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J-Link Software Tools for Debug Probes: Download and Installation Guide



Segger J-Link Download: A Guide for Embedded Developers




If you are an embedded developer working with microcontrollers, you may have heard of Segger J-Link, a popular debug probe that offers fast and reliable debugging and programming of embedded devices. In this article, we will explain what Segger J-Link is, what features and benefits it provides, how to download and install its software, and how to use it for your embedded projects.




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What is Segger J-Link?




Segger J-Link is a line of debug probes that support a wide range of CPUs and architectures, such as Arm, RISC-V, Microchip, Renesas, SiLabs 8051, Cadence, and more. It allows you to connect your target device to your development PC via USB or Ethernet, and perform various debugging and programming tasks, such as:



  • Downloading code into flash or RAM memory



  • Setting breakpoints in flash or RAM memory



  • Viewing and modifying memory contents



  • Viewing and modifying registers



  • Viewing and modifying variables



  • Viewing terminal output from the target device



  • Measuring power consumption of the target device



  • Tracing the execution of the target device



  • And more...



Features and benefits of Segger J-Link




Segger J-Link has many features and benefits that make it an ideal choice for embedded developers. Some of them are:



  • Ultra-fast download speed: Segger J-Link can download code into flash or RAM memory at up to 4 MB/s, making it the fastest debug probe on the market. It also comes with optimized flash loaders that support many flash devices and allow speedy programming.



  • Unlimited breakpoints in flash memory: Segger J-Link can set an unlimited number of breakpoints in the flash memory of the target device, without affecting its performance or functionality. This feature is called Flash Breakpoints and is unique to Segger J-Link.



  • Real-Time Transfer technology: Segger J-Link can transfer data between the target device and the development PC in real time, without halting the target device. This feature is called Real-Time Transfer (RTT) and allows extended debug information, such as terminal output, logging messages, system analysis, etc.



  • Built-in virtual COM port functionality: Segger J-Link can emulate a virtual COM port (VCOM) that can be used to communicate with the target device via UART. This allows you to use any terminal program to send and receive data from the target device.



  • All popular devices are supported: Segger J-Link supports tens of thousands of devices from hundreds of device families. You can find a complete list of supported devices .



  • All popular debuggers are supported: Segger J-Link is compatible with all major IDEs and debuggers on the market, from commercial ones like SEGGER Embedded Studio, IAR Embedded Workbench, Keil µVision, Eclipse, Visual Studio Code, etc., to open source ones like GCC, GDB, LLDB, etc. You can find a complete list of supported IDEs and debuggers .



  • Free software updates and technical support: Segger J-Link comes with free software updates and technical support for the lifetime of the product. You can always download the latest version of the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack from the Segger website and get help from the Segger support team.



Supported devices and IDEs




The following table shows some examples of devices and IDEs that are supported by Segger J-Link. Note that this is not a complete list and you can always check the Segger website for more information.



Device Family


Device Example


IDE Example


Arm Cortex-M


STM32F4xx


SEGGER Embedded Studio


RISC-V


Sipeed MAix BiT


Eclipse-based IDEs


Microchip PIC32


PIC32MX795F512L


MPLAB X IDE


Renesas RX


RX65N


IAR Embedded Workbench for RX


SiLabs 8051


C8051F120


Keil µVision for 8051


Cadence Xtensa


ESP32-WROOM-32D


Visual Studio Code with PlatformIO extension


How to download and install Segger J-Link software




To use Segger J-Link, you need to download and install the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack, which contains all the necessary drivers, tools, utilities, and documentation for Segger J-Link. Here are the steps to do so:


Downloading the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack




You can download the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack from the Segger website . You need to select the version that matches your operating system (Windows, Linux, or macOS) and download the installer file. The installer file is about 300 MB in size.


Installing the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack




After downloading the installer file, you need to run it and follow the instructions on the screen. The installation process is straightforward and should take only a few minutes. You can choose to install all or some of the components of the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack, such as:



  • J-Link driver: This is the main driver that allows your development PC to communicate with your J-Link debug probe.



  • J-Link tools: These are various command-line tools that allow you to perform different tasks with your J-Link debug probe, such as J-Link Commander, J-Link GDB Server, J-Link Remote Server, etc.



  • J-Link utilities: These are various graphical utilities that allow you to perform different tasks with your J-Link debug probe, such as J-Link RTT Viewer, J-Link SWO Viewer, J-Flash, etc.



  • J-Link documentation: This contains all the manuals, user guides, application notes, and other documents related to Segger J-Link.



  • J-Flash SPI: This is an optional component that allows you to program external SPI flash devices using your J-Link debug probe.



  • Ozone: This is an optional component that is a standalone debugger based on Segger J-Link. It provides a graphical user interface for debugging and programming embedded devices.



  • SystemView: This is an optional component that is a system analysis tool based on Segger J-Link. It provides a graphical user interface for tracing and analyzing the behavior of embedded systems.



  • J-Scope: This is an optional component that is a data acquisition tool based on Segger J-Link. It provides a graphical user interface for capturing and displaying analog signals from embedded systems.



  • J-Mem: This is an optional component that is a memory analysis tool based on Segger J-Link. It provides a graphical user interface for analyzing the memory usage of embedded systems.


After installing the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack, you can find all the components in the Segger folder in your program files directory. You can also access them from the Start menu or the desktop shortcuts.


Configuring the J-Link debug probe




Before using your J-Link debug probe, you need to connect it to your development PC and your target device. You can use either a USB cable or an Ethernet cable to connect your J-Link debug probe to your development PC, depending on the model of your J-Link debug probe. You can use a standard 20-pin JTAG/SWD connector or a 9-pin Cortex-M connector to connect your J-Link debug probe to your target device, depending on the interface of your target device.


After connecting your J-Link debug probe, you need to configure it using the J-Link Configurator utility. This utility allows you to set various parameters for your J-Link debug probe, such as:


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  • The interface type (JTAG or SWD)



  • The target device type



  • The target device voltage



  • The target device speed



  • The target device endianess



  • The serial number of the J-Link debug probe



  • The firmware version of the J-Link debug probe



  • The IP address of the J-Link debug probe (if using Ethernet)



  • And more...



You can launch the J-Link Configurator utility from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. You can also run it from the command line using the command "JLinkConfig.exe". The utility will automatically detect your J-Link debug probe and display its information. You can then select your J-Link debug probe and click on "Settings" to change its parameters. You can also click on "Update" to update the firmware of your J-Link debug probe if needed.


How to use Segger J-Link for debugging and programming




Once you have installed and configured your J-Link debug probe, you can use it for debugging and programming your embedded devices. There are two main ways to use Segger J-Link: using it with different IDEs or using it with different tools and utilities.


Using J-Link with different IDEs




As mentioned earlier, Segger J-Link is compatible with all major IDEs and debuggers on the market. You can use Segger J-Link with any IDE or debugger that supports external debug probes, such as:


Using J-Link with SEGGER Embedded Studio




SEGGER Embedded Studio is a cross-platform IDE for embedded development that is based on Segger J-Link. It provides a complete solution for developing, debugging, and programming embedded devices. It supports many device families and architectures, such as Arm, RISC-V, Microchip, Renesas, SiLabs 8051, Cadence, and more. It also comes with many features and benefits, such as:



  • A powerful editor with syntax highlighting, code completion, code folding, etc.



  • A project manager that supports multiple configurations and targets



  • A debugger that supports unlimited breakpoints in flash memory, real-time transfer technology, terminal output, power measurement, trace analysis, etc.



  • A programmer that supports fast and reliable flash programming with optimized flash loaders



  • A simulator that allows you to run and test your code without a hardware device



  • A profiler that allows you to measure and optimize the performance of your code



  • A code analyzer that allows you to check and improve the quality of your code



  • A linker that allows you to optimize the memory usage of your code



  • A library manager that allows you to manage and use various libraries for your projects



  • A package manager that allows you to download and install various packages for your projects



  • And more...



To use Segger J-Link with SEGGER Embedded Studio, you need to download and install SEGGER Embedded Studio from the Segger website . You can choose between a free version for non-commercial use or a paid version for commercial use. After installing SEGGER Embedded Studio, you can create a new project or open an existing project. You can then select your target device type and interface type in the project options. You can also select your J-Link debug probe serial number in the debugger options. You can then build your project and start debugging or programming your target device using Segger J-Link.


Using J-Link with Eclipse-based IDEs




Eclipse is a popular open source platform for software development that supports many languages and frameworks, such as C/C++, Java, Python, etc. There are many Eclipse-based IDEs that are designed for embedded development, such as Eclipse CDT, Eclipse Embedded CDT, STM32CubeIDE, NXP MCUXpresso IDE, etc. These IDEs provide various features and benefits, such as:



  • A powerful editor with syntax highlighting, code completion, code folding, etc.



  • A project manager that supports multiple configurations and targets



  • A debugger that supports various debug probes, such as Segger J-Link, ST-Link, J-Link EDU Mini, etc.



  • A programmer that supports various flash devices and algorithms



  • A simulator that allows you to run and test your code without a hardware device



  • A profiler that allows you to measure and optimize the performance of your code



  • A code analyzer that allows you to check and improve the quality of your code



  • A linker that allows you to optimize the memory usage of your code



  • A library manager that allows you to manage and use various libraries for your projects



  • A package manager that allows you to download and install various packages for your projects



  • And more...



To use Segger J-Link with Eclipse-based IDEs, you need to download and install the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack from the Segger website . You also need to download and install the Eclipse IDE of your choice from its respective website. After installing both software packages, you can create a new project or open an existing project in your Eclipse IDE. You can then select your target device type and interface type in the project options. You can also select your J-Link debug probe serial number in the debugger options. You can then build your project and start debugging or programming your target device using Segger J-Link.


Using J-Link with other IDEs




Besides SEGGER Embedded Studio and Eclipse-based IDEs, there are many other IDEs that support Segger J-Link, such as IAR Embedded Workbench, Keil µVision, Visual Studio Code, etc. These IDEs have their own features and benefits, depending on your preferences and needs. To use Segger J-Link with these IDEs, you need to follow their respective documentation and instructions on how to configure and use external debug probes. You can find a complete list of supported IDEs and debuggers .


Using J-Link tools and utilities




Another way to use Segger J-Link is to use its various tools and utilities that are included in the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack. These tools and utilities allow you to perform different tasks with your J-Link debug probe, such as:


Using J-Link Commander




J-Link Commander is a command-line tool that allows you to control your J-Link debug probe and perform various operations on your target device, such as:



  • Connecting to your target device



  • Downloading code into flash or RAM memory



  • Setting breakpoints in flash or RAM memory



  • Viewing and modifying memory contents



  • Viewing and modifying registers



  • Viewing terminal output from the target device



  • Executing scripts or commands from a file



  • And more...



You can launch J-Link Commander from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. You can also run it from the command line using the command "JLink.exe". The tool will automatically detect your J-Link debug probe and display its information. You can then enter various commands to interact with your J-Link debug probe and your target device. You can find a complete list of commands .


Using J-Link GDB Server




J-Link GDB Server is a tool that allows you to use your J-Link debug probe with any GDB-compatible debugger, such as GCC/GDB, LLDB, Visual Studio Code, etc. It acts as a bridge between your debugger and your J-Link debug probe, allowing you to perform various debugging tasks on your target device.


You can launch J-Link GDB Server from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. You can also run it from the command line using the command "JLinkGDBServer.exe". The tool will automatically detect your J-Link debug probe and display its information. You can then configure various parameters for your target device, such as:



  • The interface type (JTAG or SWD)



  • The target device type



  • The target device voltage

  • The target device speed



  • The target device endianess



  • The IP address and port of the J-Link GDB Server



After configuring the parameters, you can start the J-Link GDB Server by clicking on "Start". The tool will then wait for a connection from your debugger. You can then launch your debugger and connect to the J-Link GDB Server using the IP address and port that you specified. You can then debug your target device using your debugger and your J-Link debug probe.


Using J-Link Remote Server




J-Link Remote Server is a tool that allows you to use your J-Link debug probe over the Internet or a local network. It acts as a proxy between your development PC and your J-Link debug probe, allowing you to access your target device remotely. This is useful for scenarios such as:



  • Debugging a target device that is located in another room, building, or country



  • Sharing a J-Link debug probe among multiple developers



  • Testing a target device in different environments or conditions



  • And more...



To use J-Link Remote Server, you need to install it on both your development PC and the PC that is connected to your J-Link debug probe. You can download and install the J-Link Remote Server from the Segger website . After installing the J-Link Remote Server, you need to run it on both PCs and configure it accordingly. On the PC that is connected to your J-Link debug probe, you need to specify the serial number of your J-Link debug probe and the port number of the J-Link Remote Server. On your development PC, you need to specify the IP address and port number of the PC that is connected to your J-Link debug probe. You can then connect to your J-Link debug probe remotely using any IDE or tool that supports Segger J-Link.


Using J-Link RTT Viewer




J-Link RTT Viewer is a graphical utility that allows you to view terminal output from your target device using Segger's Real-Time Transfer technology. This technology allows you to transfer data between your target device and your development PC in real time, without halting the target device. This is useful for scenarios such as:



  • Printing debugging messages from your target device



  • Logging data from your target device



  • Interacting with your target device via a command-line interface



  • And more...



To use J-Link RTT Viewer, you need to include Segger's RTT library in your target device code and use its API functions to send and receive data via RTT channels. You can download and install the RTT library from the Segger website . After including the RTT library in your target device code, you need to run the J-Link RTT Viewer utility from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. You can also run it from the command line using the command "JLinkRTTViewer.exe". The utility will automatically detect your J-Link debug probe and display its information. You can then select your target device type and interface type in the options menu. You can then view terminal output from your target device in different tabs, corresponding to different RTT channels. You can also send data to your target device using the input box at the bottom of each tab.


Using J-Link SWO Viewer




J-Link SWO Viewer is a graphical utility that allows you to view trace output from your target device using Segger's Serial Wire Output technology. This technology allows you to transfer data from your target device to your development PC via a single pin, without affecting the performance or functionality of the target device. This is useful for scenarios such as:



  • Tracing the execution of your target device code



  • Analyzing the performance of your target device code



  • Monitoring events or interrupts on your target device



  • And more...



To use J-Link SWO Viewer, you need to enable SWO output on your target device and configure it accordingly. You also need to connect the SWO pin of your target device to the SWO pin of your J-Link debug probe. You can find more information on how to enable and configure SWO output . After enabling and configuring SWO output on your target device, you need to run the J-Link SWO Viewer utility from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. You can also run it from the command line using the command "JLinkSWOViewer.exe". The utility will automatically detect your J-Link debug probe and display its information. You can then select your target device type and interface type in the options menu. You can then view trace output from your target device in different tabs, corresponding to different SWO modes, such as PC sampling, ITM, ETM, etc.


Using J-Flash




J-Flash is a graphical utility that allows you to program flash memory on your target device using your J-Link debug probe. It supports many flash devices and algorithms and allows you to perform various operations, such as:



  • Selecting the flash device type and size



  • Selecting the flash programming algorithm



  • Selecting the flash programming mode (erase, program, verify, etc.)



  • Selecting the flash programming file (binary, hex, elf, etc.)



  • Programming the flash memory on your target device



  • Reading the flash memory from your target device



  • Comparing the flash memory with a file



  • Erasing the flash memory on your target device



  • Blank checking the flash memory on your target device



  • And more...



To use J-Flash, you need to run the J-Flash utility from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. You can also run it from the command line using the command "JFlash.exe". The utility will automatically detect your J-Link debug probe and display its information. You can then select your target device type and interface type in the options menu. You can then configure various parameters for your flash programming operation in the main window. You can then start the flash programming operation by clicking on "Start". The utility will then program the flash memory on your target device using your J-Link debug probe.


Conclusion




In this article, we have explained what Segger J-Link is, what features and benefits it provides, how to download and install its software, and how to use it for your embedded projects. We have also shown some examples of devices and IDEs that are supported by Segger J-Link, as well as some tools and utilities that are included in the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack. We hope that this article has helped you understand how Segger J-Link can help you with your embedded development tasks.


FAQs




Here are some frequently asked questions about Segger J-Link:



  • What are the differences between different models of Segger J-Link?



Segger J-Link comes in different models that vary in terms of features, performance, price, and license. Some of the main differences are:



  • J-Link BASE: This is the basic model that supports most of the features and benefits of Segger J-Link. It has a download speed of up to 1 MB/s and a maximum trace buffer size of 64 KB. It is licensed for commercial use.



  • J-Link PLUS: This is an enhanced model that supports all the features and benefits of Segger J-Link. It has a download speed of up to 3 MB/s and a maximum trace buffer size of 256 KB. It also supports unlimited breakpoints in flash memory and built-in virtual COM port functionality. It is licensed for commercial use.



  • J-Link ULTRA+: This is a high-performance model that supports all the features and benefits of Segger J-Link. It has a download speed of up to 4 MB/s and a maximum trace buffer size of 1 MB. It also supports unlimited breakpoints in flash memory, built-in virtual COM port functionality, and power measurement. It is licensed for commercial use.



  • J-Link PRO: This is a professional model that supports all the features and benefits of Segger J-Link. It has a download speed of up to 4 MB/s and a maximum trace buffer size of 4 MB. It also supports unlimited breakpoints in flash memory, built-in virtual COM port functionality, power measurement, and Ethernet connection. It is licensed for commercial use.



  • J-Link EDU: This is an educational model that supports most of the features and benefits of Segger J-Link. It has a download speed of up to 1 MB/s and a maximum trace buffer size of 64 KB. It also supports unlimited breakpoints in flash memory and built-in virtual COM port functionality. It is licensed for non-commercial use only.



  • J-Link EDU Mini: This is a miniaturized educational model that supports most of the features and benefits of Segger J-Link. It has a download speed of up to 200 KB/s and a maximum trace buffer size of 16 KB. It also supports unlimited breakpoints in flash memory and built-in virtual COM port functionality. It is licensed for non-commercial use only.



You can find more information about the different models of Segger J-Link .


  • How can I update the firmware of my Segger J-Link?



You can update the firmware of your Segger J-Link using the J-Link Configurator utility. This utility allows you to check the current firmware version of your J-Link debug probe and download and install the latest firmware version if available. You can launch the J-Link Configurator utility from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. You can also run it from the command line using the command "JLinkConfig.exe". The utility will automatically detect your J-Link debug probe and display its information. You can then select your J-Link debug probe and click on "Update" to update its firmware.


  • How can I get technical support for my Segger J-Link?



You can get technical support for your Segger J-Link from the Segger support team. You can contact them via email, phone, or online form. You can find their contact information .


  • How can I get more information about Segger J-Link?



You can get more information about Segger J-Link from the Segger website . You can also find various manuals, user guides, application notes, and other documents related to Segger J-Link in the J-Link Software and Documentation Pack that you downloaded and installed earlier. You can access them from the Segger folder in your program files directory or from the Start menu.


  • Where can I buy Segger J-Link?



You can buy Segger J-Link from various distributors and resellers around the world. You can find a list of authorized distributors and resellers .


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