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LPC Link 2 on-board

SEGGER offers a firmware running on the NXP LPC-Link2 on-board (formerly known as LPCXpressoV2) platform which makes the LPC-Link2 on-board compatible to J-Link OB.

LPC-Link2 OB

Overview

This firmware allows users to take advantage of most J-Link features like the ultra fast flash download and debugging speed or the free-to-use GDBServer, by using a low-cost LPC-Link2 on-board platform for developing on evaluation boards.

Key features

  • Supports all ARM based NXP devices which are also supported by J-Link OB. [More..]
  • JTAG, SWD + SWO supported
  • Fully compatible with and same features as J-Link OB [More..]
  • Virtual COM port (VCOM) support

Getting Started with LPC-Link2 on-board

In order to get started with LPC-Link2 on-board just a few steps are necessary:

  • Download LPCScrypt here
    • To make sure that LPCscrypt uses the latest LPC-Link2 firmware, please replace the J-Link firmware images located in:
      • LPCScrypt_InstallDir\probe_firmware\LPCXpressoV2\ and
      • LPCScrypt_InstallDir\probe_firmware\LPCLink2\
      with these:
  • (Files may be need to be renamed after download, to match the ones in LPCScrypt)
  • Connect LPC-Link2 on-board to the PC.
  • Execute %LPCScrypt_InstallDir%\scripts\program_JLINK.cmd
  • Follow the instructions given by the script
  • Power-cycle LPC-Link2 on-board. It will now enumerate as a J-Link

Terms of Use

A software interface window displays "Terms of Use" for the J-Link emulator, indicating that the firmware is meant only for specific NXP evaluation boards and should not be used with other devices. It includes options to accept or decline the terms.

SEGGER created a firmware which runs on the NXP LPC-Link2 on-board, making it J-Link compatible. In order to make use of this firmware, the following Terms Of Use must be accepted:

  • The firmware is only to be used with NXP target devices. Using it with other devices is prohibited and illegal.
  • The firmware is for use with evaluation boards only. It is not for use with custom hardware.
  • The firmware may only be used for development and/or evaluation purposes. It may not be used for production purposes.
  • The firmware is made available without any warranty and without support.

If there is any doubt if a certain use may be considered within the foregoing scope it is strongly recommended to consult SEGGER prior to use.

When starting a debug session, a license dialog shows up which must be accepted in order to be able to work with LPC-Link2 on-board.

VCOM Support

On some eval boards that have LPC-Link2 on-board on them, a UART of the target device is wired to the LPC-Link2 on-board. This UART is an additional communication channel to the target device. LPC-Link2 will enumerate as a dual USB device at the PC: BULK for the debug component and CDC ATM to make the UART connection available as a virtual COM port (VCOM) at the PC.

Firmware Version History and Limitations

Firmware Version History

23-05-02:

  • Added support for Cadence Xtensa cores (e.g. HiFi 4) which are present in some i.MX chips.
  • Added support for WinUSB (driverless) mode.
  • Added auto-enable of WinUSB (driverless) mode on boot.

21-08-23:

  • LPCXpresso V2 firmware (OB variant of Link2): VCOM stopped working after 24 days of operation. Fixed.

19-04-04:

  • LPC-Link2: Added support for ARMv8-M architecture (Cortex-M23, M33, ...)
  • LPCXpresso V2 firmware (OB variant of Link2): Added support for ARMv8-M architecture (Cortex-M23, M33, ...)

16-08-01:

  • LPCXpresso V2 firmware (OB variant of Link2): Under special circumstances, USB communication problems could occur. Fixed.

16-07-21:

  • LPCXpresso V2 firmware (OB variant of Link2): VCOM functionality sometimes swallowed some bytes or output them delayed. Fixed.

16-05-30_2:

  • LPCXpresso V2 firmware (OB variant of Link2): J-Link USB BULK component enumerated correctly but did not work. Introduced with firmware 16-05-30. Fixed.

16-05-30:

  • LPCXpresso V2 firmware (OB variant of Link2): Added VCOM support.

Limitations

The firmware making the LPC-Link2 on-board J-Link compatible has some limitations in contrast to an original, industry leading SEGGER J-Link:

  • May be used with ARM based NXP devices only.
  • Only debugging on evaluation boards is allowed. Debugging on custom hardware is not supported and not allowed.
  • No production flash programming support.
  • Unlimited breakpoints in flash available for evaluation only.
  • No support is given.

By using an original SEGGER J-Link Pro, J-Link ULTRA+ or J-Link PLUS, all these limitations will be gone. Learn more about J-Link.