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Frequently asked questions

LPC2000 Family LPC288x Series FAQ

Q What are the main features of the LPC288x series?
A
The three main striking features are:
  1. 1MB of On-Chip Flash
  2. USB High Speed Device Controller
  3. 16-bit ADC and DAC
Q Can the LPC288x be initialized in the same way as other LPC2000 devices?
A This LPC288x initialization is very different from other LPC2000 devices. Initialization routines that were used for other LPC2000 devices will not work for this device.
Q Does Flash Magic support the flash programming on the LPC288x?
A
No. This device cannot be programmed over a serial port. However, it can be programmed over USB using the "LPC2888 Flash Programming Utility".
Q Is LPC288x flash secure?
A The flash is not secure in the LPC2888. Hence there is no code read protection.
Q The clock structure looks very complicated. Can I refer to any sample code to program the clock?
A
Please refer to the AN10548 "Getting Started with LPC288x" application note. This document comes with code examples for the Clock Generation Unit, Flash programming etc. This chip has a very powerful clock block, which also includes dynamic switching of clocks for different blocks at run time.
Q There is no physical memory at 0x0. Since interrupt vectors reside at 0x0, how do I handle interrupts?
A To map interrupt vectors to 0x0, you use the cache. The cache can successfully map any memory region to 0x0. AN10548 "Getting Started with LPC288x" application note comes with code examples, which shows cache initialization and interrupt handling using the Nohau evaluation board.
Q I loaded my code into flash but it does not execute. What am I missing?
A In addition, to the above step, a pattern of 0xAA55AA55 has to be loaded into 0x104FF800. This informs the on-chip bootloader that there is valid user code in the flash. Other LPC2000 devices also have a similar functionality but in this case the signature resides at location 0x14.
Q Has any USB stack been ported to the LPC288x?
A
Micrium has ported their USB stack to the LPC288x, and it can be downloaded at:
Q I tried loading a hex file using the LPC2888 Flash Programming Utility, but it does not work. Why?
A
The flash programming utility cannot load hex files. It takes an ".ebn" file as input.
While compiling the project, instruct the compiler to also generate a binary file (i.e. ".bin"). The flash programming utility package comes with a DOS utility called "HostCryptv2.exe". Using this utility, ".bin" files can be converted to ".ebn" files which can be used with the flash programming utility.
Q Do all pins come up as GPIO after reset?
A Only four pins come up as GPIO after reset. All other pins come up as functional IOs.
Q Are there any schematic references that can be used?
A
There is an application note that provides several schematics for the different blocks of the LPC288x. Please download AN10549 Design Rules and Schematics for the LPC288x.
Also, Nohau has an available evaluation board. Included with the purchased product are detailed schematics. The user guide also contains some sample schematics.
Q I need timing diagrams for the external memory interface, and I could not find them in the User Manual or Data Sheet. Which document should I refer to?
A The next version of the User Manual should have these diagrams. For now, please refer to the timing diagrams found in the LPC22xx series datasheets. The LPC22xx series has a similar memory interface block.
Q What are the different power supply options for this device?
A
The LPC288x can be powered from the following sources:
  1. A Standard, Single-Cell Battery
  2. USB
  3. Power Supply with Voltages between 1.8V and 3.3V
Please refer to the DC-DC converter chapter in the User Manual for more details.
Q Aren't there any external interrupts in the LPC288x devices?
A The event router block allows 88 pads to be used an interrupt sources along with 11 interrupt signals. This feature is uniques to the LPC288x.
Q Which evaluation boards can I use for the LPC288x?
A
Nohau's LPC2800 Evaluation Board supports the NXP LPC288x series of microcontrollers.

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