Q:

I am using one of the EFM32 Starter Kits and my PC cannot access the EFM32 for programming.

A:

If you have trouble connecting to the EFM32 using either the Starter Kit or the Development Kit. Please do the following:

1) Install and update Simplicity Studio as described here. 

2) Make sure you have the latest firmware running on the Starter/Development Kit as described here.

3) Connect the Starter/Development Kit to your computer and power it on.

4) In energyAware Commander, make sure that "Debug Mode" is set to "MCU" in Board Information.

5) If you suspect that the device might be in a locked state, please follow the instructions here.

6) (Only DK) Make sure the MCU card is properly connected to the main board.

7) (Only STK) Make sure the switch below the battery connector is pulled away from the battery connector. This will power the EFM32 from the USB power. If the switch is pulled towards the connector it is running from the battery power. Only use the battery setting if you have a power applied to the battery socket or a voltage supplied directly to the VMCU breakout connection.  

8) Make sure your IDE on your PC is set up correctly to access the device according to the Quick Start guide for the kit, which is found under Kit Documentation in Simplicity Studio (make sure you have installed this package first). This document also gives you instructions on how to set up IAR and Keil.

After completing these steps you should be able to program and debug the EFM32.