MCXW71 is a three-core platform that integrates a Cortex-M33 application core (CM33), a dedicated Cortex-M3 radio core, and an isolated EdgeLock Secure Enclave. The radio core, also called as Narrow Band Unit (NBU) features a Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) unit with a dedicated flash. The memories integrated in the NBU consist of Bluetooth LE controller stack and radio drivers. On MCXW71, only boot ROM has access to the NBU flash. The ROM bootloader provides an in-system programming (ISP) utility that operates over a serial connection on the microcontroller units (MCUs) This hands-on describes how to update the code in NBU and the User firmware using the ISP. Lab guide: FRDM-MCXW71_NBU_and_User_Firmware_Update_Using_ISP

Getting Started Video:   This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to verify successful communication with the Ara240 module and the runtime software environment to interface  with the FRDM i.MX 95 development board.   Out of the Box   Get Familiar with the Ara240 Module   Ara240 Module [Top view] Ara240 Module [Back view]                Connecting the M.2 Module   This section explains how to connect Ara240, a discrete module, to the FRDM i.MX 95 development board. The instructions in the FRDM i.MX 95 Quick Start Guide will walk you through the boot-up process for the pre-loaded Embedded Linux image on the board and how to connect the USB debug cable. For additional details, see the official FRDM i.MX 95 Development Board documentation. References: FRDM i.MX 95 Quick Start Guide FRDM i.MX 95 Development Board product page FRDM i.MX 95 getting started page Getting Started with ARA2-M2-16G-GT Follow the steps below to connect the Ara240 module to the FRDM i.MX 95 development board: Important: Ensure the board is powered off before making any connections. Insert the Ara240 module into the M.2 Key-M socket on the FRDM i.MX 95 development board. Using the screw provided, secure the module. Connect the fan cable to the board’s fan header (refer to the FRDM i.MX 95 board documentation for the exact header location). Connect the Ara240 to the FRDM i.MX 95 development board.     Power on the Board   Follow the instructions to power on (boot) the board found in the Getting Started with FRDM-IMX95. After powering on, verify that the fan and green LED indicators Ara240 module are on are on.   Get the Software   This section will walk you through the Ara240 Runtime software development kit (SDK), a streamlined subset of the Ara240 SDK designed for rapid enablement and execution on NXP platforms. The Runtime SDK simplifies installation and configuration, enabling developers to quickly deploy and run AI/ML workloads on the Ara240 module with minimal effort. Overview   Refer to Ara240 software release notes for details on the Ara240 software development kit (SDK) The Getting Started page for Ara240 only outlines usage on specific i.MX development platforms For any other platforms please reach out to your NXP representative for guidance.   Module Enumeration and Software Configuration   This section provides instructions to verify proper installation of Ara240 module and configuration of the Ara240 Runtime SDK on the FRDM i.MX 95 development board. Verify Device Detection   Once the board has successfully booted, connect to the serial debug port to monitor system logs. To confirm that the Ara240 module is being detected by the board, run the following command: $ lspci | grep 1e58   Expected output: 0000:01:00.0 Processing accelerators: Device 1e58:0002 (rev 02)   Enable Ara240 device   For quick enablement, the Ara240 Runtime SDK starts at boot time. Refer to the Ara240 Runtime SDK documentation for detailed instructions and environment setup steps.   Developer Experience   This section provides an overview of Ara240 runtime software enablement using the FRDM i.MX 95 development board. Verify Setup Environment   Use the following guidance on how to connect required devices. For most of the demos, you would need a camera, keyboard, mouse, internet connection and a HDMI display monitor. Setup preparation for FRDM i.MX 95 board [Top view]   Setup preparation for FRDM i.MX 95 board [Back view]   NOTE: You might need to use a USB hub to connect keyboard, mouse and camera at the same time.   Runtime setup Description:   Runtime SDK delivers a complete runtime environment that enables AI/ML acceleration on the Ara240 module. To run demo applications, ensure that the Ara240 bring-up process has been successfully completed and the system is ready for demo evaluation. Refer to the Runtime SDK documentation for detailed guidance on: Verifying correct installation of the Runtime SDK. Checking and updating the Ara240 firmware version. Validating proxy service bring-up status. Executing benchmark tests on Ara240. Following these steps ensures that the module is properly initialized and ready for use. Ara240 supports the execution of CNNs, LLMs, VLMs, and agentic frameworks, enabling advanced AI workloads to run directly on Ara. For comprehensive examples and end-to-end workflow guidance, please refer to the Ara SDK documentation page.

Unlike MCXW 71 MCU, MCXW 72 supports an Open NBU. This means that NBU firmware source code is exposed to user. On MCXW 71 MCU, NBU firmware is NXP proprietary; it is not user customizable.

This document is intended to guide you in the installation of the necessary tools and repository for start running Zephyr examples and development. Zephyr is a lightweight, open-source real-time operating system (RTOS) designed specifically for microcontrollers (MCUs) and other resource-constrained embedded devices. Unlike general-purpose operating systems, Zephyr is built to run on systems with limited memory, low power consumption, and strict real-time requirements. It provides the core software foundation that allows an MCU to run multiple tasks reliably, respond to events on time, and interact with hardware in a structured way.

This document is intended to guide you in the installation of the necessary tools and repository for start running matter examples and development. Matter (previously known as Project CHIP) is a single, unified, application-layer connectivity standard designed to enable developers to connect and build reliable, secure IoT ecosystems and increase compatibility among Smart Home and Building devices. Backed by major brands and developed through collaboration within the Connectivity Standards Alliance (previously known as the Zigbee Alliance), Matter is an open-source royalty-free connectivity standard built with market-proven technologies using Internet Protocol (IP) and compatible with Thread and Wi-Fi network transports. Building solutions and leading standards efforts, NXP provides scalable, flexible and secure platforms for the variety of use cases Matter addresses – from end nodes to gateways – so device manufacturers can focus on their product innovation. NXP’s Matter solutions go beyond just the connectivity with comprehensive capabilities for the compute and security requirements for IoT devices.

This project implements a configurable secure encrypted Ethernet communication node with the transmission of a large data image.

Goal of this lab is to show the SDK example implementing the Bluetooth LE Ranging profile, how to flash it and run it, as well as looking into the code to extract meaningful information for applications that use ranging Guide

This document is intended to guide you in the installation of the tools and let you know the material required for the FRDM-MCXW72 Channel Sounding Hands On 

In this lab we make some experience with the FRDM-MCXW72 board using the SDK project to implement a simple LED blinking. Once we will get familiar with the example project, we will integrate simple modifications

In this lab we will first import the MCUXpresso SDK for the MCX W72 Freedom board into MCUXpresso IDE and then we will build, flash and debug the hello world project to make sure the environment is set for the following Labs  

This hands-on describes how to run the Low Power Reference Design demo on FRDM-MCXW72. Two low-power reference design applications are provided in the reference_design folder: Low power peripheral application, demonstrating the low power feature on an advertiser peripheral Bluetooth LE device. Low power central application, demonstrating the low power feature on a scanner central Bluetooth LE device. These applications aim at providing: A reference design application for low power/timing optimization on a Bluetooth Low Energy application. These can be used in first intent for porting a new application on low power. A way for measuring the power consumption, wake-up time, and active time in various power modes. The default low-power mode used in different modes are shown as follows: Default power mode App core Radio core Advertise mode Power Down mode Deep sleep mode Connected mode Deep Sleep mode Deep Sleep mode Scanning mode Deep Sleep mode WFI or Deep Sleep mode For complete documentation please visit: reference_design — MCUXpresso SDK Documentation

Goal of this lab is to show the SDK example implementing the wireless UART profile and we will move forward in making some meaningful modifications to the example itself with the goal to show where in the code the end user should enter the relevant application software for the application. Run Wireless UART IoT Toolbox Demo

The MCX W72 family features a 96 MHz Arm® Cortex®-M33 core coupled with a multiprotocol radio subsystem also called Narrow Band Unit (NBU) supporting Matter, Thread, Zigbee and Bluetooth LE. The independent radio subsystem, with a dedicated core and memory, offloads the main CPU, preserving it for the primary application and allowing firmware updates to support future wireless standards. On MCXW72, only boot ROM has access to the NBU flash. The ROM bootloader provides an in-system programming (ISP) utility that operates over a serial connection on the microcontroller units (MCUs) The objective in this hands-on, is to learn how to recognize when the NBU firmware does not match with the SDK version.

The MCX W72 family features a 96 MHz Arm® Cortex®-M33 core coupled with a multiprotocol radio subsystem also called Narrow Band Unit (NBU) supporting Matter, Thread, Zigbee and Bluetooth LE. The independent radio subsystem, with a dedicated core and memory, offloads the main CPU, preserving it for the primary application and allowing firmware updates to support future wireless standards.   The ROM bootloader provides an in-system programming (ISP) utility that operates over a serial connection on the microcontroller units (MCUs)  This hands-on describes how to update the code in NBU and the User firmware using the ISP.  

Introduction This document is intended to guide you in the installation of the tools and let you know the material required for the FRDM-MCXW72 Hands On.  Required Materials The material and the software requirements will depend on the hand on, but the next is what it is required in most of them. Hardware Requirements FRDM-MCXW72 Board Personal Computer Type C USB Cable Software Requirements IDE: Visual Studio Code 1.107.1 or later SDK: v25.12.00 MCUXpresso extension for VS Code version v25.12.48 BLHost Tool or LinkFlash tool (Linkflash is included with LinkServer installation) Windows OS (It was used Windows 11 for this hands-on) NXP IoT Toolbox (For an Android or iOS device) Serial Terminal program, like PuTTY or Tera Term Environment Setup Note: In order to make downloads in NXP website, it is necessary to have an account. Register and log-in for moving forward. MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code                                                                                                                                                                         MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code (VS Code) provides an optimized embedded developer experience for code editing and development. The extension enables NXP developers to use one of the most popular embedded editor tools and provides an easy and fast way to create, build and debug applications based on MCUXpresso SDK or Zephyr projects.   Install it following the next steps: Download Visual Studio Code from Microsoft Store or visual studio code web page Download Visual Studio Code - Mac, Linux, Windows Access to vscode for MCUX wiki and download MCUXpresso Installer  Dependency Installation · nxp-mcuxpresso/vscode-for-mcux Wiki · GitHub Run MCUXpresso Installer and for MCXW72 Hands On install at least MCUXpresso SDK Developer Matter Developer Arm GNU Toolchain Standalone Toolchain Add ons Linkserver PEmicro Installing the FRDM-MCXW72 SDK V25.12.00   Each MCU has its own SDK that includes driver, examples, middleware, docs and other components. To get and build the demo, let’s install the SDK into VS Code. Install the NXP’s GitHub SDK: Once MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code is installed, open VS Code. Go to MCUXpresso for VS Code extension that is on the tools column at the left.    Look for INSTALLED REPOSITORIES option and press ‘+’ (Detail steps are described in wiki page. Working with MCUXpresso SDK · nxp-mcuxpresso/vscode-for-mcux Wiki · GitHub).                                               Search for the remote option of the Import Repository window. Select the MCUXpresso SDK in the repository option to download the GitHub SDK, then in the Revision tab you can select either the “main” revision (which corresponds to the latest version available) or to select an specific version (we’ll be using version v25.12.00 for these series of labs), optionally you can change the repository name and location.     Finally click on the “Import” button. Blhost Installation The blhost application is used on a host computer to issue commands to an NXP platform running an implementation of the MCU bootloader. The blhost application with the MCU bootloader, allows a user to program a firmware application onto the MCU device without a programming tool. Please go an download the tool in the next path and make sure to placed in a known location. BLHost Download page.

Objectives In this lab, you will learn: How to use the MCUXpresso Installer to obtain NXP Software (FreeMASTER) How to use Application Code Hub to import an example into the VS Code workspace How to build, clean, debug, and run the example. How to connect the Serial Monitor for UART console How FreeMASTER can be used as a real-time debug monitor and data visualization tool Hardware Requirements Personal Computer FRDM-MCXA153 Board Heart Rate 4 CLICK Module (MIKROE 5547) USB type-C cable   Software Requirements MCUXpresso for VS Code FreeMASTER v3.2 or latest FRDM-MCXA153 SDK Application Code Hub The Application Code Hub (ACH) repository enables engineers to easily find microcontroller software examples, code snippets, application software packs and demos developed by NXP in-house experts. This space provides a quick, easy and consistent way to find microcontroller applications. Find more information at www.nxp.com/ach.   Installing Prerequisites - Launch MCUXpresso for VS Code - Launch the MCUXpresso Installer from the QUICKSTART PANEL   - Install MCUXpresso SDK Developer, LinkServer, and FreeMASTER   Heart Rate Monitor Lab The NXP Application Code Hub provides a complete example of how to use the MCXA-153 microcontroller in a Heart Rate and SPO2 monitor application. This lab will walk through the steps to import, build, program and debug the example. The final section of the lab shows how to use FreeMASTER as a data-visualization tool for the acquired sensor data on the FRDM-MCXA153 development board. 1. Go to the Quick Start Panel 2. Select Application Code Hub 3. Filter Visible Examples (MCX + Sensors) - Go to the filter section next to the Search bar and select two filters. - Select MCX in the Device Families Section and Sensor in the Categories section of the filters   4. Search for Keywords in Examples - Search for the keyword 'heart rate'. - Select the demo "frdm mcxa153 freemaster heart rate". 5. Read Overview of Heart Rate Demo The Application Code Hub provides a consistent Readme Overview for every project. The FreeMASTER Heart Rate demo overview is previewed after clicking on the application card. Scroll through the readme to become familiar with the available contents like required hardware, software and setup instructions. 6. Select Destination for Project The wizard automatically provides a prompt to browse to a desired destination folder. Create the destination C:\NXP_ACH to store the project here. Or you can specify a custom location. 7. Import Project into Workspace Select Import Project(s) after entering the desired location. If a valid project is not available, the wizard only displays Import Repository, to allow a code repo, without a project, to be added to workspace. 8. Select Detected Project(s) The import wizard will scan the example repo and list valid projects that were discovered. This allows the user to select only the projects they want created. Select the mcuxpresso project listed at the top of the VS Code window. 9. Associate a Toolchain The last selection is to identify the Compiler toolchain to be used for the project. GCC will be used for this project. Select Arm GNU Toolchain 12.3.Rel1 (Or latest version available from MCUXpresso Installer prework) The scan may locate Compilers associated with MCUXPresso IDE. Verify the path and version between listed compilers. At this time the wizard will complete the project import. A Successful Conversion notification is displayed at the bottom of the screen. It is important to recognize that the selected Heart Rate example is a working project within the MCUXpresso IDE (Eclipse based). The VS Code extension has the ability to convert an existing MCUXpresso IDE projects for development in VS Code. 10. Navigating a Project in VS Code The MCUXpresso for VS Code extension includes a PROJECTS section to help users access useful project information. Users can review and modify project information with the following steps. Review Project Details Project details are shown in the Dropdown menu of the Projects Section in the MCUXpresso Extension Navigation Pane. • Settings: Workspace settings specific to the project • MCU: Targeted device. • Build Configurations: Select build configuration from available list (i.e. Debug or Release). • Debug Configurations: • Repository Information • Project Files 11. Working with Source Files There are two ways to view and modify the project's files: • Click on the Explorer Icon at the top of the VS Code left navigation pane.  • Expand the Project Files section from the PROJECTS view 12. Build the application The MCXA153 FreeMASTER Heart Rate project needs to build the application image. After the code builds without any errors, the application can be run on the FRDM board. The following steps require that you return to the MCUXpresso perspective by clicking the MCUXpresso for VS Code X icon in the Activity bar Build the project by clicking the Build Selected icon. After a successful build, the Terminal console displays the memory usage (or compiler errors if any). 13. Connect Serial Monitor to the board To use the Serial Monitor integrated into VS Code: - Connect the USB-C cable to J15 to power the FRDM board. The onboard debugger provides a USBUART bridge to interface with the Serial monitor. - Click on the SERIAL MONITOR found as a tab in the Terminal window at the Bottom of VS Code Window. NOTE: The default COM settings are valid for NXP eval boards: "115200, None..." - Click Start Monitoring to connect the monitor to the FRDM board’s auto-detected COM port. VS Code in light theme 14. Flash/Debug the Application This section uses the on-board debugger to connect to the MCU, and program the flash. LinkServer from NXP manages the GDB server for communicating with the NXP MCULink on-board debug probe. It includes support for flash programming. - Click the play icon to Debug the application: The application is flashed to the FRDM board and VS Code switches to the Debug perspective. Return to the SERIAL MONITOR tab under the Terminals. It switches to the OUTPUT terminal when a Debug session is started.  VS Code in light theme - The execution will be paused on a breakpoint. Click Continue/Play icon to continue execution. The application will advance to the start of main().   - Click Continue/Play icon a 2nd time for the Heart Rate application to launch inside main(). 15. View Heart Rate Values in Serial Terminal The Heart Rate application using the serial port to display information. The following should be displayed in the SERIAL MONITOR tab after main() starts. Place a finger on the sensor near the Heart silkscreened on Heart Rate 4 click board. The following should be displayed in the SERIAL MONITOR tab after a finger is placed on the sensor: A heart rate value will be calculated and displayed after 16. FreeMASTER Data Visualization FreeMASTER is a standalone application provided by NXP to help developers visualize, monitor and manipulate data available from their projects. The Heart Rate example includes a /freemaster folder that helps users get started using the tool. The settings in the Application Code Hub were established for an MCUXpresso IDE based project. There are a few changes that need to be made after the project is converted to a VS Code project. The following steps will properly configure FreeMASTER to work with the Heart Rate example project: Launch FreeMASTER Application There are two options for launching FreeMASTER. • Click on the heart_rate.pmpx using File Explorer. The FreeMASTER application should be associated with .pmpx file extensions. This will also automatically load the included project settings.   • Launch FreeMASTER by searching Windows Applications. • This will not load project settings. You will be required to Open Project using the FreeMaster menu as shown. Open the .pmpx project file. • Verify Project Options FreeMASTER has a few key settings to verify once a project is opened. A user should verify they are correctly set for the type of Debug Probe and location of the project output files. - Click Project -> Options from the menu bar. - Verify that the correct method is set for communicating with the board. The on-board Debug Probe for the FRDM-MCXA153 is by default shipped with NXP CMSIS-DAP firmware. Select FreeMASTER CMSIS-DAP Communication Plug-in found under the Comm tab, for Plug-in module:   - Verify that the correct Default symbol file is targeted for the VS Code project. The symbol file in VS Code projects is output under an /armgcc folder. Select the /armgcc folder within VS Code project MAP Files tab. The window will autodetect the Binary ELF File, and display this under File format:   - Visualize Data From Heart Rate Project The NXP software team has included a default visualization for the Heart Rate project. The demonstration showcases the different styles for project data to be shown. The following visualization settings are preset for the Heart Rate project: Welcome HTML Page: The HTML Pages (Under Options) points to welcome.html file. This provides structured web view for displaying elements. Beyond scope of this lab, but .html file can be reviewed to see how target values/charts are referenced in html. Oscilloscope Visual: View plots the values of a project variable. The plot axis are configured for scale and color. Heart Rate, SPO2 and ECG are configured. Variable Watch Table: After variables are configured to be tracked, they can be added to this table view.   Make sure that the debug probe is not in an active debug session in the IDE or VS Code. Click GO icon on the menu bar to initiate the project data visualization! The following points are highlighted for the FreeMASTER output. 1. Clicking on the elements listed under the Project Tree changes the view to the specific Oscilloscope Visual. 2. View the captured values for the variables in a Table view. 3. Visualization of data organized based on the layout defined in the Welcome.html.  

Discover the NXP FRDM Lab at Embedded World 2026 Hands‑on training and real demos across Edge AI, Zephyr, motor control, security, and GUIs Learn live—or later with self‑guided FRDM Lab content

Ready to scale your edge designs? Discover how NXP’s MCX N947 and MCX N236 microcontrollers—and their FRDM evaluation boards—bring performance, power efficiency, and ML capabilities to your next IoT or industrial project. From dual-core processing to ultra-low-power sensing, this article breaks down what makes these MCUs ideal for intelligent edge development.

This article mainly introduces the design of the FRDM-MCXE31B and how to import and run ACH examples. Through this article, readers can gain a detailed understanding of the main resources of the FRDM-MCXE31B board, design files, and how to import, download, and run an SDK example.     Hardware Requirements One FRDM-MCXE31B board A personal computer One USB Type-C cable   Software Requirements SDK25.06.00_FRDM-MCXE31B (Download from: https://mcuxpresso.nxp.com) MCUXpresso IDE v25.6 or later (Download from: MCUXpresso IDE | NXP) Serial Terminal Software for PC: Windows: PUTTY or Tera Term USB Device Driver Board User Manual The FRDM-MCXE31B board is a design and evaluation platform based on the NXP MCX E31B microcontroller (MCU). The MCX E31B MCU is based on an Arm Cortex-M7 core, running at speeds of up to 160 MHz with a 2.95 V–5.5 V supply. The FRDM-MCXE31B board includes: One MCX E31B device 64 Mbit external serial flash (Winbond) FXLS8974CFR3 I2C accelerometer sensor NMH1000 I2C magnetic switch Three TJA1057BTK CAN PHYs Ethernet PHY RGB LED Push buttons MCU-Link debug probe circuit The board is compatible with Arduino shield modules, Pmod boards, and mikroBUS. For debugging, the board uses an onboard (OB) debug probe, MCU-Link OB, based on the NXP LPC55S16 MCU. In this document, the MCX E31B is referred to as the target MCU, and the LPC55S16 as the debug MCU. This document provides detailed information about the FRDM-MCXE31B board interfaces, accelerometer, power supplies, clocks, connectors, jumpers, push buttons, LEDs, and the MCU-Link OB debug probe. You can download the FRDM-MCXE31B Board User Manual [UM12330] from: nxp.com/design/design-center/development-boards-and-designs/general-purpose-mcus/frdm-development-board-for-mcx-e31-mcus:FRDM-MCXE31B   Getting Started The Getting Started page provides not only an introduction to the board but also instructions on how to import SDK projects. https://www.nxp.com/document/guide/getting-started-with-the-frdm-mcxe31b-board:GS-FRDM-MCXE31B   Documentation All documentation, datasheets and application notes can be found on the MCXE31 landing page: https://www.nxp.com/products/MCX-E31   Application Code Hub We provide several MCXE31B application code hub examples. You can find the project code from the following links and import them into MCUXpresso IDE to run:   https://github.com/nxp-appcodehub/an-digital-encoder-tamagawa-on-mcx31/tree/main Other ACH examples will be published soon.   Hands-on The following video demonstrates how to import, download, and run an SDK project using MCUXpresso IDE, using the Hello World example as a case study. please see attached video.  

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