nRF Connect SDK v3.0.2: Device not found / nrfjprog not found

RE: nRF Connect SDK v3.0.2: Device not found / nrfjprog not found

Buehli — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:31:31 GMT

Hi Kenneth

same for me... It must be somehow related to my setup in the IT environment where i can normally install applications only when logged in as an admin. But VS Code could only be installed for the normal user and development shall also be carried out as normal user. I assume that with the J-Link i needed to install it as admin for having the "legacy drivers" (wild guiess...).

RE: nRF Connect SDK v3.0.2: Device not found / nrfjprog not found

Kenneth — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:26:19 GMT

Great that you have made it work! I must admit I don't understand what might have been the problem here.

Kenneth

RE: nRF Connect SDK v3.0.2: Device not found / nrfjprog not found

Buehli — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:22:47 GMT

Update and "resolution":

I got it running: When i install (logged in as normal user, not admin) in addition the J-Link Software (v8.18) with "install legacy USB-drivers..." de-activated (I cannot activate that as non-admin), my device is detected in VS Code and also in nRF Connect for Desktop.

Seems somewhat strange to me but it works...

Best regards

Buehli

RE: nRF Connect SDK v3.0.2: Device not found / nrfjprog not found

Buehli — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 13:15:07 GMT

Hi Kenneth,

thanks for your reply!

I could resolve the error on the missing nrfjprog: I removed all the entries im my tasks.json relating to jrfjprog and I removed in my board.cmake the line "include(${ZEPHYR_BASE}/boards/common/nrfjprog.board.cmake)".

After that, I re-installed my toolchain according to the acadamy links you provided: Uninstalled the VS Code extenstion, uninstalled J-Link Software, uninstalled nrfutil. Then i logged in my machine (Win11) as administrator to install J-Link Software (v8.58) with "install legacy USB-drivers..." activated, "installed" nrfutil and added to path (for all users) and installed the command "device". After that, i logged in again as normal user and installed the nRF Extension (Toolchain and SDK as v3.0.2, both were still available from my previous installation).

Regarding J-Link: This looks good to me. At least I can see it in my windows device manager under USB-devices as "J-Link driver", and I can flash using SEGGER embedded Studio.

When I start VS Code i get the message which looks good to me:

[14:59:30] =========== Toolchain validation report for nRF Connect SDK Toolchain v3.0.2 ===========
📦 Using the nRF Connect SDK v3.0.2 at c:\ncs\v3.0.2
No issues were detected with the toolchain.

Could the issue be somehow in my board.cmake? Here's the content:

# Copyright (c) 2024 Nordic Semiconductor ASA
# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

board_runner_args(jlink "--device=nrf52840_xxaa" "--speed=4000")
board_runner_args(pyocd "--target=nrf52840" "--frequency=4000000")

#include(${ZEPHYR_BASE}/boards/common/nrfjprog.board.cmake)
include(${ZEPHYR_BASE}/boards/common/jlink.board.cmake)
include(${ZEPHYR_BASE}/boards/common/pyocd.board.cmake)

After that I tried if "nRF Connect for Dekstop v5.2.0 -> Programmer" could detect my j-link. This also fails. Hence, I uninstalled j-link and re-installed version v8.18 (logged in as administrator). Back as normal user, i still get the error "Missing dependency - This app requires SEGGER J_Link V8.18" when i start the Programmer from nRF Connect for Desktop. I did install J-Link software with "install legacy USB-drivers..." activated.

Can this help to figure out the issue?

Any help is highly appreciated.

Thanks and best regards

Buehli

RE: nRF Connect SDK v3.0.2: Device not found / nrfjprog not found

Kenneth — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 15:43:38 GMT

Hello,

If you haven't already do check out https://academy.nordicsemi.com/ and in specific https://academy.nordicsemi.com/courses/nrf-connect-sdk-fundamentals/ on how to setup the development environment.

I am not sure why it asks for nrfjprog, but you can install it manually from (maybe a restart required to add it to system paths):
https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-tools/nRF-Command-Line-Tools/Download

No problem to install that tool no (but should not be needed anymore).

Kenneth