LPC-Link may not initialize on Mac OS X

Mac laptops seem to be particularly prone to USB issues related to the power supplied by certain USB ports to connected USB devices. This can affect LPCXpresso boards, leading to the following error being seen when you try to start a debug session to an LPCXpresso board:

Timeout waiting for LPC-Link v1.1 to initialize

Clicking through the cancel messages gives the final error of:

Connect to emulator or board: xxxxxx
No emulator/board available.
This could be because it is unpowered, disconnected or already in use

If you see this issue, try

• Connecting the LPCXpresso board to a different USB port on your Mac
• Connecting the LPCXpresso board to your Mac via a powered USB hub.
• Providing separate power to the 'MCU portion' of the LPCXpresso board, so that only the LPC-Link is powered from the USB debug connection.

  • A simple way to do this is to mount the LPCXpresso board on a base board, such as the one available from Embedded Artists.