nrf9160 on custom board crashes when nrf_modem_lib_init is called

RE: nrf9160 on custom board crashes when nrf_modem_lib_init is called

Håkon Alseth — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 14:40:45 GMT

Hi,

Glad to hear that the new chip is working as intended. What can have happened with the former would be guessing from my side, but ESD/EOS, or possibly mechanical stress, are potential causes.

If you see this with more devices, please be sure to contact us again and we can put you in contact with our QA department.

Kind regards,

Håkon

RE: nrf9160 on custom board crashes when nrf_modem_lib_init is called

mackz — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 14:54:00 GMT

Yeah i was able to change the modem firmware after running nrfjprog -e, i have now switched to a new chip and the board is working but i am still not really sure what went wrong.

RE: nrf9160 on custom board crashes when nrf_modem_lib_init is called

Håkon Alseth — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 13:54:16 GMT

Hi,

There is no changes done to the hardware at all, ie. no changes in the external circuitry (caps or similar)? Could this be due to mechanical stress on the board itself? Have you tried to rework (warm it up) to see if it starts working as expected again?

[quote user=""]I have run nrfjprog --recover and tried to flash the modem with version 1.3.5, 1.3.6 and 1.3.7 firmware but it makes no difference, when i try to init the modem i loose all communication with the chip and the device draws around 30 mA.[/quote]

Are you able to flash the modem at all?

Kind regards,

Håkon

RE: nrf9160 on custom board crashes when nrf_modem_lib_init is called

mackz — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:26:11 GMT

It seems weird to get a short after several months of running fine. The board has just been laying on my desk. I have one other board that i have experienced kind of the same issue with, but on that one i can't get any communication working. I think that i might have flashed the chip with a firmware that i had not tested so it might have been left resetting with hardfaults. But i can't really understand why that would make the modem behave the way it is.

RE: nrf9160 on custom board crashes when nrf_modem_lib_init is called

Håkon Alseth — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 11:34:31 GMT

Hi,

[quote user=""]I have a custom board with a nrf9160 on it that has been working for the last three months but last week when i was evaluating low power modes on the board i couldn't talk to the 9160 chip.[/quote]

How many of your boards behave like this?

The most common issue when the modem does not boot up is that one or more of the RESERVED pins (pins 104-127) are shorted somehow:

https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/ps_nrf9160/page/pin.html

This will cause problems when trying to communicate with the modem. Have you tried to clean/resolder the specific device?

Kind regards,

Håkon