Boards getting bricked

[Niels Redegeld]

Hello,

I am trying to develop using a custom pcb. And after some time my boards stop connecting to the debugger. How do I unbrick the boards? I have read multiple solutions like connecting pin 18 to vdd which did not work. When I run nrfjrog --reset I get the following error message: 

[error] [ Worker] - An unknown error.
[error] [ Client] - Encountered error -102: Command connect_to_emu_with_snr executed for 221 milliseconds with result -102
ERROR: Unable to connect to a debugger.
ERROR: JLinkARM DLL reported an error. Try again. If error condition
ERROR: persists, run the same command again with argument --log, contact Nordic
ERROR: Semiconductor and provide the generated log.log file to them.
NOTE: For additional output, try running again with logging enabled (--log).
NOTE: Any generated log error messages will be displayed.
PS C:\Program Files\Nordic Semiconductor\nrf-command-line-tools\bin>

I know it has something to do with reset pins or something, so I will be defining the reset pin in my boardfile, but does that fix the issue or is there a better fix.

Kind regards,

Niels Redegeld

[mathiaso]

Hi, Niels.

Have you tried running "nrfjprog --recover" instead of "nrfjprog --reset"?

Best regards,
Mathias

[Niels Redegeld]

Hi

I have tried running that as well. It gave the same error unfortunatly.

Kind regards,

Niels.

[Niels Redegeld]

I did not manually enable the DC/DC regulator in the firmware.

[mathiaso]

Ok. Are you using nRF5 or nRF Connect SDK?

Has anything in the firmware changed since you were able to flash the boards? And how many boards have stopped being able to connect vs. still being able to connect to the debugger?

[Niels Redegeld]

I use the nRF Connect SDK, version 2.5.2.
Well the firmware is changing continuesly but when it stopped working I had not changed anything.
currently 3/5 units are bricked, but I haven't tried the other two yet.

[mathiaso]

Could you check that the DC/DC hasn't been set automatically?

For how long were you able to flash your boards before you lost communication with them?

Have you tried using a different cable? Or a different debugger?

Would you be able to see if you can communicate with the two remaining boards?

[Niels Redegeld]

The DC/DC was set automatically to yes in the config file, so I turned it off: CONFIG_BOARD_ENABLE_DCDC=n
The periods I could flash the chip was about a week to two weeks per chip,

I know that its not the debugger, it works fine when I connect it to a DK.

They didn't work, I wouldn't know why cause I hadn't even flashed something to it yet.

[mathiaso]

Niels Redegeld said:

The DC/DC was set automatically to yes in the config file, so I turned it off: CONFIG_BOARD_ENABLE_DCDC=n

But it didn't make any difference disabling it?

Do you know if you have the internal pull-up on the reset pin active? I can see you have added an external one. It could also be an idea to add a shunt capacitor to the pin. There isn't a problem with the switch there?

[Niels Redegeld]

It did not make a difference no, I'll have to look in getting a shunt capacitor, but I dont think the problem relies here. I want to know how to unbrick the boards, before I can even test the solutions.

[mathiaso]

Niels Redegeld said:

PS C:\Program Files\Nordic Semiconductor\nrf-command-line-tools\bin> nrfjprog --recover --log
WARNING: Logging is unavailable. nrfjprog.exe does not have write
WARNING: permission for the log file
ERROR: Unable to connect to a debugger.
ERROR: JLinkARM DLL reported an error. Try again. If error condition
ERROR: persists, run the same command again with argument --log, contact Nordic
ERROR: Semiconductor and provide the generated log.log file to them.
PS C:\Program Files\Nordic Semiconductor\nrf-command-line-tools\bin>

Could you try running "nrfjprog --recover --log" from an admin window to see if this will let you provide some logs?

Niels Redegeld said:

The DC/DC was set automatically to yes in the config file, so I turned it off: CONFIG_BOARD_ENABLE_DCDC=n
The periods I could flash the chip was about a week to two weeks per chip,

And in these periods the DC/DC was enabled?

[Niels Redegeld]

If I run nrfjprog --recover --log I get the following error:

PS C:\Program Files\Nordic Semiconductor\nrf-command-line-tools\bin> nrfjprog --recover --log
WARNING: Logging is unavailable. nrfjprog.exe does not have write
WARNING: permission for the log file
ERROR: Unable to connect to a debugger.
ERROR: JLinkARM DLL reported an error. Try again. If error condition
ERROR: persists, run the same command again with argument --log, contact Nordic
ERROR: Semiconductor and provide the generated log.log file to them.
PS C:\Program Files\Nordic Semiconductor\nrf-command-line-tools\bin>

I can't upload to my boards so currently the DC/DC is not Disabled 

[mathiaso]

Niels Redegeld said:

If I run nrfjprog --recover --log I get the following error:

PS C:\Program Files\Nordic Semiconductor\nrf-command-line-tools\bin> nrfjprog --recover --log
WARNING: Logging is unavailable. nrfjprog.exe does not have write
WARNING: permission for the log file
ERROR: Unable to connect to a debugger.
ERROR: JLinkARM DLL reported an error. Try again. If error condition
ERROR: persists, run the same command again with argument --log, contact Nordic
ERROR: Semiconductor and provide the generated log.log file to them.
PS C:\Program Files\Nordic Semiconductor\nrf-command-line-tools\bin>

So I didn't make a difference running it from an admin window?

Niels Redegeld said:

I can't upload to my boards so currently the DC/DC is not Disabled

What I tried to ask was if it was enabled when you were able to flash them?