nRF52840 CKAA Universal Programmer Adapter

[samerr]

Hi,

I am working on a graduate project about BLE mesh networks. I'm using nRF52840 CKAA 94 pin BGA package MCUs. For this project I need to compare several boards and each board configuration would require dozens of boards which makes hundreds of MCUs to program in total.

Layouts of each boards made by different team members and unfortunately they do not followed same positions/standarts for programming pins. Luckily, we have dataman programmer in lab inventory. So, I thought about programming MCUs before assembly. For that instead of designing separate fixtures for each PCB I thought of using dataman with proper adapter.

However, the thing is I couldn't be able to find proper adapter for nRF52840 CKAA nor for dataman neither for other brand universal adapters. If you could help me with this issue it would save me a lot of time for rest of the project.

Kind regards

[Jared]

Hi there,

As you say, how the SWD interface are routed and placed depends on the specific design, so any adapter would have to fit that design specifically. Unless you are looking for a kind of adapter that connects directly to the SWD pads on the IC? 

Maybe you can search for types of Pogo pins that fit the IC?

regards

Jared 

[samerr]

Hi,

Actually what ı am looking for is a so called universal programmer adapter which doesn't only touches to SWD pads but also to other required pads such as supplies(vdds, gnds), clk etc. The footprint has 0.35mm ball pitch and I have never seen a pogo pin that small. If you know any, could you give a link pls.

Kind regards

[Ressa]

Hi,

Regarding your use case, I think you should look for a socket board that is compatible with nRF52840 CKAA package and pitch size. By using socket board you can do the chip programming and even some debug activity without need to solder the IC itself. 

Best regards,
Ressa