NXP CUP 2019/20 Support Material

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Getting Started with the NXP CUP

These pages help you with the question of how to achieve the goal of creating an autonomous vehicle that quickly navigates around a track (timed race) and solves precision tasks (Figure 8, Speed limit zone, Obstacle avoidance)

What is a Microcontroller?

For information on what a microcontroller is head to the microcontrollers article.

Getting Started - Learn to Program a microcontroller

First off, you are going to need to know C programming. For a crash-course head to c-programming-for-embedded-systems.

The classic first application to learn how to program a microcontroller is to get through the process of Blinking an LED. This wiki contains a tutorial for each of the Cup microprocessors which simplifies the process of setting up the evaluation board, installing the Integrated Development Environment, and programming the board with a simple set of software which blinks a LED. The Blink a LED tutorial is the first of 4 tutorials designed to familiarize students with the process of designing a cup car.

These four tutorials will introduce students to many of the fundamentals of robotics, the software used to control the locomotion and sensors on an autonomous line following vehicle, and provide example code which help simplify the process of creating a competitive entry in the NXP CUP.

Here is an outline of the Basic Microcontroller Programming Tutorial:

1. Read the microcontroller article
2. Choose a microcontroller
3. Set up the development environment
4. Set up the microcontroller evaluation board
5. Program A LED
6. move to the next tutorial…

Course Material from the NXP CUP professors and supporters:

Thanks to our professors and NXP CUP supporters we created an exclusive starter kit. It includes lecture material, information on the car, useful tips on the board etc. Download the file below and dive into a huge support portfolio!

ARC Ingenierie Files - The Champions Board!

ARC Ingenierie has been very generous in providing us with their PCB layout and Gerber files to produce your own NXP CUP board. They also provided sample code and drivers plus instructions (in French) to get you started. How cool is that?! Many thanks to ARC, this is much appreciated! Download the files below. If you want to build your own board, please contact us. When do so please keep in mind to give credit to ARC university. All boards should have "HE-ARC Ingenierie" inscription.  

Further support links:

• Information on Line Scan Camera Use
  
• The Book of Eli - Microcontrollers, robotics and warp drives
• Microcontrollers
• MCU 101 - C Programming for Embedded Systems
• NXP CUP Shield for the FRDM KL25Z