Requesting help with the following error for BL653 : "Failed to load readback protection status: async task failure for id: 7452100220 msg: [jlink] JLINKARM_DLL_ERROR (Origin: "Error when running operation: protection-get")."

[Sheep Boi]

Board schematic

board picture

log file attached

Greetings,

TLDR: I am unable to flash our custom board (BL653 chip) using JLink (possibly due to the flash memory having protection enabled).

We are using a custom board with the BL653 (Rev. 2) chip. If I use J-Flash, I get an accurate voltage reading off the board, but then I receive an error saying that the CPU could not be connected. If I use jprog from command line (--recovery, reset, erase, debug reset, or any other argument), I get a similar error and the action is unsuccessful (log file attached above). 

Additionally, we tried to flash the board through Zephyr, but apparently Zephyr only supports the nRF52833 dev kits, and not the chip itself. We also connected it to our BT510 dev board as a last-ditch effort, but that did not work either. 

I have attached the schematics for our board as well. We have read multiple similar posts where users have trouble flashing / debugging the board potentially due to a read/write protection enabled for the flash. We will greatly appreciate any solutions that you could provide to get around this issue! While Zephyr would be the ideal route for our project, we will settle for a successful connecting using JLink or Segger Studio as well.

Thank you,

Sheep Boi

[Jared]

Hi there,

Could you upload a higher quality of the schematic? It's very difficult to read the one that you've shared,

What voltage are you measuring on VDD, GND, RESET and DEC pins?

regards

Jared 

[Sheep Boi]

My apologies. I have attached the pdf to my response.

I am reading +3.3V, 0V, +3.3V on the Vcc, GND, Reset pins respectively on the BLE board (all normal). 

Thank you so much!!BLE_Tag_1.pdf

[Jared]

Hi,

The schematic looks ok, but I have some questions:

1. Can you double check that SWDIO and SWDCLK hasn't been mixed?
2. Are you supplying the board externally when you try to program it or is it supplied via the coin cell?
3. Can you try to program it using lower frequency? For example 500 kHz.
4. How many samples have you seen this issue on? Have you tested any other samples?

regards

Jared

[Sheep Boi]

Hi,

1. I double checked. They are correct.

2. I have tried both external power as well as coin battery. Same outcome.

3. Tried all the way down to 40 KHz. No luck.

4. 2 samples.

Could it be a software issue?

[Jared]

Hi,

Can you share the layout as well?

The log that you provided doesn't seem related to the error in your problem statement: "Failed to load readback protection status: async task failure for id: 7452100220 msg: [jlink] JLINKARM_DLL_ERROR (Origin: "Error when running operation: protection-get"). That was probably the error from J-flash?

Can you share the error message you get when you run nrfjprog --recover and then the log when you run nrfjprog --recover --log?

The log that you shared indicates that either the SWD connection is not connected properly or the board is not supplied correctly. When you measured the VDD and RESET did you measure directly on the pad on the IC or on the J-tag header?

regards

Jared