nRF52840 DK board developed off Hardware files v3.0.3 would like to get the on-board SEGGER J-Link debugger flashed on the board

[chuck rekiere]

Hi,

We had a nRF52840 DK board developed off Hardware files v3.0.3 build.  The manufacturer didn't have any of the MCU or SEGGER J-Link debugger files on the device.  We are using SDK 3.0.2.

The board built is exactly like the nRF52840. 

What has been tried

• Is the j-link-ob-sam3u128-v2-nordicsemi-170724.bin the file to put on the board.
  
  • Tried to do the hold reset and turn on the board power , hold reset and over usb a storage device will show up and the above .bin needed to be moved to the storage devicer and the MCU would program.   The LED only blinked and turned off and the storage device didn't show up.
    docs.nordicsemi.com/.../if_mcu.html
• Connected the nordic nRF52840 DK Debug out (10 pin) to the nRF52840 DK build board Debug in.  The board didn't show up . (had previously done with a Fanstel and it worked)

So which steps need to be done to get the MCU / SEGGER J-Link debugger flashed / programmed onto the nRF52840 board .  Do we need to purchase a J-Link SEGGER programmer? 

• If so which model of J-Link SEGGER programmer ?
• How would the J-Link SEGGER be connected to the board?

Can the nRF52840 DK (nordic) be used to Flash the MCU / SEGGER J-Link debugger onto the nRF52840 DK (build) ?

• https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/ug_nrf5340_dk/page/UG/dk/ext_programming_support_P20.html

Would prefer the simplest and reproducible method as will need to use in production.

The basic question is have build an nRF53840 board and need to get the MCU and the SEGGER J-Link debugger on the boards.

Input appreciated

[PaKa]

Remember that someone doing something doesn't mean it is legally allowed....

The nRF5840 DONGLE can be updated without using the button. There is a specific USB service in the nRF5 SDK named something along "DFU Trigger". This sets up an additional USB endpoint that if accessed in the correct way will trigger the DFU action. This is used by nRF Connect or Desktop to trigger DFU when you use Nordic code in the Dongle. You can add this to your own code if you want to. Not sure if this code is present in nRF Connect SDK but you can check if this seems like a solution for you.

[chuck rekiere]

Thank-you , The nRF52840 DFU Trigger would solve many of our issues if it will allow for re-flashing the dongle.  


I grepped the sdk-nrf code and see /tests/subsys/dfu/...and /samples/dfu/duf_target ... is this along the right track?

also found this 

https://docs.contiki-ng.org/en/develop/_api/usb-dfu-trigger_8c.html#details

[PaKa]

Based on the device support it looks like not it.

Basically the nRF5 SDK solution adds a USB end point (so will only work with USB capable devices) and accessing this will trigger a reboot which will stay in DFU mode. This is done by pulling the GPIO pin on the nRF52840 connected to the RESET pin low.

If you embedd code in your project that pulls this pin low then you will always go to DFU mode so you can achieve this in whatever way you want.

[chuck rekiere]

If the sniffer is programmed on the nRF52840 is there a way to access the GPIO?  Or would the reset need to be pushed to enter the programming mode?  I see a path forward for the advertisement updates,  yet not a method of programming the sniffer then moving towards the advertizement code and back?

[PaKa]

The GPIO feature must be built into the program. I don't know if the sniffer SW includes it but to test you program the sniffer code and then try to use the Dongle with the nRF Connect for Desktop programmer or RSSI apps. If it has the DFU trigger library then you can program the board without using the reset button. If you need to use the reset button then it doesn't.

For code you build yourself then you will need to add the feature to the code.