0. What is this article about?
NXP's software development environment for microcontrollers, MCUXpresso , is compatible with Visual Studio Code (VSC), a source code editor distributed free of charge by Microsoft. Anyone can easily install it by simply installing the extension "MCUXpresso for VSC" and following a few steps! You can start running sample code right away .
This blog post will provide a step-by-step guide on how to install MCUXpresso for VSC and the SDK , a tool for creating code for each microcontroller.
* In this article, we will use FRDM-MCXA153 as the example board.
table of contents
- 0. What is this article about?
- 1. What is MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code?
- 2. Preparation: For macOS
- 3. Installing Visual Studio Code
- 4. Installing MCUXpresso for VSC
- 5. Installing the toolchain
- 6. Importing the SDK
- 7. Ready!
- 8. Bonus: To test the operation of the circuit board as is...
- Reference materials
1. What is MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code?
The various sample codes for general-purpose microcontrollers provided by NXP can be run using MCUXpresso , a software development environment provided free of charge by NXP. There are two types of MCUXpresso: 1) MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code is provided as a plug-in for VSC.
| Types of MCUXpresso | Below is the abbreviation | How to provide |
| ① MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code | ①MCUXpresso-VSC | VSC Plug-ins |
| ② MCUXpresso ID E | ②MCUX-IDE | All in one application |
In this blog, I will introduce how to install MCUXpresso-VSC and the SDK . MCUXpresso-VSC runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and can be operated with the same user interface on all operating systems.
To run the sample code on MCUXpresso-VSC, first install VSC , MCUXpresso-VSC (plugin) , and toolchain (which generates code that runs on the microcontroller) . Then import the SDK * that matches the microcontroller/board you are using.
*SDK stands for Software Development Kit and contains the driver code and configuration information required for each microcontroller.
The SDK must be installed for each microcontroller or board (target) you want to create.
By the way, ②MCUX-IDE can also perform the same tasks as MCUXpresso-VSC. MCUX-*IDE includes an editor for editing source code, a toolchain such as a compiler and linker, and software that organizes code into projects and manages them along with various settings.
Compared to MCUXpresso-VSC, everything needed for development is gathered together in one place, allowing for a smoother flow from installation to development work. On the other hand, compared to MCUX-IDE, MCUXpresso-VSC has a structure where necessary tools are added as extensions (plug-ins), allowing you to customize the various functions you need. We hope you will choose the environment that is easiest for you to use and develop in.
- For information on installing MCUXpresso-IDE, see " Installing MCUXpresso IDE and SDK (Japanese blog) "
* IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment , an integrated development environment application .
Now, let's explain how to install MCUXpresso-VSC and SDK step by step.
This article uses macOS as an example, but the installation can be done on Windows and Linux using almost the same steps.
2. Preparation: For macOS
- Windows and Linux OS users should proceed to the next step, " Installing Visual Studio Code ." This "Preparation" step is only necessary for macOS users .
- If you're a macOS user and have already installed Homebrew , you don't need to reinstall it. Proceed to the next step, " Installing Visual Studio Code ."
On macOS, Homebrew is used to manage the tools required for MCUXpresso-VSC (compilers and linkers: software to create code for the microcontroller) and the software needed to install and run them. Homebrew is software called a "package manager," and it must be installed first.
2.1 Installing Homebrew
If you go to the Homebrew website, you will find the command for installation. Open "Applications > Utilities > Terminal" on your Mac, copy and paste the command into it, and run it.
Homebrew Site
Homebrew installation command (from the above site)
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Terminal application on Mac
Pasted command into terminal
Once the command has finished, follow the instructions on the screen to execute the next command (starting from the screen displayed after the first command is executed). You can also copy and paste the command from the screen and execute it.
echo >> /Users/demo/.zprofile
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> /Users/demo/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)To confirm that the installation was successful, enter the command "brew help" and if the following message appears, the installation is complete.
Once you have confirmed the display, you can exit the terminal.
This concludes the preparations for macOS only.
3. Installing Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code (VSC) is distributed as an application for various operating systems. First, go to this distribution page and download and install the application that matches your operating system.
Once the installation is complete, start VSC.
In this article, the theme has been changed to white to make the screen examples easier to see.
4. Installing MCUXpresso for VSC
Next, install the extension (plug-in) MCUXpresso for VSC. Click the "Extensions" icon in the activity bar on the left side of VSC to search, and click the install button for MCUXpresso for VSC that appears to complete the installation process quickly.
During installation, you may get an error message saying "west not found", but you can ignore this as we will install it shortly.
5. Installing the toolchain
Next, download the toolchain installer from MCUXpresso for VSC.
Once the download is complete, the installer will start automatically. First, the installer will check the version and ask for permission to send data to improve operability, so press the appropriate button. After that, a screen will appear where you can select the items to install.
If you are using the FRDM-MCX board, you only need to select "MCUXpresso SDK Developper" and "LinkServer". When you click, a blue band will appear on the left edge of each item. After checking these, press the "Install" button.
The installation will take a while. I am reinstalling it to write this article, but it was stuck at 20% progress for 4 minutes while I was writing this article 🤨
Update (2026-07-24): Progress is now displayed as a text message at the bottom of the window.
This may take some time depending on the internet traffic, so please be patient. However , if it seems like it's taking too long, press the cancel button and try again .
Once the installation is complete, the following screen will appear, prompting you to restart VSC. *Don't forget to do this!
6. Importing the SDK
(As mentioned in the previous section) Once the toolchain installation is complete, exit VSC and then restart it .
Next is importing the SDK. In this example, we will import from the SDK distribution location for various boards stored on the NXP server (it is also possible to import a custom SDK using the SDK builder on the NXP website, but this time we will explain using the simplest example).
First, click on the MCUXpresso-VSC extension icon in the VSC activity bar (far left) and click on the "Import Repository" button. Select "REMOTE ARCHIVE" in the tab that opens to the right.
In the "Package" column at the top of the tab, search for the board you will be using. If you type "153" in, FRDM-MCXA153 will appear, so select this.
This will display additional input fields on the same screen.
In the "Location" field, specify the folder where the SDK will be installed. There is no set location, so you can specify any location you like, but it is safer to use a folder where files can be written and whose path does not contain multi-byte characters such as Japanese.
Checking "Create Git Repository" is optional, but if you don't need it, uncheck it. This will save disk space on your PC. Next, check "I agree," but before doing so, be sure to read the SDK license linked above it.
Once you've reached this point, all you have to do is press the "Import" button.
7. Ready!
Now you're ready to go!
Using the commands in the QUICKSTART PANEL in the upper left, you can create a new project or import and run a project from the SDK, GitHub, or a downloaded project.
8. Bonus: To test the operation of the circuit board as is...
8.1 Importing Sample Projects
The SDK includes sample code .
So far we have installed the SDK using the FRDM-MCXA153 as an example, so we will try out the sample code included.
First, connect the board to the computer with a USB cable. For the FRDM-MCXA153, use the USB connector labeled "MCU-Link" (see photo).
Now let's import the sample code.
In the MCUXpresso-VSC panel, click the "Import Example from Repository" button.
In the tabs on the right
- Select the imported SDK in the "Repository:" field
- Select FRDM-MCXA153 in the "Board:" field.
- In "Template:", select the top one in the list
This sample code checks the pin input/output operation of the microcontroller, and when a button on the board is pressed, it recognizes it and turns the LED on/off.
After selecting a template, specify the location where you want to import the sample code in "Location:". This folder is also optional.
Below that is the toolchain selection. If this is your first time installing such tools, there is only one option.
Finally, press the "Import" button.
Once the import is complete, a project with the same name as the template will appear in the PROJECTS column.
You may be prompted to "reconfigure" when importing. This is because there are multiple configuration settings for building the code (compiling, linking, etc.). In this case, you can ignore it, but if you press the "Configure Now" button, select one of them (either is fine).
8.2 Running the Sample Project
When you hover the cursor over the imported project, a button icon will appear. Press the green right-facing triangle button (the Debug button) to start a debug session.
Once the code has been built (compiled and linked) and written to the microcontroller, the debug interface will appear and you will be able to run the program.
When the debug interface is displayed, pressing the icon button with the symbol "|▷" at the top will start the microcontroller's operation.
In this state, the LED will turn on and off repeatedly each time you press the SW2 button on the board.
If the board is not connected , the following screen will appear. Please check the connection and try again.
This LED on/off program outputs serially.
You can also see this using the serial monitor in VSC.
If the display width is narrow, the "SERIAL MONITOR" display will be collapsed. Click on the "..." next to "PROBREMS OUTPUT DEBUG CONSOLE..." to display it.
The image below shows what happens after pressing the "Start Monitoring" button and then pressing SW2 on the board.
The program will stop when you press the "□" button on the debug screen.
Reference materials
- Tutorial video: Let's get started! MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code
- Related information: Installing MCUXpresso IDE and SDK (Japanese blog)
Change history:
2025-11-13: First Edition
2025-11-14: Added a link to an installation procedure video / Added a section for reference materials.
2026-07-24: Added chapter numbers and table of contents. Enclosed the video introduction in "0. What is this article about?" within a box. Enclosed the introductory instructions in "2. Preparation: For macOS" within a box and added an anchor link to "Installing Visual Studio Code". Added improvement to "5. Installing the Toolchain" by adding progress display.
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We apologize for the inconvenience, but when making inquiries, please refer to " Technical Questions to NXP - How to Contact Us( Japanese Blog) ".
(If you are already an NXP distributor or have a relationship with NXP, you may ask your question directly to the person in charge.)
MCUXpresso for VSC (Visual Studio Code) can be used free of charge for software development of NXP's MCX series microcontrollers.
In addition, various sample codes that can be used with MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code are provided, which can be used not only for operation verification but also as the basis for various projects.
By reading this article, anyone can easily install the VSC development environment and SDK and even run sample code!