Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 07:40:05 GMT

Finally, the issue was resolved. The problem was due to the fact that Pin DEC2 (32) was grounded while it should be left unconnected if using a QFN package.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Wed, 31 May 2017 14:48:51 GMT

Thank you for your suggestion, Hung Bui! Nordic's local distributor in Russia kindly agreed to test our board with oscilloscope, so once we figure out the root of the problem, I will post it here.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Hung Bui — Wed, 31 May 2017 12:08:24 GMT

I don't see any problem in the photo.

I don't have other idea of what could be wrong. Just suggest you to test on a fresh board with no component populated. Just the nRF52 chip, some decoupling capacitors and then connect:

3.3 V, GND, SWDIO, SWDCLK from the DK (try also the DEBUG OUT port) to the chip Connect 3.3V from the chip back to VTG on the DK.

It should work with this minimum set-up.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Tue, 30 May 2017 21:28:18 GMT

JD, we tried to do it without GND DETECT, but, unfortunatelly, it did not help. We also tried another nRF52-DK, but it still did not work, so DK is not the issue.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Tue, 30 May 2017 21:25:34 GMT

I have just added the photo. We tested it with another DK, and we also tried other custom boards - it still did not work.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Hung Bui — Tue, 30 May 2017 11:16:07 GMT

Could you provide a close up photo on how you mount the chip ? Do you have another board to test ?

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

endnode — Tue, 30 May 2017 08:40:15 GMT

Maybe not needed but they don't harm (= if GND Detect is grounded it should not exhibit errors like Artem reports).

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

JD — Tue, 30 May 2017 03:36:11 GMT

You don't need GND DETECT, just connect VTG to VDD, SWD pins and power pins from the DK to your custom board.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Sun, 28 May 2017 15:30:31 GMT

I tried to power the custom board from 12V as you suggested, but it still did not work. I updated the question with voltage levels when the custom board is powered from the external power supply.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Sun, 28 May 2017 09:17:41 GMT

We already did it on Windows machine but also did not have luck with it :( Today I will try to power the custom board with 12V and see if it will help

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

endnode — Sat, 27 May 2017 20:21:20 GMT

Well then it looks like voltmeter is OK. No chance to run nrfjprog or nRFgo Studio on different machine (with Windows)?

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Sat, 27 May 2017 19:53:51 GMT

Thank you for your suggestion. Measurement at 5V PIN shows 4.99V.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

endnode — Sat, 27 May 2017 11:17:54 GMT

Yes, you are measuring it correctly. Hard to say if it's voltmeter or weak USB power source or simply your DK board doesn't provide 3V3. As control measurement you can use 5V PIN on P1 or other PINs on the board, but anyway, even with 2.8V it should work. What about to power it through 12V on your target board and then just link VTG to 3V3 on target + GND it to nRF52 DK? That might help to be sure that power lines aren't the problem...

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Sat, 27 May 2017 10:30:19 GMT

It also seems strange for me, because according to nRF52 DK specs, "The 5 V from the USB is regulated down to 3.3 V". In order to measure voltage on the DK I connect voltmeter to VDD nRF (P20) and any ground on board, is it correct way of measuring voltage? Right not it shows 2.87V

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

endnode — Sat, 27 May 2017 10:18:06 GMT

Yes, it could be caused by strange voltage levels you are observing. To be honest I've never seen the case where would nRF5x DK powered from 5V USB fail to provide 3V3 to external low-power MCU like this. Are you sure you power it from the right PINs on DK board? I'm using VDD nRF from P20 or some of VDD PINs on P1 header, it never gave me below 3V...

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Sat, 27 May 2017 10:10:09 GMT

Recovery command shows the same error as erase or program: "JLinkARM.dll CORESIGHT_WriteAPDPReg returned error -1. JLinkARM.dll CORESIGHT_WriteAPDPReg returned error -102."

Do you have any ideas what may cause this HW problem? May it be caused by broken nrf52832 or X1? Or may it be due to low voltage (less than 3V) on DK and custom board?

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

endnode — Sat, 27 May 2017 10:02:05 GMT

OK, almost running out of ideas. If usual nrfjprog --recover -c %SPEED% --family %NRFFAMILY% --log doesn't help in NRFTOOLS v9.4.0 then I once had more luck with recovery through nRFgo Studio (surprisingly). Note that I run all the tools on Win7, never on Linux/MAC (even with Win7 VM on these systems). You say that nRFgo Studio fails whenever you connect the board to the machine and try to select it, is that on Windows? If so then it more indicates HW (power) problem than anything else...

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Sat, 27 May 2017 09:52:42 GMT

yes, we double-checked everything one hundred times before posting to the forum, but, unfortunately, all jump wires have good contacts, so the problems is somewhere else. I have just removed the short between VDD and VTG, and the nRF52 DK was flashed successfully.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

endnode — Sat, 27 May 2017 09:39:26 GMT

I see. I was having similar errors due to bad wiring, are you sure all these jump wires have good contacts? Also good test that J-Link is working well is to remove short between VDD and VTG, it should then target internal nRF5x chip on the board (and typically flash it successfully if it's correct family).

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

Artem Efremov — Sat, 27 May 2017 09:33:21 GMT

Thank you for your comment! But the connection scheme is correct (is is exactly the same as in the question which you referred): VTG is linked to VDD on nRF52, and GND Detect is linked to GND on nRF52 . It may look wrong due to colors of the wires, sorry about that.

RE: Error when programming a custom board using nRF52-DK

endnode — Sat, 27 May 2017 09:22:35 GMT

Hi, it's not really visible from your photo but I guess you have VTG and GND DETECT PINs wrongly connected on nRF52 DK P20 header. VTG must be linked to 3V3 (ideally by short to some VDD PIN on nRF52 because you are powering everything through it) and GND DETECT should be grounded (again ideally to some GND PIN on nRF52). See scheme in this Q&A and alternatively other Q&As like this one when debugging flashing through P19 and P20 of nRF5x DK boards.