RE: Custom board configurations

Edvin — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 20:42:02 GMT

Hello,

I would recommend that you start by looking at one of the already existing board files from the same NCS version that you are trying to implement your board. Unfortunately, there are some changes that makes it difficult to always keep on top of when it comes to DevAcademy, and this one seems to have slipped (I will report it, so thank you!)

You didn't specify what NCS version you are using, and I don't remember exactly when the change was made, but at some point (2.9.0 or 3.0.0, I think), the DCDC configuration was moved from Kconfig to devicetree. That means that it is not specified in the .dts/.dtsi files, instead of the defconfig file. As a rule of thumb, HW should be specified in DeviceTree, and SW features should be configured in Kconfig, so it should have been placed in Devicetree all along, but unfortunately, this was not the case.

Looking at the nRF52833DK board files in v3.0.1, you can see in the file:

NCS\zephyr\boards\nordic\nrf52833dk\nrf52833dk_nrf52833.dts, line 126-128:

&reg1 {
	regulator-initial-mode = <NRF5X_REG_MODE_DCDC>;
};

If you don't want to use DCDC, but LDO, you set the regulator-initial-mode = <NRF5X_REG_MODE_LDO>;

Best regards,

Edvin