Hardware prerequisites
Know what to plug in before you run anything. A profile needs a board hpx knows, a J-Link path to it, and a host with the tools from Install. Power measurement needs one more instrument and comes later; you do not need it for your first profile.
Host setup
Section titled “Host setup”Complete Install on your Linux, macOS or Windows host. You need Python 3.11 or newer, an Arm toolchain, CMake 3.24 or newer, Ninja and the SEGGER J-Link software. Python dependency wheels must be available for your host and Python version.
neuralSPOT-X and the Python RTT transport are installed with hpx. You do not need a separate SDK checkout for a standard profile. Run hpx doctor to check that the host tools can be found.
Board and debug connection
Section titled “Board and debug connection”| Your setup | What to connect |
|---|---|
| Supported EVB with on-board J-Link | The EVB and a data-capable USB cable connected to its debug USB port. |
| Board using an external probe | A SEGGER J-Link connected to the board’s SWD header, plus the board’s power connection. The board must have an hpx board definition. |
| Serial capture instead of RTT | The connection required by your selected transport: target USB for usb_cdc, or the virtual COM port / serial adapter for uart. |
The default RTT transport uses the same J-Link connection for flashing and capture. Start there unless your setup calls for serial capture. See Capture transports for the wiring and configuration choices.
Board names and support channels are listed in Boards and targets. Run hpx boards for the registry in your installed version. A custom board needs integration before it can be profiled; connecting a probe alone does not add board support.
Select your board
Section titled “Select your board”Connect the board’s on-board J-Link, or an external J-Link attached to its
SWD header. hpx uses that connection for flashing and the default rtt capture. Boards with more than one USB connector label the debug port on the
silkscreen or the quick-start card; if hpx probes list prints nothing after
you plug in, check the connector, cable, SEGGER installation and host USB permissions.
The default board is apollo510_evb. Pass --board <name> for any other,
using the exact name from hpx boards. A board on the preview channel
works with the same commands; the channel records how much hardware
validation backs it, not whether hpx will drive it.
Select your probe
Section titled “Select your probe”hpx uses SEGGER J-Link, either the on-board probe or an external J-Link
plugged into the EVB’s SWD header. With one probe attached nothing needs
configuring. With several, hpx probes match --board <name> shows which
serial hpx will pick, and --jlink-serial pins it.
Optional power measurement
Section titled “Optional power measurement”Cycle counts need no instrument. Power needs one of:
- A Joulescope in the supply path to the board, with its GPIO inputs wired to the board pins hpx toggles to mark the measurement window. The per-board pin tables and the sense wiring are on Power measurement.
- An INA228 current monitor on the board’s I2C, read by the firmware itself, which needs no host instrument during capture.
Start with timing measurements, then follow Power measurement when you are ready to add energy capture.
What next
Section titled “What next”Validate your setup runs the five commands that prove the host, the probe and the board agree before you spend a build on them.