boots, and then lights up when MCU-

blinks when debug activity Link boots, and then

happens.

blinks when debug

activity happens.

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4 Board errata
Not applicable for the current board revision.

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5 Related documentation

Table 24 lists some additional documents and resources that you can refer to for more information on the FRDM-MCXA156 board. Some of these documents may only be available under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). To access such a document, contact a local NXP field applications engineer (FAE) or sales representative.

Table 24.Related documentation

Document

Description

Link / how to obtain

MCXA156, A155, A154, A146, A145, Provides a detailed description about the

A144 Reference Manual

MCXA156/A155/A154/A146/A145/A144

MCU and its features, including memory

maps, power supplies, and clocks.

Contact an NXP FAE / sales representative

MCXA156, A155, A154, A146, A145, Provides information about electrical

A144 Data Sheet

characteristics, hardware design

considerations, and ordering information.

FRDM-MCXA156 board schematics Provides a circuit representation showing the functionality and connectivity of the FRDMMCXA156 board components.

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6 Acronyms

Table 25 lists the acronyms used in this document.

Table 25.Acronyms Acronym ADC BLDC CAN DNP FD FlexCAN FlexIO FS I2C I2S I3C IoT IP ISP LCD LDO LED LPI2C LPSPI LPUART MCU MIPI OB PCS Pmod PMSM PUR PWM SPI SWD SWO TPM USB

Description Analog-to-Digital Converter Brushless direct current Controller Area Network Do not populate / do not place Flexible data rate Flexible Data Rate Controller Area Network Flexible Input/Output Full-speed Inter-Integrated Circuit Integrated Inter-IC Sound Improved Inter-Integrated Circuit Internet of Things Intellectual property In-System Programming Liquid-crystal display Low-dropout regulator Light-emitting diode Low-Power Inter-Integrated Circuit Low-Power Serial Peripheral Interface Low-Power Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter Microcontroller unit Mobile Industry Processor Interface Onboard Peripheral chip select Peripheral module Permanent magnet synchronous motor Pull-up resistance Pulse Width Modulator Serial Peripheral Interface Serial wire debug Serial wire debug trace output Timer/PWM Module Universal Serial Bus

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Table 25.Acronyms...continued Acronym USBFS UART VCOM

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Description Universal Serial Bus Full Speed Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter Virtual communication

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7 Revision history

Table 26 summarizes the revisions to this document.

Table 26.Revision history

Document ID

Release date

UM12121 v.1

22 July 2024

Description Initial public release

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AMBA, Arm, Arm7, Arm7TDMI, Arm9, Arm11, Artisan, big.LITTLE, Cordio, CoreLink, CoreSight, Cortex, DesignStart, DynamIQ, Jazelle, Keil, Mali, Mbed, Mbed Enabled, NEON, POP, RealView, SecurCore, Socrates, Thumb, TrustZone, ULINK, ULINK2, ULINK-ME, ULINKPLUS, ULINKpro, Vision, Versatile -- are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Arm Limited (or its subsidiaries or affiliates) in the US and/or
elsewhere. The related technology may be protected by any or all of patents,
copyrights, designs and trade secrets. All rights reserved.

IAR -- is a trademark of IAR Systems AB. I2C-bus -- logo is a trademark of NXP B.V. J-Link -- is a trademark of SEGGER Microcontroller GmbH.

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Contents

1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 2 2.1 2.1.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 3 3.1 3.2 3.3
3.4
3.5 3.5.1 3.5.2
3.5.3 3.6 3.7 3.8 4 5 6 7

Board overview ................................................ 2 Block diagram ....................................................2 Board features ................................................... 3 Kit contents ........................................................4 Board pictures ................................................... 4 Connectors .........................................................5 Jumpers ............................................................. 6 Push buttons ......................................................9 LEDs .................................................................. 9 Functional description .................................. 11 Power supplies ................................................ 11 Current measurement ......................................13 Clocks .............................................................. 13 USB interface .................................................. 13 FlexCAN interface ............................................14 LPUART interface ............................................15 LPSPI interface ................................................16 LPI2C interface ................................................ 17 I3C interface .................................................... 19 FlexIO interface ............................................... 20 ADC interface .................................................. 23 Arduino socket .................................................24 mikroBUS socket ............................................. 26 Pmod connector .............................................. 26 MCU-Link OB debug probe ...........................28 Supported MCU-Link features ......................... 28 Supported debug scenarios .............................28 MCU-Link firmware update utility installation ........................................................ 29 Updating MCU-Link firmware using firmware update utility ......................................29 Using MCU-Link with development tools ......... 30 Using MCU-Link with MCUXpresso IDE .......... 30 Using MCU-Link with MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code .......................................... 30 Using MCU-Link with third-party IDEs ............. 30 MCU-Link USB connector ............................... 30 VCOM port (USB to target UART bridge) ........ 31 MCU-Link status LEDs .................................... 31 Board errata ................................................... 32 Related documentation ................................. 33 Acronyms ....................................................... 34 Revision history .............................................36 Legal information ...........................................37

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References

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