nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

basvkesteren — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:18:24 GMT

Picking up an old thread, my original problem turned out to be similar. Our custom board had a comparable typo in board.cmake.. Anyway, i can now debug from vscode on our custom board. Happy, case closed :)

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Jens-Ajisai — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 06:15:05 GMT

Thanks Edvin. The solution works well.
Since it always complaint about UICR (Debug always tries to flash and never succeeds. Even doing "Erase and flash to board" right before debug.), I also added "--erase" to board_runner_args(nrfutil ...).

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Edvin — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 11:27:15 GMT

Ok, I think we found the issue. For the Thingy91x, there is a bug in the board files. Please look at the file:

v2.9.0\nrf\boards\nordic\thingy91x\board.cmake.

Line 8 and 11 are saying:

elseif(BOARD_THINGY91X_NRF5340_CPUAPP OR BOARD_THINGY91X_NRF5340_CPUAPP_NS)
elseif(BOARD_THINGY91X_NRF5340_CPUNET)

they are missing "CONFIG_" before "BOARD". Please correct them to:

elseif(CONFIG_BOARD_THINGY91X_NRF5340_CPUAPP OR CONFIG_BOARD_THINGY91X_NRF5340_CPUAPP_NS)
elseif(CONFIG_BOARD_THINGY91X_NRF5340_CPUNET)

Note that there are two corrections on the first line.

This was causing the build folder to miss these last two lines in the file build\<app_name>\zephyr\runners.yaml:

  jlink:
    - --dt-flash=y
    - --device=nrf5340_xxaa_app
    - --speed=4000

Try rebuilding after fixing the board.cmake file (you may need to delete the build folder, and create the build configuration again).

After the fix, make sure that the runners.yaml file contains those last lines, and try debugging again.

For the custom board, make sure that you have the corresponding lines in the custom board's board.cmake file.

I have reported the bug in the thingy91x file internally, so it will hopefully be patched within the next release.

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Jens-Ajisai — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 04:41:42 GMT

Thanks for checking.

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Edvin — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 09:31:00 GMT

Short update:

This is reported internally, and they will look into it, hopefully fixing it in the next release of the VS Code Extension.

BR,

Edvin

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Edvin — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:00:18 GMT

Hello,

I got hold of a Thingy91x, and I see the same as you. Let me look into this with our developers, and I will get back to you!

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Jens-Ajisai — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 02:08:53 GMT

Thanks for pointing out this errata.
The debug board is not inserted and I connected to P8. The SWD switch is turned to nRF53. Flashing works fine, only debugging not.

I click on debug. A list pops up to select which image to debug. I select the first for the app (not any boot loader nor ipc_radio).

I use a sys build targeting thingy91x/nrf5340/cpuapp.

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Edvin — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:41:25 GMT

How did you connect the debugger?

Please note this anomaly:

https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/errata_Thingy91X/page/ERR/Thingy91X/latest/anomaly_151_4.html

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Jens-Ajisai — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 05:44:55 GMT

Any news? I get the same issue "Unknown device type "nrf5340". Only Nordic devices are supported. "when I try to debug the nRF5340 on Thingy91X. I use Toolchain v2.9.0 with nRF Connect for VS Code. I use a nRF9151dk as debugger.
Flashing works fine for nRF5340. Debugging only for the nRF9151 core.

I try to debug an unmodified connectivity_bridge application.

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

SoukTi — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 17:47:12 GMT

I copied the nrf5340dk board definition and directly modified that and it now works. Not sure what fixed it though.

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

SoukTi — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 09:37:25 GMT

Hi, I have the same issue only with nrf5340,

Unknown device type "nrf5340". Only Nordic devices are supported.

I'm using 2.8 myself. I tried to debug on both windows and linux hosts but same error.

I can submit the board file but I would prefer to do it through a private ticket

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Edvin — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Hello,

Sorry for not coming back to you sooner. If you are still stuck on this, is it possible to upload your custom board files? Can you also specify what NCS version you are using?

Best regards,

Edvin

RE: nRF Connect for VS Code refuses to start debug on my custom board

Edvin — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:48:33 GMT

Hello,

I would think that it is a reasonable limitation that you can't debug other chip brands using a Nordic Debugging tool (as we would have to do additional work to support this), but that is not what you are trying to do. You are actually trying to debug on a Nordic chip, so I guess that it is the way that the extensions tries to determine what device it is that doesn't work as intended.

Let me run this by our VS Code Extension team, and check if they know how this is checked, and whether it is possible to change this. I will get back to you when I know more, but it might not be before next week.

Best regards,

Edvin