nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

Simonr — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 11:28:37 GMT

Susheel asked me to take a look at this ticket. Can you share some details on what the QSPI device you plan on using here? The QSPI peripheral on the nRF5340 SoC is designed for using NOR flash devices, but might also work for some other devices (like the nRF7002 for example), but we don't have specific driver support for other QSPI devices.

Best regards,

Simon

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

curiousme — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 05:13:35 GMT

It is in this same ticket above. For your reference, attaching the snapshot.

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

Susheel Nuguru — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:05:26 GMT

[quote user="curiousme"]. It was mentioned in the previous posts that the "Zephyr SPI drivers with the QSPI in general", can you let me know if any of the SPIM and SPI Driver which are present in nRF, that can be used in 4 Line mode to work with the non SPI Flash slave?[/quote]

Not to my knowledge, maybe you can do it with very low level HAL drivers but I am unsure how to do it. Can you please provide me the posts where this is mentioned?

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

curiousme — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:57:46 GMT

Thanks for your reply. It was mentioned in the previous posts that the "Zephyr SPI drivers with the QSPI in general", can you let me know if any of the SPIM and SPI Driver which are present in nRF, that can be used in 4 Line mode to work with the non SPI Flash slave?

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

Susheel Nuguru — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 10:59:53 GMT

The QSPI on nRF53 is designed mainly to talk to NOR flash, so unless your slave implements those fast read, Quad Read, Erases etc which are command relevant for NOR flash, I do not think that the peripheral statemachine completes any of the transactions triggered. In short, I do not think non flash device + our QSPI will work properly.

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

curiousme — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 06:07:55 GMT

[quote userid="106736" url="~/f/nordic-q-a/121887/nrf5340-qspi-communication-with-a-non-spi-flash-chip/537520"] I think you should be able to use the Zephyr SPI drivers with the QSPI in genera, but if you want to use it for flash, that will be another driver.[/quote]

I was trying to understand this comment from you, can you let me know how a SPI module in nRF5340, can be used as SPI_LINES_QUAD, while the SPI modules present in the nRF5340 has MOSI and MISO lines only. If you have any example, can you please share it here.?

My requirement is to work with a QSPI slave (non SPI Flash based) by using quad lines, how can I really do it with nRF5340. Currently I am facing issues with the communication using QSPI even after Solder bridge configuration.

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

Sigurd Hellesvik — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:15:30 GMT

I dont think I understand your question completely, but:

The nRF5340 does not have a lot of restrictions on Pin Assignements. For QSPI, you are locked to some pins, but if you want to use normal SPI, you should be able to use other pins I think.

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

curiousme — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 16:52:31 GMT

What I understand is to use the existing SPI Driver itself to work like QSPI functionality by using CONFIG_SPI_EXTENDED_MODES with quad lines. If this is the case then what is the use of QSPI interface itself, why can't it be used directly by use of solder bridges as mentioned above instead of using the SPI? For SPI interface SPIM_SCK - P0.8, SPIM_MISO, P0.10, SPIM_MOSI P0. 9, and CS P0.7 pins are used. If we use the quad lines then P0.9 will act as IO0, P.10 will act as IO1 then which lines should be used for IO2, IO3 lines?

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

Sigurd Hellesvik — Fri, 30 May 2025 11:59:02 GMT

Hi,

[quote user=""]Could you please confirm whether the nRF5340 Dev Kit can be used to communicate with QSPI peripherals other than the onboard SPI flash?[/quote]

The nRF5340DK can use the QSPI to communicate with external QSPI devices. See Solder bridge configuration for how to disconnect the external flash.

[quote user=""]If so, could you point me to any relevant driver code or documentation that could help with this integration?[/quote]

I think you should be able to use the Zephyr SPI drivers with the QSPI in genera, but if you want to use it for flash, that will be another driver.

[quote user="curiousme"]Also I found that nRF7002 device which can be interfaced to nRF5340 through QSPI but it has almost same commands as that of On board NOR Flash Chip. Can you please clarify if we can communicate with any other peripheral which has different command set instead of what we have for NOR SPI Flash?[/quote]

See the nRF5340s QSPI instruction.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

RE: nRF5340 QSPI communication with a non SPI Flash chip

curiousme — Thu, 29 May 2025 11:18:58 GMT

Also I found that nRF7002 device which can be interfaced to nRF5340 through QSPI but it has almost same commands as that of On board NOR Flash Chip. Can you please clarify if we can communicate with any other peripheral which has different command set instead of what we have for NOR SPI Flash?