USB MULTILINK FX USB Multilink FX Advanced Debug Probe

PEmicro’s USB Multilink Universal FX is a high-speed, all-in-one development interface which allows a PC access to the Background Debug Mode (BDM) or JTAG interface on many different NXP MCU architectures and ARM devices from several manufacturers (see complete list below). The FX's high-speed USB interface allows communications between your Windows machine and the standard debug connector on the target. Connections to target MCUs are supported via the multiple headers located on the USB Multilink Universal FX. The product photos to the left of this page show how the headers can be accessed by simply flipping open the plastic case. Ribbon cables suitable for a variety of architectures are included.

Watch a video overview of PEmicro's Multilink debug probes.

The USB Multilink Universal FX includes all the features of PEmicro's standard Multilink interfaces, plus these additional benefits:

• Lightning fast! Up to 10X faster communications speed than PEmicro's other Multilinks*
• Can provide power to the target MCU
• I/O line clamping for added protection
• Supports additional NXP devices

*The exceptional performance increases seen with the USB Multilink Universal FX are limited to synchronous architectures: ARM devices, Kinetis, S32, MPC55xx-577xx (& STMicroelectronics SPC5), Coldfire V2-V4, DSC, MPC5xx/8xx, and HC16/683xx.

By using the USB Multilink Universal FX, the user can take advantage of the background debug mode to halt normal processor execution and use a PC to control the processor. The user can then directly control the target’s execution, read/write registers and memory values, debug code on the processor, and program internal or external FLASH memory devices. The USB Multilink Universal FX can also provide power to your target MCU, either 3.3V or 5V.

The USB Multilink Universal FX is natively supported by recent versions of CodeWarrior® (10.x), current PEmicro software applications, and toolchains from many NXP partners including IAR, Keil, Cosmic, Atollic, and Green Hills (check with the vendor for device compatibility). A list of supported software can be found here.

For many of the supported processors, PEmicro has a set of interface libraries allowing the user to write their own Windows-based application which interacts with PEmicro's debug interface.

This interface is USB 2.0 compatible, and it is also backwards compatible with USB 1.1 ports.

NOTE: For production usage, see the Cyclone Universal and Cyclone Universal FX stand alone programmer, test & debug interfaces.

Software support includes :

PEmicro
• Flash Programming Software
• In-Circuit Debugger Software
• GDB Server for ARM devices
• Custom PC Applications (via UNIT SDK DLL)
NXP
• MCUXpresso IDE
• Kinetis® Design Studio
• S32 Design Studio for ARM
• CodeWarrior
Partners
• Atollic TrueSTUDIO
• Cosmic IDEA
• IAR Workbench
• Keil uVision IDE
• Mentor Graphics Sourcery Codebench
• SOMNIUM DRT

Features:

• High-speed USB interface from PC to Multilink allows for fast, easy programming and debugging -- with the ease and compatibility of the USB interface.
• Draws power from USB interface-- no separate power supply required (draws less than 1mA from the target).
• Can be used to power target MCU.
• Target Voltage: 1.8V-5.25V
• Target Frequency: 16Khz-50Mhz (applies to HCS08, RS08, CFV1, S12Z, or HCS12X only)
• Supports JTAG daisy chaining of multiple ARM MCUs
• Pipelined programming algorithms for some Power Architecture families that dramatically increase programming speed.
• I/O line clamping for added protection
• Auto-frequency detection + trimming capabilities for HCS08 devices.
• Auto-frequency detection for HC(S)12(X) devices.
• Generates programming voltage on RESET line for RS08 devices.
• ARM device support includes both the JTAG and SWD protocols

Software Spotlight

PEmicro's no-cost GDB Server for ARM devices (Eclipse plug-in) includes the following powerful features:

• Real-Time Expression View
  This view gives the user the ability to view variables and memory while a target ARM device is running. Sometimes the process of halting the target masks a bug. Sometimes, in order to reproduce a particular bug, the program must be kept running while being fed a particular set of data. In those cases, having the ability to view variable values as they change without halting the target is a great asset.


• OS-Aware Feature Supports FreeRTOS
  The GDB server will automatically detect the presence, type, and configuration of an OS by querying the application’s symbol table for identifying characteristics. Using these discovered symbols, the debugger can traverse the kernel’s internal data structures to enumerate the available threads and their corresponding execution context. This information is then used to dynamically populate the Eclipse views as the user navigates between the threads. Additional OS support is expected to be added soon.

Includes:

• One (1) USB 2.0 High Speed Cable, Type A to Type B, 6-ft.
• One (1) 6-pin 0.100" pitch ribbon cable for connecting to RS08, HCS08, HC(S)12(X), S12Z, ColdFire V1/V1+ targets
• One (1) 10-pin 0.100" pitch ribbon cable for connecting to MPC5xx/8xx or HC16/683xx targets
• One (1) 14-pin 0.100" pitch ribbon cable for connecting to NXP MPC55xx/56xx/57xx, DSC, STMicroelectronics' SPC5 targets
• One (1) 26-pin 0.100" pitch ribbon cable for connecting to asynchronous ColdFire V2/V3/V4 targets
• One (1) 20-pin 0.100" pitch ribbon cable for connecting to ARM targets
• One (1) 10-pin 0.050" pitch ribbon cable for connecting to ARM targets (Mini-10)
• One (1) 20-pin 0.050" pitch ribbon cable for connecting to ARM targets (Mini-20)

Recommended Accessory

The USB Multilink Universal FX includes a ribbon cable for connecting to ColdFire V2-4 targets, however the MCF5272 & MCF5206(E) devices will require a separate adapter cable (not included) to synchronize the communications signals (as these devices do not do this on-chip).