nRF52DK not detected by nRF Connect for Desktop Programmer Tool

[Ed N.]

I recently purchased an nRF52DK from mouser (the sticker says PCA10040 3.0.0 2023.4)

I installed nRF Connect for Desktop v4.2.1 on my Windows 10 PC (during the J-Link installation I selected the option to install the USB driver for J-Link).

I connected the device to my PC and powered it on (the LED5 lamp is flashing quickly and the LED1 lamp is pulsing slowly).

No Nordic, J-Link, com ports, or anything new appears in device manager when connecting the device (I'm not exactly sure what to expect, but I assume some sort of J-Link related device).

I launched the Programmer tool, and nothing appears when I click "Select Device".

For troubleshooting, I tried:

Rebooting.

Another USB cable.

Another Windows 10 PC.

Reinstalled nRF Connect for Desktop.

Launched JLink.exe and I get an dialog box saying "No probes connected via USB" (I'm not actually sure if this is supposed to work, but I thought it was worth a try).

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Please install the latest version of nRF Command Line tool which includes the required firmware and then try again.  

Regards,
Amanda H.

[Ed N.]

Hi Amanda,

I don't think the command line tool is relevant (the nRF52DK doesn't appear to be detected by nRF Connect for Desktop or Windows Device Manager, and the comand line tool doesn't include any USB drivers) but I tried it anyways...

I updated the command line tool as suggested. The only thing I know to do with it is to program an external board using the nrfjprog with a hex file provided by the external board manfuacturer. If I'm supposed to do something else please let me know.

I have the debug output of nRF52DK connected to a Fanstel BC805M eval board. Both boards are powered on.

When running nrfjprog, it shows: "ERROR: No debuggers were detected."

The exact command line I am using is:

nrfjprog -f NRF52 --program BT805_AT_2in1PC210126.hex --chiperase --reset 

The hex file is from Fanstel, its for AT command protocol.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

Ed N. said:

I updated the command line tool as suggested

Is your PC able to detect nRF52DK before programming an external board?

Please execute "nrfjprog -v" and "nrfjprog --deviceversion" without an external board and provide the return. 

Please make sure the USB cable can transfer data, not just the power. 

-Amanda H.

[Ed N.]

Hi Amanda,

The problem was resolved by using a different USB cable. The first two I tried didn't work. Finally, the third one worked. I don't have any other devices that are micro USB to test the cables with, so I had no way of knowing if the cables I was using supported data or just power.

For anyone else having this issue, if the cable is good and the drivers are installed, the nRF52 LED lamp will be on solid not flashing, and should appear in Windows device manager under the "Ports (COM & LPT) section as two "JLink CDC UART Port" entries.

Thanks.

[Amanda Hsieh]

Happy to hear it works.

-Amanda H.