How to update JLink OB firmware on PCA10001?

[joc]

Hi, after I updated my MAC OS X to the latest version EI Capitan, I found my JLink commander cannot connect to the PCA10001 board again even with the Jlink commander updated to the latest. After some search work, I speculate that the JLink OB firmware is too old which is V7.0 for me. So I try to update the JLink OB firmware, but don't know how to ?

I was told by someone the firmware would be prompted to upgrade autmomatically with the nrfgo 1.15, but it didn't happen to me...

[Håkon Alseth]

Hi,

The firmware should be continuously updated when you update your segger installation. In my PCA10001, this is the firmware version:

Firmware: J-Link OB-SAM3U128 V1 compiled Aug 28 2015 19:26:23

Apparently, there has been some changes to the USB module in El capitan (based on google hits), where some users has to connect their debugger to a windows machine running the latest Segger installation to get the firmware update.

Could you try updating this using a linux/win PC and see if starts working on El Capitan?

Best regards, Håkon

[joc]

Yes, I had tried updating Segger installation on PC but there's no Jlink OB update followed...Btw, the board works well on PC.

[Håkon Alseth]

What version of the firmware is detected? It should include a string like the above if you open JLink GDBServer or J-Link Commander.

Cheers, Håkon

[RK]

Yes I got bitten by this last week, neither of the two JLink Cortex Lites I had would connect to anything. You said PCA10001, so I assume you mean the standalone debuggers you attach with a 10-pin cable.

Unfortunately the old firmware on those has USB issues talking to OSX El Capitan and needs to be upgraded, however because it has USB issues talking to OSX El Capitan, it can't be recognised enough to be upgraded. Segger appear to have patched it a month or two ago, but if you hadn't downloaded a latest JLink package after that, or hadn't used the JLink Lites to get them fixed before the El Captain upgrade, you have a chicken and egg problem.

The only way to fix it is to find an un-upgraded Mac, or a windows box or a linux box, get the latest JLink package and plug in and run JLinkExe (or the platform equivalent) to upgrade it. If you run Parallels, that even works on your mac, I guess it uses the windows USB drivers. Once you get it connected to once, it'll upgrade, then you're good to use in El Cap again.

The segger thread is here